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diff --git a/26561.txt b/26561.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..4313d41 --- /dev/null +++ b/26561.txt @@ -0,0 +1,9512 @@ +The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Story of a Common Soldier of Army Life in +the Civil War, 1861-1865, by Leander Stillwell + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: The Story of a Common Soldier of Army Life in the Civil War, 1861-1865 + + +Author: Leander Stillwell + + + +Release Date: September 8, 2008 [eBook #26561] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE STORY OF A COMMON SOLDIER OF +ARMY LIFE IN THE CIVIL WAR, 1861-1865*** + + +E-text prepared by Suzanne Shell and the Project Gutenberg Online +Distributed Proofreading Team (https://www.pgdp.net) + + + +Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this + file which includes the original illustrations. + See 26561-h.htm or 26561-h.zip: + (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/6/5/6/26561/26561-h/26561-h.htm) + or + (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/6/5/6/26561/26561-h.zip) + + + + + +THE STORY OF A COMMON SOLDIER OF ARMY LIFE IN THE CIVIL WAR 1861-1865 + +Second Edition + +by + +LEANDER STILLWELL +Late of Co. D, 61st Illinois Infantry + + + + + + + +[Illustration: JUDGE LEANDER STILLWELL + December, 1909.] + + + +Franklin Hudson Publishing Co. +1920 + +Copyright 1920 by +Leander Stillwell + + + + +DEDICATED TO MY YOUNGEST SON, +JEREMIAH E. STILLWELL. + +DEAR JERRY: + +You have earnestly asked me to write something in the nature of an +extended account of my career as a soldier in the Union army during the +Civil War. It will be a rather strenuous undertaking for a man of my +age. I shall be seventy-three years old in about three months, and the +truth is, I am now becoming somewhat indolent, and averse to labor of +any kind, either mental or physical. But I have concluded to comply +with your request, and undertake the work. Whether I shall complete it, +or not, I cannot now positively say, but I will do the best I can. And +I will also say, for whatever you may think it worth, that YOU are the +only person, now living, whose request could induce me to undertake the +sketch that you desire. + +L. STILLWELL. + +Erie, Kansas, +July 3, 1916. + + + + +CONTENTS. + + + PAGE + +CHAPTER I.--The Beginning of the War. Life at Camp Carrollton, +January and February, 1862 9 + +CHAPTER II.--Benton Barracks. St. Louis, March, 1862 22 + +CHAPTER III.--Off for the Seat of War. The Battle of Shiloh. +March and April, 1862 30 + +CHAPTER IV.--Some Incidents of the Battle of Shiloh 54 + +CHAPTER V.--The Siege of Corinth. In Camp at Owl Creek. April +and May, 1862 69 + +CHAPTER VI.--Bethel. Jackson. June and July, 1862 78 + +CHAPTER VII.--Bolivar. July, August, and September, 1862 90 + +CHAPTER VIII.--Bolivar. The Movement to the Vicinity of Iuka, +Mississippi. September-December, 1862 98 + +CHAPTER IX.--The Affair at Salem Cemetery. Jackson, Carroll +Station. December, 1862, January, 1863. Bolivar. February-May, +1863 114 + +CHAPTER X.--The Siege of Vicksburg. June and July, 1863 133 + +CHAPTER XI.--Helena, Arkansas. Life in a Hospital. August, 1863 149 + +CHAPTER XII.--Devall's Bluff. Little Rock. August-October, 1863 157 + +CHAPTER XIII.--Little Rock, October, 1863. Granted a Furlough. +Chaplain B. B. Hamilton. The Journey on Furlough from Little Rock +to Jersey County, Illinois. Return to Regiment, November, 1863 165 + +CHAPTER XIV.--Little Rock. Winter of 1863-4. Re-enlist for +Three Years More 182 + +CHAPTER XV.--Little Rock. Expeditions to Augusta and Springfield. +March, April, and May, 1864 190 + +CHAPTER XVI.--Devall's Bluff; The Clarendon Expedition. June +and July, 1864 203 + +CHAPTER XVII.--Devall's Bluff Grand Reviews and Inspections. +Surgeon J. P. Anthony. Private Press Allender. June and July, +1864 209 + +CHAPTER XVIII.--The Regiment Goes Home on Veteran Furlough. +Interview with General W. T. Sherman After the War. A Short +Tour of Soldiering at Chester, Illinois. August, September, +and October, 1864 216 + +CHAPTER XIX.--Expedition to North Missouri. Back in Tennessee +Once More. Murfreesboro. October and November, 1864 225 + +CHAPTER XX.--The Affair at Overall's Creek. Murfreesboro. +December, 1864 233 + +CHAPTER XXI.--The Battle of Wilkinson's Pike. December 7, 1864 238 + +CHAPTER XXII.--The Fight on the Railroad Near Murfreesboro, +December 15, 1864 247 + +CHAPTER XXIII.--Murfreesboro. Winter of 1864-1865. Franklin. +Spring and Summer of 1865 258 + +CHAPTER XXIV.--The Soldier's Pay; Rations; Allusions to Some +of the Useful Lessons Learned by Service in the Army in Time of +War; Courage in Battle 265 + +CHAPTER XXV.--Franklin, Summer of 1865. Mustered Out, September +8, 1865. Receive Final Payment at Springfield, Illinois, September +27, 1865. The Regiment "Breaks Ranks" Forever 275 + + + + +PREFACE. + + +When I began writing these reminiscences it did not occur to me that +anything in the nature of a preface was necessary. It was thought that +the dedication to my son Jerry contained sufficient explanation. But I +have now finished writing these recollections, and in view of all that +they set forth, I believe that a few brief prefatory remarks may now be +appropriate. In the first place it will be said that when I began the +work it was only to gratify my son, and without any thought or +expectation that it would ever be published. I don't know yet that such +will be done, but it may happen. The thought occurred to me after I had +written some part of it, and it is possible that about at that point +some change began to take place in the style, and phraseology, and which +perhaps may be observed. So much for that. Next I will say that all +statements of fact herein made, based upon my own knowledge, can be +relied on as absolutely true. My mother most carefully preserved the +letters I wrote home from the army to her and to my father. She died on +February 6, 1894, and thereafter my father (who survived her only about +three years) gave back to me these old letters. In writing to my parents +I wrote, as a rule, a letter every week when the opportunity was +afforded, and now in this undertaking with these letters before me it +was easy to follow the regiment every mile of its way from Camp +Carrollton in January, 1862, to Camp Butler, in September, 1865. +Furthermore, on June 1, 1863, at Memphis, Tennessee, as we passed +through there on our way to join Grant's army at Vicksburg, I bought a +little blank book about four inches long, three inches wide, and half an +inch thick. From that time until we were mustered out, I kept a sort of +very brief diary in this little book, and have it yet. The old letters +and this book have been invaluable to me in writing my recollections, +and having been written at or near the time of the happening of the +events they mention, can be relied on as accurate and truthful. + +Though I attained the rank of a commissioned officer while in the +service, yet that did not occur until near the end of my time, and after +the war was over. So it is submitted that the title given these +sketches, "The Story of a Common Soldier," is warranted by the facts. + +If this manuscript should ever be published, it will go to the world +without any apology or commendation from me whatever. It is, though, +only fair to say that I make no pretensions to being a "literary" man. +This is simply the story of a common soldier who served in the army +during the great war, and who faithfully tried to do his duty. + +L. STILLWELL. + +December 30, 1916. + + + + +CHAPTER I. + +THE BEGINNING OF THE WAR. LIFE AT CAMP CARROLLTON, JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, +1862. + + +I was born September 16, 1843, on a farm, in Otter Creek precinct, +Jersey County, Illinois. I was living with my parents, in the little old +log house where I was born, when the Civil war began. The Confederates +fired on Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, and thus commenced the war. On +April 15, 1861, President Lincoln issued a call for 75,000 men, to aid +in putting down the existing rebellion. Illinois promptly furnished her +quota, and in addition, thousands of men were turned away, for the +reason that the complement of the State was complete, and there was no +room for them. The soldiers under this call were mustered in for three +months' service only, for the government then seemed to be of the +opinion that the troubles would be over by the end of that time. But on +May 3, 1861, Mr. Lincoln issued another call for volunteers, the number +specified being a little over 42,000, and their term of service was +fixed at three years, unless sooner discharged. The same call provided +for a substantial increase in the regular army and navy. I did not +enlist under either of these calls. As above stated, the belief then was +almost universal throughout the North that the "war" would amount to +nothing much but a summer frolic, and would be over by the 4th of July. +We had the utmost confidence that Richmond would be taken by that time, +and that Jeff Davis and his cabinet would be prisoners, or fugitives. +But the battle of Bull Run, fought on July 21, 1861, gave the loyal +people of the Nation a terrible awakening. The result of this battle was +a crushing disappointment and a bitter mortification to all the friends +of the Union. They realized then that a long and bloody struggle was +before them. But Bull Run was probably all for the best. Had it been a +Union victory, and the Rebellion then been crushed, negro slavery would +have been retained, and the "irrepressible conflict" would have been +fought out likely in your time, with doubtless tenfold the loss of life +and limb that ensued in the war of the sixties. + +The day after the battle of Bull Run Congress passed a law authorizing +Mr. Lincoln to call for five hundred thousand three-years volunteers. It +was under this law, supplemented by authority from the Secretary of War, +that the regiment was organized in which I subsequently enlisted. I was +then only a boy, but somehow I felt that the war was going to be a long +one, and that it was the duty of every young fellow of the requisite +physical ability to "go for a soldier," and help save the Nation. I had +some talk with my father on the subject. He was a strong Union man, and +in sympathy with my feelings, but I could see that naturally he dreaded +the idea of his boy going to the war, with the result that maybe he +would be killed, or come home a cripple for life. But I gave him to +understand that when they began organizing a regiment in our vicinity, +and which would contain a fair proportion of my neighbor boys and +acquaintances, I intended then to volunteer. It was simply intolerable +to think that I could stay at home, among the girls, and be pointed at +by the soldier boys as a stay-at-home coward. + +The work of organizing and recruiting for a regiment in our corner of +the State began early in the autumn of 1861. The various counties in +that immediate locality were overwhelmingly Democratic in politics, and +many of the people were strong "Southern sympathizers," as they were +then called, and who later developed into virulent Copperheads and +Knights of the Golden Circle. Probably 90 per cent of the inhabitants of +Greene, Jersey, Scott, Morgan, and adjoining counties came from the +Southern States, or were the direct descendants of people from that part +of the country. Kentuckians, Tennesseeans, and North and South +Carolinians were especially numerous. But it is only fair and the truth +to say that many of the most prominent and dangerous of this Copperhead +element were men from remote Eastern States. What caused these persons +to pursue this shameful course I do not know. President Lincoln was +personally well aware of these political conditions in our locality, as +his old home, at Springfield, the State Capital, was not far away, and +he doubtless knew every man of reasonable prominence in our entire +Congressional District. He wanted soldiers, regardless of politics, but +it was necessary, in that locality, to hold out some special inducements +to his constituents of the Democratic faith. So, for that reason, (with +others,) as was well understood at the time, Gen. Jacob Fry of Greene +County, a Kentuckian by birth and a life-long Democrat, was selected as +the one to recruit and organize, and to be the colonel of the regiment +to be raised from the counties above named and their vicinity. Aside +from the political consideration, this selection of Gen. Fry was +regarded at the time as a very good and appropriate one. He was an +old-timer, having been a resident of Greene county from his boyhood, had +been sheriff of the county, and had held other responsible offices. And, +what was considered still more important, he had served with credit and +distinction in the "Black Hawk War" in 1831-2, where he held the rank of +Colonel. Soon after the close of this Indian disturbance, he was made +Brigadier-General, and subsequently Major-General, of the Illinois +militia. He was a grand old man, of temperate habits, strict integrity, +and unflinching bravery. But he was sixty-two years old, and that proved +to be a handicap that eventually resulted in his resignation, as will +appear later. + +The Fair Grounds, about half a mile east of Carrollton, the county seat +of Greene County, were designated as the "Camp of Instruction" for Col. +Fry's regiment. Recruiting for it began about the last of September, but +it proceeded very slowly. Several of the boys from my neighborhood had +previously enlisted in other regiments, and it looked as if the "wiry +edge" of volunteering had somewhat worn off. Co. F of the 14th Illinois +Infantry had been raised almost entirely in Jersey county, and several +of my old schoolmates were in that company. And there were little squads +that had joined other regiments. The 22nd and the 27th Illinois Infantry +and the 9th Missouri Infantry, (afterwards designated as the 59th +Illinois Infantry,) each had some men and boys from our part of the +county. + +Up in the northwest corner of Jersey County and close to the Greene +county line lived an old farmer by the name of John H. Reddish. He, too, +had served in the Black Hawk War, and under the command of Col. Fry. The +highest position he attained in that scrap, as shown by the records, was +that of corporal, but, regardless of his rank, it is entirely safe to +say that he was a fighter. As soon as it was announced that Col. Fry was +raising a regiment, and was to be its colonel, Uncle John Reddish +forthwith took the field to recruit a company for this organization. The +fact that he had been a Black Hawk war soldier gave him immense +prestige, and settled in his favor the question of his military +qualifications without further evidence. The truth is that at that time +almost any man of good repute and fair intelligence, who had seen +service in this Black Hawk racket, or the Mexican war, was regarded as +fit and desirable for a commissioned officer, or, at the least, pretty +high up in the non-commissioned line. But, as it afterwards turned out, +that was an erroneous notion. There were exceptions, of course, but in +any event, as regards the Black Hawk episode, service during it was of +no practical benefit whatever to a man who became thereby an officer in +the Civil war. Capt. Reddish was kind hearted, and as brave an old +fellow as a reckless and indiscriminating bull dog, but, aside from his +personal courage, he had no military qualities whatever, and failed to +acquire any during his entire service. He never could learn the drill, +except the most simple company movements. He was also very illiterate, +and could barely write his name. And his commands on drill were +generally laughable. For instance, in giving the command of right or +left wheel, he would supplement it by saying, "Swing around, boys, just +like a gate." Such directions would mortify us exceedingly, and caused +the men of the other companies to laugh at and twit us about our +Captain. He would have made a first-class duty sergeant, and that was as +high a rank as he was capable of properly filling. But he was a good old +man, and furiously patriotic. He loved a fighter and abominated a +coward, and, on the whole, his men couldn't help but like him. Capt. +Reddish selected for his first, or orderly sergeant, as the position was +generally designated, Enoch W. Wallace, of my neighborhood. Enoch, as we +usually called him, was an old acquaintance and intimate friend of my +parents, and I too had known him from the time I was quite a little boy. +Take him all in all, he was just one of the best men I ever knew. He had +seen service as a Mexican war soldier, but owing to his youth, being +only about sixteen when that war began, I think he did not get in till +towards the last, and hence his service was short. But he learned +something about company drill. When I heard that Wallace was to be the +first sergeant of Capt. Reddish's company, I made up my mind, right +then, that I would enlist in that company, and told my father I was +going to do so. He listened in silence, with his eyes fixed on the +ground. Finally he said, "Well, Leander, if you think it's your duty to +go, I shall make no objection. But you're the only boy I now have at +home big enough to work, so I wish you'd put it off until we get the +wheat sowed, and the corn gathered. Then, if you're still of the same +mind, it'll be all right." I felt satisfied that the regiment would not +leave for the front until after we had done that work, so I at once +consented to my father's request. + +[Illustration: J. O. Stillwell + (Father of Leander Stillwell.)] + +An incident happened about this time that greatly stimulated my desire +to get into the army. Harvey Edsall, a neighbor boy some four or five +years my senior, had enlisted that summer in the 22nd Illinois Infantry. +Harvey, with his regiment, was in the battle of Belmont on November 7, +1861, and in the action received a rather severe gun shot wound in the +calf of one of his legs. As soon as he was able to stand the travel, he +was sent home on furlough, and I met him soon after his arrival at his +father's house, where the people had gathered to listen to "the +preaching of the word" by Elder Harrison Rowden. (We had no regular +church building in our immediate neighborhood then, and religious +services were held at private houses.) Harvey was rapidly recovering, +but his wounded leg was still swathed in bandages, and he walked on +crutches. I well remember how we boys stood around and looked at him +with wide-eyed admiration. And he had to tell us the story of the fight, +and all about the circumstances connected with the shot he got in his +leg, until he probably was sick and tired of the subject. But, for my +part, I thought Harvey's story was just grand, and it somehow impressed +me with the idea that the only life worth living was that of a soldier +in time of war. The idea of staying at home and turning over senseless +clods on the farm with the cannon thundering so close at hand that the +old men said that when the wind was from the south they sometimes +smelled the powder!--was simply intolerable. + +Remember all the time, as you read these recollections of an old man, +that I am trying to give you merely some conception of the thoughts, +feelings, hopes, and ambitions of one who, at the time of which I am now +speaking, was only an eighteen year old boy. + +In the meantime, I went on helping my father do the fall work on the +farm. In due time the wheat was sowed, the corn gathered, and a huge +stack of firewood for winter cut and brought in, and piled near the +dwelling-house. By this time the holiday season was approaching, which I +wanted to spend at home, thinking, maybe, it might be the last. And the +regiment was doing nothing but recruit, and drill at Camp Carrollton, +and, as I looked at it, there was no special need to hurry. But +Christmas and New Year's Day soon came, and went, and one evening I told +my parents I intended to go to Carrollton the next day, and "maybe" +would come back a soldier. Early next morning, which was Monday, January +6, 1862, I saddled and bridled Bill, the little black mule, and struck +out. Carrollton was about twenty miles from our home, almost due north, +and the road ran mainly through big woods, with an occasional farm on +either side of the road. It is likely those woods are all gone now. I +reached the camp about the middle of the afternoon, went to the quarters +of Reddish's company, found Enoch Wallace, and told him I had come to +enlist. He took me to Capt. Reddish, gave me a short introduction to +him, and told him my business. The old Captain gave me a hearty +greeting, and was so plain, kind and natural in his manner and talk, +that I took a liking to him at once. He told me that the first step +necessary was to be examined by the regimental surgeon as to my physical +fitness, so we at once went to the surgeon's tent. I had previously +heard all sorts of stories as to the thoroughness of this examination, +that sometimes the prospective recruits had to strip, stark naked, and +jump about, in order to show that their limbs were perfect. But I was +agreeably disappointed in that regard. The surgeon, at that time, was a +fat, jolly old doctor by the name of Leonidas Clemmons. I was about +scared to death when the Captain presented me to him, and requested him +to examine me. I reckon the good old doctor saw I was frightened, and he +began laughing heartily and saying some kind things about my general +appearance. He requested me to stand up straight, then gave me two or +three little sort of "love taps" on the chest, turned me round, ran his +hands over my shoulders, back, and limbs, laughing and talking all the +time, then whirled me to the front, and rendered judgment on me as +follows: "Ah, Capt. Reddish! I only wish you had a hundred such fine +boys as this one! He's all right, and good for the service." I drew a +long breath, and felt much relieved. Then we went to the adjutant's +tent, there I signed something, and was duly sworn in. Then to the +quartermaster's tent, where I drew my clothing. I got behind a big bale +of stuff, took off my citizen's apparel and put on my soldier clothes +then and there,--and didn't I feel proud! The clothing outfit consisted +of a pair of light-blue pantaloons, similar colored overcoat with a cape +to it, dark blue jacket, heavy shoes and woolen socks, an ugly, +abominable cocky little cap patterned after the then French army style, +gray woolen shirt, and other ordinary under-clothing. Was also given a +knapsack, but I think I didn't get a haversack and canteen until later. +Right here I will say that the regimental records give the date of my +enlistment as the 7th of January, which is wrong. The date was the 6th. +It was a day I did not forget, and never shall. How the authorities +happened to get the date wrong I do not know, but it is a matter of only +one day, and never was of any importance. + +It was the custom then in the regiment to give each recruit when he +enlisted a two-days furlough, but I deferred asking for mine until the +next morning. I spent that afternoon in the camp, and the night at the +quarters of my company. As already stated, the camp was on the county +Fair Grounds. They contained forty acres, and were thickly studded with +big native trees, mainly white and black oak and shag-bark hickory. The +grounds were surrounded by an inclosure seven or eight feet high, +consisting of thick, native timber planks with the lower ends driven in +the ground, and the upper parts firmly nailed to cross-wise stringers. +There was only one opening, which was at the main gate about the center +of the north side of the grounds. A line of guards was maintained at the +gate and all round the inside of the inclosure, with the beat close to +the fence, for the purpose of keeping the men in camp. No enlisted man +could go out except on a pass signed by his captain, and approved by the +colonel. The drilling of the men was conducted principally inside the +grounds, but on skirmish drill we went outside, in order to have room +enough. The quarters or barracks of the men were, for each company, a +rather long, low structure, crudely built of native lumber and covered +with clapboards and a top dressing of straw, containing two rows of +bunks, one above and one below. These shacks looked like a Kansas stable +of early days,--but they were abodes of comfort and luxury compared to +what we frequently had later. + +Next morning, after an early breakfast, I pulled out for home, with my +two-days furlough in my pocket. I was accompanied by John Jobson, one of +Reddish's company, and who had enlisted about a month previous. He had +obtained a short furlough for some purpose or other, and had hired a +horse on which to make the trip. Prior to his enlistment he had been +working as a farm hand for Sam Dougherty, one of our nearest neighbors, +and I had become well acquainted with him. He was about twenty-five +years old, of English birth, a fine, sensible young fellow, and made a +good soldier. I well remember our high spirits on this journey home. We +were young, glowing with health and overflowing with liveliness and +animation. There was a heavy snow on the ground, but the sky was clear, +and the air was keen and bracing. Occasionally, when we would strike a +stretch of level road, we would loose all the buttons of our overcoats +save the top one, put the gad to our steeds, and waving our caps, with +our long coat tails streaming in the wind, would yell like Comanches, +and "let on" that we were making a cavalry charge. I have no doubt that +we believed we presented a most terror-striking appearance. + +Happy is man that to him the future is a sealed book. In the summer of +1863, while we were stationed near Vicksburg, Jobson was taken seriously +ill, and was put on a transport to be taken to a general hospital at +Mound City, Illinois. He died en route, on the boat, and was hastily +buried in a sand bar at the mouth of White River. The changing currents +of the mighty Mississippi have long since swallowed up that sand bar, +and with it all that may have been left of the mortal remains of poor +Jobson. + +I reached home sometime in the afternoon, relieved Bill of his +equipments, put him in the stable, and fed him. No one was stirring +about outside, and I walked into the house unannounced. My mother was +seated in an old rocking-chair, engaged in sewing. She looked up, saw me +in the uniform of a soldier, and she knew what that meant. Her work +dropped in her lap, she covered her face with her hands, and the tears +gushed through her fingers and she trembled in her chair with the +intensity of her emotions. There was no sobbing, or other vocal +manifestation of feeling, but her silence made her grief seem all the +more impressive. I was distressed, and didn't know what to say, so I +said nothing, and walked out into the kitchen, thence back to the barn. +There I met father, who had come in from some out-door work. He looked +at me gravely, but with an impassive countenance, and merely remarked, +"Well, I reckon you've done right." + +Next morning everybody seemed more cheerful, and I had much to say at +breakfast about things at Camp Carrollton. + +On the expiration of my furlough I promptly reported at the camp and +entered on my duties as a soldier. The absorbing duty was the drill, and +that was persistent, and consumed the most of the time. I knew nothing +about it when I enlisted, and had never seen any except on the previous +Monday afternoon. The system we then had was Hardee's Infantry Tactics. +It was simple, and easily learned. The main things required were +promptness, care, and close attention. All day long, somewhere in the +camp, could be heard the voice of some officer, calling, "Left! left! +left, right, left!" to his squad or company, to guide them in the +cadence of the step. We were drilled at Carrollton in the "school of the +soldier," "school of the company," and skirmish drill, with dress parade +at sunset. We had no muskets, and did not receive them until we went to +Benton Barracks, at St. Louis. I do not remember of our having any +battalion drill at Camp Carrollton. The big trees in the fair grounds +were probably too thick and numerous to permit that. Our fare consisted +of light bread, coffee, fresh meat at some meals, and salt meat at +others, Yankee beans, rice, onions, and Irish and sweet potatoes, with +stewed dried apples occasionally for supper. The salt meat, as a rule, +was pickled pork and fat side meat, which latter "table comfort" the +boys called "sow-belly." We got well acquainted with that before the war +was over. On the grub question I will say now that the great "stand-bys" +of the Union soldiers during the war, at least those of the western +armies, were coffee, sow-belly, Yankee beans, and hardtack. It took us, +of course, some time to learn how to cook things properly, especially +the beans, but after we had learned how, we never went back on the above +named old friends. But the death of many a poor boy, especially during +our first two or three months in the field, is chargeable to the bad +cooking of his food. + +At Carrollton the jolliest time of the day was from the close of dress +parade until taps sounded "Lights out." There was then a good deal of +what you might call "prairie dogging," that is, the boys would run +around and visit at the quarters of other companies. And Oh, how they +would sing! All sorts of patriotic songs were in vogue then, and what +was lacking in tone we made up in volume. The battle of Mill Springs, in +Kentucky, was fought on January 19, 1862, resulting in a Union victory. +A Confederate general, Felix K. Zollicoffer, was killed in the action. +He had been a member of Congress from Tennessee, and was a man of +prominence in the South. A song soon appeared in commemoration of this +battle. It was called "The Happy Land of Canaan," and I now remember +only one stanza, which is as follows: + + "Old Zolly's gone, + And Secesh will have to mourn, + For they thought he would do to depend on; + But he made his last stand + On the rolling Cumberland, + And was sent to the happy land of Canaan." + +There was a ringing, rolling chorus to each verse, of course, and which +was not at all germane to the text, and, moreover, as the newspapers +sometimes say, is "not adapted for publication,"--so it will be +omitted. Well, I can now shut my eyes and lean back in my chair and let +my memory revert to that far away time, and it just seems to me that I +can see and hear Nelse Hegans, of Co. C, singing that song at night in +our quarters at old Camp Carrollton. He was a big, strong six-footer, +about twenty-one years of age, with a deep bass voice that sounded when +singing like the roll of distant thunder. And he was an all-around good +fellow. Poor Nelse! He was mortally wounded by a musket ball in the +neck early in the morning of the first day at Shiloh, and died a few +days thereafter. + +The health of the boys while at Camp Carrollton was fine. There were a +few cases of measles, but as I remember, none were fatal. Once I caught +a bad cold, but I treated it myself with a backwoods remedy and never +thought of going to the surgeon about it. I took some of the bark of a +hickory tree that stood near our quarters, and made about a quart of +strong hickory-bark tea. I drank it hot, and all at once, just before +turning in for the night. It was green in color, and intensely bitter, +but it cured the cold. + +A few weeks after my enlistment, I was appointed to the position of +corporal. There are, or were in my time, eight corporals in an infantry +company, each designated by a number, in numerical order. I was fifth. +I owed this appointment to the friendship and influence of Enoch +Wallace, and this was only one of the countless acts of kindness that +he rendered me during my term of service. I just cannot tell you how +proud I was over this modest military office. I am telling you the +truth when I say that I felt more pride and pleasure in being a +"Corporal of Co. D" than I ever did later in the possession of any +other office, either military or civil. The boys framed up a story on +me, to the effect that soon after my appointment I was seen in the rear +of the company quarters, stooping over an empty barrel, with my head +projected into it as far as possible, and exclaiming in a deep, +guttural tone, "CORPORAL STILLWELL!" "CORPORAL STILLWELL!" This was +being done, so the boys said, in order that I might personally enjoy +the sound. In order to be strictly accurate, I will state that, +although the appointment was made while we were at Carrollton, my +official warrant was not issued until our arrival at Benton Barracks. + +The only thing recalled now that was sort of disagreeable at Camp +Carrollton was the utter absence of privacy. Even when off duty, one +couldn't get away by himself, and sit down in peace and quiet anywhere. +And as for slipping off into some corner and trying to read, alone, a +book or paper, the thing was impossible. To use a modern expression, +there was always "something doing." Many a time after supper, on very +cold nights, when the boys would all be in the barracks, singing or +cutting up, I would sneak out and walk around under the big trees, with +the snow crackling under my feet, for no other purpose whatever than +just to be alone a while. But that condition of things changed for the +better after we got down South, and were no longer cooped up in a forty +acre lot. + +General Grant gained his great victory at Fort Donelson on February 16, +1862, and the news reached us a few days later. The boys talked about +it with feelings of mingled exultation,--and mortification. Exultation, +of course, over the "glorious victory," but mortification in regard to +its effects and consequences on our future military career. We all +thought, from the officers down, that now the war would end, that we +would see no actual service, and never fire a shot. That we would be +discharged, and go home just little "trundle-bed soldiers," and have to +sit around and hear other sure-enough warriors tell the stories of +actual war and fighting. If we only had known, we were borrowing +unnecessary trouble,--as we found out later. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + +BENTON BARRACKS. ST. LOUIS, MARCH, 1862. + + +Sometime during the last of February, the welcome news was given out +from regimental headquarters that we were soon to leave Camp +Carrollton. Our first objective point was to be St. Louis, Mo., and +what next nobody knew. Definite orders for the movement were issued +later, and it then occurred to us that possibly all our recent +apprehensions about not seeing any fighting were somewhat premature. + +Right here I will say that in the brief sketch of the regiment +published in the reports of the Adjutant-General of the State of +Illinois, the date of our leaving Carrollton is given as February 21, +which is wrong. That date is either a mistake of the person who wrote +that part of the sketch, or a typographical error. I have in my +possession, and now lying before me, a letter I wrote to my father from +Benton Barracks, of date March 2, 1862, in which the date of our +arrival at St. Louis is given as February 28th. And I well know that we +were only two days on the trip. And besides the date given in my +letter, I distinctly remember several unwritten facts and circumstances +that satisfy me beyond any doubt, that the day we left Carrollton was +February 27, 1862. Early in the morning of that day, the regiment filed +out at the big gate, and marched south on the dirt road. Good-bye to +old Camp Carrollton! Many of the boys never saw it again, and I never +have seen it since but once, which was in the summer of 1894. I was +back then in Jersey county, on a sort of a visit, and was taken with a +desire to run up to Carrollton and look at the old camp. There was then +a railroad constructed during the last years of the war, (or about that +time), running south from the town, and less than an hour's ride from +Jerseyville, where I was stopping, so I got on a morning train, and, +like Jonah when moved to go to Tarshish, "paid the fare and went." I +found the old camp still being used as a county fair ground, and the +same big trees, or the most of them, were there yet, and looked about +as they did thirty-two years before. Of course, every vestige of our +old barracks was gone. I stood around and looked at things awhile,--and +thought--then left, and have never been there again. + +[Illustration: Ann Eliza Stillwell + (Mother of Leander Stillwell.)] + +The regiment arrived at Jerseyville about sunset. The word had gone +out, all through the country, that Fry's regiment was leaving for the +front, and the country people had come to town, from miles around, in +their farm wagons, to have one last look, and bid us good-bye. The +regiment, in column by companies, company distance, marched up the main +street running south, and on reaching the center of the little town, we +wheeled into line, dressed on the colors, and stood at attention. The +sidewalks were thronged with the country people all intently scanning +the lines, each little family group anxiously looking for their boy, +brother, husband or father, as the case may have been. (But right here +it will be said that the overwhelming majority of the enlisted men of +the regiment, and the most of the line officers, were unmarried.) I was +satisfied that my parents were somewhere among the crowd of spectators, +for I had specially written them as to when we would pass through +Jerseyville. I was in the front rank, and kept my face rigidly fixed to +the front, but glanced as best I could up and down the sidewalk, trying +to locate father and mother. Suddenly I saw them, as they struggled to +the edge of the walk, not more than ten feet from me. I had been +somewhat dreading the meeting, and the parting that was to come. I +remembered the emotion of my mother when she first saw me in my +uniform, and I feared that now she might break down altogether. But +there she stood, her eyes fixed on me intently, with a proud and happy +smile on her face! You see, we were a magnificent-looking body of young +fellows, somewhere between 800 and 900 strong. Our uniforms were clean +and comparatively new, and our faces were ruddy and glowing with +health. Besides the regimental colors, each company, at that time, +carried a small flag, which were all fluttering in the breeze, and our +regimental band was playing patriotic tunes at its best. I reckon it +was a somewhat inspiring sight to country people like those who, with +possibly very few exceptions, had never seen anything like that before. +Anyhow, my mother was evidently content and glad to see me there, under +the shadow of the flag, and going forth to fight for the old Union, +instead of then being sneaking around at home, like some great hulking +boys in our neighborhood who were of Copperhead sympathies and +parentage. + +Arrangements had been made to quarter the regiment that night in +different public buildings in the town, and the companies were soon +marched to their respective places. Co. D had been assigned to the +Baptist church, and there my parents and I met, and had our final +interview. They were nine miles from home, in the old farm wagon, the +roads (in the main) were through dense woods, and across ridges and +hollows, the short winter day was drawing to a close and night +approaching, so our farewell talk was necessarily brief. Our parting +was simple and unaffected, without any display of emotion by anybody. +But mother's eyes looked unusually bright, and she didn't linger after +she had said, "Good-bye Leander." As for my father,--he was an old +North Carolinian, born and reared among the Cherokee Indians at the +base of the Great Smoky Mountains, and with him, and all other men of +his type, any yielding to "womanish" feelings was looked on as almost +disgraceful. His farewell words were few, and concise, and spoken in +his ordinary tone and manner, he then turned on his heel, and was gone. + +Mother left with me a baked chicken, the same being a big, fat hen full +of stuffing, rich in sage and onions; also some mince pie, old time +doughnuts, and cucumber pickles. I shared it all with Bill Banfield (my +chum), and we had plenty for supper and breakfast the next day, with +the drum-sticks and some other outlying portions of the chicken for +dinner. + +Early the next morning we pulled out for Alton, on the Mississippi +River. But we did not have to march much that day. The country people +around and near Jerseyville turned out in force with their farm wagons, +and insisted on hauling us to Alton, and their invitations were +accepted with pleasure. A few miles north of Alton we passed what was +in those days (and may be yet) a popular and celebrated school for +girls, called the "Monticello Female Seminary." The girls had heard of +our coming, and were all out by the side of the road, a hundred or +more, with red, white and blue ribbons in their hair and otherwise on +their persons. They waved white handkerchiefs and little flags at us, +and looked their sweetest. And didn't we cheer them! Well, I should say +so. We stood up in the wagons, and swung our caps, and just whooped and +hurrahed as long as those girls were in sight. We always treasured this +incident as a bright, precious link in the chain of memory, for it was +the last public manifestation, of this nature, of good-will and +patriotism from girls and women that was given the regiment until we +struck the soil of the State of Indiana, on our return home some months +after the close of the war. + +We arrived at Alton about sundown, and at once marched aboard the big +side-wheel steamboat, "City of Alton," which was lying at the wharf +waiting for us, and guards were promptly stationed to prevent the men +leaving the boat. But "some one had blundered," and no rations had been +provided for our supper. We were good and hungry, too, for our dinner, +at least that of Co. D, consisted only of the left-over scraps of +breakfast. But the officers got busy and went up town and bought, with +their own money, something for us to eat. My company was furnished a +barrel of oyster crackers, called in those days "butter crackers," and +our drink was river water. + +The novelty and excitement of the last two days had left me nerveless +and tired out, and to tell the truth, I was feeling the first touch of +"home-sickness." So, after supper I went up on the hurricane deck of +the boat, spread my blanket on the floor, and with my knapsack for a +pillow, laid down and soon fell asleep. The boat did not leave Alton +until after dark, and when it pulled out, the scream of the whistle, +the dashing of the paddles, and the throbbing and crash of the engines, +aroused me from my slumber. I sat up and looked around and watched the +lights of Alton as they twinkled and glimmered in the darkness, until +they were lost to sight by a bend in the river. Then I laid down and +went to sleep again, and did not wake until daylight the next morning, +and found that our boat was moored to the wharf at St. Louis. We soon +debarked, and marched out to Benton Barracks, which were clear out of +town and beyond the suburbs. The shape of Benton Barracks, as I now +remember, was a big oblong square. The barracks themselves consisted of +a continuous connected row of low frame buildings, the quarters of each +company being separated from the others by frame partitions, and +provided with two rows of bunks around the sides and ends. At the rear +of the quarters of each company was the company kitchen. It was a +detached, separate frame structure, and amply provided with +accommodations for cooking, including a brick furnace with openings for +camp kettles, pots, boilers and the like. Both barracks and kitchen +were comfortable and convenient, and greatly superior to our home-made +shacks at Carrollton. The barracks inclosed a good sized tract of land, +but its extent I do not now remember. This space was used for drilling +and parades, and was almost entirely destitute of trees. The commander +of the post, at that time, was Colonel Benjamin L. E. Bonneville, an +old regular army officer, and who had been a noted western explorer in +his younger days. I frequently saw him riding about the grounds. He was +a little dried-up old Frenchman, and had no military look about him +whatever. All the same, he was a man who had, as a soldier, done long +and faithful service for his adopted country. Should you ever want to +post up on him (if you have not already done so), read "Adventures of +Captain Bonneville, U.S.A., in the Rocky Mountains and the Far West," +by Washington Irving. You will find it deeply interesting. + +We remained at Benton Barracks about four weeks. Life there was +monotonous and void of any special interest. We drilled but little, as +I now remember, the reason for that being it rained the most of the +time we were there and the drill grounds were oceans of mud. The +drainage was wretched, and the most of the rain that fell stayed on the +surface until the ground soaked it up. And how it did rain at Benton +Barracks in March, 1862! While there, I found in some recently vacated +quarters an old tattered, paper bound copy of Dickens' "Bleak House," +and on those rainy days I would climb up in my bunk (an upper one), and +lie there and read that book. Some of the aristocratic characters +mentioned therein had a country residence called "Chesney Wold," where +it seemed it always rained. To quote (in substance) from the book, "The +rain was ever falling, drip, drip, drip, by day and night," at "the +place in Lincolnshire." 'Twas even so at Benton Barracks. When weary of +reading, I would turn and look a while through the little window at the +side of my bunk that gave a view of the most of the square which the +barracks inclosed. The surface of the earth was just a quagmire of mud +and water, and nothing stirring abroad could be seen save occasionally +a mounted orderly, splashing at a gallop across the grounds. Since then +I have frequently read "Bleak House," and whenever that chapter is +reached depicting the rainy weather at the Dedlock place, I can again +see, and smell, and hear, and feel, those gloomy wearisome conditions +at Benton Barracks of over half a century ago. I have read, somewhere +in Gen. Sherman's Memoirs, a statement in substance to the effect that +rain in camp has a depressing effect upon soldiers, but is enlivening +to them on a march. From personal experience I know that observation to +be true. Many a time while on a march we would be caught in heavy +rains. The dirt road would soon be worked into a loblolly of sticky +yellow mud. Thereupon we would take off our shoes and socks, tie them +to the barrel of our muskets a little below the muzzle and just above +the end of the stock, poise the piece on the hammer on either shoulder, +stock uppermost, and roll up our breeches to the knees. Then like Tam +O'Shanter, we "skelpit on through dub and mire, despising wind, and +rain, and fire," and singing "John Brown's Body," or whatever else came +handy. But rainy days in camp, especially such as we had at Benton +Barracks, engender feelings of gloom and dejection that have to be +experienced in order to be realized. They are just too wretched for any +adequate description. + +One day while strolling around the grounds sight seeing, I fell in with +a soldier who said he belonged to the 14th Wisconsin Infantry. He was +some years older than me, but was quite sociable, and seemed to be a +sensible, intelligent fellow. He was full of talk about his +regiment,--said they were nearly all young men, big stalwart lumbermen +from the pine woods of Wisconsin, and urged me to come around some +evening when they were on dress parade, and look at them. I had found +out by this time that almost every soldier would brag about his +regiment, so allowance was made for what he said. But he excited my +curiosity to see those Wisconsin boys, so one evening when I was at +liberty, I did go and view them while they were on dress parade, and +found that the soldier had not exaggerated. They were great, tall +fellows, broad across the shoulders and chest, with big limbs. +Altogether, they simply were, from a physical standpoint, the finest +looking soldiers I ever saw during my entire term of service. I speak +now of this incident and of these men, for the reason that later I may +say something more about this 14th Wisconsin. + +While at Benton Barracks we were given our regimental +number,--Sixty-first--and thenceforth the regiment was known and +designated as the Sixty-first Illinois Infantry. We also drew our guns. +We were furnished with the Austrian rifle musket. It was of medium +length, with a light brown walnut stock,--and was a wicked shooter. At +that time the most of the western troops were armed with foreign-made +muskets, imported from Europe. Many regiments had old Belgian muskets, +a heavy, cumbersome piece, and awkward and unsatisfactory every way. We +were glad to get the Austrians, and were quite proud of them. We used +these until June, 1863, when we turned them in and drew in lieu thereof +the Springfield rifle musket of the model of 1863. It was not as heavy +as the Austrian, was neater looking, and a very efficient firearm. No +further change was made, and we carried the Springfield thenceforward +until we were mustered out. + +It was also here at Benton Barracks that the mustering of the regiment +into the service of the United States was completed. Ten companies, at +that time, constituted a regiment of infantry, but ours had only nine. +We lacked Company K, and it was not recruited, and did not join the +regiment until in March, 1864. On account of our not having a full +regiment, Col. Fry (as we always called him) was commissioned as +Lieutenant Colonel only, which was his rank all the time he was with +us, and Capt. Simon P. Ohr, of Co. A, was commissioned Major. Owing to +our lack of one company, and the further fact that when that company +did join us the other companies had become much depleted in numbers, +the regiment therefore never had an officer of the full rank of Colonel +until the summer of 1865, when it became entitled to one under the +circumstances which will be stated further on. + + + + +CHAPTER III. + +OFF FOR THE SEAT OF WAR. THE BATTLE OF SHILOH. MARCH AND APRIL, 1862. + + +On March 25th we left Benton Barracks for the front. We marched through +St. Louis and onto the steamboat that day, but from some cause I never +knew, the boat did not leave the wharf until about dark the next +evening. My company was quartered on the hurricane deck of the boat. +Soon after the boat started down the river an incident befell me that +looks somewhat comical now, but at that time it was to me a serious +matter, and one that troubled my conscience a good deal. I had piled my +knapsack, with the blanket strapped on the outside, and my other stuff, +at the foot of the gun stack which included my musket. Suddenly I +discovered, to my great consternation, that my blanket was gone! Yes, +my lords and gentlemen, some "false Scot" had deliberately and +feloniously appropriated my indispensable equipment for a night's +repose. And a long, raw March night was coming on, and the damp and +chilly air was rising, like a fog, from the cold surface of the river. +All signs, too, portended a rainy night. The thunder was muttering off +in the southwest, intermittent flashes of lightning lit up the sky, and +scattering drops of rain were even then beginning to patter on the +hurricane deck and ripple the bosom of the stream. What should I do? I +must have a blanket, that was certain. But all my life the belief had +been instilled into me that stealing was well-nigh the most disgraceful +of all crimes, and that a thief was a most odious and contemptible +wretch. Moreover, one of the ten commandments "pintedly" declared. +"Thou shalt not steal." But something had to be done, and speedily. At +last it occurred to me that being a soldier, and belonging for the time +being to Uncle Sam, I was a species of government property, which it +was my duty to protect at all hazards. That settled the question, and +conscience and honesty withdrew. Without going into the demoralizing +details, suffice it to say that I stole a blanket from some hapless +victim belonging to another company, and thus safeguarded the health +and military efficiency of a chattel of the Nation. How the other +fellow got along, I don't know. I made no impertinent inquiries, and, +during the day time, indefinitely thereafter, kept that blanket in my +knapsack, carefully concealed from prying eyes. But it will be recorded +here that this was the only act of downright larceny that I committed +during my entire term of service, except the gobbling of a couple of +onions, which maybe I'll mention later. Of course I helped myself many +times, while on the march, or on picket, to roasting ears, sweet +potatoes, apples, and the like, but that came under the head of +legitimate foraging, and was sanctioned by the military authorities. + +The night we left St. Louis I had my first impressive object lesson +showing the difference between the conditions of the commissioned +officers and the enlisted men. I had spread my blanket at the base of +the little structure called the "Texas," on which the pilot house +stands. All around the bottom of the "Texas" was a row of small window +lights that commanded a view of the interior of the boat's cabin below, +and I only had to turn my head and look in and down, to see what was +passing. The officers were seated in cushioned chairs, or sauntering +around over the carpeted and brilliantly lighted room, while their +supper was being prepared. Colored waiters dressed in white uniforms +were bringing in the eatables, and when all was ready, a gong was +sounded and the officers seated themselves at the table. And just look +at the good things they had to eat! Fried ham and beefsteak, hot +biscuits, butter, molasses, big boiled Irish potatoes steaming hot, +fragrant coffee served with cream, in cups and saucers, and some minor +goodies in the shape of preserves and the like. And how savory those +good things smelled!--for I was where I could get the benefit of that. +And there were the officers, in the warm, lighted cabin, seated at a +table, with nigger waiters to serve them, feasting on that splendid +fare! Why, it was the very incarnation of bodily comfort and enjoyment! +And, when the officers should be ready to retire for the night, warm +and cozy berths awaited them, where they would stretch their limbs on +downy quilts and mattresses, utterly oblivious to the wet and chill on +the outside. Then I turned my head and took in my surroundings! A +black, cold night, cinders and soot drifting on us from the smoke +stacks, and a drizzling rain pattering down. And my supper had +consisted of hardtack and raw sow-belly, with river water for a +beverage, of the vintage, say, of 1541. And to aggravate the situation +generally, I was lying on a blanket which a military necessity had +compelled me to steal. But I reflected that we couldn't all be +officers,--there had to be somebody to do the actual trigger-pulling. +And I further consoled myself with the thought that while the officers +had more privileges than the common soldiers, they likewise had more +responsibilities, and had to worry their brains about many things that +didn't bother us a particle. So I smothered all envious feelings as +best I could, and wrapping myself up good in my blanket, went to sleep, +and all night long slept the unbroken, dreamless sleep of youth and +health. + +The weather cleared up that night, and the next day was fine, and we +all felt in better spirits. Our surroundings were new and strange, and +we were thrilling with excitement and bright hopes of the future. The +great majority of us were simple country boys, who had so far passed +our lives in a narrow circle in the backwoods. As for myself, before +enlisting in the army I had never been more than fifty miles from home, +had not traveled any on a steamboat, and my few short railroad trips +did not amount, in the aggregate, to more than about seventy-five +miles, back and forth. But now the contracted horizon of the +"Whippoorwill Ridges" adjacent to the old home had suddenly expanded, +and a great big wonderful world was unfolding to my view. And there was +the daring, heroic life on which we were entering! No individual boy +expected that he would be killed, or meet with any other adverse fate. +Others might, and doubtless would, but he would come out safe and +sound, and return home at the end of a victorious war, a military hero, +and as such would be looked up to, and admired and reverenced, all the +rest of his life. At any rate, such were my thoughts, and I have no +doubt whatever that ninety-nine out of a hundred of the other boys +thought the same. + +On the afternoon of this day (March 27th) we arrived at Cairo, rounded +in at the wharf, and remained a short time. The town fronted on the +Ohio river, which was high at the time, as also was the Mississippi. +The appearance of Cairo was wretched. Levees had been constructed to +protect it from high water, but notwithstanding the streets and the +grounds generally were just a foul, stagnant swamp. Engines were at +work pumping the surface water into the river through pipes in the +levee; otherwise I reckon everybody would have been drowned out. +Charles Dickens saw this locality in the spring of 1842 when on a visit +to America, and it figures in "Martin Chuzzlewit," under the name of +"Eden." I never read that book until after the close of the war, but +have several times since, and will say that if the Eden of 1842 looked +anything like the Cairo of twenty years later, his description thereof +was fully warranted. + +Our boat had hardly got moored to the wharf before the word went round +that some Confederate prisoners were on the transport on our right, and +we forthwith rushed to that side to get our first look at the "Secesh," +as we then called them. It was only a small batch, about a hundred or +so. They were under guard, and on the after part of the lower deck, +along the sides and the stern of the boat. We ascertained that they +were about the last installment of the Fort Donelson prisoners, and +were being shipped to a northern military prison. Naturally, we scanned +them with great curiosity, and the boys soon began to joke and chaff +them in a perfectly good natured way. They took this silently, with no +other manifestation than an occasional dry grin. But finally, a rather +good looking young fellow cocked his eyes toward us and in a soft, +drawling tone called out, "You-all will sing a different tune by next +summah." Our boys responded to this with bursts of laughter and some +derisive whoops; but later we found out that the young Confederate +soldier was a true prophet. + +Our halt at Cairo was brief; the boat soon cast off and proceeded up +the Ohio to the mouth of the Tennessee, and from thence up that river. +Some time the next day we passed Fort Henry. We had read of its capture +the month previous by the joint operations of our army and navy, and +were all curious to see this Confederate stronghold, where a mere +handful of men had put up such a plucky fight. My ideas of forts at +that time had all been drawn from pictures in books which depicted +old-time fortresses, and from descriptions in Scott's "Marmion" of +ancient feudal castles like "Tantallon strong," and the like. And when +we approached Fort Henry I fully expected to see some grand, imposing +structure with "battled towers," "donjon keep," "portcullis," +"drawbridges," and what not, and perhaps some officer of high rank with +a drawn sword, strutting about on the ramparts and occasionally +shouting, at the top of his voice, "What, warder, ho!" or words to that +effect. But, to my utter amazement and disgust, when we steamed up +opposite Fort Henry I saw only a little squatty, insignificant looking +mud affair, without the slightest feature of any of the "pride, pomp, +and circumstance of glorious war." It had been built on the low bottom +ground near the bank of the Tennessee river, the stream was now high, +and the adjacent land was largely covered with water, while the inside +of the fort looked a good deal like a hog pen. I couldn't imagine how +such a contemptible looking thing had stood off our gunboats as long as +it did. But I did not know then that just such works, with earthen +walls, were the strongest and best defenses against modern artillery +that could be constructed. In fact, what I didn't know about war, at +that stage of the proceedings, was broad and comprehensive, and covered +the whole field. + +As we journeyed up the Tennessee we began to notice queer-looking green +bunches of something on the trees. As the forest had not yet put forth +its foliage, we knew that growth could not be leaves, and were puzzled +to imagine what it could be. But we finally learned from some of the +boat's crew that it was mistletoe. So far as I knew none of the private +soldiers had ever before seen that curious evergreen, and it was to us +a strange curiosity. But we got well acquainted with it later. + +We arrived at Pittsburg Landing on the evening of March 31, about +sundown. On going into camp in our position upon the line, for the +first time in our service we dwelt in tents. We had what was called the +Sibley tent, an affair of a conical shape, rather large, and capable of +accommodating about twelve men, with their accoutrements. As a +circumstance bearing on our ignorance of life in tents, I will say that +we neglected to ditch around them, and on the very first night we slept +in them there came a heavy rain, and the next morning found us lying +more or less in the water, and our blankets and other stuff sopping +wet. But after that, on pitching our tents one of the first things we +did was to dig around them a sufficient ditch with a lateral extension. + +I retain a vivid recollection of the kind of army cooking we had for +the first few months in Tennessee. At Camp Carrollton and Benton +Barracks we had company cooks who prepared the food for the entire +company. They were merely enlisted men, detailed for that purpose, and +while their cooking was nothing to brag about, it was vastly superior +to what now ensued. We divided up into messes, of four, eight, or +twelve men, or thereabouts, to the mess, and generally would take turns +in the culinary line. Very few of us knew anything whatever about +cooking, and our exploits in that regard would have been comical if the +effects had not been so pernicious. Flour was issued to us after our +arrival at Pittsburg Landing, but we had no utensils in which we could +cook biscuits, or loaves. So we would make a batter out of flour, +water, grease, and salt, and cook it in a mess pan, the product being +the army "flapjack." It invariably was tough as a mule's ear, about as +heavy as lead, and very indigestible. Later we learned to construct +ovens of wood, daubed with mud, or of stone, and in them, in the course +of time, we acquired the knack of baking good bread. But with us in the +west the hardtack was generally our standard bread diet, and nothing +could beat it. + +And for some time our cooking of "Yankee beans," as we called them, was +simply atrocious. As you know, beans should be cooked until they are +thoroughly done; otherwise they are decidedly harmful. Well, we would +not cook them much more than half enough, the result being a sloppy, +slimy mess, its looks alone being well-nigh sufficient to extinguish +one's appetite. And as for the rice--the horrible messes we would make +of that defy description. I know that one consequence with me was I +contracted such an aversion to rice that for many years afterwards, +while in civil life, I just couldn't eat it in any form, no matter how +temptingly it was prepared. + +Owing to improperly cooked food, change of climate and of water, and +neglect of proper sanitation measures in the camps, camp diarrhea +became epidemic at Pittsburg Landing, especially among the "green" +regiments like ours. And for about six weeks everybody suffered, more +or less, the difference being only in degree. The fact is, the +condition of the troops in that quarter during the prevalence of that +disorder was simply so bad and repulsive that any detailed description +thereof will be passed over. I never saw the like before, and never +have seen it since. I always thought that one thing which aggravated +this trouble was the inordinate quantity of sugar some of the men would +consume. They would not only use it to excess in their coffee and rice, +but would frequently eat it raw, by handfuls. I happen to think, right +now, of an incident that illustrates the unnatural appetite of some of +the men for sugar. It occurred in camp one rainy day during the siege +of Corinth. Jake Hill, of my company, had covered the top of a big army +hardtack with sugar in a cone-like form, piling it on as long as the +tack would hold a grain. Then he seated himself on his knapsack and +proceeded to gnaw away at his feast, by a system of "regular +approaches." He was even then suffering from the epidemic before +mentioned, and so weak he could hardly walk. Some one said to him, +"Jake, that sugar ain't good for you in your condition." He looked up +with an aggrieved air and responded in a tone of cruelly injured +innocence, "Haven't I the right to eat my r-a-a-tion?" Strange to say, +Jake got well, and served throughout the war. He was a good soldier, +too. + +For my part, I quit using sugar in any form, early in my army service, +(except a little, occasionally, with stewed fruit, or berries,) and +didn't resume its general use until some years after my discharge from +the army. + +In consequence of the conditions at Pittsburg Landing that have been +alluded to, men died by the score like rotten sheep. And a great many +more were discharged for disability and thereby were lost to the +service. It is true that some of these discharged men, especially the +younger ones, subsequently re-enlisted, and made good soldiers. But +this loss to the Union armies in Tennessee in the spring of '62 by +disease would undoubtedly surpass the casualties of a great battle, +but, unlike a battle, there was no resulting compensation whatever. + +The battle of Shiloh was fought on April 6 and 7. In 1890 I wrote an +article on the battle which was published in the New York Tribune, and +later it appeared in several other newspapers. It has also been +reprinted in book form in connection with papers by other persons, some +about the war, and others of a miscellaneous nature. The piece I wrote +twenty-five years ago is as good, I reckon, if not better than anything +on that head I can write now, so it will be set out here. + + + IN THE RANKS AT SHILOH. + + By Leander Stillwell, + late First Lieutenant, 61st Illinois Volunteer Infantry. + + There has been a great deal said and written about the battle of + Shiloh, both by Rebel and Union officers and writers. On the part + of the first there has been, and probably always will be, angry + dispute and criticism about the conduct of General Beauregard in + calling off his troops Sunday evening while fully an hour of broad, + precious daylight still remained, which, as claimed by some, might + have been utilized in destroying the remainder of Grant's army + before Buell could have crossed the Tennessee. On the part of Union + writers the matters most discussed have been as to whether or not + our forces were surprised, the condition of Grant's army at the + close of the first day, what the result would have been without the + aid of the gunboats, or if Buell's army had not come, and kindred + subjects. It is not my purpose, in telling my story of the battle + of Shiloh, to say anything that will add to this volume of + discussion. My age at the time was but eighteen, and my position + that of a common soldier in the ranks. It would therefore be + foolish in me to assume the part of a critic. The generals, who, + from reasonably safe points of observation, are sweeping the field + with their glasses, and noting and directing the movements of the + lines of battle, must, in the nature of things, be the ones to + furnish the facts that go to make history. The extent of a + battlefield seen by the common soldier is that only which comes + within the range of the raised sights of his musket. And what + little he does see is as "through a glass, darkly." The dense banks + of powder smoke obstruct his gaze; he catches but fitful glimpses + of his adversaries as the smoke veers or rises. + + Then, too, my own experience makes me think that where the common + soldier does his duty, all his faculties of mind and body are + employed in attending to the details of his own personal part of + the work of destruction, and there is but little time left him for + taking mental notes to form the bases of historical articles a + quarter of a century afterward. The handling, tearing, and charging + of his cartridge, ramming it home (we used muzzle loaders during + the Civil War), the capping of his gun, the aiming and firing, with + furious haste and desperate energy,--for every shot may be his + last,--these things require the soldier's close personal attention + and make him oblivious to matters transpiring beyond his immediate + neighborhood. Moreover, his sense of hearing is well-nigh overcome + by the deafening uproar going on around him. The incessant and + terrible crash of musketry, the roar of the cannon, the continual + zip, zip, of the bullets as they hiss by him, interspersed with the + agonizing screams of the wounded, or the death shrieks of comrades + falling in dying convulsions right in the face of the + living,--these things are not conducive to that serene and judicial + mental equipoise which the historian enjoys in his closet. + + Let the generals and historians, therefore, write of the movements + of corps, divisions, and brigades. I have naught to tell but the + simple story of what one private soldier saw of one of the + bloodiest battles of the war. + + The regiment to which I belonged was the 61st Illinois Infantry. It + left its camp of instruction (a country town in southern Illinois) + about the last of February, 1862. We were sent to Benton Barracks, + near St. Louis, and remained there drilling (when the weather would + permit) until March 25th. We left on that day for the front. It was + a cloudy, drizzly, and most gloomy day, as we marched through the + streets of St. Louis down to the levee, to embark on a transport + that was to take us to our destination. The city was enveloped in + that pall of coal smoke for which St. Louis is celebrated. It hung + heavy and low and set us all to coughing. I think the colonel must + have marched us down some by-street. It was narrow and dirty, with + high buildings on either side. The line officers took the + sidewalks, while the regiment, marching by the flank, tramped in + silence down the middle of the street, slumping through the nasty, + slimy mud. There was one thing very noticeable on this march + through St. Louis, and that was the utter lack of interest taken in + us by the inhabitants. From pictures I had seen in books at home, + my idea was that when soldiers departed for war, beautiful ladies + stood on balconies and waved snowy-white handkerchiefs at the + troops, while the men stood on the sidewalks and corners and swung + their hats and cheered. + + There may have been regiments so favored, but ours was not one of + them. Occasionally a fat, chunky-looking fellow, of a German cast + of countenance, with a big pipe in his mouth, would stick his head + out of a door or window, look at us a few seconds, and then + disappear. No handkerchiefs nor hats were waved, we heard no + cheers. My thoughts at the time were that the Union people there + had all gone to war, or else the colonel was marching us through a + "Secesh" part of town. + + We marched to the levee and from there on board the big sidewheel + steamer, Empress. The next evening she unfastened her moorings, + swung her head out into the river, turned down stream, and we were + off for the "seat of war." We arrived at Pittsburg Landing on March + 31st. Pittsburg Landing, as its name indicates, was simply a + landing place for steamboats. It is on the west bank of the + Tennessee river, in a thickly wooded region about twenty miles + northeast of Corinth. There was no town there then, nothing but + "the log house on the hill" that the survivors of the battle of + Shiloh will all remember. The banks of the Tennessee on the + Pittsburg Landing side are steep and bluffy, rising about 100 feet + above the level of the river. Shiloh church, that gave the battle + its name, was a Methodist meeting house. It was a small, hewed log + building with a clapboard roof, about two miles out from the + landing on the main Corinth road. On our arrival we were assigned + to the division of General B. M. Prentiss, and we at once marched + out and went into camp. About half a mile from the landing the road + forks, the main Corinth road goes to the right, past Shiloh church, + the other goes to the left. These two roads come together again + some miles out. General Prentiss' division was camped on this + left-hand road at right angles to it. Our regiment went into camp + almost on the extreme left of Prentiss' line. There was a brigade + of Sherman's division under General Stuart still further to the + left, about a mile, I think, in camp near a ford of Lick Creek, + where the Hamburg and Purdy road crosses the creek; and between the + left of Prentiss' and General Stuart's camp there were no troops. I + know that, for during the few days intervening between our arrival + and the battle I roamed all through those woods on our left, + between us and Stuart, hunting for wild onions and "turkey peas." + + The camp of our regiment was about two miles from the landing. The + tents were pitched in the woods, and there was a little field of + about twenty acres in our front. The camp faced nearly west, or + possibly southwest. + + I shall never forget how glad I was to get off that old steamboat + and be on solid ground once more, in camp out in those old woods. + My company had made the trip from St. Louis to Pittsburg Landing on + the hurricane deck of the steamboat, and our fare on the route had + been hardtack and raw fat meat, washed down with river water, as we + had no chance to cook anything, and we had not then learned the + trick of catching the surplus hot water ejected from the boilers + and making coffee with it. But once on solid ground, with plenty of + wood to make fires, that bill of fare was changed. I shall never + again eat meat that will taste as good as the fried "sowbelly" did + then, accompanied by "flapjacks" and plenty of good, strong coffee. + We had not yet got settled down to the regular drills, guard duty + was light, and things generally seemed to run "kind of loose." And + then the climate was delightful. We had just left the bleak, frozen + north, where all was cold and cheerless, and we found ourselves in + a clime where the air was as soft and warm as it was in Illinois in + the latter part of May. The green grass was springing from the + ground, the "Johnny-jump-ups" were in blossom, the trees were + bursting into leaf, and the woods were full of feathered songsters. + There was a redbird that would come every morning about sunup and + perch himself in the tall black-oak tree in our company street, and + for perhaps an hour he would practice on his impatient, querulous + note, that said, as plain as a bird could say, "Boys, boys! get up! + get up! get up!" It became a standing remark among the boys that he + was a Union redbird and had enlisted in our regiment to sound the + reveille. + + So the time passed pleasantly away until that eventful Sunday + morning, April 6, 1862. According to the Tribune Almanac for that + year, the sun rose that morning in Tennessee at 38 minutes past + five o'clock. I had no watch, but I have always been of the opinion + that the sun was fully an hour and a half high before the fighting + began on our part of the line. We had "turned out" about sunup, + answered to roll-call, and had cooked and eaten our breakfast. We + had then gone to work, preparing for the regular Sunday morning + inspection, which would take place at nine o'clock. The boys were + scattered around the company streets and in front of the company + parade grounds, engaged in polishing and brightening their muskets, + and brushing up and cleaning their shoes, jackets, trousers, and + clothing generally. It was a most beautiful morning. The sun was + shining brightly through the trees, and there was not a cloud in + the sky. It really seemed like Sunday in the country at home. + During week days there was a continual stream of army wagons going + to and from the landing, and the clucking of their wheels, the + yells and oaths of the drivers, the cracking of whips, mingled with + the braying of mules, the neighing of the horses, the commands of + the officers engaged in drilling the men, the incessant hum and + buzz of the camps, the blare of bugles, and the roll of drums,--all + these made up a prodigious volume of sound that lasted from the + coming-up to the going-down of the sun. But this morning was + strangely still. The wagons were silent, the mules were peacefully + munching their hay, and the army teamsters were giving us a rest. I + listened with delight to the plaintive, mournful tones of a + turtle-dove in the woods close by, while on the dead limb of a tall + tree right in the camp a woodpecker was sounding his "long roll" + just as I had heard it beaten by his Northern brothers a thousand + times on the trees in the Otter Creek bottom at home. + + Suddenly, away off on the right, in the direction of Shiloh church, + came a dull, heavy "Pum!" then another, and still another. Every + man sprung to his feet as if struck by an electric shock, and we + looked inquiringly into one another's faces. "What is that?" asked + every one, but no one answered. Those heavy booms then came thicker + and faster, and just a few seconds after we heard that first dull, + ominous growl off to the southwest, came a low, sullen, continuous + roar. There was no mistaking that sound. That was not a squad of + pickets emptying their guns on being relieved from duty; it was the + continuous roll of thousands of muskets, and told us that a battle + was on. + + What I have been describing just now occurred during a few seconds + only, and with the roar of musketry the long roll began to beat in + our camp. Then ensued a scene of desperate haste, the like of which + I certainly had never seen before, nor ever saw again. I remember + that in the midst of this terrible uproar and confusion, while the + boys were buckling on their cartridge boxes, and before even the + companies had been formed, a mounted staff officer came galloping + wildly down the line from the right. He checked and whirled his + horse sharply around right in our company street, the iron-bound + hoofs of his steed crashing among the tin plates lying in a little + pile where my mess had eaten its breakfast that morning. The horse + was flecked with foam and its eyes and nostrils were red as blood. + The officer cast one hurried glance around him, and exclaimed: "My + God! this regiment not in line yet! They have been fighting on the + right over an hour!" And wheeling his horse, he disappeared in the + direction of the colonel's tent. + + I know now that history says the battle began about 4:30 that + morning; that it was brought on by a reconnoitering party sent out + early that morning by General Prentiss; that General Sherman's + division on the right was early advised of the approach of the + Rebel army, and got ready to meet them in ample time. I have read + these things in books and am not disputing them, but am simply + telling the story of an enlisted man on the left of Prentiss' line + as to what he saw and knew of the condition of things at about + seven o'clock that morning. + + Well, the companies were formed, we marched out on the regimental + parade ground, and the regiment was formed in line. The command was + given: "Load at will; load!" We had anticipated this, however, as + the most of us had instinctively loaded our guns before we had + formed company. All this time the roar on the right was getting + nearer and louder. Our old colonel rode up close to us, opposite + the center of the regimental line, and called out, "Attention, + battalion!" We fixed our eyes on him to hear what was coming. It + turned out to be the old man's battle harangue. + + "Gentlemen," said he, in a voice that every man in the regiment + heard, "remember your State, and do your duty today like brave + men." + + That was all. A year later in the war the old man doubtless would + have addressed us as "soldiers," and not as "gentlemen," and he + would have omitted his allusion to the "State," which smacked a + little of Confederate notions. However, he was a Douglas Democrat, + and his mind was probably running on Buena Vista, in the Mexican + war, where, it is said, a Western regiment acted badly, and threw a + cloud over the reputation for courage of the men of that State + which required the thunders of the Civil War to disperse. + Immediately after the colonel had given us his brief exhortation, + the regiment was marched across the little field I have before + mentioned, and we took our place in line of battle, the woods in + front of us, and the open field in our rear. We "dressed on" the + colors, ordered arms, and stood awaiting the attack. By this time + the roar on the right had become terrific. The Rebel army was + unfolding its front, and the battle was steadily advancing in our + direction. We could begin to see the blue rings of smoke curling + upward among the trees off to the right, and the pungent smell of + burning gun-powder filled the air. As the roar came travelling down + the line from the right it reminded me (only it was a million times + louder) of the sweep of a thunder-shower in summer-time over the + hard ground of a stubble-field. + + And there we stood, in the edge of the woods, so still, waiting for + the storm to break on us. I know mighty well what I was thinking + about then. My mind's eye was fixed on a little log cabin, far away + to the north, in the backwoods of western Illinois. I could see my + father sitting on the porch, reading the little local newspaper + brought from the post-office the evening before. There was my + mother getting my little brothers ready for Sunday-school; the old + dog lying asleep in the sun; the hens cackling about the barn; all + these things and a hundred other tender recollections rushed into + my mind. I am not ashamed to say now that I would willingly have + given a general quit-claim deed for every jot and tittle of + military glory falling to me, past, present, and to come, if I only + could have been miraculously and instantaneously set down in the + yard of that peaceful little home, a thousand miles away from the + haunts of fighting men. + + The time we thus stood, waiting the attack, could not have exceeded + five minutes. Suddenly, obliquely to our right, there was a long, + wavy flash of bright light, then another, and another! It was the + sunlight shining on gun barrels and bayonets--and--there they were + at last! A long brown line, with muskets at a right shoulder shift, + in excellent order, right through the woods they came. + + We began firing at once. From one end of the regiment to the other + leaped a sheet of red flame, and the roar that went up from the + edge of that old field doubtless advised General Prentiss of the + fact that the Rebels had at last struck the extreme left of his + line. We had fired but two or three rounds when, for some + reason,--I never knew what,--we were ordered to fall back across + the field, and did so. The whole line, so far as I could see to the + right, went back. We halted on the other side of the field, in the + edge of the woods, in front of our tents, and again began firing. + The Rebels, of course, had moved up and occupied the line we had + just abandoned. And here we did our first hard fighting during the + day. Our officers said, after the battle was over, that we held + this line an hour and ten minutes. How long it was I do not know. I + "took no note of time." + + We retreated from this position as our officers afterward said, + because the troops on our right had given way, and we were flanked. + Possibly those boys on our right would give the same excuse for + their leaving, and probably truly, too. Still, I think we did not + fall back a minute too soon. As I rose from the comfortable log + from behind which a bunch of us had been firing, I saw men in gray + and brown clothes, with trailed muskets, running through the camp + on our right, and I saw something else, too, that sent a chill all + through me. It was a kind of flag I had never seen before. It was a + gaudy sort of thing, with red bars. It flashed over me in a second + that that thing was a Rebel flag. It was not more than sixty yards + to the right. The smoke around it was low and dense and kept me + from seeing the man who was carrying it, but I plainly saw the + banner. It was going fast, with a jerky motion, which told me that + the bearer was on a double-quick. About that time we left. We + observed no kind of order in leaving; the main thing was to get out + of there as quick as we could. I ran down our company street, and + in passing the big Sibley tent of our mess I thought of my knapsack + with all my traps and belongings, including that precious little + packet of letters from home. I said to myself, "I will save my + knapsack, anyhow;" but one quick backward glance over my left + shoulder made me change my mind, and I went on. I never saw my + knapsack or any of its contents afterwards. + + Our broken forces halted and re-formed about half a mile to the + rear of our camp on the summit of a gentle ridge, covered with + thick brush. I recognized our regiment by the little gray pony the + old colonel rode, and hurried to my place in the ranks. Standing + there with our faces once more to the front, I saw a seemingly + endless column of men in blue, marching by the flank, who were + filing off to the right through the woods, and I heard our old + German adjutant, Cramer, say to the colonel, "Dose are de troops of + Sheneral Hurlbut. He is forming a new line dere in de bush." I + exclaimed to myself from the bottom of my heart, "Bully for General + Hurlbut and the new line in the bush! Maybe we'll whip 'em yet." I + shall never forget my feelings about this time. I was astonished at + our first retreat in the morning across the field back to our camp, + but it occurred to me that maybe that was only "strategy" and all + done on purpose; but when we had to give up our camp, and actually + turn our backs and run half a mile, it seemed to me that we were + forever disgraced, and I kept thinking to myself: "What will they + say about this at home?" + + I was very dry for a drink, and as we were doing nothing just then, + I slipped out of ranks and ran down to the little hollow in our + rear, in search of water. Finding a little pool, I threw myself on + the ground and took a copious draught. As I rose to my feet, I + observed an officer about a rod above me also quenching his thirst, + holding his horse meanwhile by the bridle. As he rose I saw it was + our old adjutant. At no other time would I have dared accost him + unless in the line of duty, but the situation made me bold. + "Adjutant," I said, "What does this mean--our having to run this + way? Ain't we whipped?" He blew the water from his mustache, and + quickly answered in a careless way: "Oh, no; dat is all ride. We + yoost fall back to form on the reserve. Sheneral Buell vas now + crossing der river mit 50,000 men, and vill be here pooty quick; + and Sheneral Lew Vallace is coming from Crump's Landing mit 15,000 + more. Ve vips 'em; ve vips 'em. Go to your gompany." Back I went on + the run, with a heart as light as a feather. As I took my place in + the ranks beside my chum, Jack Medford, I said to him: "Jack, I've + just had a talk with the old adjutant, down at the branch where + I've been to get a drink. He says Buell is crossing the river with + 75,000 men and a whole world of cannon, and that some other general + is coming up from Crump's Landing with 25,000 more men. He says we + fell back here on purpose, and that we're going to whip the Secesh, + just sure. Ain't that just perfectly bully?" I had improved some on + the adjutant's figures, as the news was so glorious I thought a + little variance of 25,000 or 30,000 men would make no difference in + the end. But as the long hours wore on that day, and still Buell + and Wallace did not come, my faith in the adjutant's veracity + became considerably shaken. + + It was at this point that my regiment was detached from Prentiss' + division and served with it no more that day. We were sent some + distance to the right to support a battery, the name of which I + never learned.[1] It was occupying the summit of a slope, and was + actively engaged when we reached it. We were put in position about + twenty rods in the rear of the battery, and ordered to lie flat on + the ground. The ground sloped gently down in our direction, so that + by hugging it close, the rebel shot and shell went over us. + + [1] Some years after this sketch was written I ascertained + that this battery was Richardson's, Co. D, 1st Missouri Light + Artillery. + + It was here, at about ten o'clock in the morning, that I first saw + Grant that day. He was on horseback, of course, accompanied by his + staff, and was evidently making a personal examination of his + lines. He went by us in a gallop, riding between us and the + battery, at the head of his staff. The battery was then hotly + engaged; shot and shell were whizzing overhead, and cutting off the + limbs of trees, but Grant rode through the storm with perfect + indifference, seemingly paying no more attention to the missiles + than if they had been paper wads. + + We remained in support of this battery until about 2 o'clock in the + afternoon. We were then put in motion by the right flank, filed to + the left, crossed the left-hand Corinth road; then we were thrown + into the line by the command: "By the left flank, march." We + crossed a little ravine and up a slope, and relieved a regiment on + the left of Hurlbut's line. This line was desperately engaged, and + had been at this point, as we afterwards learned, for fully four + hours. I remember as we went up the slope and began firing, about + the first thing that met my gaze was what out West we would call a + "windrow" of dead men in blue; some doubled up face downward, + others with their white faces upturned to the sky, brave boys who + had been shot to death in "holding the line." Here we stayed until + our last cartridge was shot away. We were then relieved by another + regiment. We filled our cartridge boxes again and went back to the + support of our battery. The boys laid down and talked in low tones. + Many of our comrades alive and well an hour ago, we had left dead + on that bloody ridge. And still the battle raged. From right to + left, everywhere, it was one never-ending, terrible roar, with no + prospect of stopping. + + Somewhere between 4 and 5 o'clock, as near as I can tell, + everything became ominously quiet. Our battery ceased firing; the + gunners leaned against the pieces and talked and laughed. Suddenly + a staff officer rode up and said something in a low tone to the + commander of the battery, then rode to our colonel and said + something to him. The battery horses were at once brought up from a + ravine in the rear, and the battery limbered up and moved off + through the woods diagonally to the left and rear. We were put in + motion by the flank and followed it. Everything kept so still, the + loudest noise I heard was the clucking of the wheels of the + gun-carriages and caissons as they wound through the woods. We + emerged from the woods and entered a little old field. I then saw + to our right and front lines of men in blue moving in the same + direction we were, and it was evident that we were falling back. + All at once, on the right, the left, and from our recent front, + came one tremendous roar, and the bullets fell like hail. The lines + took the double-quick towards the rear. For awhile the attempt was + made to fall back in order, and then everything went to pieces. My + heart failed me utterly. I thought the day was lost. A confused + mass of men and guns, caissons, army wagons, ambulances, and all + the debris of a beaten army surged and crowded along the narrow + dirt road to the landing, while that pitiless storm of leaden hail + came crashing on us from the rear. It was undoubtedly at this + crisis in our affairs that the division of General Prentiss was + captured. + + I will digress here for a minute to speak of a little incident + connected with this disastrous feature of the day that has always + impressed me as a pathetic instance of the patriotism and unselfish + devotion to the cause that was by no means uncommon among the rank + and file of the Union armies. + + There was in my company a middle-aged German named Charles + Oberdieck. According to the company descriptive book, he was a + native of the then kingdom of Hanover, now a province of Prussia. + He was a typical German, flaxen-haired, blue-eyed, quiet and + taciturn, of limited and meager education, but a model soldier, who + accepted without question and obeyed without a murmur the orders of + his military superiors. Prior to the war he had made his living by + chopping cord-wood in the high, timbered hills near the mouth of + the Illinois river, or by working as a common laborer in the + country on the farms at $14 a month. He was unmarried, his parents + were dead, and he had no other immediate relatives surviving, + either in his fatherland or in the country of his adoption. He and + I enlisted from the same neighborhood. I had known him in civil + life at home, and hence he was disposed to be more communicative + with me than with the other boys of the company. A day or two after + the battle he and I were sitting in the shade of a tree, in camp, + talking over the incidents of the fight. "Charley," I said to him, + "How did you feel along about four o'clock Sunday afternoon when + they broke our lines, we were falling back in disorder, and it + looked like the whole business was gone up generally?" He knocked + the ashes from his pipe and, turning his face quickly towards me, + said: "I yoost tells you how I feels. I no care anydings about + Charley; he haf no wife nor children, fadder nor mudder, brudder + nor sister; if Charley get killed, it makes no difference; dere vas + nobody to cry for him, so I dinks nudding about myselfs; but I + tells you, I yoost den feels bad for de Cause!" + + Noble, simple-hearted old Charley! It was the imminent danger only + to the Cause that made his heart sink in that seemingly fateful + hour. When we heard in the malignant and triumphant roar of the + Rebel cannon in our rear what might be the death-knell of the last + great experiment of civilized men to establish among the nations of + the world a united republic, freed from the curse of pampered kings + and selfish, grasping aristocrats--it was in that moment, in his + simple language, that the peril to the Cause was the supreme and + only consideration. + + It must have been when we were less than half a mile from the + landing on our disorderly retreat before mentioned, that we saw + standing in line of battle, at ordered arms, extending from both + sides of the road until lost to sight in the woods, a long, + well-ordered line of men in blue. What did that mean? and where had + they come from? I was walking by the side of Enoch Wallace, the + orderly sergeant of my company. He was a man of nerve and courage, + and by word and deed had done more that day to hold us green and + untried boys in ranks and firmly to our duty than any other man in + the company. But even he, in the face of this seemingly appalling + state of things, had evidently lost heart. I said to him: "Enoch, + what are those men there for?" He answered in a low tone: "I guess + they are put there to hold the Rebels in check till the army can + get across the river." And doubtless that was the thought of every + intelligent soldier in our beaten column. And yet it goes to show + how little the common soldier knew of the actual situation. We did + not know then that this line was the last line of battle of the + "Fighting Fourth Division" under General Hurlbut; that on its right + was the division of McClernand, the Fort Donelson boys; that on its + right, at right angles to it, and, as it were, the refused wing of + the army, was glorious old Sherman, hanging on with a bulldog grip + to the road across Snake Creek from Crump's Landing by which Lew + Wallace was coming with 5,000 men. In other words, we still had an + unbroken line confronting the enemy, made up of men who were not + yet ready, by any manner of means, to give up that they were + whipped. Nor did we know then that our retreating mass consisted + only of some regiments of Hurlbut's division, and some other + isolated commands, who had not been duly notified of the recession + of Hurlbut and of his falling back to form a new line, and thereby + came very near sharing the fate of Prentiss' men and being marched + to the rear as prisoners of war. Speaking for myself, it was twenty + years after the battle before I found these things out, yet they + are true, just as much so as the fact that the sun rose yesterday + morning. Well, we filed through Hurlbut's line, halted, re-formed, + and faced to the front once more. We were put in place a short + distance in the rear of Hurlbut, as a support to some heavy guns. + It must have been about five o'clock now. Suddenly, on the extreme + left, and just a little above the landing, came a deafening + explosion that fairly shook the ground beneath our feet, followed + by others in quick and regular succession. The look of wonder and + inquiry that the soldiers' faces wore for a moment disappeared for + one of joy and exultation as it flashed across our minds that the + gunboats had at last joined hands in the dance, and were pitching + big twenty-pound Parrott shells up the ravine in front of Hurlbut, + to the terror and discomfiture of our adversaries. + + The last place my regiment assumed was close to the road coming up + from the landing. As we were lying there I heard the strains of + martial music and saw a body of men marching by the flank up the + road. I slipped out of ranks and walked out to the side of the road + to see what troops they were. Their band was playing "Dixie's + Land," and playing it well. The men were marching at a quick step, + carrying their guns, cartridge-boxes, haversacks, canteens, and + blanket-rolls. I saw that they had not been in the fight, for there + was no powder-smoke on their faces. "What regiment is this?" I + asked of a young sergeant marching on the flank. Back came the + answer in a quick, cheery tone, "The 36th Indiana, the advance + guard of Buell's army." + + I did not, on hearing this, throw my cap into the air and yell. + That would have given those Indiana fellows a chance to chaff and + guy me, and possibly make sarcastic remarks, which I did not care + to provoke. I gave one big, gasping swallow and stood still, but + the blood thumped in the veins of my throat and my heart fairly + pounded against my little infantry jacket in the joyous rapture of + this glorious intelligence. Soldiers need not be told of the thrill + of unspeakable exultation they all have felt at the sight of armed + friends in danger's darkest hour. Speaking for myself alone, I can + only say, in the most heart-felt sincerity, that in all my obscure + military career, never to me was the sight of reinforcing legions + so precious and so welcome as on that Sunday evening when the rays + of the descending sun were flashed back from the bayonets of + Buell's advance column as it deployed on the bluffs of Pittsburg + Landing. + + My account of the battle is about done. So far as I saw or heard, + very little fighting was done that evening after Buell's advance + crossed the river. The sun must have been fully an hour high when + anything like regular and continuous firing had entirely ceased. + What the result would have been if Beauregard had massed his troops + on our left and forced the fighting late Sunday evening would be a + matter of opinion, and a common soldier's opinion would not be + considered worth much. + + My regiment was held in reserve the next day, and was not engaged. + I have, therefore, no personal experience of that day to relate. + After the battle of Shiloh, it fell to my lot to play my humble + part in several other fierce conflicts of arms, but Shiloh was my + maiden fight. It was there I first saw a gun fired in anger, heard + the whistle of a bullet, or saw a man die a violent death, and my + experiences, thoughts, impressions, and sensations on that bloody + Sunday will abide with me as long as I live. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + +SOME INCIDENTS OF THE BATTLE OF SHILOH. + + +There were many little incidents at Shiloh that came under my personal +observation that I did not mention in the foregoing sketch. The matter +of space was important, so I passed them over. But that consideration +does not arise now, and as I am writing this for you, I will say +something here about several things that I think may be of some +interest. + +I distinctly remember my first shot at Shiloh. It was fired when we were +in our first position, as described in my account of the battle. I think +that when the boys saw the enemy advancing they began firing of their +own motion, without waiting for orders. At least, I don't remember +hearing any. I was in the front rank, but didn't fire. I preferred to +wait for a good opportunity, when I could take deliberate aim at some +individual foe. But when the regiment fired, the Confederates halted and +began firing also, and the fronts of both lines were at once shrouded in +smoke. I had my gun at a ready, and was trying to peer under the smoke +in order to get a sight of our enemies. Suddenly I heard some one in a +highly excited tone calling to me from just in my rear,--"Stillwell! +shoot! shoot! Why don't you shoot?" I looked around and saw that this +command was being given by Bob Wylder, our second lieutenant, who was in +his place, just a few steps to the rear. He was a young man, about +twenty-five years old, and was fairly wild with excitement, jumping up +and down "like a hen on a hot griddle." "Why, lieutenant," said I, "I +can't see anything to shoot at." "Shoot, shoot, anyhow!" "All right," I +responded, "if you say shoot, shoot it is;" and bringing my gun to my +shoulder, I aimed low in the direction of the enemy, and blazed away +through the smoke. I have always doubted if this, my first shot, did any +execution--but there's no telling. However, the lieutenant was clearly +right. Our adversaries were in our front, in easy range, and it was our +duty to aim low, fire in their general direction, and let fate do the +rest. But at the time the idea to me was ridiculous that one should +blindly shoot into a cloud of smoke without having a bead on the object +to be shot at. I had shot squirrels and rabbits, and other small game, +in the big woods adjacent to our backwoods home, from the time I was big +enough to carry a gun. In fact, I began when I was too small to shoot +"off hand," but had to fire from a "rest,"--any convenient stump, log, +or forked bush. The gun I used was a little old percussion lock rifle, +with a long barrel, carrying a bullet which weighed about sixty to the +pound. We boys had to furnish our own ammunition,--lead (which we +moulded into bullets), gun-caps, and powder. Our principal source of +revenue whereby we got money to buy ammunition was hazel-nuts, which we +would gather, shuck, and sell at five cents a quart. And the work +incident to the gathering and shucking of a quart of hazel nuts was a +decidedly tedious job. But it made us economical in the use of our +ordnance stores, so we would never throw away a shot carelessly or +unnecessarily. And it was a standing rule never to shoot a squirrel +anywhere except in the head, save as a last resort, when circumstances +compelled one to fire at some other part of the body of the little +animal. And so I thought, at the beginning of my military career, that I +should use the same care and circumspection in firing an old musket when +on the line of battle that I had exercised in hunting squirrels. But I +learned better in about the first five minutes of the battle of Shiloh. +However, in every action I was in, when the opportunity was afforded, I +took careful and deliberate aim, but many a time the surroundings were +such that the only thing to do was to hold low, and fire through the +smoke in the direction of the enemy. I will say here that the extent of +wild shooting done in battle, especially by raw troops, is astonishing, +and rather hard to understand. When we fell back to our second line at +Shiloh, I heard an incessant humming sound away up above our heads, like +the flight of a swarm of bees. In my ignorance, I at first hardly knew +what that meant, but it presently dawned on me that the noise was caused +by bullets singing through the air from twenty to a hundred feet over +our heads. And after the battle I noticed that the big trees in our +camp, just in the rear of our second line, were thickly pock-marked by +musket balls at a distance of fully a hundred feet from the ground. And +yet we were separated from the Confederates only by a little, narrow +field, and the intervening ground was perfectly level. But the fact is, +those boys were fully as green as we were, and doubtless as much +excited. The Confederate army at Shiloh was composed of soldiers the +great majority of whom went under fire there for the first time, and I +reckon they were as nervous and badly scared as we were. + +I never shall forget how awfully I felt on seeing for the first time a +man killed in battle. This occurred on our second position, above +mentioned. Our line of battle here was somewhat irregular, and the men +had become mixed up. The trees and stumps were thick, and we availed +ourselves of their protection whenever possible. I had a tree, it was +embarrassingly small, but better than none. I took to a log later. But +there was a man just on my right behind a tree of generous proportions, +and I somewhat envied him. He was actively engaged in loading and +firing, and was standing up to the work well when I last saw him alive. +But, all at once, there he was lying on his back, at the foot of his +tree, with one leg doubled under him, motionless,--and stone dead! He +probably had been hit square in the head while aiming, or peeking around +the tree. I stared at his body, perfectly horrified! Only a few seconds +ago that man was alive and well, and now he was lying on the ground, +done for, forever! The event came nearer completely upsetting me than +anything else that occurred during the entire battle--but I got used to +such incidents in the course of the day. + +After rallying at our third position, we were moved a short distance to +the rear, and formed in line at right angles to the road from our camp +to the landing. While standing there I casually noticed a large wall +tent at the side of the road, a few steps to my rear. It was closed up, +and nobody stirring around it. Suddenly I heard, right over our heads, a +frightful "s-s-wis-sh,"--and followed by a loud crash in this tent. +Looking around, I saw a big, gaping hole in the wall of the tent, and on +the other side got a glimpse of the cause of the disturbance--a big +cannon ball ricochetting down the ridge, and hunting further mischief. +And at the same moment of time the front flaps of the tent were +frantically thrown open, and out popped a fellow in citizen's clothes. +He had a Hebrew visage, his face was as white as a dead man's, and his +eyes were sticking out like a crawfish's. He started down the road +toward the landing at probably the fastest gait he had ever made in his +life, his coat tails streaming behind him, and the boys yelling at him. +We proceeded to investigate the interior of that tent at once, and found +that it was a sutler's establishment, and crammed with sutler goods. The +panic-struck individual who had just vacated it was of course the +proprietor. He had adopted ostrich tactics, had buttoned himself up in +the tent, and was in there keeping as still as a mouse, thinking, +perhaps, that as he could see nobody, nobody could see him. That cannon +ball must have been a rude surprise. In order to have plenty of "han' +roomance," we tore down the tent at once, and then proceeded to +appropriate the contents. There were barrels of apples, bologna +sausages, cheeses, canned oysters and sardines, and lots of other truck. +I was filling my haversack with bologna when Col. Fry rode up to me and +said: "My son, will you please give me a link of that sausage?" Under +the circumstances, I reckon I must have been feeling somewhat impudent +and reckless, so I answered rather saucily, "Certainly, Colonel, we are +closing out this morning below cost;" and I thrust into his hands two or +three big links of bologna. There was a faint trace of a grin on the old +man's face as he took the provender, and he began gnawing at once on one +of the hunks, while the others he stowed away in his equipments. I +suspected from this incident that the Colonel had had no breakfast that +morning, which perhaps may have been the case. Soon after this I made +another deal. There were some cavalry in line close by us, and one of +them called out to me, "Pardner, give me some of them apples." "You +bet;" said I, and quickly filling my cap with the fruit, handed it to +him. He emptied the apples in his haversack, took a silver dime from his +pocket, and proffered it to me, saying, "Here." "Keep your money--don't +want it;" was my response, but he threw the coin at my feet, and I +picked it up and put it in my pocket. It came agreeably handy later. + +Jack Medford of my company came up to me with a most complacent look on +his face, and patting his haversack, said, "Lee, I just now got a whole +lot of paper and envelopes, and am all fixed for writing home about this +battle." "Seems to me, Jack," I suggested, "you'd better unload that +stuff, and get something to eat. Don't worry about writing home about +the battle till it's done fought." Jack's countenance changed, he +muttered, "Reckon you're right, Lee;" and when next I saw him, his +haversack was bulging with bologna and cheese. All this time the battle +was raging furiously on our right, and occasionally a cannon ball, +flying high, went screaming over our heads. Walter Scott, in "The Lady +of the Lake," in describing an incident of the battle of Beal' an Duine, +speaks of the unearthly screaming and yelling that occurred, sounding-- + + "As if all the fiends from heaven that fell + Had pealed the banner-cry of hell." + +That comparison leaves much for the imagination, but, speaking from +experience, I will say that of all the blood-curdling sounds I ever +heard, the worst is the terrific scream of a cannon ball or shell +passing close over one's head; especially that kind with a cavity in the +base that sucks in air. At least, they sounded that way till I got used +to them. As a matter of fact, artillery in my time was not near as +dangerous as musketry. It was noisy, but didn't kill often unless at +close range and firing grape and canister. + +As stated in the preceding sketch, sometime during the forenoon the +regiment was sent to the support of a battery, and remained there for +some hours. The most trying situation in battle is one where you have to +lie flat on the ground, under fire more or less, and without any +opportunity to return it. The constant strain on the nerves is almost +intolerable. So it was with feelings of grim but heart-felt relief that +we finally heard the Colonel command, "Attention, battalion!" Our turn +had come at last. We sprang to our feet with alacrity, and were soon in +motion, marching by the flank diagonally towards the left, from whence, +for some hours, had been proceeding heavy firing. We had not gone far +before I saw something which hardly had an inspiring effect. We were +marching along an old, grass-grown country road, with a rail-fence on +the right which enclosed a sort of woods pasture, and with a dense +forest on our left, when I saw a soldier on our left, slowly making his +way to the rear. He had been struck a sort of glancing shot on the left +side of his face, and the skin and flesh of his cheek were hanging in +shreds. His face and neck were covered with blood and he was a frightful +sight. Yet he seemed to be perfectly cool and composed and wasn't +"taking on" a bit. As he came opposite my company, he looked up at us +and said, "Give 'em hell, boys! They've spoiled my beauty." It was +manifest that he was not exaggerating. + +When we were thrown into line on our new position and began firing, I +was in the front rank, and my rear rank man was Philip Potter, a young +Irishman, who was some years my senior. When he fired his first shot, he +came very near putting me out of action. I think that the muzzle of his +gun could not have been more than two or three inches from my right ear. +The shock of the report almost deafened me at the time, and my neck and +right cheek were peppered with powder grains, which remained there for +years until finally absorbed in the system. I turned to Phil in a fury, +exclaiming, "What in the hell and damnation do you mean?" Just then down +went the man on my right with a sharp cry, and followed by the one on +the left, both apparently severely wounded. The thought of my shocking +conduct, in thus indulging in wicked profanity at such a time, flashed +upon me, and I almost held my breath, expecting summary punishment on +the spot. But nothing of the kind happened. And, according to history, +Washington swore a good deal worse at the battle of Monmouth,--and +Potter was more careful thereafter. + +Poor Phil! On December 7, 1864, while fighting on the skirmish line near +Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and just a few paces to my left, he was +mortally wounded by a gun-shot in the bowels and died in the hospital a +few days later. He was a Catholic, and in his last hours was almost +frantic because no priest was at hand to grant him absolution. + +Right after we began firing on this line I noticed, directly in my front +and not more than two hundred yards away, a large Confederate flag +flapping defiantly in the breeze. The smoke was too dense to enable me +to see the bearer, but the banner was distinctly visible. It looked +hateful to me, and I wanted to see it come down. So I held on it, let my +gun slowly fall until I thought the sights were about on a waist line, +and then fired. I peered eagerly under the smoke to see the effect of my +shot,--but the blamed thing was still flying. I fired three or four more +shots on the same line as the first, but with no apparent results. I +then concluded that the bearer was probably squatted behind a stump, or +something, and that it was useless to waste ammunition on him. +Diagonally to my left, perhaps two hundred and fifty yards away, the +Confederate line of battle was in plain sight. It was in the open, in +the edge of an old field, with woods to the rear. It afforded a splendid +mark. Even the ramrods could be seen flashing in the air, as the men, +while in the act of loading, drew and returned the rammers. Thereupon I +began firing at the enemy on that part of the line, and the balance of +the contents of my cartridge box went in that direction. It was +impossible to tell if any of my shots took effect, but after the battle +I went to the spot and looked over the ground. The Confederate dead lay +there thick, and I wondered, as I looked at them, if I had killed any of +those poor fellows. Of course I didn't know, and am glad now that I +didn't. And I will say here that I do not now have any conclusive +knowledge that during my entire term of service I ever killed, or even +wounded, a single man. It is more than probable that some of my shots +were fatal, but I don't know it, and am thankful for the ignorance. You +see, after all, the common soldiers of the Confederate Armies were +American boys, just like us, and conscientiously believed that they were +right. Had they been soldiers of a foreign nation,--Spaniards, for +instance,--I might feel differently. + +When we "went in" on the above mentioned position old Capt. Reddish took +his place in the ranks, and fought like a common soldier. He had picked +up the musket of some dead or wounded man, and filled his pockets with +cartridges and gun caps, and so was well provided with ammunition. He +unbuckled his sword from the belt, and laid it in the scabbard at his +feet, and proceeded to give his undivided attention to the enemy. I can +now see the old man in my mind's eye, as he stood in ranks, loading and +firing, his blue-gray eyes flashing, and his face lighted up with the +flame of battle. Col. Fry happened to be near us at one time, and I +heard old Capt. John yell at him: "Injun fightin,' Colonel! Jest like +Injun fightin'!" When we finally retired, the Captain shouldered his +musket and trotted off with the rest of us, oblivious of his +"cheese-knife," as he called it, left it lying on the ground, and never +saw it again. + +There was a battery of light artillery on this line, about a quarter of +a mile to our right, on a slight elevation of the ground. It was right +flush up with the infantry line of battle, and oh, how those artillery +men handled their guns! It seemed to me that there was the roar of a +cannon from that battery about every other second. When ramming +cartridge, I sometimes glanced in that direction. The men were big +fellows, stripped to the waist, their white skins flashing in the +sunlight, and they were working like I have seen men doing when fighting +a big fire in the woods. I fairly gloated over the fire of that battery. +"Give it to them, my sons of thunder!" I would say to myself; "Knock the +ever-lastin' stuffin' out of 'em!" And, as I ascertained after the +battle, they did do frightful execution. + +In consideration of the fact that now-a-days, as you know, I refuse to +even kill a chicken, some of the above expressions may sound rather +strange. But the fact is, a soldier on the fighting line is possessed by +the demon of destruction. He wants to kill, and the more of his +adversaries he can see killed, the more intense his gratification. Gen. +Grant somewhere in his Memoirs expresses the idea (only in milder +language than mine) when he says: + + "While a battle is raging one can see his enemy mowed down by the + thousand, or the ten thousand, with great composure." + +The regiment bivouacked for the night on the bluff, not far from the +historic "log house." Rain set in about dark, and not wanting to lie in +the water, I hunted around and found a little brush-pile evidently made +by some man from a sapling he had cut down and trimmed up some time past +when the leaves were on the trees. I made a sort of pillow out of my +gun, cartridge box, haversack and canteen, and stretched myself out on +the brush-pile, tired to death, and rather discouraged over the events +of the day. The main body of Buell's men,--"the army of the Ohio,"--soon +after dark began ascending the bluff at a point a little above the +landing, and forming in line in the darkness a short distance beyond. I +have a shadowy impression that this lasted the greater part of the +night. Their regimental bands played continuously and it seemed to me +that they all played the tune of "The Girl I Left Behind Me." And the +rain drizzled down, while every fifteen minutes one of the big navy guns +roared and sent a ponderous shell shrieking up the ravine above in the +direction of the enemy. To this day, whenever I hear an instrumental +band playing "The Girl I Left Behind Me," there come to me the memories +of that gloomy Sunday night at Pittsburg Landing. I again hear the +ceaseless patter of the rain, the dull, heavy tread of Buell's marching +columns, the thunderous roar of the navy guns, the demoniacal scream of +the projectile, and mingled with it all is the sweet, plaintive music of +that old song. We had an army version of it I have never seen in print, +altogether different from the original ballad. The last stanza of this +army production was as follows: + + "If ever I get through this war, + And a Rebel ball don't find me, + I'll shape my course by the northern star, + To the girl I left behind me." + +I have said elsewhere that the regiment was not engaged on Monday. We +remained all that day at the place where we bivouacked Sunday night. The +ends of the staffs of our regimental flags were driven in the ground, +the banners flapping idly in the breeze, while the men sat or lay around +with their guns in their hands or lying by them, their cartridge-boxes +buckled on, and all ready to fall in line at the tap of the drum. But +for some reason that I never knew, we were not called on. Our division +commander, General B. M. Prentiss, and our brigade commander, Col. +Madison Miller, were both captured on Sunday with the bulk of Prentiss' +division, so I reckon we were sort of "lost children." But we were not +alone. There were also other regiments of Grant's command which were +held in reserve and did not fire a shot on Monday. + +After the battle I roamed around over the field, the most of the +following two days, looking at what was to be seen. The fearful sights +apparent on a bloody battlefield simply cannot be described in all their +horror. They must be seen in order to be fully realized. As Byron, +somewhere in "Don Juan," truly says: + + "Mortality! Thou hast thy monthly bills, + Thy plagues, thy famines, thy physicians, yet tick, + Like the death-watch, within our ears the ills + Past, present, and to come; but all may yield + To the true portrait of one battlefield." + +There was a small clearing on the battlefield called the "Peach Orchard" +field. It was of irregular shape, and about fifteen or twenty acres in +extent, as I remember. However, I cannot now be sure as to the exact +size. It got its name, probably, from the fact that there were on it a +few scraggy peach trees. The Union troops on Sunday had a strong line in +the woods just north of the field, and the Confederates made four +successive charges across this open space on our line, all of which were +repulsed with frightful slaughter. I walked all over this piece of +ground the day after the close of the battle, and before the dead had +been buried. It is the simple truth to say that this space was literally +covered with the Confederate dead, and one could have walked all over it +on their bodies. Gen. Grant, in substance, makes the same statement in +his Memoirs. It was a fearful sight. But not far from the Peach Orchard +field, in a westerly direction, was a still more gruesome spectacle. +Some of our forces were in line on an old, grass-grown country road that +ran through thick woods. The wheels of wagons, running for many years +right in the same ruts, had cut through the turf, so that the surface of +the road was somewhat lower than the adjacent ground. To men firing on +their knees this afforded a slight natural breast-work, which was +substantial protection. In front of this position, in addition to the +large timber, was a dense growth of small under-brush, post-oak and the +like, which had not yet shed their leaves, and the ground also was +covered with layers of dead leaves. There was desperate fighting at this +point, and during its progress exploding shells set the woods on fire. +The clothing of the dead Confederates lying in these woods caught fire, +and their bodies were burned to a crisp. I have read, somewhere, that +some wounded men were burned to death, but I doubt that. I walked all +over the ground looking at these poor fellows, and scrutinized them +carefully to see the nature of their hurts and they had evidently been +shot dead, or expired in a few seconds after being struck. But, in any +event, the sight was horrible. I will not go into details, but leave it +to your imagination. + +I noticed, at other places on the field, the bodies of two Confederate +soldiers, whose appearance I shall never forget. They presented a +remarkable contrast of death in battle. One was a full grown man, +seemingly about thirty years of age, with sandy, reddish hair, and a +scrubby beard and mustache of the same color. He had been firing from +behind a tree, had exposed his head, and had been struck square in the +forehead by a musket ball, killed instantly, and had dropped at the foot +of the tree in a heap. He was in the act of biting a cartridge when +struck, his teeth were still fastened on the paper extremity, while his +right hand clutched the bullet end. His teeth were long and snaggy, and +discolored by tobacco juice. As just stated, he had been struck dead +seemingly instantaneously. His eyes were wide open and gleaming with +Satanic fury. His transition from life to death had been immediate, with +the result that there was indelibly stamped on his face all the furious +rage and lust of battle. He was an ill-looking fellow, and all in all +was not an agreeable object to contemplate. The other was a far +different case. He was lying on a sloping ridge, where the Confederates +had charged a battery, and had suffered fearfully. He was a mere boy, +not over eighteen, with regular features, light brown hair, blue eyes, +and, generally speaking, was strikingly handsome. He had been struck on +his right leg, above the knee, about mid-way the thigh, by a cannon +ball, which had cut off the limb, except a small strip of skin. He was +lying on his back, at full length, his right arm straight up in the air, +rigid as a stake, and his fist tightly clinched. His eyes were wide +open, but their expression was calm and natural. The shock and the loss +of blood doubtless brought death to his relief in a short time. As I +stood looking at the unfortunate boy, I thought of how some poor +mother's heart would be well-nigh broken when she heard of the sad, +untimely fate of her darling son. But, before the war was over, +doubtless thousands of similar cases occurred in both the Union and +Confederate armies. + +I believe I will here speak of a notion of mine, to be considered for +whatever you may think it worth. As you know, I am not a religious man, +in the theological sense of the term, having never belonged to a church +in my life. Have just tried, to the best of my ability, to act according +to the Golden Rule, and let it go at that. But, from my earliest youth, +I have had a peculiar reverence for Sunday. I hunted much with a gun +when a boy, and so did the people generally of my neighborhood. Small +game in that backwoods region was very plentiful, and even deer were not +uncommon. Well, it was a settled conviction with us primitive people +that if one went hunting on Sunday, he would not only have bad luck in +that regard that day, but also all the rest of the week. So, when the +Confederates began the battle on Sunday, I would keep thinking, +throughout its entire progress, "You fellows started this on Sunday, and +you'll get licked." I'll admit that there were a few occasions when +things looked so awful bad that I became discouraged, but I quickly +rallied, and my Sunday superstition--or whatever it may be called--was +justified in the end. In addition to Shiloh, the battles of New Orleans +in 1815, Waterloo, and Bull Run were fought on a Sunday, and in each +case the attacking party was signally defeated. These results may have +been mere coincidences, but I don't think so. I have read somewhere an +authentic statement that President Lincoln entertained this same belief, +and always was opposed to aggressive movements on Sundays by the Union +troops. + +The wildest possible rumors got into circulation at home, about some of +the results of the battle. I have now lying before me an old letter +from my father of date April 19th, in answer to mine (which I will +mention later) giving him the first definite intelligence about our +regiment and the neighborhood boys. Among other things he said: "We +have had it here that Fry's regiment was all captured that was not +killed; pretty much all given up as lost. That Beauregard had run you +all down a steep place into the Tennessee river, * * * that Captain +Reddish had his arm shot off, that Enoch Wallace was also wounded;"--and +here followed the names of some others who (the same as Reddish and +Wallace) hadn't received even a scratch. My letter to my father, +mentioned above, was dated April 10, and was received by him on the +18th. It was brief, occupying only about four pages of the small, +sleazy note paper that we bought in those days of the sutlers. I don't +remember why I didn't write sooner, but it was probably because no +mail-boat left the landing until about that time. The old mail hack +ordinarily arrived at the Otter Creek post-office from the outside +world an hour or so before sundown, and the evening my letter came, the +little old post-office and general store was crowded with people +intensely anxious to hear from their boys or other relatives in the +61st Illinois. The distribution of letters in that office in those +times was a proceeding of much simplicity. The old clerk who attended +to that would call out in a stentorian tone the name of the addressee +of each letter, who, if present, would respond "Here!" and then the +letter would be given a dexterous flip, and went flying to him across +the room. But on this occasion there were no letters from the regiment, +until just at the last the clerk called my father's name--"J. O. +Stillwell!" and again, still louder, but there was no response. +Whereupon the clerk held the letter at arm's length, and carefully +scrutinized the address. "Well," said he finally, "this is from Jerry +Stillwell's boy, in the 61st, so I reckon he's not killed, anyhow." A +murmur of excitement went through the room at this, and the people +crowded up to get a glimpse of even the handwriting of the address. +"Yes, that's from Jerry's boy, sure," said several. Thereupon William +Noble and Joseph Beeman, who were old friends of father's, begged the +postmaster to "give them the letter, and they would go straight out to +Stillwell's with it, have him read it, and then they would come right +back with the news." Everybody seconded the request, the postmaster +acceded, and handed one of them the letter. They rushed out, unfastened +their horses, and left in a gallop for Stillwell's, two miles away, on +the south side of Otter Creek, out in the woods. As they dashed up to +the little old log cabin they saw my father out near the barn; the one +with the letter waved it aloft, calling at the top of his voice: +"Letter from your boy, Jerry!" My mother heard this, and she came +running from the house, trembling with excitement. The letter was at +once opened and read,--and the terrible reports which to that time had +prevailed about the fate of Fry's regiment vanished in the air. It's +true, it contained some sad news, but nothing to be compared with the +fearful accounts which had been rife in the neighborhood. I have that +old letter in my possession now. + +Soon after the battle Gov. Richard Yates, of Illinois, Gov. Louis P. +Harvey, of Wisconsin, and many other civilians, came down from the north +to look after the comfort of the sick and wounded soldiers of their +respective states. The 16th Wisconsin Infantry was camped next to us, +and I learned one afternoon that Gov. Harvey was to make them a speech +that evening, after dress parade, and I went over to hear him. The +Wisconsin regiment did not turn out in military formation, just gathered +around him in a dense group under a grove of trees. The Governor sat on +a horse while making his speech. He wore a large, broad-brimmed hat, his +coat was buttoned to the chin, and he had big buckskin gauntlets on his +hands. He was a fine looking man, heavy set, and about forty-two years +old. His remarks were not lengthy, but were patriotic and eloquent. I +remember especially how he complimented the Wisconsin soldiers for their +good conduct in battle, that their state was proud of them, and that he, +as Governor, intended to look after them, and care for them to the very +best of his ability, as long as he was in office, and that when the time +came for him to relinquish that trust, he would still remember them with +interest and the deepest affection. His massive frame heaved with the +intensity of his feelings as he spoke and he impressed me as being +absolutely sincere in all that he said. But he little knew nor +apprehended the sad and lamentable fate then pending over him. Only a +few evenings later, as he was crossing the gang-plank between two +steamboats at the Landing, in some manner he fell from the plank, and +was sucked under the boats by the current, and drowned. Some days later +a negro found his body, lodged against some drift near our side of the +river, and he brought it in his old cart inside our lines. From papers +on the body, and other evidence, it was conclusively identified as that +of Gov. Harvey. The remains were shipped back to Wisconsin, where they +were given a largely attended and impressive funeral. + + + + +CHAPTER V. + +THE SIEGE OF CORINTH. IN CAMP AT OWL CREEK. APRIL AND MAY, 1862. + + +A few days after the battle Gen. H. W. Halleck came down from St. Louis, +and assumed command of the Union forces in the field near Pittsburg +Landing. Then, or soon thereafter, began the so-called siege of Corinth. +We mighty near dug up all the country within eight or ten miles of that +place in the progress of this movement, in the construction of forts, +long lines of breast-works, and such like. Halleck was a "book soldier," +and had a high reputation during the war as a profound "strategist," and +great military genius in general. In fact, in my opinion (and which, I +think, is sustained by history), he was a humbug and a fraud. His idea +seemed to be that our war should be conducted strictly in accordance +with the methods of the old Napoleonic wars of Europe, which, in the +main, were not at all adapted to our time and conditions. Moreover, he +seemed to be totally deficient in sound, practical common sense. Soon +after the Confederates evacuated Corinth he was transferred to +Washington to serve in a sort of advisory capacity, and spent the +balance of the war period in a swivel-chair in an office. He never was +in a battle, and never heard a gun fired, except distant cannonading +during the Corinth business,--and (maybe) at Washington in the summer of +1864. + +During the operations against Corinth, the 61st made some short marches, +and was shifted around, from time to time, to different places. About +the middle of May we were sent to a point on Owl creek, in the right +rear of the main army. Our duty there was to guard against any possible +attack from that direction, and our main employment was throwing up +breast-works and standing picket. And all this time the sick list was +frightfully large. The chief trouble was our old enemy, camp diarrhea, +but there were also other types of diseases--malaria and the like. As +before stated, the boys had not learned how to cook, nor to take proper +care of themselves, and to this ignorance can be attributed much of the +sickness. And the weather was rainy, the camps were muddy and gloomy, +and about this time many of the boys had home-sickness bad. A genuine +case of downright home-sickness is most depressing. I had some touches +of it myself, so I can speak from experience. The poor fellows would sit +around in their tents, and whine, and talk about home, and what good +things they would have there to eat, and kindred subjects, until +apparently they lost every spark of energy. I kept away from such cases +all I could, for their talk was demoralizing. But one rainy day while in +camp at Owl creek I was in our big Sibley tent when some of the boys got +well started on their pet topics. It was a dismal day, the rain was +pattering down on the tent and dripping from the leaves of the big oak +trees in the camp, while inside the tent everything was damp and mouldy +and didn't smell good either. "Jim," says one, "I wish I could jest be +down on Coon crick today, and take dinner with old Bill Williams; I'll +tell you what I'd have: first, a great big slice of fried ham, with +plenty of rich brown gravy, with them light, fluffy, hot biscuits that +Bill's wife could cook so well, and then I'd want some big baked Irish +'taters, red hot, and all mealy, and then----" "Yes, Jack," interrupted +Jim, "I've et at old Bill's lots of times, and wouldn't I like to be +with you? You know, old Bill always mast-fed the hogs he put up for his +own eatin', they jest fattened on hickory nuts and big white- and +bur-oak acorns, and he'd smoke his meat with hickory wood smoke, and oh, +that meat was jest so sweet and nutty-like!--why, the meat of corn-fed +hogs was nowhere in comparison." "Yes, Jim," continued Jack, "and then +I'd want with the biscuits and 'taters plenty of that rich yaller butter +that Bill's wife made herself, with her own hands, and then you know +Bill always had lots of honey, and I'd spread honey and butter on one of +them biscuits, and----" "And don't you remember, Jack," chimed in Jim, +"the mince pies Bill's wife could make? They were jest stuffed with +reezons, and all manner of goodies, and----" But here I left the tent in +disgust. I wanted to say, "Oh, hell!" as I went out, but refrained. The +poor fellows were feeling bad enough, anyhow, and it wouldn't have +helped matters to make sarcastic remarks. But I preferred the shelter of +a big tree, and enduring the rain that filtered through the leaves, +rather than listen to this distracting talk of Jack and Jim about the +flesh-pots of old Bill Williams. But while on this subject, I believe +I'll tell you about a royal dinner I had myself while the regiment was +near Pittsburg Landing. It was a few days after the battle, while we +were still at our old camp. I was detailed, as corporal, to take six men +and go to the Landing and load three or four of our regimental wagons +with army rations for our regiment. We reached the Landing about ten +o'clock, reported to the proper officer, who showed us our stuff, and we +went to piling it into the wagons. It consisted of big slabs of fat +side-bacon ("sow-belly"), boxes of hardtack, sacks of rice, beans, +coffee, sugar, and soap and candles. I had an idea that I ought to help +in the work, and was trying to do so, altho so weak from illness that it +required some effort to walk straight. But a big, black haired, black +bearded Irishman, Owen McGrath of my company, one of the squad, +objected. He laid a big hand kindly on my shoulder, and said: +"Carparral, yez is not sthrong enough for this worrk, and yez don't have +to do it, ayether. Jist give me the 't'ority to shupirintind it, and you +go sit down." "I guess you're right, McGrath," I answered, and then, in +a louder tone, for the benefit of the detail, "McGrath, you see to the +loading of the grub. I am feeling a little out of sorts," (which was +true,) "and I believe I'll take a rest." McGrath was about thirty years +old, and a splendid soldier. He had served a term in the British army in +the old country, and was fully onto his present job. (I will tell +another little story about him later.) I sat down in the shade a short +distance from my squad, with my back against some big sacks full of +something. Suddenly I detected a pungent, most agreeable smell. It came +from onions, in the sack behind me. I took out my pocket knife and +stealthily made a hole in that sack, and abstracted two big ones and +slipped them into my haversack. My conscience didn't trouble me a bit +over the matter. I reckon those onions were hospital goods, but I +thought I needed some just as much as anybody in the hospital, which was +probably correct. I had asked Capt. Reddish that morning if, when the +wagons were loaded, I could send them on to camp, and return at my +leisure in the evening, and the kindhearted old man had given a cheerful +consent. So, when the teams were ready to start back, I told McGrath to +take charge, and to see that the stuff was delivered to our +quartermaster, or the commissary sergeant, and then I shifted for +myself, planning for the good dinner that was in prospect. There were +many steamboats lying at the Landing, I selected one that looked +inviting, went on board, and sauntered aft to the cook's quarters. It +was near dinner time, and the grub dispenser was in the act of taking +from his oven a number of nice cakes of corn bread. I sidled up to him, +and displaying that dime the cavalryman gave me for those apples, asked +him in a discreetly low tone, if he would let me have a cake of corn +bread. He gave a friendly grin, pushed a cake towards me, I slipped it +in my haversack, and handed him the dime. Now I was fixed. I went +ashore, and down the river for a short distance to a spring I knew of, +that bubbled from the ground near the foot of a big beech tree. It did +not take long to build a little fire and make coffee in my oyster can of +a quart's capacity, with a wire bale attachment. Then a slice of +sow-belly was toasted on a stick, the outer skin of the onions +removed--and dinner was ready. Talk about your gastronomic feasts! I +doubt if ever in my life I enjoyed a meal better than this one, under +that old beech, by the Tennessee river. The onions were big red ones, +and fearfully strong, but my system craved them so much that I just +chomped them down as if they were apples. And every crumb of the corn +bread was eaten, too. Dinner over, I felt better, and roamed around the +rest of the afternoon, sight-seeing, and didn't get back to camp till +nearly sundown. By the way, that spring and that beech tree are there +yet, or were in October, 1914, when I visited the Shiloh battlefield. I +hunted them up on this occasion and laid down on the ground and took a +long, big drink out of the spring for the sake of old times. + +Taking up again the thread of our life in camp at Owl creek, I will say +that when there I was for a while in bad physical condition, and nearly +"all in." One day I accidentally overheard two intelligent boys of my +company talking about me, and one said, "If Stillwell aint sent north +purty soon, he's goin' to make a die of it;" to which the other +assented. That scared me good, and set me to thinking. I had no use for +the hospital, wouldn't go there, and abominated the idea of taking +medicine. But I was so bad off I was not marked for duty, my time was +all my own, so I concluded to get out of camp as much as possible, and +take long walks in the big woods. I found a place down on the creek +between two picket posts where it was easy to sneak through and get out +into the country, and I proceeded to take advantage of it. It was where +a big tree had fallen across the stream, making a sort of natural +bridge, and I "run the line" there many a time. It was delightful to get +out into the clean, grand old woods, and away from the mud, and filth, +and bad smells of the camp, and my health began to improve. On some of +these rambles, Frank Gates, a corporal of my company, was my companion. +He was my senior a few years, a lively fellow, with a streak of humor in +him, and was good company. One day on one of our jaunts we came to a +little old log house near the foot of a densely timbered ridge. There +was nobody at home save some women and children, and one of the women +was engaged on an old-fashioned churn, churning butter. Mulberries were +ripe, and there was a large tree in the yard fairly black with the ripe +fruit. We asked the women if we could eat some of the berries, and they +gave a cheerful consent. Thereupon Frank and I climbed the tree, and +proceeded to help ourselves. The berries were big, dead ripe, and tasted +mighty good, and we just stuffed ourselves until we could hold no more. +The churning was finished by the time we descended from the tree, and we +asked for some buttermilk. The women gave us a gourd dipper and told us +to help ourselves, which we did, and drank copiously and greedily. We +then resumed our stroll, but before long were seized with most horrible +pains in our stomachs. We laid down on the ground and rolled over and +over in agony. It was a hot day, we had been walking rapidly, and it is +probable that the mulberries and the buttermilk were in a state of +insurrection. But Frank didn't think so. As he rolled over the ground +with his hands on his bulging stomach he exclaimed to me, "Lee, by ----, +I believe them ---- Secesh wimmen have pizened us!" At the time I hardly +knew what to think,--but relief came at last. I will omit the details. +When able to navigate, we started back to camp, almost as weak and +helpless as a brace of sick kittens. After that I steered clear of any +sort of a combination of berries and buttermilk. + +Soon after this Frank and I had another adventure outside the picket +lines, but of an amusing nature only. We came to an old log house where, +as was usual at this time and locality, the only occupants were women +and children. The family consisted of the middle-aged mother, a tall, +slab-sided, long legged girl, seemingly sixteen or seventeen years old, +and some little children. Their surname was Leadbetter, which I have +always remembered by reason of the incident I will mention. The house +was a typical pioneer cabin, with a puncheon floor, which was uneven, +dirty, and splotched with grease. The girl was bare-footed and wearing a +dirty white sort of cotton gown of the modern Mother Hubbard type, that +looked a good deal like a big gunny sack. From what came under my +observation later, it can safely be stated that it was the only garment +she had on. She really was not bad looking, only dirty and mighty +slouchy. We wanted some butter, and asked the matron if she had any she +could sell us. She replied that they were just going to churn, and if +we'd wait until that was done, she could furnish us a little. We waited, +and when the job was finished, handed the girl a pint tin cup we had +brought along, which she proceeded to fill with the butter. As she +walked towards us to hand over the cup, her bare feet slipped on a +grease spot on the floor, and down she went on her back, with her gown +distinctly elevated, and a prodigal display of limbs. At the same time +the cup fell from her grasp, and the contents rolled out on the dirty +floor, like melted lard. The girl arose to a sitting posture, surveyed +the wreck, then laid down on one side, and exploded with laughter--and +kicked. About this time her mother appeared on the scene. "Why, Sal +Leadbetter!" she exclaimed, "you dirty slut! Git a spoon and scrape that +butter right up!" Sal rose (cow fashion) to her feet, still giggling +over the mishap, and the butter was duly "scraped" up, restored to the +cup, and this time safely delivered. We paid for the "dairy product," +and left, but I told Frank I wanted none of it in mine. Frank responded +in substance, that it was all right, every man had to eat his "peck of +dirt" in his life time anyway,--and the incident was closed. I never +again saw nor heard of the Leadbetter family from that day, but have +often wondered what finally became of poor "Sal." + +While we were at Owl creek the medical authorities of the army put in +operation a method for the prevention and cure of malaria that was +highly popular with some of the boys. It consisted of a gill of whisky, +largely compounded with quinine, and was given to each man before +breakfast. I drank my first "jigger," as it was called, and then quit. +It was too intensely bitter for my taste, and I would secretly slip my +allowance to John Barton, or Frank Burnham, who would have drunk it, I +reckon, if it had been one-half aqua fortis. I happened to be mixed up +in an incident rather mortifying to me, when the first whisky rations +were brought to the regimental hospital in our camp for use in the above +manner. The quartermaster came to Capt. Reddish and handed him a +requisition for two camp kettlefuls of whisky, and told him to give it +to two non-commissioned officers of his company who were strictly +temperate and absolutely reliable, and order them to go to the Division +commissary headquarters, get the whisky, bring it to camp, and deliver +it to him, the quartermaster. Capt. Reddish selected for this delicate +duty Corporal Tim Gates (a brother of Frank, above mentioned) and +myself. Tim was about ten years my senior, a tall, slim fellow, and +somewhat addicted to stuttering when he became nervous or excited. Well, +we each procured a big camp kettle, went and got the whisky, and started +back with it to camp. On the way we passed through a space where a large +number of army wagons were parked, and when we were in about the middle +of the park were then out of sight of everybody. Here Tim stopped, +looked carefully around to see if the coast was clear, and then said, +"Sti-Sti-Stillwell, l-l-less t-t-take a swig!" "All right," I responded. +Thereupon Tim poised his camp-kettle on a wagon hub, inclined the brim +to his lips, and took a most copious draught, and I followed suit. We +then started on, and it was lucky, for me at any rate, that we didn't +have far to go. I hadn't previously during my army career taken a +swallow of whisky since one time at Camp Carrollton; I was weak and +feeble, and this big drink of the stuff went through my veins like +electricity. Its effects were felt almost instantly, and by the time we +reached camp, and had delivered the whisky, I was feeling a good deal +like a wild Indian on the war path. I wanted to yell, to get my musket +and shoot, especially at something that when hit would jingle--a +looking-glass, an eight-day clock, or a boat's chandelier, or something +similar But it suddenly occurred to me that I was drunk, and liable to +forever disgrace myself, and everybody at home, too. I had just sense +enough left to know that the thing to do was to get out of camp at once, +so I struck for the woods. In passing the tent of my squad, I caught a +glimpse of Tim therein. He had thrown his cap and jacket on the ground, +rolled up his sleeves, and was furiously challenging another fellow to +then and there settle an old-time grudge by the "ordeal of battle." I +didn't tarry, but hurried on the best I could, finally got into a +secluded patch of brush, and tumbled down. I came to my senses along +late in the evening, with a splitting headache, and feeling awful +generally, but reasonably sober. + +And such was the conduct, when trusted with whisky, of the two +non-commissioned officers of Co. D, "men who were strictly temperate and +absolutely reliable." But Tim had no trouble about his break. I suppose +he gave some plausible explanation, and as for me, I had lived up to the +standard, so far as the public knew, and maintained a profound silence +in regard to the episode. Tim and I in private conversation, or +otherwise, both carefully avoided the subject until the time came when +we could talk and laugh about it without any danger of "tarnishing our +escutcheons." + +In the meantime the alleged siege of Corinth was proceeding in the +leisurely manner that characterized the progress of a suit in chancery +under the ancient equity methods. From our camp on Owl creek we could +hear, from time to time, sporadic outbursts of cannonading, but we +became so accustomed to it that the artillery practice ceased to excite +any special attention. The Confederates began quietly evacuating the +place during the last days of May, completed the operation on the 30th +of the month, and on the evening of that day our troops marched into the +town unopposed. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + +BETHEL. JACKSON. JUNE AND JULY, 1862. + + +Soon after our occupation of Corinth a change in the position of our +forces took place, and all the command at Owl creek was transferred to +Bethel, a small station on the Mobile and Ohio railroad, some twenty or +twenty-five miles to the northwest. We left Owl creek on the morning of +June 6th, and arrived at Bethel about dark the same evening. Thanks to +my repeated long walks in the woods outside of our lines, I was in +pretty fair health at this time, but still somewhat weak and shaky. On +the morning we took up the line of march, while waiting for the "fall +in" call, I was seated at the foot of a big tree in camp, with my +knapsack, packed, at my side. Enoch Wallace came to me and said: +"Stillwell, are you going to try to carry your knapsack?" I answered +that I reckoned I had to, that I had asked Hen. King (our company +teamster) to let me put it in his wagon, and he wouldn't,--said he +already had too big a load. Enoch said nothing more, but stood silently +looking down at me a few seconds, then picked up my knapsack and threw +it into our wagon, which was close by, saying to King, as he did so, +"Haul that knapsack;"--and it was hauled. I shall never forget this +act of kindness on the part of Enoch. It would have been impossible for +me to have made the march carrying the knapsack. The day was hot, and +much of the road was over sandy land, and through long stretches of +black-jack barrens, that excluded every breath of a breeze. The men +suffered much on the march, and fell out by scores. When we stacked arms +at Bethel that evening, there were only four men of Co. D in line, just +enough to make one stack of guns,--but my gun was in the stack. + +There was no earthly necessity for making this march in one day. We were +simply "changing stations;" the Confederate army of that region was down +in Mississippi, a hundred miles or so away, and there were no armed foes +in our vicinity excepting some skulking bands of guerrillas. Prior to +this our regiment had made no marches, except little short movements +during the siege of Corinth, none of which exceeded two or three miles. +And nearly all the men were weak and debilitated by reason of the +prevailing type of illness, and in no condition whatever to be cracked +through twenty miles or more on a hot day. We should have marched only +about ten miles the first day, with a halt of about ten minutes every +hour, to let the men rest a little, and get their wind. Had that course +been pursued, we would have reached our destination in good shape, with +the ranks full, and the men would have been benefited by the march. As +it was, it probably caused the death of some, and the permanent +disabling of more. The trouble at that time was the total want of +experience on the part of the most of our officers of all grades, +combined with an amazing lack of common sense by some of high authority. +I am not blaming any of our regimental officers for this foolish "forced +march,"--for it amounted to that,--the responsibility rested higher up. + +Our stay at Bethel was brief and uneventful. However, I shall always +remember the place on account of a piece of news that came to me while +we were there, and which for a time nearly broke me all up. It will be +necessary to go back some years in order to explain it. I began +attending the old Stone school house at Otter creek when I was about +eight years old. One of my schoolmates was a remarkably pretty little +girl, with blue eyes and auburn hair, nearly my own age. We kept about +the same place in our studies, and were generally in the same classes. I +always liked her, and by the time I was about fifteen years old was head +over heels in love. She was far above me in the social scale of the +neighborhood. Her folks lived in a frame house on "the other side of the +creek," and were well-to-do, for that time and locality. My people lived +in a log cabin, on a little farm in the broken country that extended +from the south bank of Otter creek to the Mississippi and Illinois +rivers. But notwithstanding the difference in our respective social and +financial positions, I knew that she had a liking for me, and our mutual +relations became quite "tender" and interesting. Then the war came +along, I enlisted and went South. We had no correspondence after I left +home; I was just too deplorably bashful to attempt it, and, on general +principles, didn't have sense enough to properly carry on a proceeding +of that nature. It may be that here was where I fell down. But I thought +about her every day, and had many boyish day dreams of the future, in +which she was the prominent figure. Soon after our arrival at Bethel I +received a letter from home. I hurriedly opened it, anxious, as usual, +to hear from the folks, and sitting down at the foot of a tree, began +reading it. All went well to nearly the close, when I read these fatal +words: + + "Billy Crane and Lucy Archer got married last week." + +The above names are fictitious, but the bride was my girl. + +I can't explain my feelings,--if you ever have had such an experience, +you will understand. I stole a hurried glance around to see if anybody +was observing my demeanor, then thrust the letter into my jacket +pocket, and walked away. Not far from our camp was a stretch of swampy +land, thickly set with big cypress trees, and I bent my steps in that +direction. Entering the forest, I sought a secluded spot, sat down on +an old log, and read and re-read that heart-breaking piece of +intelligence. There was no mistaking the words; they were plain, +laconic, and nothing ambiguous about them. And, to intensify the +bitterness of the draught, it may be set down here that the groom was a +dudish young squirt, a clerk in a country store, who lacked the pluck +to go for a soldier, but had stayed at home to count eggs and measure +calico. In my opinion, he was not worthy of the girl, and I was amazed +that she had taken him for a husband. I remember well some of my +thoughts as I sat with bitterness in my heart, alone among those gloomy +cypresses. I wanted a great big battle to come off at once, with the +61st Illinois right in front, that we might run out of cartridges, and +the order would be given to fix bayonets and charge! Like Major Simon +Suggs, in depicting the horrors of an apprehended Indian war, I wanted +to see blood flow in a "great gulgin' torrent, like the Tallapoosa +river." Well, it was simply a case of pure, intensely ardent boy-love, +and I was hit, hard,--but survived. And I now heartily congratulate +myself on the fact that this youthful shipwreck ultimately resulted in +my obtaining for a wife the very best woman (excepting only my mother) +that I ever knew in my life. + +I never again met my youthful flame, to speak to her, and saw her only +once, and then at a distance, some years after the close of the war +when I was back in Illinois on a visit to my parents. Several years ago +her husband died, and in course of time she married again, this time a +man I never knew, and the last I heard of or concerning her, she and +her second husband were living somewhere in one of the Rocky Mountain +States. + +For a short time after the evacuation of Corinth, Pittsburg Landing +continued to be our base of supplies, and commissary stores were +wagoned from there to the various places where our troops were +stationed. And it happened, while the regiment was at Bethel, that I +was one of a party of about a hundred men detailed to serve as guards +for a wagon train destined for the Landing, and, return to Bethel with +army rations. There was at the Landing at this time, serving as guards +for the government stores, a regiment of infantry. There were only a +few of them visible, and they looked pale and emaciated, and much like +"dead men on their feet." I asked one of them what regiment was +stationed there, and he told me it was the 14th Wisconsin Infantry. +This was the one I had seen at Benton Barracks and admired so much on +account of the splendid appearance of the men. I mentioned this to the +soldier, and expressed to him my surprise to now see them in such bad +shape. He went on to tell me that the men had suffered fearfully from +the change of climate, the water, and their altered conditions in +general; that they had nearly all been prostrated by camp diarrhea, and +at that time there were not more than a hundred men in the regiment fit +for duty, and even those were not much better than shadows of their +former selves. And, judging from the few men that were visible, the +soldier told the plain, unvarnished truth. Our regiment and the 14th +Wisconsin soon drifted apart, and I never saw it again. But as a matter +of history, I will say that it made an excellent and distinguished +record during the war. + +On June 16 our brigade left Bethel for Jackson, Tennessee, a town on +the Mobile and Ohio railroad, and about thirty-five or forty miles, by +the dirt road, northwest of Bethel. On this march, like the preceding +one, I did not carry my knapsack. It was about this time that the most +of the boys adopted the "blanket-roll" system. Our knapsacks were +awkward, cumbersome things, with a combination of straps and buckles +that chafed the shoulders and back, and greatly augmented heat and +general discomfort. So we would fold in our blankets an extra shirt, +with a few other light articles, roll the blanket tight, double it over +and tie the two ends together, then throw the blanket over one +shoulder, with the tied ends under the opposite arm--and the +arrangement was complete. We had learned by this time the necessity of +reducing our personal baggage to the lightest possible limit. We had +left Camp Carrollton with great bulging knapsacks, stuffed with all +sorts of plunder, much of which was utterly useless to soldiers in the +field. But we soon got rid of all that. And my recollection is that +after the Bethel march the great majority of the men would, in some +way, when on a march, temporarily lay aside their knapsacks, and use +the blanket roll. The exceptions to that method, in the main, were the +soldiers of foreign birth, especially the Germans. They carried theirs +to the last on all occasions, with everything in them the army +regulations would permit, and usually something more. + +Jackson, our objective point on this march, was the county seat of +Madison county, and a portion of our line of march was through the +south part of the county. This region had a singular interest for me, +the nature of which I will now state. Among the few books we had at +home was an old paper-covered copy, with horrible wood-cuts, of a +production entitled, "The Life and Adventures of John A. Murrell, the +Great Western Land Pirate," by Virgil A. Stewart. It was full of +accounts of cold-blooded, depraved murders, and other vicious, unlawful +doings. My father had known, in his younger days, a good deal of +Murrell by reputation, which was probably the moving cause for his +purchase of the book. When a little chap I frequently read it and it +possessed for me a sort of weird, uncanny fascination. Murrell's home, +and the theater of many of his evil deeds, during the year 1834, and +for some time previously, was in this county of Madison, and as we +trudged along the road on this march I scanned all the surroundings +with deep interest and close attention. Much of the country was rough +and broken, and densely wooded, with high ridges and deep ravines +between them. With the aid of a lively imagination, many places I +noticed seemed like fitting localities for acts of violence and crime. + +I have in my possession now (bought many years ago) a duplicate of that +old copy of Murrell we had at home. I sometimes look into it, but it no +longer possesses for me the interest it did in my boyhood days. + +On this march I was a participant in an incident which was somewhat +amusing, and also a little bit irritating. Shortly before noon of the +first day, Jack Medford, of my company, and myself, concluded we would +"straggle," and try to get a country dinner. Availing ourselves of the +first favorable opportunity, we slipped from the ranks, and struck out. +We followed an old country road that ran substantially parallel to the +main road on which the column was marching, and soon came to a nice +looking old log house standing in a grove of big native trees. The only +people at the house were two middle-aged women and some children. We +asked the women if we could have some dinner, saying that we would pay +for it. They gave an affirmative answer, but their tone was not cordial +and they looked "daggers." Dinner was just about prepared, and when all +was ready, we were invited, with evident coolness, to take seats at the +table. We had a splendid meal, consisting of corn bread, new Irish +potatoes, boiled bacon and greens, butter and buttermilk. Compared with +sow-belly and hardtack, it was a feast. Dinner over, we essayed to pay +therefor. Their charge was something less than a dollar for both of us, +but we had not the exact change. The smallest denomination of money +either of us had was a dollar greenback, and the women said that they +had no money at all to make change. Thereupon we proffered them the +entire dollar. They looked at it askance, and asked if we had any +"Southern" or Confederate money. We said we had not, that this was the +only kind of money we had. They continued to look exceedingly sour, and +finally remarked that they were unwilling to accept any kind of money +except "Southern." We urged them to accept the bill, told them it was +United States money, and that it would pass readily in any place in the +South occupied by our soldiers; but no, they were obdurate, and +declined the greenback with unmistakable scorn. Of course we kept our +temper; it never would have done to be saucy or rude after getting such +a good dinner, but, for my part, I felt considerably vexed. But there +was nothing left to do except thank them heartily for their kindness +and depart. From their standpoint their course in the matter was +actuated by the highest and most unselfish patriotism, but naturally we +couldn't look at it in that light. I will say here, "with malice +towards none, and with charity for all," that in my entire sojourn in +the South during the war, the women were found to be more intensely +bitter and malignant against the old government of the United States, +and the national cause in general, than were the men. Their attitude is +probably another illustration of the truth of Kipling's saying, "The +female of the species is more deadly than the male." + +We arrived at Jackson on the evening of June 17, and went into camp in +the outskirts of the town, in a beautiful grove of tall young oaks. The +site was neither too shady nor too sunny, and, all things considered, I +think it was about the nicest camping ground the regiment had during +its entire service. We settled down here to a daily round of battalion +drill, being the first of that character, as I now remember, we had so +far had. A battalion drill is simply one where the various companies +are handled as a regimental unit, and are put through regimental +evolutions. Battalion drill at first was frequently very embarrassing +to some commanding officers of companies. The regimental commander +would give a command, indicating, in general terms, the movement +desired, and it was then the duty of a company commander to see to the +details of the movement that his company should make, and give the +proper orders. Well, sometimes he would be badly stumped, and ludicrous +"bobbles" would be the result. As for the men in the ranks, battalion +drill was as simple as any other, for we only had to obey specific +commands which indicated exactly what we were to do. To "form square," +an antique disposition against cavalry, was a movement that was +especially "trying" to some company officers. But so far as forming +square was concerned, all our drill on that feature was time thrown +away. In actual battle we never made that disposition a single +time--and the same is true of several other labored and intricate +movements prescribed in the tactics, and which we were industriously +put through. But it was good exercise, and "all went in the day's +work." + +While thus amusing ourselves at battalion drill suddenly came marching +orders, and which required immediate execution. Tents were forthwith +struck, rolled and tied, and loaded in the wagons, with all other camp +and garrison equipage. Our knapsacks were packed with all our effects, +since special instructions had been given on that matter. Curiosity was +on the qui vive to know where we were going, but apart from the fact +that we were to be transported on the cars, apparently nobody knew +whither we were bound. Col. Fry was absent, sick, and Major Ohr was +then in command of the regiment. He was a fine officer, and, withal, a +very sensible man, and I doubt if any one in the regiment except +himself had reliable knowledge as to our ultimate destination. As soon +as our marching preparations were complete, which did not take long, +the bugle sounded "Fall in!" and the regiment formed in line on the +parade ground. In my "mind's eye" I can now see Major Ohr in our front, +on his horse, his blanket strapped behind his saddle, smoking his +little briar root pipe, and looking as cool and unconcerned as if we +were only going a few miles for a change of camp. Our entire brigade +fell in, and so far as we could see, or learn, all of the division at +Jackson, then under the command of Gen. John A. McClernand, was doing +likewise. Well, we stood there in line, at ordered arms, and waited. We +expected, every moment, to hear the orders which would put us in +motion--but they were never given. Finally we were ordered to stack +arms and break ranks, but were cautioned to hold ourselves in readiness +to fall in at the tap of the drum. But the day wore on and nothing was +done until late in the evening, when the summons came. We rushed to the +gun stacks and took arms. The Major had a brief talk with the company +officers, and then, to our great surprise, the companies were marched +back to their dismantled camps, and after being instructed to stay +close thereto, were dismissed. This state of affairs lasted for at +least two days, and then collapsed. We were told that the orders had +been countermanded; we unloaded our tents, pitched them again on the +old sites, and resumed battalion drill. It was then gossiped around +among the boys that we actually had been under marching orders for +Virginia to reinforce the Army of the Potomac! Personally I looked on +that as mere "camp talk," and put no confidence in it, and never found +out, until about fifteen years later, that this rumor was a fact. I +learned it in this wise: About nine years after the close of the war, +Congress passed an act providing for the publication, in book form, of +all the records, reports correspondence, and the like, of both the +Union and Confederate armies. Under this law, about one hundred and +thirty large volumes were published, containing the matter above +stated. When the law was passed I managed to arrange to procure a set +of these Records and they were sent to me from Washington as fast as +printed. And from one of these volumes I ascertained that on June 28, +1862, E. M. Stanton, the Secretary of War, had telegraphed Gen. Halleck +(who was then in command of the western armies) as follows: + + "It is absolutely necessary for you immediately to detach 25,000 of + your force, and send it by the nearest and quickest route by way of + Baltimore and Washington to Richmond. [This] is rendered imperative + by a serious reverse suffered by Gen. McClellan before Richmond + yesterday, the full extent of which is not known." (Rebellion + Records, Series 1, Vol. 16, Part 2, pp. 69 and 70.) + +In obedience to the above, General Halleck wired General McClernand on +June 30 as follows: + + "You will collect as rapidly as possible all the infantry regiments + of your division, and take advantage of every train to transport + them to Columbus [Ky.] and thence to Washington City." (Id. p. 76.) + +But that same day (June 30) a telegram was sent by President Lincoln +to Gen. Halleck, which operated to revoke the foregoing order of +Stanton's--and so the 61st Illinois never became a part of the Army of +the Potomac, and for which I am very thankful. That army was composed +of brave men, and they fought long and well, but, in my opinion, and +which I think is sustained by history, they never had a competent +commander until they got U. S. Grant. So, up to the coming of Grant, +their record, in the main, was a series of bloody disasters, and their +few victories, like Antietam and Gettysburg, were not properly and +energetically followed up as they should have been, and hence were +largely barren of adequate results. Considering these things, I have +always somehow "felt it in my bones" that if Mr. Lincoln had not sent +the brief telegram above mentioned, I would now be sleeping in some +(probably) unmarked and unknown grave away back in old Virginia. + +While at Jackson an incident occurred while I was on picket in which +Owen McGrath, the big Irishman I have previously mentioned, played an +interesting part. As corporal I had three men under me, McGrath being +one, and the others were a couple of big, burly young fellows belonging +to Co. A. Our post was on the railroad a mile or two from the outskirts +of Jackson, and where the picket line for some distance ran practically +parallel with the railroad. The spot at this post where the picket +stood when on guard was at the top of a bank on the summit of a slight +elevation, just at the edge of a deep and narrow railroad cut. A bunch +of guerrillas had recently been operating in that locality, and making +mischief on a small scale, and our orders were to be vigilant and on +the alert, especially at night. McGrath was on duty from 6 to 8 in the +evening, and at the latter hour I notified one of the Co. A men that +his turn had come. The weather was bad, a high wind was blowing, +accompanied by a drizzling rain, and all signs portended a stormy +night. The Co. A fellow buckled on his cartridge box, picked up his +musket, and gave a scowling glance at the surroundings. Then, with much +profanity, he declared that he wasn't going to stand up on that bank, +he was going down into the cut, where he could have some shelter from +the wind and rain. I told him that would never do, that there he could +see nothing in our front, and might as well not be on guard at all. But +he loudly announced his intention to stick to his purpose. The other +Co. A man chimed in, and with many expletives declared that Bill was +right, that he intended to stand in the cut too when his time came, +that he didn't believe there was a Secesh within a hundred miles of us, +anyway, and so on. I was sorely troubled, and didn't know what to do. +They were big, hulking fellows, and either could have just smashed me, +with one hand tied behind him. McGrath had been intently listening to +the conversation, and saying nothing, but, as matters were evidently +nearing a crisis, he now took a hand. Walking up to the man who was to +relieve him, he laid the forefinger of his right hand on the fellow's +breast, and looking him square in the eyes, spoke thus: + +"It's the ar-r-dhers of the car-r-parral that the sintry stand here," +(indicating,) "and the car-r-parral's ar-r-dhers will be obeyed. D'ye +moind that, now?" + +I had stepped to the side of McGrath while he was talking, to give him +my moral support, at least, and fixed my eyes on the mutineer. He +looked at us in silence a second or two, and then, with some muttering +about the corporal being awful particular, finally said he could stand +it if the rest could, assumed his post at the top of the bank, and the +matter was ended. The storm blew over before midnight and the weather +cleared up. In the morning we had a satisfying soldier breakfast, and +when relieved at 9 o'clock marched back to camp with the others of the +old guard, all in good humor, and with "peace and harmony prevailing." +But I always felt profoundly grateful to grand old McGrath for his +staunch support on the foregoing occasion; without it, I don't know +what could have been done. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + +BOLIVAR. JULY, AUGUST, AND SEPTEMBER, 1862. + + +On July 17 our brigade, then under the command of Gen. L. F. Ross, left +Jackson for Bolivar, Tennessee, a town about twenty-eight miles +southwest of Jackson, on what was then called the Mississippi Central +Railroad. (Here I will observe that the sketch of the regiment before +mentioned in the Illinois Adjutant General's Reports is wrong as to the +date of our departure from Jackson. It is inferable from the statement +in the Reports that the time was June 17, which really was the date of +our arrival there from Bethel.) We started from Jackson at about four +o'clock in the morning, but marched only about eight miles when we were +brought to an abrupt halt, caused by the breaking down, under the +weight of a cannon and its carriage, of an ancient Tennessee bridge +over a little stream. The nature of the crossing was such that the +bridge simply had to be rebuilt, and made strong enough to sustain the +artillery and army wagons, and it took the balance of the day to do it. +We therefore bivouacked at the point where we stopped until the next +morning. Soon after the halt a hard rain began falling, and lasted all +afternoon. We had no shelter, and just had to take it, and "let it +rain." But it was in the middle of the summer, the weather was hot, and +the boys stood around, some crowing like chickens, and others quacking +like ducks, and really seemed to rather enjoy the situation. About the +only drawback resulting from our being caught out in the summer rains +was the fact that the water would rust our muskets. In our time we were +required to keep all their metal parts (except the butt-plate) as +bright and shining as new silver dollars. I have put in many an hour +working on my gun with an old rag and powdered dirt, and a corncob, or +pine stick, polishing the barrel, the bands, lock-plate, and +trigger-guard, until they were fit to pass inspection. The inside of +the barrel we would keep clean by the use of a greased wiper and plenty +of hot water. In doing this, we would ordinarily, with our +screw-drivers, take the gun to pieces, and remove from the stock all +metallic parts. I never had any head for machinery, of any kind, but, +from sheer necessity, did acquire enough of the faculty to take apart, +and put together, an army musket,--and that is about the full extent of +my ability in that line. We soon learned to take care of our pieces in +a rain by thoroughly greasing them with a piece of bacon, which would +largely prevent rust from striking in. + +We resumed our march to Bolivar early in the morning of the 18th. Our +route was practically parallel with the railroad, crossing it +occasionally. At one of these crossings, late in the afternoon, and +when only five or six miles from Bolivar, I "straggled" again, and took +to the railroad. I soon fell in with three Co. C boys, who had done +likewise. We concluded we would endeavor to get a country supper, and +with that in view, an hour or so before sundown went to a nice looking +farm-house not far from the railroad, and made our wants known to the +occupants. We had selected for our spokesman the oldest one of our +bunch, a soldier perhaps twenty-five years old, named Aleck Cope. He +was something over six feet tall, and about as gaunt as a sand-hill +crane. He was bare-footed, and his feet, in color and general +appearance, looked a good deal like the flappers of an alligator. His +entire garb, on this occasion, consisted of an old wool hat and his +government shirt and drawers. The latter garment, like the "cuttie +sark" of witch Nannie in "Tam O'Shanter," "in longitude was sorely +scanty," coming only a little below his knees, and both habiliments +would have been much improved by a thorough washing. But in the duty +assigned him he acquitted himself well with the people of the house, +and they very cheerfully said they would prepare us a supper. They +seemingly were well-to-do, as several colored men and women were about +the premises, who, of course, were slaves. Soon were audible the death +squawks of chickens in the barn-yard, which we heard with much +satisfaction. In due time supper was announced, and we seated ourselves +at the table. And what a banquet we had! Fried chicken, nice hot +biscuits, butter, butter-milk, honey, (think of that!) preserved +peaches, fresh cucumber pickles,--and so forth. And a colored +house-girl moved back and forth behind us, keeping off the flies with a +big peacock-feather brush. Aleck Cope sat opposite me, and when the +girl was performing that office for him, the situation looked so +intensely ludicrous that I wanted to scream. Supper over, we paid the +bill, which was quite reasonable, and went on our way rejoicing, and +reached Bolivar soon after dark, about the same time the regiment did. +But it will now be set down that this was the last occasion when I +"straggled" on a march. A day or so after arriving at Bolivar the word +came to me in some way, I think from Enoch Wallace, that our first +lieutenant, Dan Keeley, had spoken disapprovingly of my conduct in that +regard. He was a young man, about twenty-five years old, of education +and refinement, and all things considered, the best company officer we +had. I was much attached to him, and I know that he liked me. Well, I +learned that he had said, in substance, that a non-commissioned officer +should set a good example to the men in all things, and that he hadn't +expected of Stillwell that he would desert the ranks on a march. That +settled the matter. My conduct had simply been thoughtless, without any +shirking intentions, but I then realized that it was wrong, and, as +already stated, straggled no more. + +We went into camp at Bolivar a little south of the town, in a grove of +scattered big oak trees. A few days after our arrival a good-sized body +of Confederate cavalry, under the command of Gen. Frank C. Armstrong, +moved up from the south, and began operating near Bolivar and vicinity. +Our force there was comparatively small, and, according to history, we +were, for a time, in considerable danger of being "gobbled up," but of +that we common soldiers knew nothing. Large details were at once put to +work throwing up breast-works, while the men not on that duty were kept +in line of battle, or with their guns in stack on the line, and +strictly cautioned to remain close at hand, and ready to fall in at the +tap of a drum. This state of things continued for some days, then the +trouble would seemingly blow over, and later would break out again. +While we were thus on the ragged edge, and expecting a battle almost +any hour, a little incident occurred which somehow made on me a deep +and peculiar impression. To explain it fully, I must go back to our +first days at Pittsburg Landing. A day or two after our arrival there, +Lt. Keeley said to me that the regimental color guard, to consist of a +sergeant and eight corporals, was being formed, that Co. D had been +called on for a corporal for that duty, and that I should report to +Maj. Ohr for instructions. Naturally I felt quite proud over this, and +forthwith reported to the Major, at his tent, and stated my business. +He looked at me in silence, and closely, for a few seconds, and then +remarked, in substance, that I could go to my quarters, and if needed, +would be notified later. This puzzled me somewhat, but I supposed it +would come out all right in due time. There was a corporal in our +company to whom I will give a fictitious name, and call him Sam Cobb. +He was a big, fine looking fellow, and somewhere between twenty-five +and thirty years old. And an hour or two after my dismissal by Maj. +Ohr, I heard Sam loudly proclaiming, with many fierce oaths, to a +little group of Co. D. boys, that he "had been promoted." That he was a +"color corporal, by ----!" This announcement was accompanied by sundry +vociferous statements in regard to Maj. Ohr knowing exactly the kind of +men to get to guard the colors of the regiment in time of battle, and +so on, and so on. I heard all this with mortification and bitterness of +spirit. The reason now dawned on me why I had been rejected. I was only +a boy, rather small for my age, and at this time feeble in appearance. +Maj. Ohr, quite properly, wanted strong, stalwart, fine looking men for +the color guard. A little reflection convinced me that he was right, +and could not be blamed for his action. But he found out later, (in +this particular case, at least) that something more than a fine +appearance was required to make a soldier. Only two or three days after +Sam's "promotion," came the battle of Shiloh, and at the very first +volley the regiment received, he threw down his gun, and ran like a +whipped cur. The straps and buckles of his cartridge box were new and +stiff, so he didn't take the time to release them in the ordinary way, +but whipped out his jack-knife and cut them as he ran. I did not see +this personally, but was told it by boys who did. We saw no more of Sam +until after the battle, when he sneaked into camp, with a fantastic +story of getting separated from the regiment in a fall-back movement, +that he then joined another, fought both days, and performed prodigies +of valor. But there were too many that saw the manner of his alleged +"separation" for his story ever to be believed. + +I will now return to the Bolivar incident. While the Confederates were +operating in the vicinity of this place, as above mentioned, the "fall +in" call was sounded one evening after dark, and the regiment promptly +formed in line on the parade ground. We remained there an hour or so, +when finally the command was given to stack arms, and the men were +dismissed with orders to hold themselves in readiness to form in line, +on the parade grounds, at a moment's warning. As I was walking back to +our company quarters, Sam Cobb stepped up to me and took me to one +side, under the shadow of a tall oak tree. It was a bright moonlight +night, with some big, fleecy clouds in the sky. "Stillwell," asked Sam, +"do you think we are going to have a fight?" "I don't know, Sam," I +answered, "but it looks very much like it. I reckon Gen. Ross is not +going out to hunt a fight; he prefers to stay here, protect the +government stores, and fight on the defensive. If our cavalry can stand +the Rebs off, then maybe they will let us alone,--but if our cavalry +are driven in, then look out." Sam held his head down, and said +nothing. As above stated, he was a grown man, and I was only a boy, but +the thing that was troubling him was apparent from his demeanor, and I +felt sorry for him. I laid a hand kindly on his shoulder, and said, +"And Sam, if we should have a fight, now try, old fellow, and do better +than you did before." He looked up quickly--at that instant the moon +passed from behind a big cloud and shone through a rift in the branches +of the tree, full in his face, which was as pale as death, and he said, +in a broken voice: "Stillwell, I'll run; I just know I'll run,--by God, +I can't help it!" I deeply pitied the poor fellow, and talked to him a +few minutes, in the kindest manner possible, trying to reason him out +of that sort of a feeling. But his case was hopeless. He was a genial, +kind-hearted man, but simply a constitutional coward, and he doubtless +told the truth when he said he "couldn't help it." In the very next +fight we were in he verified his prediction. I may say something about +that further on. + +Since leaving Camp Carrollton, Co. D had lost two sergeants, one by +death from sickness, the other by discharge for disability, so while we +were at Bolivar these vacancies were filled by appointments made by +Maj. Ohr, who was then commanding the regiment. In accordance with the +custom in such matters, the appointments were announced in orders, +which were read on dress parade. As I now write, it is a little over +fifty-four years since this event took place, but even now my heart +beats faster as the fact is recalled that as the adjutant read the +list, there came the name "Corporal Leander Stillwell, Co. D, to be 4th +Sergeant." + +In the early part of August, 1862, while our regiment was at Bolivar, I +cast my first vote, which was an illegal one, as then I was not quite +nineteen years old. The circumstances connected with my voting are not +lengthy, so the story will be told. In the fall of 1861 the voters of +the state of Illinois elected delegates to a Constitutional Convention, +to frame and submit to the people a new Constitution. A majority of the +delegates so elected were Democrats, so they prepared a Constitution in +accordance with their political views. It therefore became a party +measure, the Democrats supporting and the Republicans opposing it. By +virtue of some legal enactment all Illinois soldiers in the field, who +were lawful voters, were authorized to vote on the question of the +adoption of the proposed constitution, and so, on the day above +indicated the election for this purpose was held in our regiment. An +election board was duly appointed, consisting of commissioned officers +of the regiment; they fixed up under a big tree some hardtack boxes to +serve for a table, and the proceedings began. I had no intention of +voting, as I knew I had not the legal right, but Enoch Wallace came to +me and suggested that I go up and vote. When I said I was not old +enough, he simply laughed, and took me by the arm and marched me to the +voting place. The manner of voting was by word of mouth, the soldier +gave his name, and stated that he was "For" or "Against" the +constitution, as the case might be, and his vote was recorded. I voted +"Against," and started away, no questions being asked me as to my age. +But before getting out of hearing I heard one of the board say, +somewhat sotto voce, "That's a mighty young looking voter." Capt. +Ihrie, of Co. C, also on the board, responded carelessly in the same +tone, "Oh well, it's all right; he's a dam good soldier." That remark +puffed me away up, and almost made me feel as if I had grown maybe +three feet, or more, in as many seconds, and needed only a fierce +mustache to be a match for one of Napoleon's Old Guard. And my vote was +not the same as Ihrie's, either, as he was a Democrat, and supporting +the new constitution. When the regiment was recruited it was Democratic +by a large majority, but under the enlightening experiences of the war +it had become Republican, and out of a total vote of about two hundred +and fifty, it gave a majority against the new constitution of +twenty-five. The final result was that the proposed constitution was +beaten by the "home vote" alone, which gave something over 16,000 +majority against it. Consequently the soldier vote (although heavily +against the measure) cut no figure, as it was not needed, and my +illegal exercise of the right of suffrage did neither good nor +harm;--and the incident has long since been barred by the statute of +limitations. + +During the latter part of July, and throughout August and September, +things were lively and exciting at Bolivar, and in that region +generally. There was a sort of feeling of trouble in the air most of +the time. Gen. Grant was in command in this military district, and he +has stated in his Memoirs that the "most anxious" period of the war, to +him, was, practically, during the time above stated. But we common +soldiers were not troubled with any such feeling. We were devoid of all +responsibility, except simply to look out for and take care of +ourselves, and do our duty to the best of our ability. And, speaking +for myself, I will say that this condition was one that was very "full +of comfort." We had no planning nor thinking to do, and the world could +just wag as it willed. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + +BOLIVAR. THE MOVEMENT TO THE VICINITY OF IUKA, MISSISSIPPI. +SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER, 1862. + + +On September 16 the regiment (with the rest of our brigade) left +Bolivar, on the cars, went to Jackson, and thence to Corinth, +Mississippi, where we arrived about sundown. From here, still on the +cars, we started east on the Memphis and Charleston railroad. The train +proceeded very slowly, and after getting about seven or eight miles +from Corinth, it stopped, and we passed the rest of the night on the +cars. Early next morning the train started, and we soon arrived at the +little town of Burnsville, about fifteen miles southeast of Corinth, +where we left the cars, and went into bivouac near the eastern +outskirts of the town. + +On the morning of the 19th, before daylight, we marched about two miles +east of Burnsville, and formed in line of battle, facing the south, in +thick woods, consisting mainly of tall pines. It was talked among us +that the Confederate pickets were only a short distance from our front, +and it certainly looked like a battle was impending. By this time the +military situation was pretty well understood by all of us. A +Confederate force of about eight thousand men under Gen. Sterling Price +was at the town of Iuka, about two miles south of us, and Gen. Grant +and Gen. Rosecrans had formulated a plan for attacking this force on +two sides at once. Gen. Rosecrans was to attack from the south, while +our column, under the immediate command of Gen. E. O. C. Ord, was to +close in from the north. Gen. Grant was on the field, and was with the +troops on the north. The plan was all right, and doubtless would have +succeeded, if the wind, on September 19, 1862, in that locality had +been blowing from the south instead of the north. It is on such +seemingly little things that the fate of battles, and sometimes that of +nations, depends. Gen. Rosecrans on the afternoon of the 19th +encountered the enemy south of Iuka, had a severe battle, and was quite +roughly handled. Only a few miles to the north was all of Ord's +command, in line of battle, and expecting to go in every minute, but +the order never came. So all day we just stood around in those pine +woods, wondering what in the world was the matter. As already stated, +the woods were dense, and the wind blowing from the north carried from +us all sounds of the battle. I personally know that this was the case. +There were a few cannon shots next morning, fired by a battery in Gen. +Rosecrans' column, and those we distinctly heard from our position, and +thought at the time they indicated a battle, but they were fired mainly +as "feelers," and to ascertain if the enemy were present in force. But, +as stated, all day on the 19th we heard not a sound to indicate that a +desperate battle was in progress only a few miles from our front. + +Early in the morning of the 19th I witnessed an incident that inspired +in me my first deep-seated hatred of whisky, and which has abided with +me ever since. We had formed in line of battle, but the command had +been given, "In place, rest!" (which we were allowed to give a liberal +construction), and we were scattered around, standing or sitting down, +near the line. About this time two young assistant surgeons came from +the rear, riding up the road on which the left of the regiment rested. +They belonged to some infantry regiment of the division, but personally +I didn't know them. They were both fool drunk. On reaching our line of +battle they stopped, but kept in their saddles, pulling their horses +about, playing "smarty," and grinning and chattering like a brace of +young monkeys. I looked at these drunk young fools, and thought that +maybe, in less than an hour, one of them might be standing over me, +probing a bullet wound in one of my legs, and then and there promptly +deciding the question whether the leg should be sawed off, or whether +it could be saved. And what kind of intelligent judgment on this +matter, on which my life or death might depend, could this +whisky-crazed young gosling be capable of exercising? I felt so +indignant at the condition and conduct of these men, right on the eve +of what we supposed might be a severe battle and in which their care +for the wounded would be required, that it almost seemed to me it would +be doing the government good service to shoot both the galoots right on +the spot. And there were other boys who felt the same way, who began +making ominous remarks. The drunken young wretches seemed to have sense +enough to catch the drift of something that was said, they put spurs to +their horses and galloped off to the rear, and we saw them no more. + +On the morning of the 20th some regiments of our division moved forward +and occupied the town of Iuka, but Gen. Price had in the meantime +skipped out, so there was no fighting. Our regiment, with some others, +remained in the original position, so that I never got to see the old +town of Iuka until several years after the war. Sometime during the +afternoon of the 20th I went to Capt. Reddish and said to him that I +had become so tired of just standing around, and asked him if I could +take a short stroll in the woods. The old man gave his consent (as I +felt satisfied he would) but cautioned me not to go too far away. The +main thing in view, when I made the request, was the hope of finding +some wild muscadine grapes. They were plentiful in this section of the +country, and were now ripe, and I wanted a bait. I think a wild +muscadine grape is just the finest fruit of that kind in existence. +When ripe it has a strong and most agreeable fragrance, and when one is +to the leeward of a vine loaded with grapes, and a gentle wind is +blowing from the south, he is first made aware of their proximity by +their grateful odor. I soon found some on this occasion, and they were +simply delicious. Having fully satisfied my craving, I proceeded to +make my way back to the regiment, when hearing the trampling sound of +cavalry, I hurried through the woods to the side of the road, reaching +there just as the head of the column appeared. It was only a small +body, not more than a hundred or so, and there, riding at its head, was +Grant! I had not seen him since the battle of Shiloh and I looked at +him with intense interest. He had on an old "sugar-loaf" hat, with +limp, drooping brim, and his outer coat was the ordinary uniform coat, +with a long cape, of a private in the cavalry. His foot-gear was +cavalry boots, splashed with mud, and the ends of his trousers' legs +were tucked inside the boots. No shoulder-straps were visible, and the +only evidence of rank about him that was perceptible consisted of a +frayed and tarnished gold cord on his hat. He was looking downward as +he rode by, and seemed immersed in thought. As the column passed along, +I asked a soldier near the rear what troops they were, and he answered, +"Co. A, Fourth Illinois Cavalry--Gen. Grant's escort." This was the +last time that I saw Grant during the war. + +On the evening of the 20th the regiment was drawn back into Burnsville, +and that night Co. D bivouacked in the "Harrison Hotel," which formerly +had evidently been the principal hotel in the town. It was a rambling, +roomy, old frame building, two stories and a half high, now vacant, +stripped of all furniture, and with a thick layer of dust and dirt on +the floors. We occupied a room on the second floor, that evidently had +been the parlor. Being quartered in a hotel was a novel experience, and +the boys got lots of fun out of it. One would call out, "Bill, ring the +clerk to send up a pitcher of ice water, and to be quick about it;" +while another would say, "And while you're at it, tell him to note a +special order from me for quail on toast for breakfast;" and so on. But +these pleasantries soon subsided, and it was not long before we were +wrapped in slumber. It was a little after midnight, and I was sound +asleep, when I heard someone calling, "Sergeant Stillwell! Where is +Sergeant Stillwell?" I sprang to my feet, and answered, "Here! What's +wanted?" The speaker came to me, and then I saw that it was Lt. +Goodspeed, who was acting as adjutant of the regiment. He proceeded to +inform me that I was to take charge of a detail of three corporals and +twelve men and go to a point about a mile and a half east of +Burnsville, to guard a party of section men while clearing and +repairing the railroad from a recent wreck. He gave me full +instructions, and then said, "Stillwell, a lieutenant should go in +charge of this detail, but all that I could find made pretty good +excuses and I think you'll do. It is a position of honor and +responsibility, as there are some prowling bands of guerrillas in this +vicinity, so be careful and vigilant." I was then acting as first +sergeant, and really was exempt from this duty, but of course the idea +of making that claim was not entertained for a moment. I took charge of +my party, went to where the laborers were waiting for us with hand +cars, and we soon arrived at the scene of the wreck. A day or two +before our arrival at Burnsville a party of Confederate cavalry had +torn up the track at this point, and wrecked and burnt a freight train. +Some horses on the train had been killed in the wreck; their carcasses +were lying around, and were rather offensive. The trucks and other +ironwork of the cars were piled on the track, tangled up, and all out +of shape, some rails removed and others warped by heat, and things +generally in a badly torn-up condition. The main dirt road forked here, +one fork going diagonally to the right of the track and the other to +the left--both in an easterly direction. I posted three men and a +corporal about a quarter of a mile to the front on the track, a similar +squad at the same distance on each fork of the dirt road, and the +others at intervals on each side of the railroad at the place of the +wreck. The laborers went to work with a will, and about the time the +owls were hooting for day the foreman reported to me that the track was +clear, the rails replaced, and that they were ready to return to +Burnsville. I then drew in my guards, we got on the hand cars, and were +soon back in town. And thus ended my first, and only, personal +supervision of the work of repairing a break in a railroad. + +I barely had time to make my coffee and toast a piece of bacon when the +bugle sounded "Fall in!" and soon (that being the morning of September +21st) we started on the back track, and that day marched to Corinth. It +so happened that on this march our regiment was at the head of the +column. The proper place of my company, according to army regulations, +was the third from the right or head of the line, but from some +cause--I never knew what--on that day we were placed at the head. And, +as I was then acting as first sergeant of our company, that put me the +head man on foot. These details are mentioned for the reason that all +that day I marched pretty close to the tail of the horse that Gen. Ord +was riding, and with boyish curiosity, I scanned the old general +closely. He was a graduate of West Point, and an old regular. He had +served in the Florida and the Mexican wars, and he also had been in +much scrapping with hostile Indians in the vicinity of the Pacific +Coast. He looked old to me, but really he was, at this time, only about +forty-four years of age. He certainly was indifferent to his personal +appearance, as his garb was even plainer, and more careless, than +Grant's. He wore an old battered felt hat, with a flapping brim, and +his coat was one of the old-fashioned, long-tailed oil-cloth +"wrap-rascals" then in vogue. It was all splattered with mud, with +several big torn places in it. There was not a thing about him, that I +could see, to indicate his rank. Later he was transferred to the +eastern armies, eventually was assigned to the command of the Army of +the James, and took an active and prominent part in the operations that +culminated in the surrender of Lee at Appomattox. + +We reached Corinth that evening, went into bivouac, and remained there +a couple of days. On the morning of September 24th we fell in, marched +down to the depot, climbed on cars, and were soon being whirled north +to Jackson, on the Mobile and Ohio railroad. We arrived there about +noon, and at once transferred to a train on the Mississippi Central +track and which forthwith started for Bolivar. I think the train we +came on to Jackson went right back to Corinth to bring up more troops. +We common soldiers could not imagine what this hurried rushing around +meant, and it was some time before we found out. But history shows that +Grant was much troubled about this time as to whether a threatened +Confederate attack would be delivered at Corinth or at Bolivar. +However, about the 22nd, the indications were that Bolivar would be +assailed, and troops were at once brought from Corinth to resist this +apprehended movement of the Confederates. + +This probably is a fitting place for something to be said about our +method of traveling by rail during the Civil war, as compared with the +conditions of the present day in that regard. At the time I am now +writing, about fifteen thousand United States soldiers have recently +been transported on the cars from different places in the interior of +the country, to various points adjacent to the Mexican border, for the +purpose of protecting American interests. And it seems that in some +cases the soldiers were carried in ordinary passenger coaches. +Thereupon bitter complaints were made on behalf of such soldiers +because Pullman sleepers were not used! And these complaints were +effective, too, for, according to the press reports of the time, the +use of passenger coaches for such purposes was summarily stopped and +Pullmans were hurriedly concentrated at the places needed, and the +soldiers went to war in them. Well, in our time, the old regiment was +hauled over the country many times on trains, the extent of our travels +in that manner aggregating hundreds and hundreds of miles. And such a +thing as even ordinary passenger coaches for the use of the enlisted +men was never heard of. And I have no recollection now that (during the +war) any were provided for the use of the commissioned officers, +either, unless they were of pretty high rank. The cars that we rode in +were the box or freight cars in use in those days. Among them were +cattle cars, flat or platform cars, and in general every other kind of +freight car that could be procured. We would fill the box cars, and in +addition clamber upon the roofs thereof and avail ourselves of every +foot of space. And usually there was a bunch on the cow-catchers. The +engines used wood for fuel; the screens of the smoke-stacks must have +been very coarse, or maybe they had none at all, and the big cinders +would patter down on us like hail. So, when we came to the journey's +end, by reason of the cinders and soot we were about as dirty and black +as any regiment of sure-enough colored troops that fought under the +Union flag in the last years of the war. When the regiment was sent +home in September, 1865, some months after the war was over, the +enlisted men made even that trip in our old friends, the box cars. It +is true that on this occasion there was a passenger coach for the use +of the commissioned officers, and that is the only time that I ever saw +such a coach attached to a train on which the regiment was taken +anywhere. Now, don't misunderstand me. I am not kicking because, more +than half a century after the close of the Civil War, Uncle Sam sent +his soldier boys to the front in Pullmans. The force so sent was small +and the government could well afford to do it, and it was right. I just +want you to know that in my time, when we rode, it was in any kind of +an old freight car, and we were awful glad to get that. And now on this +matter, "The words of Job are ended." + +The only railroad accident I ever happened to be in was one that befell +our train as we were in the act of leaving Jackson on the afternoon of +the 24th. There was a good deal of hurry and confusion when we got on +the cars, and it looked like it was every fellow for himself. Jack +Medford (my chum) and I were running along the side of the track +looking for a favorable situation, when we came to a flat car about the +middle of the train, as yet unoccupied. "Jack," said I, "let's get on +this!" He was a little slow of speech; he stopped, looked and commenced +to say something, but his hesitation lost us the place,--and was +fraught with other consequences. Right at that moment a bunch of the +12th Michigan on the other side of the track piled on the car quicker +than a flash, and took up all available room. Jack and I then ran +forward and climbed on top of a box car, next to the tender of the +engine, and soon after the train started. It had not yet got under full +head-way, and was going only about as fast as a man could walk, when, +from some cause, the rails spread, and the first car to leave the rails +was the flat above mentioned. But its trucks went bouncing along on the +ties, and doubtless nobody would have been hurt, had it not been for +the fact that the car plunged into a cattle guard, of the kind then in +use. This guard was just a hole dug in the track, probably four or five +feet deep, the same in length, and in width extending from rail to +rail. Well, the front end of the car went down into that hole, and then +the killing began. They stopped the train very quickly, the entire +event couldn't have lasted more than half a minute, but that flat car +was torn to splinters, three soldiers on it were killed dead, being +frightfully crushed and mangled, and several more were badly injured. +The men on the car jumped in every direction when the car began +breaking up, and so the most of them escaped unhurt. If the train had +been going at full speed, other cars would have been involved, and +there is simply no telling how many would then have been killed and +wounded. + +On what little things does the fate of man sometimes depend! If in +response to my suggestion Jack Medford had promptly said, "All right," +we would have jumped on that flat car, and then would have been caught +in the smash-up. But he took a mere fraction of time to look and think, +and that brief delay was, perhaps, our temporal salvation. + +We arrived at Bolivar during the afternoon of the 24th and re-occupied +our old camp. The work of fortifying that place was pushed with renewed +vigor, and strong lines of breastworks, with earthen forts at +intervals, were constructed which practically inclosed the entire town. +But we never had occasion to use them. Not long after our return to +Bolivar, Gen. Grant became satisfied that the point the enemy would +assail was Corinth, so the most of the troops at Bolivar were again +started to Corinth, to aid in repelling the impending attack, but this +time they marched overland. Our regiment and two others, with some +artillery, were left to garrison Bolivar. And so it came to pass that +the battle of Corinth was fought, on our part, by the command of Gen. +Rosecrans on October 4th, and the battle of Hatchie Bridge the next day +by the column from Bolivar, under the command of Gen. Ord,--and we +missed both battles. For my part, I then felt somewhat chagrined that +we didn't get to take part in either off those battles. Here we had +been rushed around the country from pillar to post, hunting for +trouble, and then to miss both these fights was just a little +mortifying. However, the common soldier can only obey orders, and stay +where he is put, and doubtless it was all for the best. + +Early on the morning of October 9th, a force of about four thousand +men, including our regiment, started from Bolivar, marching southwest +on the dirt road. We arrived at Grand Junction at dark, after a march +of about twenty miles. Grand Junction was the point where the Memphis & +Charleston and the Mississippi Central railroads crossed. We had not +much more than stacked arms, and of course before I had time to cook my +supper, when I was detailed for picket, and was on duty all night. But +I didn't go supperless by any means, as I made coffee and fried some +bacon at the picket post. Early next morning the command fell in line, +and we all marched back to Bolivar again. We had hardly got started +before it began to rain, and just poured down all day long. But the +weather was pleasant, we took off our shoes and socks and rolled up our +breeches, after the manner heretofore described, and just "socked on" +through the yellow mud, whooping and singing, and as wet as drowned +rats. We reached Bolivar some time after dark. The boys left there in +camp in some way had got word that we were on the return, and had +prepared for us some camp-kettles full of hot, strong coffee, with +plenty of fried sow-belly,--so we had a good supper. What the object of +the expedition was, and what caused us to turn back, I have never +learned, or if I did, have now forgotten. + +On returning to Bolivar we settled down to the usual routine of +battalion drill and standing picket. The particular guard duty the +regiment performed nearly all the time we were at Bolivar (with some +casual exceptions) was guarding the railroad from the bridge over +Hatchie river, north to Toone's Station, a distance of about seven +miles. Toone's Station, as its name indicates, was nothing but a +stopping point, with a little rusty looking old frame depot and a +switch. The usual tour of guard duty was twenty-four hours all the +while I was in the service, except during this period of railroad +guarding, and for it the time was two days and nights. Every foot of +the railroad had to be vigilantly watched to prevent its being torn up +by bands of guerrillas or disaffected citizens. One man with a +crow-bar, or even an old ax, could remove a rail at a culvert, or some +point on a high grade, and cause a disastrous wreck. + +I liked this railroad guard duty. Between Bolivar and Toone's the road +ran through dense woods, with only an occasional little farm on either +side of the road, and it was pleasant to be out in those fine old +woods, and far away from the noise and smells of the camps. And there +are so many things that are strange and attractive, to be seen and +heard, when one is standing alone on picket, away out in some lonesome +place, in the middle of the night. I think that a man who has never +spent some wakeful hours in the night, by himself, out in the woods, +has simply missed one of the most interesting parts of life. The night +is the time when most of the wild things are astir, and some of the +tame ones, too. There was some kind of a very small frog in the swamps +and marshes near Bolivar that gave forth about the most plaintive +little cry that I ever heard. It was very much like the bleating of a +young lamb, and, on hearing it the first time, I thought sure it was +from some little lamb that was lost, or in distress of some kind. I +never looked the matter up to ascertain of what particular species +those frogs were. They may be common throughout the South, but I never +heard this particular call except around and near Bolivar. And the +woods between Bolivar and Toone's were full of owls, from great big +fellows with a thunderous scream, down to the little screech owls, who +made only a sort of chattering noise. One never failing habit of the +big owls was to assemble in some grove of tall trees just about +daybreak, and have a morning concert, that could be heard half a mile +away. And there were also whippoorwills, and mocking birds, and, during +the pleasant season of the year, myriads of insects that would keep +sounding their shrill little notes the greater part of the night. And +the only time one sees a flying squirrel, (unless you happen to cut +down the tree in whose hollow he is sleeping,) is in the night time. +They are then abroad in full force. + +When on picket in my army days I found out that dogs are great +nocturnal ramblers. I have been on guard at a big tree, on some +grass-grown country road, when something would be heard coming down the +road towards me; pat, pat, pitty-pat,--then it would stop short. The +night might be too dark for me to see it, but I knew it must be a dog. +It would stand silent for a few seconds, evidently closely scrutinizing +that man alone under the tree, with something like a long shining stick +in his hands; then it would stealthily leave the road, and would be +heard rustling through the leaves as it made a half circle through the +woods to get by me. On reaching the road below me, its noise would +cease for a little while,--it was then looking back over its shoulder +to see if that man was still there. Having satisfied itself on that +point, then--pat, pat, pitty-pat, and it went off in a trot down the +road. When you see an old farm dog asleep in the sun on the porch in +the day time, with his head between his paws, it is, as a general rule, +safe to assume that he was up and on a scout all the previous night, +and maybe traveled ten or fifteen miles. Cats are also confirmed night +prowlers, but I don't think they wander as far as dogs. Later, when we +were in Arkansas, sometimes a full grown bear would walk up to some +drowsy picket, and give him the surprise of his life. + +One quiet, star-lit summer night, while on picket between Bolivar and +Toone's, I had the good fortune to witness the flight of the largest +and most brilliant meteor I ever have seen. It was a little after +midnight, and I was standing alone at my post, looking, listening, and +thinking. Suddenly there came a loud, rushing, roaring sound, like a +passenger train close by, going at full speed, and there in the west +was a meteor! Its flight was from the southwest to the northeast, +parallel with the horizon, and low down. Its head, or body, looked like +a huge ball of fire, and it left behind a long, immense tail of +brilliant white, that lighted up all the western heavens. While yet in +full view, it exploded with a crash like a near-by clap of thunder, +there was a wide, glittering shower of sparks,--and then silence and +darkness. The length of time it was visible could not have been more +than a few seconds, but it was a most extraordinary spectacle. + +On October 19th the regiment (except those on guard duty) went as +escort of a foraging expedition to a big plantation about twelve miles +from Bolivar down the Hatchie river. We rode there and back in the big +government wagons, each wagon being drawn by a team of six mules. Like +Joseph's brethren when they went down into Egypt, we were after corn. +The plantation we foraged was an extensive one on the fertile bottom +land of the Hatchie river, and the owner that year had grown several +hundred acres of corn, which had all been gathered, or shocked, and we +just took it as we found it. The people evidently were wealthy for that +time and locality, many slaves were on the place, and it was abounding +in live stock and poultry of all kinds. The plantation in general +presented a scene of rural plenty and abundance that reminded me of the +home of old Baltus Van Tassel, as described by Washington Irving in the +story of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,"--with this difference: +Everything about the Tennessee plantation was dirty, out of order, and +in general higgledy-piggledy condition. And the method of farming was +slovenly in the extreme. The cultivated land had been cleared by +cutting away the underbrush and small trees, while the big ones had +merely been "deadened," by girdling them near the ground. These dead +trees were all standing in ghastly nakedness, and so thick in many +places that it must have been difficult to plow through them, while +flocks of crows and buzzards were sailing around them or perched in +their tops, cawing and croaking, and thereby augmenting the woe-begone +looks of things. The planter himself was of a type then common in the +South. He was a large, coarse looking man, with an immense paunch, wore +a broad-brimmed, home-made straw hat and butter nut jeans clothes. His +trousers were of the old-fashioned, "broad-fall" pattern. His hair was +long, he had a scraggy, sandy beard, and chewed "long green" tobacco +continually and viciously. But he was shrewd enough to know that ugly +talk on his part wouldn't mend matters, but only make them worse, so he +stood around in silence while we took his corn, but he looked as +malignant as a rattlesnake. His wife was directly his opposite in +appearance and demeanor. She was tall, thin, and bony, with reddish +hair and a sharp nose and chin. And goodness, but she had a temper! She +stood in the door of the dwelling house, and just tongue-lashed us +"Yankees," as she called us, to the full extent of her ability. The +boys took it all good naturedly, and didn't jaw back. We couldn't +afford to quarrel with a woman. A year later, the result of her abuse +would have been the stripping of the farm of every hog and head of +poultry on it, but at this time the orders were strict against +indiscriminate, individual foraging, and except one or two bee-stands +full of honey, nothing was taken but the corn. And I have no doubt that +long ere this the Government has paid that planter, or his heirs, a +top-notch price for everything we took. It seems to be easy, +now-a-days, to get a special Act through Congress, making "full +compensation" in cases of that kind. + +Not long after the foregoing expedition, I witnessed a somewhat amusing +incident one night on the picket line. One day, for some reason, the +regiment was required, in addition to the railroad guards, to furnish a +number of men for picket duty. First Lieut. Sam T. Carrico, of Co. B, +was the officer, and it fell to my lot to be the sergeant of the guard. +We picketed a section of the line a mile or so southwest of Bolivar, +and the headquarters post, where the lieutenant and the sergeant of the +guard stayed, was at a point on a main traveled road running southwest +from the town. It was in the latter part of October, and the night was +a bad and cold one. Lieut. Carrico and I had "doubled up," spread one +of our blankets on the ground, and with the other drawn over us, were +lying down and trying to doze a little, when about ten o'clock we heard +a horseman coming at full speed from the direction of Bolivar. We +thereupon rose to a sitting posture, and awaited developments. The +horseman, on nearing our post and being challenged, responded, "Friend, +without the countersign!" and in a peremptory manner told the sentinel +on duty that he wanted to see the officer of the guard. Lieut. Carrico +and I walked up to the horseman, and, on getting close to him, saw that +he was a Union officer of the rank of Captain. Addressing himself to +the lieutenant, in a loud and hasty manner he told him his story, +which, in substance, was that he was Captain ---- (giving his name), on +Gen. Grant's staff, that he had just arrived in Bolivar on the train +from Memphis, that he had important business a few miles outside of the +lines, and being in a great hurry, he had not gone to post headquarters +to get the countersign, as he felt satisfied that the statement of his +rank and business would be sufficient to insure his being passed +through the picket line, and so on. Lieut. Carrico listened in silence +until the fellow finished, and then said, quietly but very firmly, +"Captain, if you claimed to be Gen. Grant himself, you shouldn't pass +through my line without the countersign." At this the alleged "staff +officer" blew up, and thundered and bullied at a great rate. Carrico +was not much more than a boy, being only about twenty-two years old, +and of slight build, but he kept perfectly cool and remained firm as a +rock. Finally the officer wheeled his horse around and started back to +town at a furious gallop. Carrico then walked up to the sentinel on +duty and said to him, "Now, if that fellow comes back, you challenge +him, and make him conform to every item of the army regulations;" and +to make sure about it, he gave the guard specific instructions as to +his duties in such cases. We stood around and waited, and it was not +long before we heard the horseman returning at his usual rate of speed. +He never checked his gait until the challenge of the sentinel rang out, +"Halt! Who comes there?" "Friend, with the countersign!" was the +answer. "Dismount, friend, advance, and give the countersign!" cried +the sentinel. Kuh-sock, went the fine, high-top boots of the rider in +the mud, and leading his horse, he walked up, gave the talismanic word, +to which the response was made, "Countersign's correct! Pass, friend." +The officer then sprang into the saddle, and rode up to the lieutenant +and me. Taking a memorandum book and pencil from one of his pockets, he +said to Carrico, "Give me your name, company, and regiment, sir." +"Samuel T. Carrico, first lieutenant Co. B, 61st Illinois Infantry." +The officer scribbled in his note-book, then turned to me, "And yours?" +"Leander Stillwell, sergeant Co. D, 61st Illinois Infantry;" and that +answer was also duly recorded. "Good night, gentlemen; you'll render an +account for this outrage later;" and with this parting salutation, the +officer galloped away. "All right!" Carrico called after him, "you know +where to find us." The victim of the "outrage" had not returned when we +were relieved at 9 o'clock the next morning, and we never saw or heard +of him any more. Of course his threat on leaving us was pure bluff, for +Lieut. Carrico had only done his plain and simple duty. The fellow was +probably all right; his returning with the countersign would indicate +it. But his "important business" was doubtless simply to keep a date +with some lady-love out in the country, and he wanted to meet her under +the friendly cover of the night. + +[Illustration: Samuel T. Carrico + 1st Lieutenant Co. B, 61st Illinois Infantry. + Bolivar, Tenn., Oct., 1862.] + +A few words will here be said in the nature of a deserved tribute to +Lieut. Carrico. Later he rose to the rank of Captain of his company, +and was one among the very best and bravest of the line officers of the +regiment. He had nerves like hammered steel, and was as cool a man in +action as I ever have known. Of all the officers of the regiment who +were mustered in at its organization, he is now the only survivor. He +is living at Alva, Oklahoma, and is a hale, hearty old man. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + +THE AFFAIR AT SALEM CEMETERY. JACKSON, CARROLL STATION. DECEMBER, 1862, +JANUARY, 1863. BOLIVAR. FEBRUARY-MAY, 1863. + + +On the afternoon of December 18th, suddenly, without any previous +warning or notification, the bugle sounded "Fall in!" and all the +regiment fit for duty and not on guard at once formed on the regimental +parade ground. From there we marched to the depot, and with the 43rd +Illinois of our brigade got on the cars, and were soon being whirled +over the road in a northerly direction. It was a warm, sunshiny day, +and we common soldiers supposed we were going on just some little +temporary scout, so we encumbered ourselves with nothing but our arms, +and haversacks, and canteens. Neglecting to take our blankets was a +grievous mistake, as later we found out to our sorrow. We arrived at +Jackson a little before sundown, there left the cars, and, with the +43rd, forthwith marched out about two miles east of town. A little +after dark we halted in an old field on the left of the road, in front +of a little old country graveyard called Salem Cemetery, and there +bivouacked for the night. Along in the evening the weather turned +intensely cold. It was a clear, star-lit night, and the stars glittered +in the heavens like little icicles. We were strictly forbidden to build +any fires, for the reason, as our officers truly said, the Confederates +were not more than half a mile away, right in our front. As before +stated, we had no blankets, and how we suffered with the cold! I shall +never forget that night of December 18th, 1862. We would form little +columns of twenty or thirty men, in two ranks, and would just trot +round and round in the tall weeds and broom sedge to keep from chilling +to death. Sometimes we would pile down on the ground in great bunches, +and curl up close together like hogs, in our efforts to keep warm. But +some part of our bodies would be exposed, which soon would be stinging +with cold, then up we would get and renew the trotting process. At one +time in the night some of the boys, rendered almost desperate by their +suffering started to build a fire with some fence rails. The red flames +began to curl around the wood, and I started for the fire, intending to +absorb some of that glowing heat, if, as Uncle Remus says, "it wuz de +las' ack." But right then a mounted officer dashed up to the spot, and +sprang from his horse. He was wearing big cavalry boots, and jumped on +that fire with both feet and stamped it out in less time than I am +taking to tell about it. I heard afterwards that he was Col. Engelmann, +of the 43rd Illinois, then the commander of our brigade. Having put out +the fire, he turned on the men standing around, and swore at them +furiously. He said that the rebels were right out in our front, and in +less than five minutes after we had betrayed our presence by fires, +they would open on us with artillery, and "shell hell out of us;"--and +more to the same effect. The boys listened in silence, meek as lambs, +and no more fires were started by us that night. But the hours seemed +interminably long, and it looked like the night would never come to an +end. At last some little woods birds were heard, faintly chirping in +the weeds and underbrush near by, then some owls set up a hooting in +the woods behind us, and I knew that dawn was approaching. When it +became light enough to distinguish one another, we saw that we +presented a doleful appearance--all hollow-eyed, with blue noses, +pinched faces, and shivering as if we would shake to pieces. Permission +was then given to build small fires to cook our breakfast, and we +didn't wait for the order to be repeated. I made a quart canful of +strong, hot coffee, toasted some bacon on a stick, and then, with some +hardtack, had a good breakfast and felt better. Breakfast over (which +didn't take long), the regiment was drawn back into the cemetery, and +placed in line behind the section of inclosing fence that faced to the +front. The fence was of post and plank, the planks arranged lengthwise, +with spaces between. We were ordered to lie flat on the ground, and +keep the barrels of our guns out of sight, as much as possible. Our +position in general may be described about as follows: The right of the +regiment rested near the dirt road, and at right angles to it. The +ground before us was open for more than half a mile. It sloped down +gently, then it rose gradually to a long, bare ridge, or slight +elevation of ground, which extended parallel to our front. The road was +enclosed by an old-time staked and ridered fence, of the "worm" +pattern. On our right, and on the other side of the road, was a thick +forest of tall trees, in which the 43rd Illinois was posted. The +cemetery was thickly studded with tall, native trees, and a few +ornamental ones, such as cedar and pine. Soon after we had been put in +position, as above stated, Col. Engelmann, the brigade commander, came +galloping up, and stopped about opposite the front of the regiment. +Maj. Ohr, our regimental commander, who was in the rear of the regiment +on foot, walked out to meet him. Engelmann was a German, and a splendid +officer. + +"Goot morning, Major," he said, in a loud voice we all heard. "How are +de poys?" "All right," answered the Major; "we had rather a chilly +night, but are feeling first rate now." "Dat iss goot," responded the +Colonel; and continued in his loud tone, "our friends are right out +here in de bush; I reckon dey'll show up presently. Maybe so dey will +give us a touch of deir artillery practice,--but dat hurts nobody. +Shoost have de poys keep cool." + +Then he approached the Major closer, said something in a low tone we +did not hear, waved his hand to us, and then galloped off to the right. +He was hardly out of sight, when sure enough, two or three cannon shots +were heard out in front, followed by a scattering fire of small arms. +We had a small force of our cavalry in the woods beyond the ridge I +have mentioned, and they soon appeared, slowly falling back. They were +spread out in a wide, extended skirmish line, and acted fine. They +would trot a little ways to the rear, then face about, and fire their +carbines at the advancing foe, who, as yet, was unseen by us. Finally +they galloped off to the left and disappeared in the woods, and all was +still for a short time. Suddenly, without a note of warning, and not +preceded by even a skirmish line, there appeared coming over the ridge +in front, and down the road, a long column of Confederate cavalry! They +were, when first seen, at a walk, and marching by the flank, with a +front of four men. How deep the column was we could not tell. The word +was immediately passed down our line not to fire until at the word of +command, and that we were to fire by file, beginning on the right. That +is, only two men, front and rear rank, would fire together, and so on, +down the line. The object of this was apparent: by the time the left of +the regiment had emptied their guns, the right would have reloaded, and +thus a continuous firing would be maintained. With guns cocked and +fingers on the triggers, we waited in tense anxiety for the word to +fire. Maj. Ohr was standing a few paces in the rear of the center of +the regiment, watching the advance of the enemy. Finally, when they +were in fair musket range, came the order, cool and deliberate, without +a trace of excitement: "At-ten-shun, bat-tal-yun! Fire by file! +Ready!--Commence firing!" and down the line crackled the musketry. +Concurrently with us, the old 43rd Illinois on the right joined in the +serenade. In the front file of the Confederate column was one of the +usual fellows with more daring than discretion, who was mounted on a +tall, white horse. Of course, as long as that horse was on its feet, +everybody shot at him, or the rider. But that luckless steed soon went +down in a cloud of dust, and that was the end of old Whitey. The effect +of our fire on the enemy was marked and instantaneous. The head of +their column crumpled up instanter, the road was full of dead and +wounded horses, while several that were riderless went galloping down +the road by us, with bridle reins and stirrups flapping on their necks +and flanks. I think there is no doubt that the Confederates were taken +completely by surprise. They stopped short when we opened on them, +wheeled around, and went back much faster than they came, except a +little bunch who had been dismounted. They hoisted a white rag, came +in, and surrendered. The whole affair was exceedingly "short and +sweet;" in duration it could not have exceeded more than a few minutes, +but it was highly interesting as long as it lasted. But now the turn of +the other fellows was to come. Soon after their charging column +disappeared behind the ridge in our front, they put in position on the +crest of the ridge two black, snaky looking pieces of artillery, and +began giving us the benefit of the "artillery practice" Col. Engelmann +had alluded to. They were beyond the range of our muskets; we had no +artillery with our little force, and just had to lie there and take it. +I know nothing about the technicalities of cannon firing, so I can only +describe in my own language how it appeared to us. The enemy now knew +just where we were, there were no obstructions between them and us, and +they concentrated their fire on our regiment. Sometimes they threw a +solid shot at us, but mostly they fired shells. They were in plain +sight, and we could see every movement connected with the firing of the +guns. After a piece was fired, the first thing done was to "swab" it. +Two men would rush to the muzzle with the swabber, give it a few quick +turns in the bore, then throw down the swabber and grab up the rammer. +Another man would then run forward with the projectile and insert it in +the muzzle of the piece, the rammers would ram it home, and then stand +clear. The man at the breech would then pull the lanyard,--and now look +out! A tongue of red flame would leap from the mouth of the cannon, +followed by a billow of white smoke; then would come the scream of the +missile as it passed over our heads (if a solid shot), or exploded near +our front or rear (if a shell), and lastly we would hear the report of +the gun. Then we all drew a long breath. When they threw shells at us +their method was to elevate the muzzle of the gun, and discharge the +missile in such a manner that it would describe what I suppose would be +called the parabola of a curve. As it would be nearing the zenith of +its flight we could follow it distinctly with the naked eye. It looked +like a big, black bug. You may rest assured that we watched the +downward course of this messenger of mischief with the keenest +interest. Sometimes it looked as if it would hit our line, sure, but it +never did. And, as stated, we could only lie there and watch all this, +without the power on our part to do a thing in return. Such a situation +is trying on the nerves. But firing at our line was much like shooting +at the edge of a knife-blade, and their practice on us, which lasted at +least two hours, for all practical results, to quote Col. Engelmann, +"shoost hurt nobody." A private of Co. G had his head carried away by a +fragment of a shell, and a few others were slightly injured, and that +was the extent of our casualties. After enduring this cannonading for +the time above stated, Col. Engelmann became apprehensive that the +Confederate cavalry were flanking us, and trying to get between us and +Jackson, so he ordered our force to retire. We fell back, in good +order, for about a mile, then halted, and faced to the front again. +Reinforcements soon came out from Jackson, and then the whole command +advanced, but the enemy had disappeared. Our regiment marched in column +by the flank up the road down which the Confederates had made their +charge. They had removed their killed and wounded, but at the point +reached by their head of column, the road was full of dead horses. Old +Whitey was sprawled out in the middle of the lane, "with his nostrils +all wide," and more than a dozen bullet holes in his body. Near his +carcass I saw a bloody yarn sock, with a bullet hole square through the +instep. I made up my mind then and there, that if ever I happened to +get into the cavalry I would, if possible, avoid riding a white horse. + +I will now say something about poor Sam Cobb, heretofore mentioned, and +then he will disappear from this history. Sam was with us at the +beginning of this affair on December 19th, but the very instant that +the enemy came in sight he broke from the ranks and ran, and never +showed up until we returned to Jackson some days later. He then had one +of his hands tied up, and claimed that he had been wounded in the +fight. The nature of his wound was simply a neat little puncture, +evidently made by a pointed instrument, in the ball of the forefinger +of one of his hands. Not a shot had been fired at us up to the time +when he fled, so it was impossible for his hurt to have been inflicted +by the enemy. It was the belief of all of us that he had put his +forefinger against a tree, and then jabbed the point of his bayonet +through the ball thereof. I heard Capt. Reddish in bitter language +charge him with this afterwards, and poor Sam just hung his head and +said nothing. When the regiment veteranized in 1864, Sam didn't +re-enlist, and was mustered out in February, 1865, at the end of his +term of service. On returning to his old home, he found that his +reputation in the army had preceded him, and it is likely that the +surroundings were not agreeable. At any rate, he soon left there, +emigrated to a southwestern State, and died there several years ago. In +my opinion, he really was to be sincerely pitied, for I think, as he +had told me at Bolivar, he just "couldn't help it." + +We advanced this day (December 19) only two or three miles beyond Salem +Cemetery, and bivouacked for the night in an old field. The weather had +changed, and was now quite pleasant; besides, the embargo on fires was +lifted, so the discomfort of the previous night was only something to +be laughed about. The next day we were afoot early, and marched east in +the direction of Lexington about fifteen miles. But we encountered no +enemy, and on December 21 turned square around and marched back to +Jackson. Gen. Forrest was in command of the Confederate cavalry +operating in this region, and he completely fooled Gen. J. C. Sullivan, +the Union commander of the district of Jackson. While we were on this +wild-goose chase towards Lexington, Forrest simply whirled around our +flanks at Jackson, and swept north on the railroad, scooping in almost +everything to the Kentucky line, and burning bridges and destroying +culverts on the railroad in great shape. + +During our short stay that ensued at Jackson, an event occurred that I +have always remembered with pleasure. In 1916 I wrote a brief +preliminary statement touching this Salem Cemetery affair, followed by +one of my army letters, the two making a connected article, and the +same was published in the Erie (Kansas) "Record." It may result in some +repetition, but I have concluded to here reproduce this published +article, which I have called, "A Soldier's Christmas Dinner." + + A SOLDIER'S CHRISTMAS DINNER. + + By Judge Leander Stillwell. + + Christmas Day in the year eighteen hundred and sixty-two was a + gloomy one, in every respect, for the soldiers of the Union army in + West Tennessee. Five days before, the Confederate General Van Dorn + had captured Grant's depot of supplies at Holly Springs, and + government stores of the value of a million and a half of dollars + had gone up in smoke and flame. About the same time Forrest had + struck the Mobile and Ohio railroad, on which we depended to bring + us from the north our supplies of hardtack and bacon, and had made + a wreck of the road from about Jackson, Tennessee, nearly to + Columbus, Kentucky. For some months previous to these disasters the + regiment to which I belonged, the 61st Illinois Infantry, had been + stationed at Bolivar, Tennessee, engaged in guarding the railroad + from that place to Toone's Station, a few miles north of Bolivar. + On December 18, with another regiment of our brigade, we were sent + by rail to Jackson to assist in repelling Forrest, who was + threatening that place. On the following day the two regiments, + numbering in the aggregate about 500 men, in connection with a + small detachment of our cavalry, had a lively and spirited little + brush with the Confederate forces about two miles east of Jackson, + near a country burying ground called Salem Cemetery, which resulted + in our having the good fortune to give them a salutary check. + + Reinforcements were sent out from Jackson, and Forrest disappeared. + The next day our entire command marched about fifteen miles + eastwardly in the direction of the Tennessee river. It was + doubtless supposed by our commanding general that the Confederates + had retreated in that direction, but he was mistaken. Forrest had + simply whipped around Jackson, struck the railroad a few miles + north thereof, and then had continued north up the road, capturing + and destroying as he went. On the succeeding day, December 21st, we + all marched back to Jackson, and my regiment went into camp on a + bleak, muddy hillside in the suburbs of the town, and there we + remained until December 29th, when we were sent to Carroll Station, + about eight miles north of Jackson. + + I well remember how gloomy I felt on the morning of that Christmas + Day at Jackson, Tennessee. I was then only a little over nineteen + years of age. I had been in the army nearly a year, lacking just a + few days, and every day of that time, except a furlough of two days + granted at our camp of instruction before we left Illinois for the + front, had been passed with the regiment in camp and field. + + Christmas morning my thoughts naturally turned to the little old + log cabin in the backwoods of western Illinois, and I couldn't help + thinking about the nice Christmas dinner that I knew the folks at + home would sit down to on that day. + + There would be a great chicken pot pie, with its savory crust and a + superabundance of light, puffy dumplings; delicious light, hot + biscuits; a big ball of our own home-made butter, yellow as gold; + broad slices of juicy ham, the product of hogs of our own + fattening, and home cured with hickory-wood smoke; fresh eggs from + the barn in reckless profusion, fried in the ham gravy; mealy Irish + potatoes, baked in their jackets; coffee with cream about half an + inch thick; apple butter and crab apple preserves; a big plate of + wild honey in the comb; and winding up with a thick wedge of mince + pie that mother knew so well how to make--such mince pie, in fact, + as was made only in those days, and is now as extinct as the dodo. + And when I turned from these musings upon the bill of fare they + would have at home to contemplate the dreary realities of my own + possible dinner for the day--my oyster can full of coffee and a + quarter ration of hardtack and sow-belly comprised the menu. If the + eyes of some old soldier should light upon these lines, and he + should thereupon feel disposed to curl his lip with unutterable + scorn and say: "This fellow was a milksop and ought to have been + fed on Christian Commission and Sanitary goods, and put to sleep at + night with a warm rock at his feet;"--I can only say in extenuation + that the soldier whose feelings I have been trying to describe was + only a boy--and, boys, you probably know how it was yourselves + during the first year of your army life. But, after all, the + soldier had a Christmas dinner that day, and it is of that I have + started out to speak. + + Several years ago my old army letters, which had been so carefully + kept and cherished for all these many years, passed from the + keeping of those to whom they had been addressed, back into the + possession of him who penned them, and now, after the lapse of + fifty-four years, one of these old letters, written to my father, + shall re-tell the story of this Christmas dinner. + + "Jackson, Tennessee, + December 27, 1862. + + "Mr. J. O. Stillwell, + "Otter Creek, Illinois. + + "I wrote you a short and hasty letter the fore part of this + week to let you know that I was all right, and giving you a + brief account of our late ups and downs, but I doubt if you + have received it. The cars have not been running since we came + back to Jackson from our march after Forrest. The talk in camp + is that the rebs have utterly destroyed the railroad north of + here clean to the Mississippi river, and that they have also + broken it in various places and damaged it badly south of here + between Bolivar and Grand Junction. I have no idea when this + letter will reach you, but will write it anyhow, and trust to + luck and Uncle Sam to get it through in course of time. + + "We are now in camp on a muddy hillside in the outskirts of + Jackson. I think the spot where we are must have been a cavalry + camp last summer. Lots of corn cobs are scattered on the + ground, old scraps of harness leather, and such other truck as + accumulates where horses are kept standing around. When we left + Bolivar we were in considerable of a hurry, with no time to + primp or comb our hair, and neither did we bring our tents + along, so we are just living out of doors now, and "boarding at + Sprawl's." There is plenty of wood, though, to make fires, and + we have jayhawked enough planks and boards to lie on to keep us + out of the mud, so we just curl up at night in our blankets + with all our clothes on, and manage to get along fairly well. + Our worst trouble now is the lack of grub. The destruction of + the railroad has cut off our supplies, and there is no telling + just exactly how long it may be before it will be fixed and in + running order again, so they have been compelled, I suppose, to + cut down our rations. We get half rations of coffee, and + quarter rations of hardtack and bacon. What we call small + rations, such as Yankee beans, rice, and split peas, are played + out; at least, we don't get any. The hardtack is so precious + now that the orderly sergeant no longer knocks a box open and + lets every man help himself, but he stands right over the box + and counts the number of tacks he gives to every man. I never + thought I'd see the day when army hardtack would be in such + demand that they'd have to be counted out to the soldiers as if + they were money, but that's what's the matter now. And that + ain't all. The boys will stand around until the box is emptied, + and then they will pick up the fragments that have fallen to + the ground in the divide, and scrape off the mud with their + knives, and eat the little pieces, and glad to get them. Now + and then, to help out the sow-belly, we get quarter rations of + fresh beef from the carcass of a Tennessee steer that the + quartermaster manages to lay hands on somehow. But it's awful + poor beef, lean, slimy, skinny and stringy. The boys say that + one can throw a piece up against a tree, and it will just stick + there and quiver and twitch for all the world like one of those + blue-bellied lizards at home will do when you knock him off a + fence rail with a stick. + + "I just wish that old Forrest, who is the cause of about all + this trouble, had to go without anything to eat until he was so + weak that he would have to be fed with a spoon. Maybe after he + had been hungry real good for a while he'd know how it feels + himself, and would let our railroads alone. + + "But I want to tell you that I had a real bully Christmas + dinner, in spite of old Forrest and the whole caboodle. It was + just a piece of the greatest good luck I've had for many a day. + + "When Christmas morning came I was feeling awful blue. In spite + of all I could do, I couldn't help but think about the good + dinner you folks at home would have that day, and I pictured it + all out in my imagination. Then about every one of the boys had + something to say about what he would have for Christmas dinner + if he was home, and they'd run over the list of good things + till it was almost enough to make one go crazy. To make matters + worse, just the day before in an old camp I had found some + tattered fragments of a New York illustrated newspaper with a + whole lot of pictures about Thanksgiving Day in the Army of the + Potomac. They were shown as sitting around piles of roast + turkeys, pumpkin pies, pound cake, and goodness knows what + else, and I took it for granted that they would have the same + kind of fodder today. You see, the men in that army, by means + of their railroads, are only a few hours from home, and old + Forrest is not in their neighborhood, so it is an easy thing + for them to have good times. And here we were, away down in + Tennessee, in the mud and the cold, no tents, on quarter + rations, and picking scraps of hardtack out of the mud and + eating them--it was enough to make a preacher swear. But along + about noon John Richey came to me and proposed that inasmuch as + it was Christmas Day, we should strike out and forage for a + square meal. It didn't take much persuasion, and straightway we + sallied forth. I wanted to hunt up the old colored woman who + gave me the mess of boiled roasting ears when we were here last + summer, but John said he thought he had a better thing than + that, and as he is ten years older than I am, I knocked under + and let him take the lead. + + "About half a mile from our camp, in the outskirts of the town, + we came to a large, handsome, two-story and a half frame house, + with a whole lot of nigger cabins in the rear. John took a + survey of the premises and said, 'Lee, right here's our meat.' + We went into the yard at a little side gate between the big + house and the nigger quarters, and were steering for one of the + cabins, when out steps from the back porch of the big house the + lady of the place herself. That spoiled the whole game; John + whirled in his tracks and commenced to sidle away. But the lady + walked towards us and said in a very kind and friendly manner: + 'Do you men want anything?' 'Oh, no, ma'am,' replied John; 'we + just came here to see if we could get some of the colored women + to do some washing for us, but I guess we'll not bother about + it today;' still backing away as he spoke. But the lady was not + satisfied. Looking at us very sharply, she asked: 'Don't you + men want something to eat?' My heart gave a great thump at + that, but, to my inexpressible disgust, John, with his head + thrown back and nose pointed skyward, answered, speaking very + fast, 'Oh, no, ma'am, not at all, ma'am, a thousand times + obleeged, ma'am,' and continued his sneaking retreat. By this + time I had hold of the cape of his overcoat and was plucking it + in utter desperation. 'John,' I said, speaking low, 'what in + thunder do you mean? This is the best chance we'll ever have.' + I was looking at the lady meanwhile in the most imploring + manner, and she was regarding me with a kind of a pleasant, + amused smile on her face. She saw, I guess, a mighty dirty + looking boy, whose nose and face were pinched and blue with + hunger, cold, loss of sleep, and hard knocks generally, and she + brought the business to a head at once. 'You men come right + in,' she said, as if she was the major-general commanding the + department. 'We have just finished our dinner, but in a few + minutes the servants can have something prepared for you,--and + I think you are hungry.' John, with the most aggravating mock + modesty that I ever saw in my life, began saying: 'We are very + much obleeged, ma'am, but we haven't the slightest occasion in + the world to eat, ma'am, and----' when I couldn't stand it any + longer for fear he would ruin everything after all. 'Madam,' I + said, 'please don't pay any attention to what my partner says, + for we are most desperately hungry.' The lady laughed right out + at that, and said, 'I thought so; come in.' + + "She led the way into the basement story of the house, where + the dining room was, (all the rich people in the South have + their dining rooms in the basement,) and there was a nice warm + room, a dining table in the center, with the cloth and dishes + yet on it, and a big fireplace at one end of the room, where a + crackling wood fire was burning. I tell you, it was different + from our muddy camp on the bleak hillside, where the wind blows + the smoke from our fires of green logs in every direction about + every minute of the day. I sat down by the fire to warm my + hands and feet, which were cold. A colored girl came in and + commenced to arrange the table, passing back and forth from the + dining room to the kitchen, and in a short time the lady told + us that our dinner was ready, to sit up to the table, and eat + heartily. We didn't wait for a second invitation that time. + And, oh, what a dinner we had! There was a great pile of juicy, + fried beefsteak, cooked to perfection and tender as chicken; + nice, warm light bread, a big cake of butter, stewed dried + apples, cucumber pickles, two or three kinds of preserves, + coffee with sugar and cream, and some of the best molasses I + ever tasted,--none of this sour, scorched old sorghum stuff, + but regular gilt-edge first class New Orleans golden syrup, + almost as sweet as honey. Then, to top off with, there was a + nice stewed dried apple pie, and some kind of a custard in + little dishes, something different from anything in that line + that I had ever seen before, but mighty good. And then, in + addition to all that, we were seated on chairs, at a table with + a white cloth on it, and eating out of china plates and with + knives and forks, a colored girl waiting on us, and the lady of + the house sitting there and talking to us as pleasantly as if + we were Grant and Halleck in person. Under the influence of the + good grub, John thawed out considerably, and made a full + confession to the lady about his queer actions at the + beginning. He told her that we were going to the nigger + quarters to try to get something to eat, and that when she came + out and gave us such a kind invitation to come in the house, he + was too much ashamed of our appearance to accept. That we had + come up from Bolivar about a week before, riding on top of the + box cars, where we got all covered with smoke, dust, and + cinders; then ordered out to the front that night, then the + fight with Forrest the next day, then the march towards the + Tennessee river and back of about forty miles, and since then + in camp with no shelter, tramping around in the mud, and + sleeping on the ground; that on account of all these things we + looked so rough and so dirty that he just felt ashamed to go + into a nice house where handsome, well-dressed ladies were. Oh! + I tell you, old John is no slouch; he patched up matters + remarkably well. The lady listened attentively, said she knew + we were hungry the moment she saw us, that she had heard the + soldiers were on short rations in consequence of the + destruction of the railroad, and turning towards me she went on + to say: 'There was such a pitiful, hungry look on this boy's + face that it would have haunted me for a long time if I had let + you go away without giving you a dinner. Many a hungry + soldier,' she continued, 'both of the Northern and Southern + army, has had something to eat at this table, and I expect many + more will in the future, before this terrible and distressing + war shall have come to an end.' She didn't say a word, though, + by which we could tell whether her sympathies were on the Union + side or against us, and of course we didn't try to find out. + She was just the sweetest looking woman I have yet seen in the + whole Southern Confederacy. If they have any angels anywhere + that look kinder, or sweeter, or purer than she did, I would + just like to see them trotted out. I guess she was about + thirty-five years old. She was of medium height, a little on + the plump order, with blue eyes, brown hair, a clear, ruddy + complexion, and the whitest, softest looking little hands I + ever saw in my life. + + "When we had finished our dinner, John and I thanked her ever + so many times for her kindness, and then bade her a most + respectful good-by. He and I both agreed on our way back to + camp to say nothing about the lady and the nice dinner she gave + us, because if we blowed about it, the result would probably be + more hungry callers than her generosity could well afford. + + "But these close times I guess are not going to last much + longer. The talk in camp this evening is that we are going to + have full rations once more in a day or two, that the railroad + will soon be in running order again, and then we can just snap + our fingers at old Forrest and his whole outfit. + + "Well, I will bring my letter to a close. Don't worry if you + fail to get a letter from me now as regularly as before. Things + are a trifle unsettled down here yet, and we may not be able to + count on the usual regularity of the mails for some time to + come. + + "So good-by for this time. + + "LEANDER STILLWELL." + +Soon after we returned to Jackson a detail of some from each company +was sent to Bolivar and brought up our knapsacks and blankets, and we +were then more comfortable. On December 29th, my company and two others +of our regiment were sent by rail to Carroll Station, about eight miles +north of Jackson. There had been a detachment of about a hundred men of +the 106th Illinois Infantry previously stationed here, guarding the +railroad, but Forrest captured them about December 20th, so on our +arrival we found nothing but a crude sort of stockade, and the usual +rubbish of an old camp. There was no town there, it consisted only of a +platform and a switch. Our life here was somewhat uneventful, and I +recall now only two incidents which, possibly, are worth noticing. It +has heretofore been mentioned how I happened to learn when on picket at +night something about the nocturnal habits of different animals and +birds. I had a somewhat comical experience in this respect while on +guard one night near Carroll Station. But it should be preceded by a +brief explanation. It was no part of the duty of a non-commissioned +officer to stand a regular tour of guard duty, with his musket in his +hands. It was his province simply to exercise a general supervisory +control over the men at his post, and especially to see that they +relieved each other at the proper time. But it frequently happened in +our regiment that our numbers present for duty were so diminished, and +the guard details were so heavy, that the sergeants and corporals had +to stand as sentries just the same as the privates, and this was +especially so at Carroll Station. + +On the occasion of the incident about to be mentioned, the picket post +was on the crest of a low ridge, or slight elevation, and under some +big oak trees by an old tumble-down deserted building which had at one +time been a blacksmith shop. There were three of us on this post, and +one of my turns came at midnight. I was standing by one of the trees, +listening, looking, and meditating. The night was calm, with a full +moon. The space in our front, sloping down to a little hollow, was +bare, but the ascending ground beyond was covered with a dense growth +of young oaks which had not yet shed their leaves. We had orders to be +extremely watchful and vigilant, as parties of the enemy were supposed +to be in our vicinity. Suddenly I heard in front, and seemingly in the +farther edge of the oak forest, a rustling sound that soon increased in +volume. Whatever was making the noise was coming my way, through the +trees, and down the slope of the opposite ridge. The noise grew louder, +and louder, until it sounded just like the steady tramp, over the +leaves and dead twigs, of a line of marching men, with a front a +hundred yards in width. I just knew there must be trouble ahead, and +that the Philistines were upon me. But a sentinel who made a false +alarm while on duty was liable to severe punishment, and, at any rate, +would be laughed at all over the regiment, and never hear the last of +it. So I didn't wake up my comrades, but got in the shadow of the trunk +of a tree, cocked my gun, and awaited developments. And soon they came. +The advancing line emerged from the forest into the moonlight, and it +was nothing but a big drove of hogs out on a midnight foraging +expedition for acorns and the like! Well, I let down the hammer of my +gun, and felt relieved,--and was mighty glad I hadn't waked the other +boys. But I still insist that this crackling, crashing uproar, made by +the advance of the "hog battalion" through the underbrush and woods, +under the circumstances mentioned, would have deceived "the very +elect." + +A few days later I was again on picket at the old blacksmith shop. Our +orders were that at least once during the day one of the guard should +make a scout out in front for at least half a mile, carefully observing +all existing conditions, for the purpose of ascertaining if any parties +of the enemy were hovering around in our vicinity. On this day, after +dinner, I started out alone, on this little reconnoitering expedition. +I had gone something more than half a mile from the post, and was +walking along a dirt road with a cornfield on the left, and big woods +on the right. About a hundred yards in front, the road turned square to +the left, with a cornfield on each side. The corn had been gathered +from the stalk, and the stalks were still standing. Glancing to the +left, I happened to notice a white cloth fluttering above the +cornstalks, at the end of a pole, and slowly moving my way. And peering +through the tops of the stalks I saw coming down the road behind the +white flag about a dozen Confederate cavalry! I broke into a run, and +soon reached the turn in the road, cocked my gun, leveled it at the +party, and shouted, "Halt!" They stopped, mighty quick, and the bearer +of the flag called to me that they were a flag of truce party. I then +said, "Advance, One." Whereupon they all started forward. I again +shouted "Halt!" and repeated the command, "Advance, One!" The leader +then rode up alone, I keeping my gun cocked, and at a ready, and he +proceeded to tell me a sort of rambling, disjointed story about their +being a flag of truce party, on business connected with an exchange of +some wounded prisoners. I told the fellow that I would conduct him and +his squad to my picket post, and then send word to our commanding +officer, and he would take such action as he thought fit and proper. On +reaching the post, I sent in one of the guards to the station to report +to Lieut. Armstrong, in command of our detachment, that there was a +flag of truce party at my post who desired an interview with the +officer in command at Carroll Station. The Lieutenant soon arrived with +an armed party of our men, and he and the Confederate leader drew apart +and talked awhile. This bunch of Confederates were all young men, armed +with double-barreled shot-guns, and a decidedly tough-looking outfit. +They finally left my post, escorted by Lieut. Armstrong and his guard, +and I understood in a general way that he passed them on to someone +higher in authority at some other point in our vicinity, possibly at +Jackson. They may have been acting in good faith, but from the manner +of their leader, and the story he told me, I have always believed that +their use of a flag of truce was principally a device to obtain some +military intelligence,--but, of course, I do not know. My responsibility +ended when Lieut. Armstrong reached my picket post in response to the +message sent him. + +We remained at Carroll Station until January 27, 1863, were then +relieved by a detachment of the 62nd Illinois Infantry, and were sent +by rail back to Bolivar, where we rejoined the balance of the regiment. +We then resumed our former duty of guarding the railroad north to +Toone's Station, and continued at this until the last of May, 1863. But +before taking up what happened then, it will be in order to speak of +some of the changes that in the meantime had occurred among the +commissioned officers of my company and of the regiment. Capt. Reddish +resigned April 3rd, 1863, First Lieutenant Daniel S. Keeley was +promoted Captain in his place, and Thomas J. Warren, the sergeant-major +of the regiment, was commissioned as First Lieutenant in Keeley's +stead. Lieut. Col. Fry resigned May 14, 1863. His place was taken by +Major Simon P. Ohr, and Daniel Grass, Captain of Co. H, was made Major. +The resignations of both Fry and Reddish, as I always have understood, +were because of ill-health. They were good and brave men, and their +hearts were in the cause, but they simply were too old to endure the +fatigue and hardships of a soldier's life. But they each lived to a +good old age. Col. Fry died in Greene county, Illinois, January 27th, +1881, aged nearly 82 years; and Capt. Reddish passed away in Dallas +county, Texas, December 30th, 1881, having attained the Psalmist's +limit of three score and ten. + + + + +CHAPTER X. + +THE SIEGE OF VICKSBURG. JUNE AND JULY, 1863. + + +General Grant closed up against Vicksburg on May 19, and on that day +assaulted the Confederate defenses of the place, but without success. +On the 22nd a more extensive assault was made, but it also failed, and +it was then evident to Grant that Vicksburg would have to be taken by a +siege. To do this he would need strong reinforcements, and they were +forthwith sent him from various quarters. So it came to pass that we +went also. On May 31st we climbed on the cars, headed for Memphis, and +steamed away from old Bolivar--and I have never seen the place since. +For my part, I was glad to leave. We had been outside of the main track +of the war for several months, guarding an old railroad, while the bulk +of the western army had been actively engaged in the stirring and +brilliant campaign against Vicksburg, and we were all becoming more or +less restless and dissatisfied. From my standpoint, one of the most +mortifying things that can happen to a soldier in time of war is for +his regiment to be left somewhere as a "guard," while his comrades of +the main army are in the field of active operations, seeing and doing +"big things," that will live in history. But, as before remarked, the +common soldier can only obey orders, and while some form the moving +column, others necessarily have stationary duties. But at last the old +61st Illinois was on the wing,--and the Mississippi Central Railroad +could "go hang." + +The regiment at this time was part of Gen. Nathan Kimball's division of +the 16th Corps, and the entire division left Tennessee to reinforce +Grant at Vicksburg. We arrived at Memphis in the afternoon of the same +day we left Bolivar, the distance between the two places being only +about 72 miles. The regiment bivouacked that night on a sandbar on the +water front of Memphis, which said bar extended from the water's edge +back to a high, steep sand-and-clay bank. And that, by the way, is the +only night I have ever spent within the limits of the city of Memphis. +While we were there on this occasion, I witnessed a pathetic incident, +which is yet as fresh and vivid in my memory as if it had happened only +yesterday. Soon after our arrival I procured a pass for a few hours, +and took a stroll through the city. While thus engaged I met two +hospital attendants carrying on a stretcher a wounded Union soldier. +They halted as I approached, and rested the stretcher on the sidewalk. +An old man was with them, apparently about sixty years old, of small +stature and slight frame, and wearing the garb of a civilian. I stopped, +and had a brief conversation with one of the stretcher-bearers. He told +me that the soldier had been wounded in one of the recent assaults by +the Union troops on the defenses of Vicksburg, and, with others of our +wounded, had just arrived at Memphis on a hospital boat. That the old +gentleman present was the father of the wounded boy, and having learned +at his home in some northern State of his son being wounded, had +started to Vicksburg to care for him; that the boat on which he was +journeying had rounded in at the Memphis wharf next to the above +mentioned hospital boat, and that he happened to see his son in the act +of being carried ashore, and thereupon at once went to him, and was +going with him to a hospital in the city. But the boy was dying, and +that was the cause of the halt made by the stretcher-bearers. The +soldier was quite young, seemingly not more than eighteen years old. He +had an orange, which his father had given him, tightly gripped in his +right hand, which was lying across his breast. But, poor boy! it was +manifest that that orange would never be tasted by him, as the glaze of +death was then gathering on his eyes, and he was in a semi-unconscious +condition. And the poor old father was fluttering around the stretcher, +in an aimless, distracted manner, wanting to do something to help his +boy--but the time had come when nothing could be done. While thus +occupied I heard him say in a low, broken voice, "He is--the only +boy--I have." This was on one of the principal streets of the city, and +the sidewalks were thronged with people, soldiers and civilians, +rushing to and fro on their various errands,--and what was happening at +this stretcher excited no attention beyond careless, passing glances. A +common soldier was dying,--that was all, nothing but "a leaf in the +storm." But for some reason or other the incident impressed me most +sadly and painfully. I didn't wait for the end, but hurried +away,--tried to forget the scene, but couldn't. + +On the evening of June 1st we filed on board the big, side-wheel +steamer "Luminary," which soon cast off from the wharf, and in company +with other transports crowded with soldiers, went steaming down the +Mississippi. Co. D, as usual, was assigned to a place on the hurricane +deck of the boat. After we had stacked arms, and hung our belts on the +muzzles of the guns, I hunted up a corner on the forward part of the +deck, sat down, looked at the river and the scenery along the +banks,--and thought. There came vividly to my mind the recollection of +the time, about fourteen months previous, when we started out from St. +Louis, down the "Father of Waters," bound for the "seat of war." The +old regiment, in every respect, had greatly changed since that time. +Then we were loud, confident, and boastful. Now we had become +altogether more quiet and grave in our demeanor. We had gradually +realized that it was not a Sunday school picnic excursion we were +engaged in, but a desperate and bloody war, and what the individual +fate of each of us might be before it was over, no one could tell. +There is nothing which, in my opinion, will so soon make a man out of a +boy as actual service in time of war. Our faces had insensibly taken on +a stern and determined look, and soldiers who a little over a year ago +were mere laughing, foolish boys, were now sober, steady, self-relying +men. We had been taking lessons in what was, in many important +respects, the best school in the world. + +Our voyage down the river was uneventful. We arrived at the mouth of +the Yazoo river on the evening of June 3rd. There our fleet turned +square to the left, and proceeded up that stream. Near the mouth of the +Chickasaw Bayou, the fleet landed on the left bank of the stream, the +boats tied up for the night, we went on the shore and bivouacked there +that night. It was quite a relief to get on solid ground, and where we +could stretch our legs and stroll around a little. Next morning we +re-embarked at an early hour, and continued up the Yazoo. During the +forenoon we learned from one of the boat's crew that we were +approaching a point called "Alligator Bend," and if we would be on the +lookout we would see some alligators. None of us, so far as I know, had +ever seen any of those creatures, and, of course, we were all agog to +have a view of them. A few of the best shots obtained permission from +the officers to try their muskets on the reptiles, in case any showed +up. On reaching the bend indicated, there were the alligators, sure +enough, lazily swimming about, and splashing in the water. They were +sluggish, ugly looking things, and apparently from six to eight feet +long. Our marksmen opened fire at once. I had read in books at home +that the skin of an alligator was so hard and tough that it was +impervious to an ordinary rifle bullet. That may have been true as +regards the round balls of the old small-bore rifle, but it was not the +case with the conical bullets of our hard-hitting muskets. The boys +would aim at a point just behind the fore-shoulder, the ball would +strike the mark with a loud "whack," a jet of blood would spurt high in +the air, the alligator would give a convulsive flounce,--and disappear. +It had doubtless got its medicine. But this "alligator practice" didn't +last long. Gen. Kimball, on learning the cause, sent word mighty quick +from the headquarters boat to "Stop that firing!"--and we stopped. + +About noon on the 4th we arrived at the little town of Satartia on the +left bank of the Yazoo, and about 40 miles above its mouth; there the +fleet halted, tied up, and the troops debarked, and marched out to the +highlands back of the town. We were now in a region that was new to us, +and we soon saw several novel and strange things. There was a +remarkable natural growth, called "Spanish moss," that was very +plentiful, and a most fantastic looking thing. It grew on nearly all +the trees, was of a grayish-white color, with long, pendulous stems. +The lightest puff of air would set it in motion, and on a starlight +night, or when the moon was on the wane and there was a slight breeze, +it presented a most ghostly and uncanny appearance. And the woods were +full of an unusual sort of squirrels, being just as black as crows. +They were in size, as I now remember, of a grade intermediate the fox-and +gray-squirrels we had at home. But all their actions and habits +appeared to be just the same as those of their northern cousins. And +there was a most singular bird of the night that was quite numerous +here, called the "chuck-will's widow," on account of the resemblance +its note bore to those words. It belonged to the whippoorwill family, +but was some larger. It would sound its monotonous call in the night +for hours at a stretch, and I think its mournful cry, heard when alone, +on picket at night out in dense, gloomy woods, is just the most +lonesome, depressing strain I ever heard. + +On the afternoon of the 4th all our force advanced in the direction of +the little town of Mechanicsburg, which lay a few miles back of the +river. Those in the front encountered Confederate cavalry, and a lively +little skirmish ensued, in which our regiment was not engaged. Our +troops burnt Mechanicsburg, and captured about forty of the +Confederates. I was standing by the side of the road when these +prisoners were being taken to the rear. They were all young chaps, +fine, hearty looking fellows, and were the best looking little bunch of +Confederates I saw during the war. Early in the morning of June 6th we +fell into line and marched southwest, in the direction of Vicksburg. +Our route, in the main, was down the valley of the Yazoo river. And it +will be said here that this was the hottest, most exhausting march I +was on during my entire service. In the first place, the weather was +intensely hot. Then the road down the valley on which we marched mostly +ran through immense fields of corn higher than our heads. The fields +next the road were not fenced, and the corn grew close to the beaten +track. Not the faintest breeze was stirring, and the hot, stifling dust +enveloped us like a blanket. Every now and then we would pass a soldier +lying by the side of the road, overcome by the heat and unconscious, +while one or two of his comrades would be standing by him, bathing his +face and chest with water, and trying to revive him. I put green +hickory leaves in my cap, and kept them well saturated with water from +my canteen. The leaves would retain the moisture and keep my head cool, +and when they became stale and withered, would be thrown away, and +fresh ones procured. Several men died on this march from sun-stroke; +none, however, from our regiment, but we all suffered fearfully. And +pure drinking water was very scarce too. It was pitiful to see the men +struggling for water at the farm house wells we occasionally passed. In +their frenzied desperation they would spill much more than they saved, +and ere long would have the well drawn dry. But one redeeming feature +about this march was--we were not hurried. There were frequent halts, +to give the men time to breathe, and on such occasions, if we were +fortunate enough to find a pool of stagnant swamp-water, we would wash +the dirt and dust from our faces and out of our eyes. + +As we trudged down the Yazoo valley, we continued to see things that +were new and strange. We passed by fields of growing rice, and I saw +many fig trees, loaded with fruit, but which was yet green. And in the +yards of the most of the farm houses was a profusion of domestic +flowers, such as did not bloom in the north, of wonderful color and +beauty. But, on the other hand, on the afternoon of the second day's +march, I happened to notice by the side of the road an enormous +rattlesnake, which evidently had been killed by some soldier only a +short time before we passed. It seemingly was between five and six feet +long, and the middle of its body appeared to be as thick as a man's +thigh. Its rattles had been removed, presumably as a trophy. It was +certainly a giant among rattlesnakes, and doubtless was an "old-timer." + +On the evening of June 7th, about sundown, we arrived at Haines' Bluff +on the Yazoo river, and there went into camp. This point was about +twelve miles north of Vicksburg, and had been strongly fortified by the +Confederates, but Grant's movements had compelled them to abandon their +works without a battle. There had been a large number of the +Confederates camped there, and the ground was littered with the trash +and rubbish that accumulates in quarters. And our friends in gray had +left some things in these old camps which ere long we all fervently +wished they had taken with them, namely, a most plentiful quantity of +the insect known as "Pediculus vestimenti," which forthwith assailed us +as voraciously as if they had been on quarter rations, or less, ever +since the beginning of the war. + +On June 16th we left Haines' Bluff, and marched about two miles down +the Yazoo river to Snyder's Bluff, where we went into camp. Our duties +here, as they had been at Haines', were standing picket, and +constructing fortifications. We had the usual dress parade at sunset, +but the drills were abandoned; we had more important work to do. +General Joe Johnston, the Confederate commander outside of Vicksburg, +was at Jackson, Mississippi, or in that immediate vicinity, and was +collecting a force to move on Grant's rear, in order to compel him to +raise the siege. Grant thought that if Johnston attacked, it would be +from the northeast, so he established a line of defense extending +southeast, from Haines' Bluff on the north to Black river on the south, +and placed Gen. Sherman in command of this line. As Grant has said +somewhere in his Memoirs, the country in this part of Mississippi +"stands on edge." That is to say, it consists largely of a succession +of high ridges with sharp, narrow summits. Along this line of defense, +the general course of these ridges was such that they were admirably +adapted for defensive purposes. We went to work on the ridges with +spades and mattocks, and constructed the strongest field fortifications +that I ever saw during the war. We dug away the crests, throwing the +dirt to the front, and made long lines of breastworks along our entire +front, facing, of course, the northeast. Then, at various places, on +commanding points, were erected strong redoubts for artillery, floored, +and revetted on the inner walls with thick and strong green lumber and +timbers. On the exterior slopes of the ridges were dug three lines of +trenches, or rifle pits, extending in a parallel form from near the +base of the ridges almost to the summit, with intervals between the +lines. All the trees and bushes in our front on the slopes of the +ridges were cut down, with their tops outwards, thus forming a tangled +abattis which looked as if a rabbit could hardly get through. And +finally, on the inner slope of the ridges, a little below their +summits, was constructed a "covered way;" that is, a road dug along the +sides of the ridges, and over which an army, with batteries of +artillery, could have marched with perfect safety. The purpose of these +covered ways was to have a safe and sheltered road right along our rear +by which any position on the line could be promptly reinforced, if +necessary. + +Sometimes I would walk along the parapet of our works, looking off to +the northeast where the Confederates were supposed to be, and I +ardently wished that they would attack us. Our defenses were so strong +that in my opinion it would have been a physical impossibility for +flesh and blood to have carried them. Had Johnston tried, he simply +would have sacrificed thousands of his men without accomplishing +anything to his own advantage. + +It will be said here that I have no recollection of having personally +taken part in the construction of the fortifications above mentioned. +In fact, I never did an hour's work in the trenches, with spade and +mattock, during all my time. I never "took" willingly to that kind of +soldiering. But there were plenty of the boys who preferred it to +standing picket, because when on fatigue duty, as it was called, they +would quit about sundown, and then get an unbroken night's sleep. So, +when it fell to my lot to be detailed for fatigue, I would swap with +someone who had been assigned to picket,--he would do my duty, and I +would perform his; we were both satisfied, and the fair inference is +that no harm was thereby done to the cause. And it was intensely +interesting to me, when on picket at night on the crest of some high +ridge, to stand and listen to the roar of our cannon pounding at +Vicksburg, and watch the flight of the shells from Grant's siege guns +and from the heavy guns of our gunboats on the Mississippi. The shells +they threw seemed principally to be of the "fuse" variety, and the +burning fuse, as the shell flew through the air, left a stream of +bright red light behind it like a rocket. I would lean on my gun and +contemplate the spectacle with far more complacency and satisfaction +than was felt when anxiously watching the practice on us by the other +fellows at Salem Cemetery about six months before. + +There was another thing I was wont to observe with peculiar attention, +when on picket at night during the siege; namely, the operations of the +Signal Corps. In the night time they used lighted lanterns in the +transmission of intelligence, and they had a code by which the signals +could be read with practically the same accuracy as if they had been +printed words. The movements of the lights looked curious and strange, +something elf-like, with a suspicion of witchcraft, or deviltry of some +kind, about them. They would make all sorts of gyrations, up, down, a +circle, a half circle to the right, then one to the left, and so on. +Sometimes they would be unusually active. Haines' Bluff would talk to +Snyder's; Snyder's to Sherman's headquarters; Sherman's to Grant's, and +back and forth, all along the line. Occasionally at some station the +lights would act almost like some nervous man talking at his highest +speed in a perfect splutter of excitement,--and then they would seem as +if drunk, or crazy. Of course, I knew nothing of the code of +interpretation, and so understood nothing,--could only look and +speculate. In modern warfare the telephone has probably superseded the +Signal Service, but the latter certainly played an important part in +our Civil War. + +During the siege we lived high on some comestibles not included in the +regular army rations. Corn was in the roasting ear state, and there +were plenty of big fields of it beyond and near the picket lines, and +we helped ourselves liberally. Our favorite method of cooking the corn +was to roast it in the "shuck." We would "snap" the ears from the +stalk, leaving the shuck intact, daub over the outside a thin plaster +of mud (or sometimes just saturate the ears in water), then cover them +with hot ashes and live coals. By the time the fire had consumed the +shuck down to the last or inner layer, the corn was done, and it made +most delicious eating. We had no butter to spread on it, but it was +good enough without. And then the blackberries! I have never seen them +so numerous and so large as they were there on those ridges in the rear +of Vicksburg. I liked them best raw, taken right from the vine, but +sometimes, for a change, would stew them in my coffee can, adding a +little sugar, and prepared in this manner they were fine. But, like the +darkey's rabbit,--they were good any way. The only serious drawback +that we had on our part of the line was the unusual amount of fatal +sickness that prevailed among the men. The principal types of disease +were camp diarrhea and malarial fevers, resulting, in all probability, +largely from the impure water we drank. At first we procured water from +shallow and improvised wells that we dug in the hollows and ravines. +Wild cane grew luxuriantly in this locality, attaining a height of +fifteen or twenty feet, and all other wild vegetation was rank in +proportion. The annual growth of all this plant life had been dying and +rotting on the ground for ages, and the water would filter through this +decomposing mass, and become well-nigh poisonous. An order was soon +issued that we should get all water for drinking and cooking purposes +from the Yazoo river, and boil it before using, but it was impossible +to compel complete obedience to such an order. When men got thirsty, +they would drink whatever was handy,--orders to the contrary +notwithstanding. And the water of the river was about as bad as the +swamp water. I have read somewhere that "Yazoo" is an Indian word, +signifying "The River of Death," and if so, it surely was correctly +named. It is just my opinion, as a common soldier, that the epidemic of +camp diarrhea could have been substantially prevented if all the men +had eaten freely of blackberries. I didn't have a touch of that +disorder during all the time we were in that locality, and I attribute +my immunity to the fact that I ate liberally of blackberries about +every day. But camp diarrhea is something that gets in its work quick, +and after the men got down with it, they possibly had no chance to get +the berries. And all the time we were at Snyder, nearly every hour of +the day, could be heard the doleful, mournful notes of the "Dead +March," played by the military bands, as some poor fellow was being +taken to his long home. It seemed to me at the time, and seems so yet, +that they should have left out that piece of music. It did no good, and +its effect was very depressing, especially on the sick. Under such +circumstances, it would seem that common sense, if exercised, would +have dictated the keeping dumb of such saddening funeral strains. + +Sometime during the latter part of June the regiment was paid two +months' pay by Major C. L. Bernay, a Paymaster of the U.S. Army. He +was a fine old German, of remarkably kind and benevolent appearance, +and looked more like a venerable Catholic priest than a military man. +After he had paid off the regiment, his escort loaded his money chest +and his personal stuff into an ambulance, and he was soon ready to go +to some other regiment. Several of our officers had assembled to bid +him good-by, and I happened to be passing along, and witnessed what +transpired. The few farewell remarks of the old man were punctuated by +the roar of the big guns of our army and navy pounding away at +Vicksburg, and the incident impressed me as somewhat pathetic. +"Goot-by, Colonel," said Major Bernay, extending his hand; (Boom!) +"Goot-by Major;" (Boom!) "Goot-by, Captain;" (Boom!) and so on, to the +others. Then, with a wave of his hand to all the little group, +"Goot-by, shentlemens, all." (Boom!) "Maybe so (Boom!) we meet not +again." (Boom, boom, boom!) It was quite apparent that he was thinking +of the so-called "fortunes of war." Then he sprang into his ambulance, +and drove away. His prediction proved true--we never met again. + +The morning of the Fourth of July opened serene and peaceful, more so, +in fact, than in old times at home, for with us not even the popping of +a fire-cracker was heard. And the stillness south of us continued as +the day wore on,--the big guns of the army and navy remained absolutely +quiet. Our first thought was that because the day was a national +holiday, Grant had ordered a cessation of the firing in order to give +his soldiers a day of needed rest. It was not until some time in the +afternoon that a rumor began to circulate among the common soldiers +that Vicksburg had surrendered, and about sundown we learned that such +was the fact. So far as I saw or heard, we indulged in no whooping or +yelling over the event. We had been confident, all the time, that the +thing would finally happen, so we were not taken by surprise. There was +a feeling of satisfaction and relief that the end had come, but we took +it coolly and as a matter of course. + +On the same day that Vicksburg surrendered Grant started the greater +part of his army, under the command of Gen. Sherman, in the direction +of Jackson for the purpose of attacking Gen. Johnston. Our division, +however, remained at Snyder's until July 12th, when we left there, +marching southeast. I remember this march especially, from the fact +that the greater part of it was made during the night. This was done in +order to avoid the excessive heat that prevailed in the daytime. As we +plodded along after sunset, at route step, and arms at will, a low hum +of conversation could be heard, and occasionally a loud laugh, "that +spoke the vacant mind." By ten o'clock we were tired (we had been on +the road since noon), and moreover, getting very sleepy. Profound +silence now prevailed in the ranks, broken only by the rattle of +canteens against the shanks of the bayonets, and the heavy, monotonous +tramp of the men. As Walter Scott has said somewhere in one of his +poetical works: + + "No cymbal clashed, no clarion rang, + Still were the pipe and drum; + Save heavy tread and armor's clang, + The sullen march was dumb." + +The column halted about midnight, we bivouacked in the woods by the +side of the road, and I was asleep about as soon as I struck the +ground. + +We resumed the march early in the morning, and during the forenoon +arrived at Messinger's ford, on Black river, where we went into camp. +We remained here only until July 17, and on that day marched a few +miles south to the railroad crossing on Black river, and bivouacked on +the west bank of the stream. The Confederates during the campaign had +thrown up breastworks of cotton bales, which evidently had extended for +quite a distance above and below the railroad crossing. When our +fellows came along they tore open the bales and used the cotton to +sleep on, and when we arrived at the place the fleecy stuff was +scattered over the ground, in some places half-knee deep, all over that +portion of the river bottom. It looked like a big snowfall. Cotton, at +that very time, was worth one dollar a pound in the New York market, +and scarce at that. A big fortune was there in the dirt, going to +waste, but we were not in the cotton business just then, so it made no +difference to us. At the beginning of the war, it was confidently +asserted by the advocates of the secession movement that "Cotton was +king;" that the civilized world couldn't do without it, and as the +South had a virtual monopoly of the stuff, the need of it would compel +the European nations to recognize the independence of the Southern +Confederacy, and which would thereby result in the speedy and complete +triumph of the Confederate cause. But in thus reasoning they ignored a +law of human nature. Men, under the pressure of necessity, can get +along without many things which they have previously regarded as +indispensable. At this day, in my opinion, many of the alleged wants of +mankind are purely artificial, and we would be better off if they were +cut out altogether. Aside from various matters of food and drink and +absurdities in garb and ornaments, numbers of our rich women in eastern +cities regard life as a failure unless they each possess a thousand +dollar pet dog, decorated with ribbons and diamond ornaments and +honored at dog-functions with a seat at the table, where, on such +occasions, pictures of the dogs, with their female owners sitting by +them, are taken and reproduced in quarter-page cuts in the Sunday +editions of the daily papers. If these women would knock the dogs in +the head and bring into the world legitimate babies, (or even +illegitimate, for their husbands are probably of the capon breed,) then +they might be of some use to the human race; as it is they are a +worthless, unnatural burlesque on the species. But this has nothing to +do with the war, or the 61st Illinois, so I will pass on. + +While we were at the Black river railroad bridge thousands of paroled +Confederate soldiers captured at Vicksburg passed us, walking on the +railroad track, going eastward. We had strict orders to abstain from +making to them any insulting or taunting remarks, and so far as I saw, +these orders were faithfully obeyed. The Confederates looked hard. They +were ragged, sallow, emaciated, and seemed depressed and disconsolate. +They went by us with downcast looks and in silence. I heard only one of +them make any remark whatever, and he was a little drummer boy, +apparently not more than fifteen years old. He tried to say something +funny,--but it was a dismal failure. + +While in camp at the railroad crossing on Black river, a most agreeable +incident occurred, the pleasure of which has not been lessened by the +flight of time, but rather augmented. But to comprehend it fully, some +preliminary explanation might be advisable. Before the war there lived +a few miles from our home, near the Jersey Landing settlement, a quaint +and most interesting character, of the name of Benjamin F. Slaten. He +owned and lived on a farm, but had been admitted to the bar, and +practiced law to some extent, as a sort of a side-line. But I think +that until after the war his practice, in the main, was confined to the +courts of justices of the peace. He was a shrewd, sensible old man, of +a remarkably kind and genial disposition, but just about the homeliest +looking individual I ever saw. And he had a most singular, squeaky sort +of a voice, with a kind of a nasal twang to it, which if heard once +could never be forgotten. He was an old friend of my father's, and had +been his legal adviser (so far as his few and trifling necessities in +that line required) from time immemorial. And for a year or so prior to +the outbreak of the war my thoughts had been running much on the +science of law, and I had a strong desire, if the thing could be +accomplished, to sometime be a lawyer myself. So, during the period +aforesaid, whenever I would meet "Uncle Ben" (as we frequently called +him), I would have a lot of questions to fire at him about some law +points, which it always seemed to give him much pleasure to answer. I +remember yet one statement he made to me that later, (and sometimes to +my great chagrin,) I found out was undeniably true. "Leander," said he, +"if ever you get into the practice of law, you'll find that it is just +plum full of little in-trick-ate pints." (But things are not as bad now +in that respect as they were then.) The war ensued, and in September, +1862, he entered the service as Captain of Co. K of the 97th Illinois +Infantry. He was about forty-two years old at this time. In due course +of events the regiment was sent south, and became a part of the Army of +the Tennessee, but the paths of the 61st and the 97th were on different +lines, and I never met Capt. Slaten in the field until the happening of +the incident now to be mentioned. + +When we were at Black river I was on picket one night about a mile or +so from camp, at a point on an old country road. Some time shortly +after midnight, while I was curled up asleep in a corner of the old +worm fence by the side of the road, I was suddenly awakened by an +energetic shake, accompanied by the loud calling of my name. I sprang +to my feet at once, thinking maybe some trouble was afoot, and, to my +surprise, saw Capt. Keeley standing in front of me, with some other +gentleman. "Stillwell," said Keeley, "here's an old friend of yours. He +wanted to see you, and being pressed for time, his only chance for a +little visit was to come to you on the picket line." My caller stood +still, and said nothing. I saw that he was an officer, for his shoulder +straps were plainly visible, but I could not be sure of his rank, for +there was no moon, and the night was dark. He was wearing an old +"sugar-loaf" hat, seemingly much decayed, his blouse was covered with +dust, and, in general, he looked tough. His face was covered with a +thick, scraggy beard, and under all these circumstances it was +impossible for me to recognize him. I was very anxious to do so in view +of the trouble the officer had taken to come away out on the picket +line, in the middle of the night, to see me, but I just couldn't, and +began to stammer a sort of apology about the darkness of the night +hindering a prompt recognition, when the "unknown" gave his head a +slant to one side, and, in his never forgettable voice, spoke thus to +Keeley: "I told you he wouldn't know me." "I know you now," said I; +"I'd recognize that voice if I heard it in Richmond! This is Capt. Ben +Slaten, of the 97th Illinois;" and springing forward I seized his right +hand with both of mine, while he threw his left arm about my neck and +fairly hugged me. It soon came out in the conversation that ensued that +his regiment had been with Sherman in the recent move on Jackson; that +it was now returning with that army to the vicinity of Vicksburg, and +had arrived at Black river that night; that he had at once hunted up +the 61st Illinois to have a visit with me, and ascertaining that I was +on picket, had persuaded Capt. Keeley to come with him to the picket +line, as his regiment would leave early in the morning on the march, +hence this would be his only opportunity for a brief meeting. And we +all certainly had a most delightful visit with the old Captain. From +the time of his arrival until his departure there was no sleeping, by +anybody, on that picket post. We sat on the ground in a little circle +around him, and listened to his comical and side-splitting stories of +army life, and incidents in camp and field generally. He was an +inimitable story teller, and his peculiar tone and manner added +immensely to the comicality of his anecdotes. And somehow he had the +happy faculty of extracting something humorous, or absurd, from what +the generality of men would have regarded as a very serious affair. He +did the most of the talking that night, while the rest of us sat there +and fairly screamed with laughter. It was well known and understood +that there were no armed Confederates in our vicinity, so we ran no +risk in being a little careless. Finally, when the owls began tuning up +for day, the old Captain bade us good-by, and trudged away, accompanied +by Capt. Keeley. + +To fully comprehend this little episode, it is, perhaps, necessary to +have some understanding and appreciation of how a soldier away down +south, far from home and the friends he had left behind, enjoyed +meeting some dear old friend of the loved neighborhood of home. It was +almost equal to having a short furlough. + +I never again met Capt. Slaten during the war. He came out of it alive, +with an excellent record,--and about thirty-seven years after the close +died at his old home in Jersey county, Illinois, sincerely regretted +and mourned by a large circle of acquaintances and friends. + + + + +CHAPTER XI. + +HELENA, ARKANSAS. LIFE IN A HOSPITAL. AUGUST, 1863. + + +General Sherman soon drove General Johnston out of Jackson, and beyond +Pearl river, and then his column returned to the vicinity of Vicksburg. +On July 22nd our division marched back to Snyder's Bluff, and resumed +our old camp. But we had not been here long before it was rumored that +we were under marching orders, and would soon leave for some point in +Arkansas. Sure enough, on July 29th we marched to the Yazoo river and +filed on board the side-wheel steamer "Sultana," steamed down the river +to its mouth, and there turned up the Mississippi, headed north. I will +remark here that one of the most tragical and distressing incidents of +the war was directly connected with a frightful disaster that later +befell the above named steamboat. It left Vicksburg for the north on or +about April 25, 1865, having on board nearly 1900 Union soldiers, all +of whom (with few exceptions) were paroled prisoners. On the morning of +April 27th, while near Memphis, the boilers of the boat exploded, and +it was burnt to the water's edge. Over 1100 of these unfortunate men +perished in the wreck, in different ways; some scalded to death by +escaping steam, some by fire, others (and the greatest number) by +drowning. Besides the soldiers, cabin passengers and members of the +boat's crew, to the number of about 140, also perished. It was the +greatest disaster, of that kind, that ever occurred on the Mississippi. + +It may, perhaps, be noticed that the regiment is leaving the vicinity +of Vicksburg without my saying a word about the appearance, at that +time, of that celebrated stronghold. There is good reason for it; +namely, it so happened that we never were in the place. We were close +to it, on the north and on the east, but that was all. And I never yet +have seen Vicksburg, and it is not probable now that I ever shall. + +We arrived at Helena, Arkansas, on July 31st, debarked and went into +camp near the bank of the river, about two miles below the town. There +were no trees in our camp except a few cottonwoods; the ground on which +we walked, sat, and slept was, in the main, just a mass of hot sand, +and we got water for drinking and cooking purposes from the Mississippi +river. The country back of the town, and in that immediate vicinity +generally, was wild and thinly settled, and had already been +well-foraged, so we were restricted to the ordinary army diet, of which +one of the principal items, as usual, was fat sow-belly. I never +understood why we were not allowed to camp in the woods west of the +town. There was plenty of high, well-shaded space there, and we soon +could have sunk wells that would have furnished cool, palatable water. +But this was not done, and the regiment remained for about two weeks +camped on the river bank, in the conditions above described. A natural +result was that numbers of the men were prostrated by malarial fever, +and this time I happened to be one of them. I now approach a painful +period of my army career. I just lay there, in a hot tent, on the +sand,--oh, so sick! But I fought off going to the hospital as long as +possible. I had a superstitious dread of an army hospital. I had seen +so many of the boys loaded into ambulances, and hauled off to such a +place, who never returned, that I was determined never to go to one if +it could be avoided in any honorable way. But the time came when it was +a military necessity that I should go, and there was no alternative. +The campaign that was in contemplation was a movement westward against +the Confederates under Gen. Sterling Price at Little Rock, with the +intention of capturing that place and driving the Confederates from the +State. The officer in command of the Union forces was Gen. Frederick +Steele. Marching orders were issued, fixing the 13th of August as the +day our regiment would start. All the sick who were unable to march +(and I was among that number) were to be sent to the Division Hospital. +So, on the morning before the regiment moved, an ambulance drove up to +my tent, and some of the boys carried me out and put me in the vehicle. +Capt. Keeley was standing by; he pressed my hand and said, "Good-by, +Stillwell; brace up! You'll be all right soon." I was feeling too +wretched to talk much; I only said, "Good-by, Captain," and let it go +at that. Later, when I rejoined the regiment, Keeley told me that when +he bade me good-by that morning he never expected to see me again. + +Our Division Hospital, to which I was taken, consisted of a little +village of wall tents in the outskirts of Helena. The tents were +arranged in rows, with perhaps from fifteen to twenty in a row, with +their ends pinned back against the sides, thus making an open space +down an entire row. The sick men lay on cots, of which there was a line +on each side of the interior of the tents, with a narrow aisle between. +I remained at the hospital eight days, and was very sick the most of +the time, and retain a distinct recollection of only a few things. But, +aside from men dying all around me, both day and night, nothing +important happened. All the accounts that I have read of this movement +of Gen. Steele's on Little Rock agree in stating that the number of men +he left sick at Helena and other places between there and Little Rock +was extraordinary and beyond all usual proportions. And from what I saw +myself, I think these statements must be true. And a necessary +consequence of this heavy sick list was the fact that it must have been +impossible to give the invalids the care and attention they should have +received. We had but few attendants, and they were soldiers detailed +for that purpose who were too feeble to march, but were supposed to be +capable of rendering hospital service. And the medical force left with +us was so scanty that it was totally inadequate for the duties they +were called on to perform. Oh, those nights were so long! At intervals +in the aisle a bayonet would be stuck in the ground with a lighted +candle in its socket, and when a light went out, say after midnight, it +stayed out, and we would toss around on those hard cots in a state of +semi-darkness until daylight. If any attendants moved around among us +in the later hours of the night I never saw them. We had well-water to +drink, which, of course, was better than that from the river, but it +would soon become insipid and warm, and sometimes, especially during +the night, we didn't have enough of that. On one occasion, about +midnight, soon after I was taken to the hospital, I was burning with +fever, and became intolerably thirsty for a drink of water. No +attendants were in sight, and the candles had all gone out but one or +two, which emitted only a sort of flickering light that barely served +to "render darkness visible." My suffering became well-nigh +unendurable, and I could stand it no longer. I got up and staggered to +the door of the tent and looking about me saw not far away a light +gleaming through a tent that stood apart from the others. I made my way +to it as best I could, and went in. A young fellow, maybe an assistant +surgeon, was seated at the further end cf a little desk, writing. My +entrance was so quiet that he did not hear me, and walking up to him, I +said, in a sort of a hollow voice: "I want--a drink--of water." The +fellow dropped his pen, and nearly fell off his stool. The only garment +I had on was a white, sleazy sort of cotton bed-gown, which they garbed +us all in when we were taken to the hospital; and this chap's eyes, as +he stared at me, looked as if they would pop out of his head. Perhaps +he thought I was a "gliding ghost." But he got me some water, and I +drank copiously. I don't clearly remember what followed. It seems to me +that this man helped me back to my tent, but I am not sure. However, I +was in the same old cot next morning. + +The fare at the hospital was not of a nature liable to generate an +attack of the gout, but I reckon those in charge did the best they +could. The main thing seemed to be a kind of thin soup, with some +grains of rice, or barley, in it. What the basis of it was I don't +know. I munched a hardtack occasionally, which was far better than the +soup. But my appetite was quite scanty, anyhow. One day we each had at +dinner, served in our tin plates, about two or three tablespoonfuls of +preserved currants, for which it was said we were indebted to the U.S. +Sanitary Commission. It seemed that a boat load of such goods came down +the river, in charge of a committee of ladies, destined for our +hospitals at Vicksburg. The boat happened to make a temporary stop at +Helena, and the ladies ascertained that there was at the hospitals +there great need of sanitary supplies, so they donated us the bulk of +their cargo. I will remark here that that little dab of currants was +all the U.S. Sanitary stuff I consumed during my army service. I am +not kicking; merely stating the fact. Those goods very properly went to +the hospitals, and as my stay therein was brief, my share of the +delicacies was consequently correspondingly slight. + +As regards the medicine given us in the hospital at Helena, my +recollection is that it was almost entirely quinine, and the doses were +frequent and copious, which I suppose was all right. + +There was a boy in my company of about my age; a tall, lanky chap, +named John Barton. He had lived in our neighborhood at home, and we +were well acquainted prior to our enlistment. He was a kind hearted, +good sort of a fellow, but he had, while in the army, one unfortunate +weakness,--the same being a voracious appetite for intoxicating liquor. +And he had a remarkable faculty for getting the stuff, under any and +all circumstances. He could nose it out, in some way, as surely and +readily as a bear could find a bee-tree. But to keep the record +straight, I will further say that after his discharge he turned over a +new leaf, quit the use of whisky, and lived a strictly temperate life. +He was "under the weather" when the regiment left Helena, and so was +detailed to serve as a nurse at the hospital, and was thus engaged in +my tent. Since making that bad break at Owl Creek I had avoided whisky +as if it were a rattlesnake, but somehow, while here in the hospital, I +began to feel an intense craving for some "spiritus frumenti," as the +surgeons called it. So one day I asked John Barton if he couldn't get +me a canteenful of whisky. He said he didn't know, was afraid it would +be a difficult job,--but to give him my canteen, and he would try. That +night, as late maybe as one or two o'clock, and when the lights were +nearly all out, as usual, I heard some one stealthily walking up the +aisle, and stopping occasionally at different cots, and presently I +heard a hoarse whisper, "Stillwell! Stillwell!" "Here!" I answered, in +the same tone. The speaker then came to me,--it was old John, and +stooping down, he whispered, "By God, I've got it!" "Bully for you, +John!" said I. He raised me to a sitting posture, removed the cork, and +put the mouth of the canteen to my lips,--and I drank about as long as +I could hold my breath. John took a moderate swig himself, then +carefully put the canteen in my knapsack, which was serving as my +pillow, cautioned me to keep it concealed to avoid its being stolen, +and went away. I was asleep in about five minutes after my head struck +my knapsack, and slept all the balance of the night just like a baby. +On waking up, I felt better, too, and wanted something to eat. However, +let no one think, who may read these lines, that I favor the use of +whisky as a medicine, for I don't. But the situation in those Helena +hospitals was unusual and abnormal. The water was bad, our food was no +good and very unsatisfactory, and the conditions generally were simply +wretched. I am not blaming the military authorities. They doubtless did +the best they could. It seemed to me that I was getting weaker every +day. It looked as if something had to be done, and acting on the maxim +that "desperate cases require desperate remedies," I resorted for the +time being to the whisky treatment. I made one unsuccessful attempt +afterwards to get some to serve as a tonic, which perhaps may be +mentioned later, and then forever abandoned the use of the stuff for +any purpose. + +Immediately succeeding the above mentioned incident, the fever let up +on me, and I began to get better, though still very weak. My great +concern, right now, was to rejoin the regiment just as soon as +possible. It was taking part in an active campaign, in which fighting +was expected, and the idea was intolerable that the other boys should +be at the front, marching and fighting, while I was in the rear, +playing the part of a "hospital pimp." It was reported that a steamboat +was going to leave soon, via Mississippi and White rivers, with +convalescents for Steele's army, and I made up my mind to go on that +boat, at all hazards. But to accomplish that it was necessary, as I was +informed, to get a written permit from the Division Surgeon, Maj. +Shuball York, of the 54th Illinois Infantry. So one morning, bright and +early, I blacked my shoes and brushed up my old cap and clothing +generally, and started to Maj. York's headquarters to get the desired +permission. He was occupying a large two-story house, with shade trees +in the yard, in the residence part of town, and his office was in the +parlor, in the first story of the building. I walked in, and found an +officer of the rank of Major seated at a table, engaged in writing. I +removed my cap and, standing at attention, saluted him, and asked if +this was Maj. York, and was answered in the affirmative. I had my +little speech carefully prepared, and proceeded at once to deliver it, +as follows: + +"My name is Leander Stillwell; I am a sergeant of Co. D, of the 61st +Illinois Infantry, which is now with Gen. Steele's army. The regiment +marched about a week ago, and, as I was then sick with a fever, I could +not go, but was sent to the Division Hospital, here in Helena. I am now +well, and have come to you to request a permit to enable me to rejoin +my regiment." + +The Major looked at me closely while I was speaking, and after I had +concluded he remained silent for a few seconds, still scrutinizing me +intently. Then he said, in a low and very kind tone: "Why, sergeant, +you are not able for duty, and won't be for some time. Stay here till +you get a little stronger." + +His statement was a bitter disappointment to me. I stood there in +silence a little while, twisting and turning, with trembling hands, my +old faded and battered cap. I finally managed to say, "I want--to +go--to--my regiment;"--and here my lips began to tremble, and I got no +further. Now don't laugh at this. It was simply the case of a boy, weak +and broken down by illness, who was homesick to be with his comrades. +The Major did not immediately respond to my last remark, but continued +to look at me intently. Presently he picked up his pen, and said: "I am +inclined to think that the best medical treatment for you is to let you +go to your regiment;" and he thereupon wrote and handed me the permit, +which was quite brief, consisting only of a few lines. I thanked him, +and departed with a light heart. + +I will digress here for a moment to chronicle, with deep sorrow, the +sad fate that ultimately befell the kind and noble surgeon, Maj. York. +While he, with his regiment, was home on veteran furlough, in March, +1864, an organized gang of Copperheads made a dastardly attack on some +of the soldiers of the regiment at Charleston, Illinois, and murdered +Maj. York and five privates, and also severely wounded the Colonel, +Greenville M. Mitchell, and three privates. (See Official Records, War +of the Rebellion, Serial No. 57, page 629, et seq.) + +The war ended over half a century ago, and the feelings and passions +engendered thereby, as between the people of the Nation and those of +the late Confederate States, have well-nigh wholly subsided, which is +right. But nevertheless I will set it down here that in my opinion the +most "undesirable citizens" that ever have afflicted our country were +the traitorous, malignant breed that infested some portions of the +loyal States during the war, and were known as "Copperheads." The +rattlesnake gives warning before it strikes, but the copperhead snake, +of equally deadly venom, gives none, and the two-legged copperheads +invariably pursued the same course. They deserved the name. + +On leaving Maj. York's office I returned to the hospital and gathered +up my stuff, which included my gun, cartridge box, knapsack, haversack, +and canteen,--and said good-by to Barton and the other boys I knew. +Then to the commissary tent, and exhibiting my permit, was furnished +with five days' rations of hardtack, bacon, coffee, and sugar. Thence +to the river landing, and on to the steamboat "Pike," which was to take +the present batch of convalescents to Steele's army. + + + + +CHAPTER XII. + +DEVALL'S BLUFF. LITTLE ROCK. AUGUST-OCTOBER, 1863. + + +On the morning of August 21st, the "Pike" cast off, and started down +the Mississippi river. On reaching the mouth of White river, we turned +up that stream, and on August 26th arrived at Devall's Bluff, on the +west bank, where we debarked. Our trip from Helena was slow and +uneventful. The country along White river from its mouth to Devall's +Bluff was wild, very thinly settled, and practically in a state of +nature. We passed only two towns on the stream--St. Charles and +Clarendon, both small places. On different occasions I saw several +bears and deer on the river bank, they having come there for water. Of +course they ran back into the woods when the boat got near them. All of +Steele's infantry was temporarily in camp at Devall's Bluff, while his +cavalry was some miles further out. I soon found the old regiment, and +received a warm welcome from all of Co. D. They were much surprised to +see me, as they had no idea that I would be able to leave the hospital +so soon. They had had no fighting on this campaign, so far, and they +said that their march across the country from Helena had been +monotonous and devoid of any special interest. + +During my first night at Devall's Bluff there came a heavy and +protracted rain storm, and on waking up the following morning I found +myself about half hip-deep in a puddle of water. And this was the +beginning of more trouble. My system was full of quinine taken to break +the fever while in the hospital, and the quinine and this soaking in +the water did not agree. In a short time I began to feel acute +rheumatic twinges in the small of my back, and in a day or two was +practically helpless, and could not get up, or walk around, without +assistance. + +[Illustration: Enoch W. Wallace + 2nd Lieutenant Co. D, 61st Illinois Infantry.] + +The regiment left Devall's Bluff, with the balance of the army, on +September 1st, advancing towards Little Rock. I was totally unable to +march, but was determined to go along some way, and with Capt. Keeley's +permission, the boys put me into one of the regimental wagons. This +wagon happened to be loaded with barrels of pickled pork, standing on +end, and my seat was on top of one of the barrels, and it was just the +hardest, most painful day's ride in a wagon I ever endured. I was +suffering intensely from acute rheumatism in the "coupling region," and +in this condition trying to keep steady on the top of a barrel, and +being occasionally violently pitched against the ends of the barrel +staves when the wagon gave a lurch into a deep rut,--which would give +me well-nigh intolerable pain. To make matters worse, the day was very +hot, so, when evening came and the column halted, I was mighty near +"all in." But some of the boys helped me out and laid me on my blanket +in the shade, and later brought me some supper of hardtack, bacon, and +coffee. Except the rheumatism, I was all right, and had a good +appetite, and after a hearty supper, felt better. Next morning, in +consequence of the active exertions of Capt. Keeley in the matter, an +ambulance drove up where I was lying, and I was loaded into it, and oh, +it was a luxury! Poor Enoch Wallace had been taken down with a malarial +fever, and he was also a passenger, likewise two other soldiers whose +names I have forgotten. Enoch had been promoted to second lieutenant +and had been acting as such for some months, but his commission was not +issued until September 3rd,--a day when he was a very sick man. From +this on, until September 10th, the day our forces captured Little Rock, +my days were spent in the ambulance. At night, the sick of each +division (of whom there were hundreds) would bivouac by the side of +some lagoon, or small water course, the attendants would prepare us +some supper, and the surgeons would make their rounds, administering +such medicine as the respective cases required. The prevailing type of +sickness was malarial fever, for which, the sovereign specific seemed +to be quinine. As for me, I was exempt from the taking of medicine, for +which I was thankful. The surgeon, after inquiry into my case, would +sententiously remark, "Ah! acute rheumatism," and pass on. I was at a +loss to understand this seeming neglect, but a sort of explanation was +given me later, which will be mentioned in its order. The food that was +given the sick was meager and very unsatisfactory, but it was probably +the best that could be furnished, under the circumstances. Each man was +given an oyster-can full of what seemed to be beef-soup, with some rice +or barley grains in it. By the time it got around to us there was +usually a thin crust of cold tallow on the top, and the mere looks of +the mess was enough to spoil one's appetite,--if he had any. One +evening, Wallace and I were sitting side by side with our backs against +a tree, when an attendant came to us and gave each one his can of the +decoction above mentioned. It was comical to see the look of disgust +that came over the face of poor Enoch. He turned towards me, and +tilting his can slightly to enable me to see the contents, spoke thus: +"Now, ain't this nice stuff to give a sick man? I've a good notion to +throw the whole business in that fellow's face;" (referring to the +attendant). "The trouble with you, Enoch," I said, "is that you are +losing your patriotism, and I shouldn't be surprised if you'd turn +Secesh yet. Kicking on this rich, delicious soup! Next thing you'll be +ordering turtle-soup and clamoring for napkins and finger-bowls. You +remind me of a piece of poetry I have read somewhere, something like +this: + + 'Jeshurun waxed fat, + And down his belly hung, + Against the government he kicked, + And high his buttocks flung'." + +The poor old fellow leaned back against the tree, and indulged in a +long, silent laugh that really seemed to do him good. I would joke with +him, after this fashion, a good deal, and long afterwards he told me +that he believed he would have died on that march if I hadn't kept his +spirits up by making ridiculous remarks. (In speaking of Wallace as +"old," the word is used in a comparative sense, for the fact is he was +only about thirty-four years of age at this time.) + +On the evening of September 9th, the sick of our division bivouacked by +the side of a small bayou, in a dense growth of forest trees. Next +morning the rumor spread among us that on that day a battle was +impending, that our advance was close to the Confederates, and that a +determined effort would be made for the capture of Little Rock. Sure +enough, during the forenoon, the cannon began to boom a few miles west +of us, and our infantry was seen rapidly moving in that direction. As I +lay there helpless on the ground, I could not avoid worrying somewhat +about the outcome of the battle. If our forces should be defeated, we +sick fellows would certainly be in a bad predicament. I could see, in +my mind's eye, our ambulance starting on a gallop for Devall's Bluff, +while every jolt of the conveyance would inflict on me excruciating +pain. But this suspense did not last long. The artillery practice soon +began moving further towards the west, and was only of short duration +anyhow. And we saw no stragglers, which was an encouraging sign, and +some time during the afternoon we learned that all was going in our +favor. From the standpoint of a common soldier, I have always thought +that General Steele effected the capture of Little Rock with +commendable skill and in a manner that displayed sound military +judgment. The town was on the west side of the Arkansas river, and our +army approached it from the east. Gen. Price, the Confederate +commander, had constructed strong breastworks a short distance east of +the town, and on the east side of the river, commanding the road on +which we were approaching. The right of these works rested on the +river, and the left on an impassable swamp. But Gen. Steele did not +choose to further Price's plans by butting his infantry up against the +Confederate works. He entertained him at that point by ostentatious +demonstrations, and attacked elsewhere. The Arkansas was very low, in +many places not much more than a wide sandbar, and was easily fordable +at numerous points. So Steele had his cavalry and some of his infantry +ford the river to the west side, below the town, and advance along the +west bank, which was not fortified. Gen. Price, seeing that his +position was turned and that his line of retreat was in danger of being +cut off, withdrew his troops from the east side and evacuated Little +Rock about five o'clock in the afternoon, retreating southwest. Our +troops followed close on his heels, and marched in and took possession +of the capital city of the State of Arkansas. Our loss, in the entire +campaign, was insignificant, being only a little over a hundred, in +killed, wounded, and missing. The 61st was with the troops that +operated on the east side of the river, and sustained no loss whatever. +A few cannon balls, poorly aimed and flying high, passed over the +regiment, but did no mischief,--beyond shaking the nerves of some +recruits who never before had been under fire. + +About sundown on the evening of the 10th, the ambulance drivers hitched +up, and the sick were taken to a division hospital located near the +east bank of the river. Capt. Keeley came over the next day to see +Wallace and myself, and, at my urgent request, he arranged for me to be +sent to the regiment. As heretofore stated, I just loathed the idea of +being in a hospital. There were so many disagreeable and depressing +things occurring there every day, and which could not be helped, that +they inspired in me a sort of desperate determination to get right out +of such a place,--and stay out, if possible. Early next morning an +ambulance drove up, I was put in it, and taken to the camp of the old +regiment. Some of the boys carried me into a tent, and laid me down on +a cot, and I was once more in the society of men who were not groaning +with sickness, but were cheerful and happy. But it was my fate to lie +on that cot for more than a month, and unable even to turn over without +help. And I shall never forget the kindness of Frank Gates during that +time. He would come every day, when not on duty, and bathe and rub my +rheumatic part with a rag soaked in vinegar, almost scalding hot, which +seemed to give me temporary relief. There was an old doctor, of the +name of Thomas D. Washburn, an assistant surgeon of the 126th Illinois +Infantry, who, for some reason, had been detailed to serve temporarily +with our regiment, and he would sometimes drop in to see me. He was a +tall old man, something over six feet high, and gaunt in proportion. I +don't remember that he ever gave me any medicine, or treatment of any +kind, for the reason, doubtless, that will now be stated. One day I +said to him, "Doctor, is there nothing that can be done for me? Must I +just lie here and suffer indefinitely?" He looked down at me sort of +sympathetically, and slowly said: "I will answer your question by +telling you a little story. Once upon a time a young doctor asked an +old one substantially the same question you have just asked me, which +the old doctor answered by saying: 'Yes, there is just one remedy:--six +weeks'." And, patting me lightly on the shoulder, he further remarked, +"That's all;" and left. The sequel in my case confirmed Dr. Washburn's +story. + +The spot where the regiment went into camp on the day of the capture of +Little Rock was opposite the town, on the east bank of the Arkansas, +not far from the river, and in a scattered grove of trees. The locality +was supposed to be a sort of suburb of the town, and was designated at +the time in army orders as "Huntersville." But the only house that I +now remember of being near our camp was a little, old, ramshackle +building that served as a railroad depot. Speaking of the railroad, it +extended only from here to Devall's Bluff, a distance of about fifty +miles, and was the only railroad at that time in the State of Arkansas. +The original project of the road contemplated a line from Little Rock +to a point on the Mississippi opposite Memphis. Work was begun on the +western terminus, and the road was completed and in operation as far as +Devall's Bluff before the war, and then the war came along and the work +stopped. Since then the road has been completed as originally planned. +This little old sawed-off railroad was quite a convenience to our army +at the Rock, as it obviated what otherwise would have been the +necessity of hauling our supplies in wagons across the country from +Devall's Bluff. It also frequently came handy for transporting the +troops, and several times saved our regiment, and, of course, others, +from a hot and tiresome march. + +For some weeks while in camp at Huntersville, we lived high on several +articles of food not included in the army rations. There were a good +many sheep in the country round about that the military authorities +confiscated, and so we had many a feast on fine, fresh mutton. Corn was +plentiful also, and corn meal was issued to us liberally. Last, but not +least, the rich Arkansas river bottom lands abounded in great big +yellow sweet potatoes that the country people called "yams," and we +just reveled in them to our entire satisfaction. + +There was a boy in my company named William Banfield, about the same +age as myself. We had been near neighbors at home, and intimate +friends. Bill was a splendid soldier, seldom sick, and always performed +his soldier duties cheerfully and without grumbling. And Bill was +blessed with a good digestion, and apparently was always hungry. The +place where he would build his cook-fire in this camp was near the +front of my tent, where I had a good view of his operations. I was +lying helpless on my cot, and, like others so situated from time +immemorial, had nothing to do, and scarcely did anything else but watch +the neighbors. Among the cherished possessions of our company was an +old-fashioned cast-iron Dutch oven, of generous proportions, which was +just the dandy for baking mutton. Well, Bill would, in the first place, +get his chunk of mutton, a fine big piece of the saddle, or of a ham, +and put it on to cook in the oven. Then we had another oven, a smaller +affair of the skillet order, in which Bill would set to cooking a corn +meal cake. At the right stage of the proceedings he would slice up some +yams, and put them in with the mutton. Next, and last, he would make at +least a quart of strong, black coffee. Both from long experience and +critical observation, Bill knew to the fraction of a minute how long it +would take for all his converging columns of table comforts to reach +the done point on time and all together, and the resulting harmony was +perfection itself, and (to use an overworked phrase) "left nothing to +be desired." Dinner now being ready, the first thing Bill did was to +bring me an ample allowance of the entire bill of fare, and which, by +the way, I had to dispose of as best I could lying down, as it was +impossible for me to sit up. Having seen to the needs of a disabled +comrade, Bill next proceeded to clear his own decks for action. He +seated himself at the foot of a big tree, on the shady side, with his +back against the trunk; then spreading his legs apart in the shape of a +pair of carpenter's compasses, he placed between them the oven +containing the mutton and yams, at his left hand the skillet with the +cornbread, and on his right his can of coffee--and then the services +began. And how Bill would enjoy his dinner! There was no indecent haste +about it, no bolting of the delicacies, or anything of the sort. He +proceeded slowly and with dignity, while occasionally he would survey +the landscape with a placid, contented air. But everything was +devoured,--the last crumb of cornbread did duty in sopping up the final +drop of grease. The banquet over, Bill would sit there a while in +silence, gazing, perchance, at the shimmering waters of the Arkansas, +and its sandbars, glittering in the sun. But ere long his head would +begin to droop, he would throw one leg over the Dutch oven, swinging +the limb clear of that utensil, settle himself snugly against the tree, +and in about five minutes would be asleep. + +At the time I am now writing, (October, 1916,) Bill is yet alive, and +residing at Grafton, Illinois. He is a good old fellow, and "long may +he wave." + + + + +CHAPTER XIII. + +LITTLE ROCK, OCTOBER, 1863. GRANTED A FURLOUGH. CHAPLAIN B. B. +HAMILTON. THE JOURNEY ON FURLOUGH FROM LITTLE ROCK TO JERSEY COUNTY, +ILLINOIS. RETURN TO REGIMENT, NOVEMBER, 1863. + + +About the middle of October the regiment shifted its camp ground from +Huntersville to an open space on the west side of the river, near the +State penitentiary, where we remained all the ensuing winter. Soon +after this change of camp it was reported among us that one man from +each company would soon be granted a thirty day furlough. Prior to +this, while in Tennessee, there had been a very few furloughs granted +in exceptional cases, which were all the indulgencies of that kind the +regiment had so far received. I made no request to be the favored man +of our company in this matter, but one day Capt. Keeley told me that he +had decided that I should be the furloughed man from Co. D, and could +make my arrangements accordingly. By this time I had so far recovered +from my rheumatism that I could walk around with the aid of a cane, but +was very "shaky" on foot, and any sudden shock or jar would make me +flinch with pain. I wondered how I should be able to get from the camp +to the railroad depot on the other side of the river, with my knapsack, +haversack and canteen, and their necessary contents, for I was utterly +unable to carry them. I happened to mention this problem to the +chaplain of the regiment, B. B. Hamilton. He was an old and valued +friend of my parents, and, as he had lived only a few miles from our +home, I knew him quite well before the war, and had heard him preach +many a time. He was of the Baptist denomination, and my parents were of +the same religious faith. At this time he was still what I would now +call a young man, being only about forty years old. My father's given +name was Jeremiah, and the Chaplain almost invariably, when speaking to +me, would, in a grave, deliberate manner, address me as "Son of +Jeremiah." When I mentioned to him my perplexity above indicated, he +responded: "Son of Jeremiah, let not your heart be troubled. The Lord +will provide." Knowing that what he said could be depended upon, I +asked no questions. The precious document giving me thirty-days leave +of absence was delivered to me in due time, and our little squad +arranged to start on the next train, and which would leave Little Rock +for Devall's Bluff early the following day. I had my breakfast betimes +the next morning, and was sitting on the ground in front of my tent, +with my traps by me, when Chaplain Hamilton came riding up on his +horse. He dismounted, and saying to me, "Son of Jeremiah, the Lord has +provided," thereupon helped me on his horse, and we started for the +depot, the Chaplain walking by my side. We crossed the Arkansas on a +sort of improvised army bridge, and were approaching the depot, when a +locomotive on the track near-by began to let off steam. The horse +evidently was not accustomed to that, he gave a frantic snort, and +began to prance and rear. For a second or so I was in an agony of +apprehension. I was incumbered with my knapsack and other things, was +weak and feeble, and no horseman anyhow, and knew that if I should be +violently thrown to the ground, it would just about break me all to +pieces, and my furlough would end then and there. But it is likely that +the Chaplain may have apprehended the horse's conduct; at any rate, he +was on the alert. With one bound he was in front of the frightened +animal, holding him firmly by the bridle bits, and had him under +control at once. And about the same time the engine stopped its noise, +and the trouble was over. The cars destined for Devall's Bluff were on +the track, and the Chaplain, and some of our furlough party who had +already arrived, helped me on the train. Of course there were no +passenger coaches,--just box and gravel cars, and I seated myself on +the floor of one of the latter. I gratefully thanked the Chaplain for +his kindness, he said a few pleasant words, gave me a kind message for +the folks at home, wished me a safe and pleasant trip, and then rode +away. + +This is probably a fitting place to pay a brief tribute to the memory +of Chaplain Hamilton, so I will proceed to do so. The first chaplain of +the regiment was a minister named Edward Rutledge. He was appointed May +16, 1862, and resigned September 3rd, of the same year. I do not +remember of his ever officiating often in the capacity of chaplain. I +recall just one occasion when he preached to us, and that was under +somewhat peculiar circumstances. He came to the regiment when we were +in camp at Owl Creek, Tennessee, and, soon after his arrival, there was +read one Saturday evening at dress parade an order in substance and +effect as follows: That at a designated time on the following morning +the men would assemble on their respective company parade grounds, +wearing their "side-arms," (which included waist- and shoulder-belts, +cartridge-box, cap-pouch and bayonet,) and under the command of a +commissioned officer each company would march to the grove where the +chaplain would hold religious services. Well, I didn't like that order +one bit, and the great majority of the boys felt the same way. The idea +of having to attend church under compulsion seemed to me to infringe on +our constitutional rights as free-born American citizens, that while it +might have been a thing to be endured in the days described in Fox's +"Book of Martyrs," nevertheless, it wasn't exactly fair right now. But +orders must be obeyed, so we all turned out with the prescribed +"side-arms," and, like the young oysters that were inveigled by the +Walrus and the Carpenter,-- + + "Our clothes were brushed, our faces washed, + Our shoes were clean and neat." + +But it is much to be feared that the chaplain's discourse didn't do +anybody a bit of good. For my part, I don't now remember a word, not +even the text. The order aforesaid gave so much dissatisfaction to the +rank and file, and perhaps to some of the line officers also, that it +was never repeated, and thereafter attendance on the chaplain's +preaching was a matter left to each man's pleasure and discretion. +Judging only from what came under my personal notice, I don't think +that much good was ever accomplished by chaplains in the Western army, +as regards matters of a purely theological nature. As some one has said +somewhere: "Army service in time of war is d--d hard on religion." But +in practical, everyday matters, chaplains had ample opportunities for +doing, and did, a great deal of good. They held the rank and wore the +uniform of a captain,--and, while they had no military command over the +men, they were, nevertheless, so far as I ever saw, always treated by +the soldiers with the most kind and respectful consideration. To fill +the vacancy caused by the resignation of Rutledge, B. B. Hamilton was +commissioned chaplain on October 30, 1862, and came to us about that +date. He had been active in the ministry at home for many years, and +during that time had preached in Jersey, Greene, and the adjoining +counties, so he was personally known to many of the officers and men. +He was a man of good, sound common sense, an excellent judge of human +nature, and endowed with a dry, quaint sort of humor that was +delightful. When talking with intimate friends, he was prone, at times, +to drop into an Oriental style of conversation, well garnished with +sayings and illustrations from the Bible. I don't remember now of his +preaching to us very often, and when he did he was tactful in selecting +a time when the conditions were all favorable. In his discourses he +ignored all questions of theology, such as faith, free-will, +foreordination, the final perseverance of the saints, and such like, +and got right down to matters involved in our every-day life. He would +admonish us to be careful about our health, to avoid excesses of any +kind that might be injurious to us in that respect, and above all +things, to be faithful and brave soldiers, and conduct ourselves in +such a manner that our army record would be an honor to us, and a +source of pride and satisfaction to our parents and friends at home. In +camp or on the march, he was a most useful and industrious man. He +would visit the sick, write letters for them, and in general look after +their needs in countless ways. He wrote a fine, neat, legible hand, and +rendered much assistance to many of the line officers in making out the +muster and pay rolls of their respective companies, and in attending to +other matters connected with the company records, or official +correspondence. And when the regiment had fighting to do, or a prospect +of any, Chaplain Hamilton was always at the front. In the affair at +Salem Cemetery, Hez. Giberson of Co. G was knocked down and rendered +insensible for a short time by the near-by explosion of a shell. +Hamilton ran to him, picked him up, and taking him by the arm, marched +him to the rear, while shells were bursting all around us. I saw them +as they walked by,--Giberson white as a sheet, staggering, and +evidently deathly sick, but the chaplain clung to him, kept him on his +feet, and ultimately turned him over to the surgeon. + +[Illustration: B. B. Hamilton + Chaplain 61st Illinois Infantry.] + +The spring of 1865 found the regiment at Franklin, Tennessee. The war +was then practically over in that region, and any organized armies of +the Confederates were hundreds of miles away. Hamilton's health had +become greatly impaired, and in view of all those conditions, he +concluded to resign, and did so, on March 3rd, 1865, and thereupon +returned to his old home in Illinois. The vacancy caused by his +resignation was never filled, and thereafter we had no religious +services in the regiment except on two or three occasions, rendered by +volunteers, whose names I have forgotten. After leaving the army, +Chaplain Hamilton led a life of activity and usefulness until +incapacitated by his final illness. He died at Upper Alton, Illinois, +on November 11th, 1894, at the age of nearly seventy-three years, +respected and loved by all who knew him. He was a good, patriotic, +brave man. I never saw him but once after he left the army, but we kept +up a fraternal correspondence with each other as long as he lived. + +I will now return to the little squad of furloughed Sixty-onesters that +was left a while ago on the freight cars at Little Rock. The train +pulled out early in the day for Devall's Bluff, where we arrived about +noon. We at once made our way to the boat-landing,--and I simply am +unable to describe our disappointment when we found no steamboats +there. After making careful inquiry, we were unable to get any reliable +information in regard to the time of the arrival of any from below,--it +might be the next hour, or maybe not for several days. There was +nothing to do but just bivouac there by the river bank, and wait. And +there we waited for two long days of our precious thirty, and were +getting fairly desperate, when one afternoon the scream of a whistle +was heard, and soon the leading boat of a small fleet poked its nose +around the bend about half a mile below,--and we sprang to our feet, +waved our caps and yelled! We ascertained that the boats would start on +the return trip to the mouth of White river as soon as they unloaded +their army freight. This was accomplished by the next morning, we +boarded the first one ready to start, a small stern-wheeler, and some +time on the second day thereafter arrived at the mouth of White river. +There we landed, on the right bank of the Mississippi, and later +boarded a big side-wheeler destined for Cairo, which stopped to take us +on. When it rounded in for that purpose, the members of our little +squad were quite nervous, and there was a rush on the principle of +every fellow for himself. I was hobbling along with my traps, as best I +could, when in going down the river bank, which was high and steep, in +some way I stumbled and fell, and rolled clear to the bottom, and just +lay there helpless. There was one of our party of the name of John +Powell, of Co. G, a young fellow about twenty-two or -three years old. +He was not tall, only about five feet and eight or nine inches, but was +remarkably broad across the shoulders and chest, and had the reputation +of being the strongest man in the regiment. He happened to see the +accident that had befallen me, and ran to me, picked me up in his arms, +with my stuff, the same as if I had been a baby, and "toted" me on the +boat. He hunted up a cozy corner on the leeward side, set me down +carefully, and then said, "Now, you d--d little cuss, I guess you won't +fall down here." And all the balance of the trip, until our respective +routes diverged, he looked after me the same as if I had been his +brother. He was a splendid, big-hearted fellow. While ascending the +Mississippi, the weather was cloudy and foggy, the boat tied up at +nights, and our progress generally was tantalizingly slow. We arrived +at Cairo on the afternoon of October 26th. It was a raw, chilly, autumn +day, a drizzling rain was falling, and everything looked uncomfortable +and wretched. We went to the depot of the Illinois Central railroad, +and on inquiry learned that our train would not leave until about nine +o'clock that night, so apparently there was nothing to do but sit down +and wait. My thoughts were soon dwelling on the first time I saw +Cairo,--that bright sunny afternoon in the latter part of March, 1862. +I was then in superb health and buoyant spirits, and inspired by +radiant hopes and glowing anticipations. Only a little over a year and +a half had elapsed, and I was now at the old town again, but this time +in broken health, and hobbling about on a stick. But it soon occurred +to me that many of my comrades had met a still more unfortunate fate, +and by this comparison method I presently got in a more cheerful frame +of mind. And something happened to come to pass that materially aided +that consummation. Some of our party who had been scouting around the +town returned with the intelligence that they had found a place called +"The Soldiers' Home," where all transient soldiers were furnished food +and shelter "without money and without price." This was most welcome +news, for our rations were practically exhausted, and our money supply +was so meager that economy was a necessity. It was nearing supper time, +so we started at once for the Home, in hopes of getting a square meal. +On reaching the place we found already formed a long "queue" of hungry +soldiers, in two ranks, extending from the door away out into the +street. We took our stand at the end of the line, and waited patiently. +The building was a long, low, frame structure, of a barrack-like style, +and of very unpretentious appearance,--but, as we found out soon, the +inside was better. In due time, the door was opened, and we all filed +in. The room was well-lighted, and warm, and long rows of rough tables +extended clear across, with benches for seats. And oh, what a splendid +supper we had! Strong, hot coffee, soft bread, cold boiled beef, +molasses, stewed dried apples,--and even cucumber pickles! Supper over, +we went back to the depot, all feeling better, and I've had a warm spot +in my heart for the old town of Cairo ever since. But it certainly did +look hard at this time. Its population, at the beginning of the war, +was only a little over two thousand, the houses were small and +dilapidated, and everything was dirty, muddy, slushy, and disagreeable +in general. In October, 1914, I happened to be in Cairo again, and +spent several hours there, roaming around, and looking at the town. The +lapse of half a century had wrought a wonderful change. Its population +was now something over fifteen thousand, the streets were well paved +and brilliantly lighted, and long blocks of tall, substantial buildings +had superseded the unsightly shacks of the days of the Civil War. But +on this occasion I found no vestige of our "Soldiers' Home," nor was +any person of whom inquiry was made able to give me the slightest +information as to where it had stood. The only thing I saw in the town, +or that vicinity, that looked natural, was the Ohio river, and even its +placid appearance was greatly marred by a stupendous railroad bridge, +over which trains of cars were thundering every hour in the day. But +the river itself was flowing on in serene majesty, as it had been from +the time "the morning stars sang together," and as it will continue to +flow until this planet goes out of business. + +We left Cairo on the cars on the night of October 26th, and for the +first time in our military service, we rode in passenger coaches, which +was another piece of evidence that once more we were in that part of +the world that we uniformly spoke of as "God's Country." I remember an +incident that occurred during our ride that night that gave us all the +benefit of a hearty laugh. There was (and is yet) a station on the +Illinois Central, in Jackson county, Illinois, by the name of +"Makanda." It was some time after midnight when we neared this station, +the boys were sprawled out on their seats, and trying to doze. The +engine gave the usual loud whistle to announce a stop, the front door +of our coach was thrown open, and a brakeman with a strong Hibernian +accent called out in thunder tones what sounded exactly like +"My-candy!" as here written,--and with the accent on the first +syllable. There were several soldiers in the coach who were not of our +party, also going home on furlough, and one of these, a big fellow with +a heavy black beard, reared up and yelled back at the brakeman,--"Well, +who the hell said it wasn't your candy?" and the boys all roared. Many +years later I passed through that town on the cars, and the brakeman +said "My-candy," as of yore. I felt a devilish impulse to make the same +response the soldier did on that October night in 1863, but the war was +over, no comrades were on hand to back me,--so I prudently refrained. +At Sandoval the most of our party transferred to the Ohio and +Mississippi railroad, (as it was called then,) and went to St. Louis, +reaching there on the afternoon of October 27th. Here all except myself +left on the Chicago, Alton and St. Louis railroad, for different points +thereon, and from which they would make their way to their respective +homes. There was no railroad running through Jersey county at this +time, (except a bit of the last named road about a mile in length +across the southeast corner of the county,) and the railroad station +nearest my home was twenty miles away, so I had to resort to some other +mode of travel. I went down to the wharf and boarded a little Illinois +river steamboat,--the Post-Boy, which would start north that night, +paid my fare to Grafton, at the mouth of the Illinois river, arranged +with the clerk to wake me at that place, and then turned in. But the +clerk did not have to bother on my account; I was restless, slept but +little, kept a close lookout, and when the whistle blew for Grafton, I +was up and on deck in about a minute. The boat rounded in at the +landing, and threw out a plank for my benefit,--the lone passenger for +Grafton. Two big, burly deck-hands, rough looking, bearded men, took me +by the arm, one on each side, and carefully and kindly helped me +ashore. I have often thought of that little incident. In those days a +river deck-hand was not a saint, by any means. As a rule, he was a +coarse, turbulent, and very profane man, but these two fellows saw that +I was a little, broken-down boy-soldier, painfully hobbling along on a +stick, and they took hold of me with their strong, brawny hands, and +helped me off the boat with as much kindness and gentleness as if I had +been the finest lady in the land. + +I was now only five miles from home, and proposed to make the balance +of my journey on foot. I climbed up to the top of the river bank, and +thence made my way to the main and only street the little town then +possessed, and took "the middle of the road." It was perhaps four or +five o'clock in the morning, a quiet, starlight night, and the people +of the village were all apparently yet wrapped in slumber. No signs of +life were visible, except occasionally a dog would run out in a front +yard and bark at me. The main road from Grafton, at that time, and +which passed near my home, wound along the river bottom a short +distance, and then, for a mile or more, ascended some high hills or +bluffs north of the town. The ascent of these bluffs was steep, and +hence the walking was fatiguing, and several times before reaching the +summit where the road stretched away over a long, high ridge, I had to +sit down and rest. The quails were now calling all around me, and the +chickens were crowing for day at the farm houses, and their notes +sounded so much like home! After attaining the crest, the walking was +easier, and I slowly plodded on, rejoicing in the sight of the many +familiar objects that appeared on every hand. About a mile or so from +home, I left the main highway, and followed a country road that led to +our house, where I at last arrived about nine o'clock. I had not +written to my parents to advise them of my coming, for it would not +have been judicious, in mere expectation of a furlough, to excite hopes +that might be disappointed, and after it was issued and delivered to +me, there was no use in writing, for I would reach home as soon as a +letter. So my father and mother, and the rest of the family, were all +taken completely by surprise when I quietly walked into the yard of the +old home. I pass over any detailed account of our meeting. We, like +others of that time and locality, were a simple, backwoods people, with +nothing in the nature of gush or effervescence in our dispositions. I +know that I was glad to see my parents, and the rest, and they were all +unmistakably glad to see me, and we manifested our feelings in a +natural, homely way, and without any display whatever of extravagant +emotions. Greetings being over, about the first inquiry was whether I +had yet had any breakfast, and my answer being in the negative, a +splendid old-time breakfast was promptly prepared. But my mother was +keenly disappointed at my utter lack of appetite. I just couldn't eat +hardly a bit, and invented some sort of an excuse, and said I'd do +better in the future, but, somehow, right then, I wasn't hungry, which +was true. However, this instance of involuntary abstinence was fully +made up for later. + +While on my furlough I went with my father in the farm wagon +occasionally to Grafton, and Jerseyville, and even once to Alton, +twenty miles away, but the greater part of the time was spent at the +farm, and around the old home, and in the society of the family. I +reckon I rambled over every acre of the farm, and besides, took long +walks in the woods of the adjacent country, for miles around. The big, +gushing Sansom Spring, about half a mile from home, was a spot +associated with many happy recollections. I would go there, lie flat on +the ground, and take a copious drink of the pure, delicious water, then +stroll through the woods down Sansom branch to its confluence with +Otter creek, thence down the creek to the Twin Springs that burst out +at the base of a ridge on our farm, just a few feet below a big sugar +maple, from here on to the ruins of the old grist mill my father +operated in the latter '40s, and then still farther down the creek to +the ancient grist mill (then still standing) of the old pioneer, Hiram +White. Here I would cross to the south bank of the creek and make my +way home up through Limestone, or the Sugar Hollow. From my earliest +youth I always loved to ramble in the woods, and somehow these around +the old home now looked dearer and more beautiful to me than they ever +had before. + +The last time I ever saw my boyhood home was in August, 1894. It had +passed into the hands of strangers, and didn't look natural. And all +the old-time natural conditions in that locality were greatly changed. +The flow of water from Sansom Spring was much smaller than what it had +been in the old days, and only a few rods below the spring it sunk into +the ground and disappeared. The big, shady pools along Sansom branch +where I had gone swimming when a boy, and from which I had caught many +a string of perch and silversides, were now dry, rocky holes in the +ground, and the branch in general was dry as a bone. And Otter Creek, +which at different places where it ran through our farm had once +contained long reaches of water six feet deep and over, had now shrunk +to a sickly rivulet that one could step across almost anywhere in that +vicinity. And the grand primeval forest which up to about the close of +the war, at least, had practically covered the country for many miles +in the vicinity of my old home, had now all been cut down and +destroyed, and the naked surface of the earth was baking in the rays of +the sun. It is my opinion, and is stated for whatever it may be worth, +that the wholesale destruction of the forests of that region had much +to do with the drying up of the streams. + +But it is time to return to the boy on furlough. + +Shortly before leaving Little Rock for home, Capt. Keeley had +confidentially informed me that if the military situation in Arkansas +continued quiet, it would be all right for me before my furlough +expired to procure what would effect a short extension thereof, and he +explained to me the _modus operandi_. Including the unavoidable delays, +over a third of my thirty days had been consumed in making the trip +home, and the return journey would doubtless require about the same +time. I therefore thought it would be justifiable to obtain an +extension, if possible. My health was rapidly growing better, the +rheumatism was nearly gone--but there was still room for improvement. I +had closely read the newspapers in order to keep posted on the military +status in the vicinity of Little Rock, and had learned from them that +the troops were building winter quarters, and that in general, "All was +quiet along the Arkansas." So, on November 9th, I went to Dr. J. H. +Hesser, a respectable physician of Otterville, told him my business, +and said that if his judgment would warrant it, I would be glad to +obtain from him a certificate that would operate to extend my furlough +for twenty days. He looked at me, asked a few questions, and then wrote +and gave me a brief paper which set forth in substance that, in his +opinion as a physician, I would not be able for duty sooner than +December 5th, 1863, that being a date twenty days subsequent to the +expiration of my furlough. I paid Dr. Hesser nothing for the +certificate, for he did not ask it, but said that he gave it to me as a +warranted act of kindness to a deserving soldier. (In September of the +following year Dr. Hesser enlisted in Co. C of our regiment as a +recruit, and about all the time he was with us acted as hospital +steward of the regiment, which position he filled ably and +satisfactorily.) But I did not avail myself of all my aforesaid +extension. I knew it would be better to report at company headquarters +before its expiration than after, so my arrangements were made to start +back on November 16th. Some hours before sunrise that morning, I bade +good-by to mother and the children, and father and I pulled out in the +farm wagon for our nearest railroad station, which was Alton, and, as +heretofore stated, twenty miles away, where we arrived in ample time +for my train. We drove into a back street and unhitched the team--the +faithful old mules, Bill and Tom, tied them to the wagon and fed them, +and then walked to the depot. The train came in due season, and stopped +opposite the depot platform, where father and I were standing. We faced +each other, and I said, "Good-bye, father;" he responded, "Good-bye, +Leander, take care of yourself." We shook hands, then he instantly +turned and walked away, and I boarded the train. That was all there was +to it. And yet we both knew more in regard to the dangers and perils +that environ the life of a soldier in time of war than we did on the +occasion of the parting at Jerseyville nearly two years ago--hence we +fully realized that this farewell might be the last. Nor did this +manner spring from indifference, or lack of sensibility; it was simply +the way of the plain unlettered backwoods people of those days. Nearly +thirty-five years later the "whirligig of time" evolved an incident +which clearly brought home to me a vivid idea of what must have been my +father's feelings on this occasion. The Spanish-American war began in +the latter part of April, 1898, and on the 30th of that month, Hubert, +my oldest son, then a lad not quite nineteen years old, enlisted in Co. +A of the 22nd Kansas Infantry, a regiment raised for service in that +war. On May 28th the regiment was sent to Washington, D. C., and was +stationed at Camp Alger, near the city. In the early part of August it +appeared that there was a strong probability that the regiment, with +others at Washington, would soon be sent to Cuba or Porto Rico. I knew +that meant fighting, to say nothing of the camp diseases liable to +prevail in that latitude at that season of the year. So my wife and I +concluded to go to Washington and have a little visit with Hubert +before he left for the seat of war. We arrived at the capital on August +5th, and found the regiment then in camp near the little village of +Clifton, Virginia, about twenty-six miles southwest of Washington. We +had a brief but very enjoyable visit with Hubert, who was given a pass, +and stayed a few days with us in the city. But the time soon came for +us to separate, and on the day of our departure for home Hubert went +with us to the depot of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, where his +mother and I bade him good-by. Then there came to me, so forcibly, the +recollection of the parting with my father at the Alton depot in +November, 1863, and for the first time I think I fully appreciated what +must have been his feelings on that occasion. + +But, (referring to the Washington incident,) it so happened that on the +day my wife and I left that city for home, or quite soon thereafter, it +was officially announced that a suspension of hostilities had been +agreed on between Spain and the United States. This ended the war, and +consequently Hubert's regiment was not sent to the Spanish islands. I +will now resume my own story. + +[Illustration: Leander Stillwell + Co. D, 61st Illinois Infantry, December, 1863.] + +My route from Alton, and method of conveyance, on returning to the +regiment, were the same, with one or two slight variations, as those in +going home, and the return trip was uneventful. But there were no +delays, the boat ran day and night, and the journey was made in +remarkably quick time. I arrived at Little Rock on the evening of +November 20th, only five days over my furlough,--and with a twenty-day +extension to show for that, reported promptly to Capt. Keeley, and +delivered to him the certificate given me by Dr. Hesser. Keeley +pronounced the paper satisfactory, and further said it would have been +all right if I had taken the benefit of the entire twenty days. +However, it somehow seemed to me that he really was pleased to see that +I had not done so, but hurried back fifteen days ahead of time. After a +brief conversation with him about the folks at home, and matters and +things there in general, he treated me to a most agreeable surprise. He +stepped to the company office desk, and took therefrom a folded paper +which he handed to me with the remark: "There, Stillwell, is something +I think will please you." I unfolded and glanced at it, and saw that it +was a non-commissioned officer's warrant, signed by Major Grass as +commanding officer of the regiment, and countersigned by Lieut. A. C. +Haskins as adjutant, appointing me First Sergeant of Co. D. The warrant +was dated November 4th, but recited that the appointment took effect +from September 1st, preceding. As before stated, Enoch Wallace was our +original first sergeant, and as he was promoted to second lieutenant on +September 3, 1863, his advancement left his old position vacant, and +his mantle had now fallen on me. I was deeply gratified with this +appointment, and really was not expecting it, as there were two other +duty sergeants who outranked me, and in appointing me I was promoted +over their heads. However, they took it in good part, and remained my +friends, as they always had been. And the plain truth is, too, which +may have reconciled these sergeants somewhat, the position of first or +orderly sergeant, as we usually called it, was not an enviable one, by +any means. His duties were incessant, involving responsibility, and +frequently were very trying. He had to be right with his company every +hour in the day, and it was not prudent for him to absent himself from +camp for even ten minutes without the consent of his company commander, +and temporarily appointing a duty sergeant to act in his place while +away. Among his multifarious duties may be mentioned the following: +Calling the roll of the company morning and evening, and at such other +hours as might be required; attending sick calls with the sick, and +carefully making a note of those excused from duty by the surgeon; +making out and signing the company morning report; procuring the +signature of the company commander thereto, and then delivering it to +the adjutant; forming the company on its parade ground for dress +parade, drills, marches, and the like; making the details of the men +required from his company for the various kinds of guard and fatigue +duty; drawing rations for the company, and distributing them among the +various messes; seeing to it that the company grounds (when in camp) +were properly policed every morning;--and just scores of little matters +of detail that were occurring all the time. It was a very embarrassing +incident when sometimes a boy who was a good soldier was, without +permission, absent at roll call. He might have strolled up town, or to +a neighboring camp to see an old-time friend, and stayed too long. On +such occurrences I would, as a general rule, pass rapidly from his name +to the next--and just report the boy present, and later talk to him +privately and tell him not to let it happen again. It is true, +sometimes an aggravated case occurred when, in order to maintain +discipline, a different course had to be pursued, but not often. +Speaking generally, I will say that it was bad policy for the orderly +to be running to the captain about every little trouble or grievance. +The thing for him to do was to take the responsibility and act on his +own judgment, and depend on the captain to back him (as he almost +invariably would) if the affair came to a "show-down." Beginning as far +back as the summer of 1862, I had frequently temporarily acted as +orderly sergeant, for weeks at a time, and so possessed a fair amount +of experience when I entered on the duties of the position under a +permanent appointment. But my long, solitary rambles out in the woods, +beyond the lines, were at an end, and that was a matter of more regret +to me than anything else connected with the office of orderly sergeant. +While on this topic I will remark that it always seemed to me that the +men who had the "softest snaps" of any in a regiment of infantry were +the lieutenants of the respective companies. The first lieutenant had +no company cares or responsibilities whatever, unless the captain was +absent, or sick in quarters, and the second lieutenant was likewise +exempt, unless the captain and first lieutenant were both absent, or +sick. Of course there were duties that devolved on the lieutenants from +time to time, such as drilling the men, serving as officer of the +guard, and other matters, but when those jobs were done, they could +just "go and play," without a particle of care or anxiety about the +services of the morrow. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV. + +LITTLE ROCK. WINTER OF 1863-4. RE-ENLIST FOR THREE YEARS MORE. + + +When I returned to Little Rock from my absence on furlough, the +regiment was found installed in cosy, comfortable quarters of pine log +cabins. There were extensive pine forests near Little Rock, the boys +were furnished teams and axes to facilitate the work, and cut and +shaped the logs for the cabin walls, and roofed them with lumber, +boards or shingles, which they procured in various ways. The walls were +chinked and daubed with mud, and each cabin was provided with an ample, +old-fashioned fire-place, with a rock or stick chimney. As wood was +close at hand, and in abundance, there was no difficulty whatever in +keeping the cabins warm. But I will remark here that of all the mean +wood to burn, a green pine log is about the worst. It is fully as bad +as green elm, or sycamore. But there was no lack of dry wood to mix +with the green, and the green logs had this virtue: that after the fire +had once taken hold of them they would last a whole night. The winter +of 1863-4 was remarkably cold, and to this day is remembered by the old +soldiers as "the cold winter." On the last day of 1863 a heavy fall of +snow occurred at Little Rock, and the first day of the new year, and +several days thereafter, were bitterly cold. But the weather did not +cause the troops in our immediate locality any special suffering, so +far as I know, or ever heard. All of us not on picket were just as +comfortable as heart could wish in our tight, well-warmed cabins, and +those on guard duty were permitted to build rousing fires and so got +along fairly well. Big fires on the picket line would not have been +allowed if any enemy had been in our vicinity, but there were none; +hence it was only common sense to let the pickets have fires and keep +as comfortable as circumstances would permit. It was probably on +account of the severe weather that active military operations in our +locality were that winter practically suspended. There were a few +cavalry affairs at outlying posts, but none of any material importance. + +The most painful sight that I saw during the war was here at Little +Rock this winter. It was the execution, by hanging, on January 8, 1864, +of a Confederate spy, by the name of David O. Dodds. He was a mere boy, +seemingly not more than nineteen or twenty years old. There was no +question as to his guilt. When arrested there was found on his person a +memorandum book containing information, written in telegraphic +characters, in regard to all troops, batteries, and other military +matters at Little Rock. He was tried by a court martial, and sentenced +to the mode of death always inflicted on a spy, namely, by hanging. I +suppose that the military authorities desired to render his death as +impressive as possible, in order to deter others from engaging in a +business so fraught with danger to our armies; therefore, on the day +fixed for carrying out the sentence of the court, all our troops in +Little Rock turned out under arms and marched to the place of +execution. It was in a large field near the town; a gallows had been +erected in the center of this open space, and the troops formed around +it in the form of an extensive hollow square, and stood at parade rest. +The spy rode through the lines to the gallows in an open ambulance, +sitting on his coffin. I happened to be not far from the point where he +passed through, and saw him plainly. For one so young, he displayed +remarkable coolness and courage when in the immediate presence of +death. The manner of his execution was wretchedly bungled, in some way, +and the whole thing was to me indescribably repulsive. In the crisis of +the affair there was a sudden clang of military arms and accouterments +in the line not far from me, and looking in that direction I saw that a +soldier in the front rank had fainted and fallen headlong to the +ground. I didn't faint, but the spectacle, for the time being, +well-nigh made me sick. It is true that from time immemorial the +punishment of a convicted spy has been death by hanging. The safety of +whole armies, even the fate of a nation, may perhaps depend on the +prompt and summary extinction of the life of a spy. As long as he is +alive he may possibly escape, or, even if closely guarded, may succeed +in imparting his dangerous intelligence to others who will transmit it +in his stead; hence no mercy can be shown. But in spite of all that, +this event impressed me as somehow being unspeakably cruel and +cold-blooded. On one side were thousands of men with weapons in their +hands, coolly looking on; on the other was one lone, unfortunate boy. +My conscience has never troubled me for anything I may have done on the +firing line, in time of battle. There were the other fellows in plain +sight, shooting, and doing all in their power to kill us. It was my +duty to shoot at them, aim low, and kill some of them, if possible, and +I did the best I could, and have no remorse whatever. But whenever my +memory recalls the choking to death of that boy, (for that is what was +done), I feel bad, and don't like to write or think about it. But, for +fear of being misunderstood, it will be repeated that the fate of a +spy, when caught, is death. It is a military necessity. The other side +hanged our spies, with relentless severity, and were justified in so +doing by laws and usages of war. Even the great and good Washington +approved of the hanging of the British spy, Maj. Andre, and refused to +commute the manner of his execution to being shot, although Andre made +a personal appeal to him to grant him that favor, in order that he +might die the death of a soldier. The point with me is simply this: I +don't want personally to have anything to do, in any capacity, with +hanging a man, and don't desire even to be in eye-sight of such a +gruesome thing, and voluntarily never have. However, it fell to my lot +to be an involuntary witness of two more military executions while in +the service. I will speak of them now, and then be through with this +disagreeable subject. On March 18th, 1864, two guerrillas were hanged +in the yard of the penitentiary at Little Rock, by virtue of the +sentence of a court martial, and my regiment acted as guard at the +execution. We marched into the penitentiary inclosure, and formed +around the scaffold in hollow square. As soon as this had been done, a +door on the ground floor of the penitentiary was swung open, and the +two condemned men marched out, pinioned side by side, and surrounded by +a small guard. The culprits were apparently somewhere between forty and +fifty years of age. They ascended the scaffold, were placed with their +feet on the trap, the nooses were adjusted, the trap was sprung,--and +it was all over. The crimes of which these men had been convicted were +peculiarly atrocious. They were not members of any organized body of +the Confederate army, but guerrillas pure and simple. It was +conclusively established on their trial that they, with some +associates, had, in cold blood, murdered by hanging several men of that +vicinity, private citizens of the State of Arkansas, for no other cause +or reason than the fact that the victims were Union men. In some cases +the murdered men had been torn from their beds at night, and hanged in +their own door-yards, in the presence of their well-nigh distracted +wives and children. There can be no question that these two +unprincipled assassins richly merited their fate, and hence it was +impossible to entertain for them any feeling of sympathy. Nevertheless, +I stand by my original proposition, that to see any man strung up like +a dog, and hanged in cold blood, is a nauseating and debasing +spectacle. + +In January, 1864, while we were at Little Rock, the "veteranizing" +project, as it was called, was submitted to the men. That is to say, we +were asked to enlist for "three years more, or endurin' the war." +Sundry inducements for this were held out to the men, but the one +which, at the time, had the most weight, was the promise of a +thirty-days furlough for each man who re-enlisted. The men in general +responded favorably to the proposition, and enough of the 61st +re-enlisted to enable the regiment to retain its organization to the +end of the war. On the evening of February 1st, with several others of +Co. D, I walked down to the adjutant's tent, and "went in" for three +years more. I think that no better account of this re-enlistment +business can now be given by me than by here inserting a letter I wrote +on December 22nd, 1894, as a slight tribute to the memory of our acting +regimental commander in February, 1864, Maj. Daniel Grass. He was later +promoted to lieutenant-colonel, and after the war, came to Kansas, +where, for many years, he was a prominent lawyer and politician. On the +evening of December 18th, 1894, while he was crossing a railroad track +in the town where he lived, (Coffeyville, Kansas,) he was struck by a +railroad engine, and sustained injuries from which he died on December +21st, at the age of a little over seventy years. A few days thereafter +the members of the bar of the county held a memorial meeting in his +honor, which I was invited to attend. I was then judge of the Kansas +7th Judicial District, and my judicial duties at the time were such +that I could not go, and hence was compelled to content myself by +writing a letter, which was later published in the local papers of the +county, and which reads as follows: + + "Erie, Kansas, + "December 22, 1894. + + "Hon. J. D. McCue, + "Independence, Kansas. + + "My Dear Judge: + + "I received this evening yours of the 20th informing me of the + death of my old comrade and regimental commander during the war + for the Union, Col. Dan Grass. I was deeply moved by this sad + intelligence, and regret that I did not learn of his death in time + to attend his funeral. I wish I could be present at the memorial + meeting of the bar next Monday that you mention, but I have other + engagements for that day that cannot be deferred. It affords me, + however, a mournful pleasure to comply with your request suggesting + that I write a few words in the nature of a tribute to our departed + friend and comrade, to be read at this meeting of the bar. But I am + fearful that I shall perform this duty very unsatisfactorily. There + are so many kind and good things that I would like to say about him + that throng my memory at this moment that I hardly know where to + begin. + + "I served in the same regiment with Col. Grass from January 7th, + 1862, to December 15th, 1864. On the last named day he was taken + prisoner by the rebels in an engagement near Murfreesboro, Tenn. He + was subsequently exchanged, but by that time the war was drawing to + a close, and he did not rejoin us again in the field. In May, 1865, + he was mustered out of the service. During his term of service with + us, (nearly three years,) I became very well acquainted with him, + and learned to admire and love him as a man and a soldier. He was + temperate in his habits, courteous and kind to the common soldiers, + and as brave a man in action as I ever saw. He was, moreover, + imbued with the most fervid and intense patriotism. The war with + him was one to preserve the Republic from destruction, and his + creed was that the government should draft, if necessary, every + available man in the North, and spend every dollar of the wealth of + the country, sooner than suffer the rebellion to succeed, and the + Nation to be destroyed. I think the most eloquent speech I ever + heard in my life was one delivered by Col. Grass to his regiment at + Little Rock, Arkansas, in February, 1864. The plan was then in + progress to induce the veteran troops in the field to re-enlist for + three years more. We boys called it 'veteranizing.' For various + reasons it did not take well in our regiment. Nearly all of us had + been at the front without a glimpse of our homes and friends for + over two years. We had undergone a fair share of severe fighting + and toilsome marching and the other hardships of a soldier's life, + and we believed we were entitled to a little rest when our present + term should expire. Hence, re-enlisting progressed slowly, and it + looked as if, so far as the 61st Illinois was concerned, that the + undertaking was going to be a failure. While matters were in this + shape, one day Col. Grass caused the word to be circulated + throughout the regiment that he would make us a speech that evening + at dress parade on the subject of 'veteranizing.' At the appointed + time we assembled on the parade ground with fuller ranks than + usual, everybody being anxious to hear what 'Old Dan,' as the boys + called him, would say. After the customary movements of the parade + had been performed, the Colonel commanded, 'Parade, Rest!' and + without further ceremony commenced his talk. Of course I cannot + pretend, after this lapse of time, to recall all that he said. I + remember best his manner and some principal statements, and the + effect they produced on us. He began talking to us like a father + would talk to a lot of dissatisfied sons. He told us that he knew + we wanted to go home; that we were tired of war and its hardships; + that we wanted to see our fathers and mothers, and 'the girls we + left behind'; that he sympathized with us, and appreciated our + feelings. 'But, boys,' said he, 'this great Nation is your father, + and has a greater claim on you than anybody else in the world. This + great father of yours is fighting for his life, and the question + for you to determine now is whether you are going to stay and help + the old man out, or whether you are going to sneak home and sit + down by the chimney corner in ease and comfort while your comrades + by thousands and hundreds of thousands are marching, struggling, + fighting, and dying on battle fields and in prison pens to put down + this wicked rebellion, and save the old Union. Stand by the old + flag, boys! Let us stay and see this thing out! We're going to whip + 'em in the end just as sure as God Almighty is looking down on us + right now, and then we'll all go home together, happy and + triumphant. And take my word for it, in after years it will be the + proudest memory of your lives, to be able to say, "I stayed with + the old regiment and the old flag until the last gun cracked and + the war was over, and the Stars and Stripes were floating in + triumph over every foot of the land!'" + + "I can see him in my mind's eye, as plain as if it were yesterday. + He stood firm and erect on his feet in the position of a soldier, + and gestured very little, but his strong, sturdy frame fairly + quivered with the intensity of his feelings, and we listened in the + most profound silence. + + "It was a raw, cold evening, and the sun, angry and red, was + sinking behind the pine forests that skirted the ridges west of our + camp when the Colonel concluded his address. It did not, I think, + exceed more than ten minutes. The parade was dismissed, and the + companies marched back to their quarters. As I put my musket on its + rack and unbuckled my cartridge box, I said to one of my comrades, + 'I believe the old Colonel is right; I am going right now down to + the adjutant's tent and re-enlist;' and go I did, but not alone. + Down to the adjutant's tent that evening streamed the boys by the + score and signed the rolls, and the fruit of that timely and + patriotic talk that Dan Grass made to us boys was that the great + majority of the men re-enlisted, and the regiment retained its + organization and remained in the field until the end of the war. + + "But my letter is assuming rather lengthy proportions, and I must + hasten to a close. I have related just one incident in the life of + Col. Grass that illustrates his spirit of patriotism and love of + country. I could speak of many more, but the occasion demands + brevity. Of his career since the close of the war, in civil life + here in Kansas, there are others better qualified to speak than I + am. I will only say that my personal relations with him since he + came to this State, dating away back in the early seventies, have + continued to be, during all these years, what they were in the + trying and perilous days of the war--of the most friendly and + fraternal character. To me, at least, he was always Col. Dan Grass, + my regimental commander; while he, as I am happy to believe, always + looked upon and remembered me simply as 'Lee Stillwell, the little + sergeant of Company D.' + + "I remain very sincerely your friend, + + "L. STILLWELL." + +[Illustration: Daniel Grass + (Late Lieut. Colonel, 61st Illinois Infantry.)] + + + + +CHAPTER XV. + +LITTLE ROCK. EXPEDITIONS TO AUGUSTA AND SPRINGFIELD. MARCH, APRIL AND +MAY, 1864. + + +In the spring of 1864 it was determined by the military authorities to +undertake some offensive operations in what was styled the "Red River +country," the objective point being Shreveport, Louisiana. Gen. N. P. +Banks was to move with an army from New Orleans, and Gen. Steele, in +command of the Department of Arkansas, was to co-operate with a force +from Little Rock. And here my regiment sustained what I regarded, and +still regard, as a piece of bad luck. It was not included in this +moving column, but was assigned to the duty of serving as provost guard +of the city of Little Rock during the absence of the main army. To be +left there in that capacity, while the bulk of the troops in that +department would be marching and fighting was, from my standpoint, a +most mortifying circumstance. But the duty that devolved on us had to +be done by somebody, and soldiers can only obey orders. Our officers +said at the time that only efficient and well-disciplined troops were +entrusted with the position of provost-guards of a city the size of +Little Rock, and hence that our being so designated was a compliment to +the regiment. That sounded plausible, and it may have been true, +probably was, but I didn't like the job a bit. It may, however, have +all been for the best, as this Red River expedition, especially the +part undertaken by Gen. Banks, was a disastrous failure. Gen. Steele +left Little Rock about March 23rd, with a force, of all arms, of about +12,000 men, but got no further than Camden, Arkansas. Gen. Banks was +defeated by the Confederates at the battle of Sabine Cross-Roads, in +Louisiana, on April 8th, and was forced to retreat. The enemy then was +at liberty to concentrate on General Steele, and so he likewise was +under the necessity of retreating, and scuttling back to Little Rock +just as rapidly as possible. But on this retreat he and his men did +some good, hard fighting, and stood off the Confederates effectively. +About the first intimation we in Little Rock had that our fellows were +coming back was when nearly every soldier in the city that was able to +wield a mattock or a spade was detailed for fatigue duty and set to +work throwing up breastworks, and kept at it, both day and night. I +happened to see Gen. Steele when he rode into town on May 2nd, at the +head of his troops, and he looked tough. He had on a battered felt hat, +with a drooping brim, an oil-cloth "slicker," much the worse for wear, +the ends of his pantaloons were stuck in his boots, and he was just +splashed and splattered with mud from head to foot. But he sat firm and +erect in his saddle, (he was a magnificent horseman,) and his eyes were +flashing as if he had plenty of fight left in him yet. And the rank and +file of our retreating army was just the hardest looking outfit of +Federal soldiers that I saw during the war, at any time. The most of +them looked as if they had been rolled in the mud, numbers of them were +barefoot, and I also saw several with the legs of their trousers all +gone, high up, socking through the mud like big blue cranes. + +In view of the feverish haste with which Little Rock had been put in a +state for defensive operations, and considering also all the reports in +circulation, we fully expected that Price's whole army would make an +attack on us almost any day. But the Confederates had been so roughly +handled in the battle of Jenkins' Ferry, April 30th, on the Saline +river, that none of their infantry came east of that river, nor any of +their cavalry except a small body, which soon retired. The whole +Confederate army, about May 1st, fell back to Camden, and soon all was +again quiet along the Arkansas. + +I will now go back about two weeks in order to give an account of a +little expedition our regiment took part in when Gen. Steele's army was +at Camden. + +Late on the evening of April 19th, we fell in, marched to the railroad +depot, climbed on the cars, and were taken that night to Devall's +Bluff. Next morning we embarked on the steamboat "James Raymond," and +started up White river. The other troops that took part in the movement +were the 3rd Minnesota Infantry and a detachment of the 8th Missouri +Cavalry. We arrived at the town of Augusta, (about eighty miles by +water from Devall's Bluff,) on the morning of the 21st. It was a +little, old, dilapidated river town, largely in a deserted condition, +situated on low, bottom land, on the east bank of White river. On +arriving we at once debarked from the boat, and all our little force +marched out a mile or so east of the town, where we halted, and formed +in line of battle in the edge of the woods, with a large open field in +our front, on the other side of which were tall, dense woods. As there +were no signs or indications of any enemy in the town, and everything +around was so quiet and sleepy, I couldn't understand what these +ominous preparations meant. Happening to notice the old chaplain a +short distance in the rear of our company, I slipped out of ranks, and +walked back to him for the purpose of getting a pointer, if possible. +He was by himself, and as I approached him, seemed to be looking rather +serious. He probably saw inquiry in my eyes, and without waiting for +question made a gesture with his hands towards the woods in our front, +and said, "O Son of Jeremiah! Here is where we shall give battle to +those who trouble Israel!" "What! What is that you say?" said I, in +much astonishment. "It is even so," he continued; "the Philistines are +abroad in the land, having among them, as they assert, many valiant men +who can sling stones at a hair's breadth and not miss. They await us, +even now, in the forest beyond. But, Son of Jeremiah," said he, "if the +uncircumcised heathen should assail the Lord's anointed, be strong, and +quit yourself like a man!" "All right, Chaplain," I responded; "I have +forty rounds in the box, and forty on the person, and will give them +the best I have in the shop. But, say! Take care of my watch, will you? +And, should anything happen, please send it to the folks at home;"--and +handing him my little old silver time-piece, I resumed my place in the +ranks. After what seemed to me a most tiresome wait, we finally +advanced, preceded by a line of skirmishers. I kept my eyes fixed on +the woods in our front, expecting every minute to see burst therefrom +puffs of white smoke, followed by the whiz of bullets and the crash of +musketry, but nothing of the kind happened. Our skirmishers entered the +forest, and disappeared, and still everything remained quiet. The main +line followed, and after gaining the woods, we discovered plenty of +evidence that they had quite recently been occupied by a body of +cavalry. The ground was cut up by horses' tracks, and little piles of +corn in the ear, only partly eaten, were scattered around. We advanced +through the woods and swamps for some miles and scouted around +considerably, but found no enemy, except a few stragglers that were +picked up by our cavalry. We left Augusta on the 24th, on our +steamboat, and arrived at Little Rock on the same day. I met the +chaplain on the boat while on our return, and remarked to him that, +"Those mighty men who could kill a jaybird with a sling-shot a quarter +of a mile off didn't stay to see the show." "No," he answered; "when +the sons of Belial beheld our warlike preparation, their hearts melted, +and became as water; they gat every man upon his ass, and speedily +fled, even beyond the brook which is called Cache." He then went on to +tell me that on our arrival at Augusta there was a body of Confederate +cavalry near there, supposed to be about a thousand strong, under the +command of a General McRae; that they were bivouacked in the woods in +front of the line of battle we formed, and that on our approach they +had scattered and fled. The enemy's force really exceeded ours, but, as +a general proposition, their cavalry was reluctant to attack our +infantry, in a broken country, unless they could accomplish something +in the nature of a surprise, or otherwise have a decided advantage at +the start. + +On May 16th we shifted our camp to Huntersville, on the left bank of +the Arkansas river, and near our first location. We thus abandoned our +log cabins, and never occupied them again. They were now getting too +close and warm for comfort, anyhow. But they had been mighty good +friends to us in the bitterly cold winter of '63-4, and during that +time we spent many a cosy, happy day and night therein. + +On May 19th we again received marching orders, and the regiment left +camp that night on the cars, and went to Hicks' station, 28 miles from +Little Rock. We remained here, bivouacking in the woods, until the +22nd, when, at 3 o'clock in the morning of that day, we took up the +line of march, moving in a northerly direction. The troops that +composed our force consisted of the 61st, 54th, and 106th Illinois, and +12th Michigan (infantry regiments), a battery of artillery, and some +detachments of cavalry; Brig. Gen. J. R. West in command. We arrived at +the town of Austin, 18 miles from Hicks' Station, about 2 o'clock on +the afternoon of the 22nd. It was a little country village, situated on +a rocky, somewhat elevated ridge. As I understand, it is now a station +on the Iron Mountain railroad, which has been built since the war. I +reckon if in May, 1864, any one had predicted that some day a railroad +would be built and in operation through that insignificant settlement +among the rocks and trees, he would have been looked on as hardly a +safe person to be allowed to run at large. + +Co. D started on the march with only one commissioned officer, Second +Lieutenant Wallace. I have forgotten the cause of the absence of Capt. +Keeley and Lieut. Warren, but there was doubtless some good reason. On +the first day's march the weather was hot, and the route was through a +very rough and broken country. Wallace was overcome by heat, and had to +fall out, and wait for an ambulance. In consequence, it so happened +that when we reached Austin, there was no commissioned officer with us, +and I, as first sergeant, was in command of the company. And that gave +rise to an incident which, at the time, swelled me up immensely. On +arriving at the town, the regiment halted on some open ground in the +outskirts, fell into line, dressed on the colors, and stood at ordered +arms. Thereupon the adjutant commanded, "Commanding officers of +companies, to the front and center, march!" I was completely taken by +surprise by this command, and for a second or two stood, dazed and +uncertain. But two or three of the boys spoke up at once and said, +"You're our commanding officer, Stillwell; go!" The situation by this +time had also dawned on me, so I promptly obeyed the command. But I +must have been a strange looking "commanding officer." I was +barefooted, breeches rolled up nearly to the knees, feet and ankles +"scratched and tanned," and my face covered with sweat and dirt. The +closest scrutiny would have failed to detect in me a single feature of +the supposed "pomp and circumstance" of an alleged military hero. But I +stalked down the line, bare feet and all, with my musket at a shoulder +arms, and looking fully as proud, I imagine, as Henry of Navarre ever +did at the battle of Ivry, with "a snow-white plume upon his gallant +crest." By the proper and usual commands, the "commanding officers of +companies" were brought up and halted within a few paces of Col. Ohr, +who thereupon addressed them as follows: + +"Gentleman, have your men stack arms where they now are, and at once +prepare their dinner. They can disperse to get wood and water, but +caution them strictly not to wander far from the gun stacks. We may +possibly pass the night here, but we may be called on, at any moment, +to fall in and resume the march. That's all, gentlemen." + +While the Colonel was giving these instructions, I thought a sort of +unusual twinkle sparkled in his eyes, as they rested on me. But, for my +part, I was never more serious in my life. Returning to the company, I +gave the order to stack arms, which being done, the boys crowded around +me, plying me with questions. "What did the Colonel say? What's up, +Stillwell?" I assumed a prodigiously fierce and authoritative look and +said: "Say, do you fellows suppose that we commanding officers of +companies are going to give away to a lot of lousy privates a +confidential communication from the Colonel? If you are guilty of any +more such impertinent conduct, I'll have every mother's son of you +bucked and gagged." The boys all laughed, and after a little more fun +of that kind, I repeated to them literally every word the Colonel said, +and then we all set about getting dinner. About this time Lieut. +Wallace rode up in an ambulance--and my reign was over. We resumed the +march at 3 o'clock in the morning of the next day (May 23rd), marched +18 miles, and bivouacked that night at Peach Orchard Gap. This was no +town, simply a natural feature of the country. Left here next morning +(the 24th) at daylight, marched 18 miles, and bivouacked on a stream +called Little Cadron. Left at daylight next morning (the 25th), marched +18 miles, and went into camp near the town of Springfield. By this time +the intelligence had filtered down to the common soldiers as to the +object of this expedition. It was to intercept, and give battle to, a +force of Confederate cavalry, under Gen. J. O. Shelby, operating +somewhere in this region, and supposed to have threatening designs on +the Little Rock and Devall's Bluff railroad. But so far as encountering +the Confederates was concerned, the movement was an entire failure. My +experience during the war warrants the assertion, I think, that it is +no use to send infantry after cavalry. It is very much like a man on +foot trying to run down a jack-rabbit. It may be that infantry can +sometimes head off cavalry, and thereby frustrate an intended movement, +but men on horses can't be maneuvered into fighting men on foot unless +the horsemen are willing to engage. Otherwise they will just keep out +of the way. + +We remained at Springfield until May 28th. It was a little place and +its population when the war began was probably not more than a hundred +and fifty, or two hundred. It was the county seat of Conway county, but +there was no official business being transacted there now. About all +the people had left, except a few old men and some women and small +children. The houses were nearly all log cabins. Even the county jail +was a log structure of a very simply and unimposing type. It has always +been my opinion that this little place was the most interesting and +romantic-looking spot (with one possible exception I may speak of +later) that I saw in the South during all my army service. The town was +situated on rather high ground, and in the heart of the primitive +forest. Grand native trees were growing in the door-yards, and even in +the middle of the main street,--and all around everywhere. And we were +there at a season of the year when Nature was at its best, and all the +scenery was most attractive and charming. I sometimes would sit down at +the foot of some big tree in the center of the little village, and +ponder on what surely must have been the happy, contented condition of +its people before the war came along and spoiled all. Judging from the +looks of the houses, the occupants doubtless had been poor people and +practically all on the same financial footing, so there was no occasion +for envy. And there was no railroad, nor telegraph line, nor daily +papers, to keep them nervous and excited or cause them to worry. And +they were far away from the busy haunts of congregated men,-- + + "Their best companions, innocence and health, + And their best riches, ignorance of wealth." + +Their trading point was Lewisburg, about fifteen miles southwest on the +Arkansas river, and when that stream was at a proper stage, small +steamboats would ply up and down, and bring to Lewisburg groceries and +dry goods, and such other things as the country did not produce, which +would then be wagoned out to Springfield and into the country +generally. And judging from all that could be seen or heard, I think +there were hardly any slaves at Springfield, or in the entire north +part of Conway county, before the war. What few there may have been +were limited to the plantations along the Arkansas river. I have never +been at the little town since the occasion now mentioned, so personally +I know nothing of its present appearance and condition. However, as a +matter of general information, it may be said that after the war a +railroad was built running up the Arkansas river valley, through the +south part of the county. This road left Springfield out, so in course +of time it lost the county seat, which went to a railroad town. And +this road also missed Lewisburg, which has now disappeared from the map +entirely. + +When in camp at Springfield, many of the boys, in accordance with their +usual habits, of their own motion at once went to scouting around over +the adjacent country, after pigs, or chickens, or anything else that +would serve to vary army fare. While so engaged two or three of our +fellows discovered a little old whisky still. It was about two miles +from Springfield, situated in a deep, timbered hollow, near a big +spring. It was fully equipped for active operation, with a supply of +"mash" on hands, and all other essentials for turning out whisky. Some +of the 10th Illinois Cavalry found it first, and scared away the +proprietor, then took charge of the still and proceeded to carry on the +business on their own account. The boys of the 61st who stumbled on the +place were too few to cope with the cavalrymen; thereupon they hastened +back to camp and informed some trusty comrades of the delectable +discovery. Forthwith they organized a strong party as an alleged +"provost guard," and all armed, and under the command of a daring, +reckless duty sergeant, hastened to the still. On arriving there, in +their capacity as provost guards, they summarily arrested the +cavalrymen, with loud threats of condign punishment, but after scaring +them sufficiently, and on their solemn promise to at once return to +camp and "be good" in the future, released them, and allowed them to +depart. Then our bunch stacked arms, and started in to make whisky. +Some of the number had served in the business before, and knew all +about it, so that little still there in the hollow was then and there +worked to its utmost capacity, day and night, and doubtless as it never +had been before. Knowledge of this enterprise spread like wild-fire +among the enlisted men,--and oh, "how the whisky went down" at +Springfield! Away along some hours after midnight, I would hear some of +the boys coming in from the still, letting out keen, piercing whoops +that could be heard nearly a mile. Like the festive Tam O'Shanter (with +apologies to Burns),-- + + "The swats sae reamed in every noddle, + They cared na rebs nor guards a boddle." + +I took just one little taste of the stuff, from Sam Ralston's canteen. +It was limpid and colorless as water, and fairly burnt like fire as it +went down my throat. That satisfied my curiosity, and after that many +similar offers were declined, with thanks. Whether the officers at the +time knew of this business or not, I do not know. If they did, they +just "winked the other eye," and said nothing, for the boys ran the +still, without restriction or interruption, until we left Springfield. + +Telling of the foregoing episode causes many other incidents to come +flocking to my memory that came under my notice during my army career, +and in which whisky figured more or less. The insatiable, inordinate +appetite of some of the men for intoxicating liquor, of any kind, was +something remarkable, and the ingenious schemes they would devise to +get it were worthy of admiration, had they been exerted in a better +cause. And they were not a bit fastidious about the kind of liquor, it +was the effect that was desired. One afternoon, a day or two after we +arrived at Helena, Arkansas, a sudden yell, a sort of "ki-yip!" was +heard issuing from one of the company tents, soon followed by others of +the same tone. I had heard that peculiar yelp before, and knew what it +meant. Presently I sauntered down to the tent from whence the sounds +issued, and walked in. Several of the boys were seated around, in an +exalted state of vociferous hilarity, and a flat, pint bottle, with the +figure of a green leaf on one side, and labeled "Bay Rum" on the other, +was promptly handed to me, with the invitation to "drink hearty." I did +taste it. It was oily, greasy, and unpleasant, but there was no doubt +that it was intoxicating. It was nothing but bay rum, the same stuff +that in those days barbers were wont to use in their line of business. +It finally came to light that the sutler of some regiment at Helena had +induced the post-quartermaster at Cairo to believe that the troops +stood in urgent need of bay rum for the purpose of anointing their +hair, and thereupon he obtained permission to include several boxes of +the stuff in his sutler supplies. When he got it to Helena he proceeded +to sell it at a dollar a bottle, and his stock was exhausted in a few +hours. What may have been done to this sutler I don't know, but that +was the last and only time that I know of bay rum being sold to the +soldiers as a toilet article, or otherwise. Of course, all sutlers and +civilians were prohibited, under severe penalties, from selling +intoxicating liquor to the enlisted men, but the profits were so large +that the temptation was great to occasionally transgress, in some +fashion. But, as a general rule, I think that the orders were +scrupulously obeyed. The risk was too great to do otherwise. + +I remember a little personal experience of my own, when once I tried to +buy a drink of whisky. It is not a long story, so it will be told. It +occurred at Devall's Bluff, in October, 1863, when our little furlough +party was there, waiting the arrival of a boat from below on which to +resume our homeward journey. One night in particular was quite cold. We +slept in our blankets on the ground near the bank of the river, built +good fires, and tried to keep as comfortable as possible. But the +morning after this cold night I got up feeling wretched, both mentally +and physically. I was weak from previous illness, my rheumatic pains +were worse, and my condition in general was such as caused me to fear +that I was liable to break down and not be able to go home. It occurred +to me that a drink of whisky might brace me up some, so I started out +to obtain one, if possible. There was a sort of a wharf-boat at the +landing, moored to the bank, a stationary, permanent affair, with a +saloon appurtenant. I went on the boat, walked up to the bar, and +exhibiting a greenback to the bar-keeper, asked him if he would sell me +a drink of whisky. "Can't do it," he answered, "the orders are strict +against selling whisky to soldiers." I began moving away, and at that +instant a big, greasy, colored deck-hand, or laborer of some sort, +black as the ace of spades, crowded by me, brushing against me in the +narrow passage on his way to the bar. "Boss," he called to the keeper, +"want a dram!" A bottle and a glass were pushed towards him, he filled +the glass to the brim, and drank the contents at a gulp. Then he +smacked his big lips, rolled his eyes around, and with a deep breath +exclaimed, "A-h-h! Dat whisky feels des pow'ful good dis cole mawnin'!" +I looked at the darkey in bitterness of heart, and couldn't help +thinking that it was all-fired mean, when a poor little sick soldier +was not allowed to buy a drink of whisky, while a great big buck nigger +roustabout had it handed out to him with cheerfulness and alacrity. But +the orders forbidding the sale of intoxicating liquors to soldiers were +all right, and an imperative military necessity. If the men had been +allowed unlimited access to whisky, and the like, that would, in my +opinion, simply have been ruinous to the good order, discipline, and +efficiency of the army. That statement is based on events I saw myself +while in the service, and which occurred when, in spite of the orders, +the men managed to obtain liquor without let or hindrance. The scenes +that would then ensue are too unpleasant to talk about, so they will be +passed over in silence. It is only fair, however, to say that the same +men who, when furiously drunk, were a disgrace to themselves and the +organization to which they belonged, were, as a general rule, faithful +and brave soldiers when sober. + +At 4 o'clock on the morning of the 28th we broke camp at Springfield, +and started back to Little Rock, marching in a south-easterly +direction. We marched all that day, the 29th, 30th, and 31st, and +arrived at our old camp at Huntersville at 9 o'clock in the evening of +the last mentioned day. According to the official report the entire +distance marched on the expedition, going and coming, was 190 miles, +and we didn't see an armed Confederate on the whole trip. Our return +route was through the wilderness, most of it primeval forest, and we +didn't pass through a single town. But now there is a railroad that +runs practically over all the course we followed during the last three +days we were on this march. I haven't been in that region since we +passed through there in May, 1864, but at that time it certainly was a +very wild, rough, and broken country. We here had our first experience +with scorpions and tarantulas, and soon learned that it was prudent, +when bivouacking on the ground, to carefully turn over all loose rocks +and logs in order to find and get rid of those ugly customers. The +scorpions were about four or five inches long, the fore part of the +body something like a crawfish, with a sharp stinger on the end of the +tail. When excited or disturbed, they would curl their tails over their +backs, and get over the ground quite rapidly. The tarantulas were just +big hairy spiders, of a blackish-gray color, about as big as toads, and +mighty ugly-looking things. The sting of the tarantula, and the bite of +a spider, were very painful, but when that happened to any of us (which +was seldom), our remedy was to apply a big, fresh quid of tobacco to +the wound, which would promptly neutralize the poison. + + + + +CHAPTER XVI. + +DEVALL'S BLUFF; THE CLARENDON EXPEDITION. JUNE AND JULY, 1864. + + +On June 20th we left Huntersville on the cars and went to Hicks' +Station, hereinbefore mentioned, and there went into camp. In making +this move, we left Little Rock for the last time, and from that day I +have never seen the old town again. But our stay at Hicks' Station was +brief. Marching orders came on June 24th, and on the next day we left +on the cars and went to Devall's Bluff, and on reaching there filed on +board the steamer "Kentucky," and started down White river, accompanied +by several other boats also loaded with troops, all under the command +of Gen. E. A. Carr. The object and purpose of this expedition was soon +noised around among the men. The daring and enterprising Confederate +General Shelby had on June 24th turned up at Clarendon, on White river, +not far below Devall's Bluff, and here, with the aid of his artillery, +had surprised and captured one of our so-called "tin-clad" gunboats, +and had established a blockade of the river. As all our supplies came +by way of that stream, it was necessary to drive Shelby away at once, +hence our movement. We arrived at Clarendon on the morning of the 26th. +Some of our gunboats were with us, in advance, and as soon as they came +within range of the town began shelling it, and the woods beyond. The +cannonade elicited no reply, and it was soon ascertained that the enemy +had fallen back from the river. The transports thereupon landed, the +men marched on shore, formed in line of battle, and advanced. The +Confederates were found in force about two miles northeast of town, and +some lively skirmishing and artillery practice began. But our regiment +was stationed in the supporting line, (darn it!) and didn't get to pull +a trigger. Cannon shot went over our heads now and then, but hurt +nobody. While the racket was going on we were standing in line of +battle, on the hither side of an extensive cotton field, and there was +a big, tall cottonwood tree standing about a quarter of a mile in our +front by the side of the road. I was looking in that direction when +suddenly, as if by magic, a big forked branch of this tree quietly took +leave of the trunk, as if it "didn't know how it happened." Before it +struck the ground the shot from one of Shelby's guns that had done this +pruning went screaming over our heads. It sounded just real good, like +old times, with an effect, somehow, like a powerful tonic. But the +affair didn't last long. Shelby had no stomach for fighting infantry, +well supplied with artillery, and he soon fell back, and rapidly +retreated in a northerly direction, leaving two pieces of his artillery +in our possession. When the Confederates retired, we followed promptly +and vigorously, but of course the infantry couldn't overhaul them, and +neither could our cavalry bring them to a determined stand. Our route +was largely through a low, swampy country, over a "corduroy" road. In +many places there were large gaps in the corduroy, where the logs had +rotted and disappeared, and the road was covered with green and slimy +water about knee-deep. On encountering the first of these breaks, we +took off our shoes and socks, tied them to the ends of the barrels of +our muskets, rolled up our trousers, and waded in. As such places were +numerous, it was not worth while to resume our foot-gear, so we just +trudged on bare-footed. But the weather was warm, and it made no +difference, and the boys would splash through the mud and water in +great good humor, laughing and joking as they went. We followed hard +after Shelby until the evening of the 27th, and it being impossible to +catch up with him, we started back to Clarendon on the morning of the +28th. In the matter of rations I reckon "someone had blundered," when +we started in pursuit of Shelby. We had left Clarendon with only a +meager supply in our haversacks, and no provision train was with the +command. So at the time we took the back track we were out of anything +to eat. The country bordering on our route was wild, and thinly +settled, and what people lived there were manifestly quite poor, hence +there was very little in the shape of anything to eat that we could +forage. On the first day of our return march our commissary sergeant, +Bonfoy, did manage to capture and kill a gaunt, lean old Arkansas +steer, and it was divided up among the men with almost as much nicety +and exactness as if it was a wedding cake with a prize diamond ring in +it; and we hadn't any salt to go with it, but in lieu of that used +gun-powder, which was a sort of substitute. With that exception, (and a +piece of hardtack, to be presently mentioned,) my bill of fare on the +return march until we reached Clarendon consisted, in the main, of a +green, knotty apple,--and some sassafras buds. About the middle of the +afternoon on the second day the regiment made a temporary halt for some +purpose, and we were sitting, or lying down, along the road side. There +was a bunch of our cavalry on their horses, in column off the road a +short distance, also at a halt, and I saw one of them munching a +hardtack. I slipped out of ranks and approached the fellow, and when +close to him said, "Partner, won't you give me a hardtack?" He looked +at me a second or two without saying anything, and I was fearful that +my appeal was going to be denied. But the look of ravenous hunger in my +eyes probably gained the case, for at last he reached his hand into his +haversack and handed me a tack, one of the big kind about four or five +inches square. I was barely in time, for right then the cavalry moved +on. I thrust the tack into my shirt bosom, gave a quick, furtive glance +towards the company to see if anyone had observed me, and then started +to get behind a big tree, where the precious morsel could be devoured +without risk of detection. But John Barton had been watching, and was +upon me before I could hide. "Hold on, Stillwell," said he, "that don't +go! I divided with you as long as I had a crumb!" "That's so, John," I +replied, heaving a mournful sigh, "here;" and breaking the hardtack in +two, I gave him a fair half, and standing behind the tree we promptly +gobbled down our respective portions. + +We arrived at Clarendon on the evening of the 29th--having marched, in +going and returning, about seventy miles. Here everybody got a square +meal, which was heartily appreciated. As bearing on the above mentioned +incident about the hardtack, it will be said here, basing my remarks on +my experience in the army, and elsewhere, that I think there is nothing +that will reduce human beings so much to the level of the brute +creation as intense, gnawing hunger. All the selfishness there is in a +man will then come to the surface, and to satisfy the well-nigh +intolerable craving for something to eat, he will "go back" on his best +friend. I could cite several instances in support of this statement +that have come under my observation, but it is unnecessary. + +Soon after reaching Clarendon, as above stated, fires burst forth, +apparently simultaneously, all over the town, and soon every building +was in ashes. It was a small place, and its population at the beginning +of the war probably did not exceed three hundred. At this time the town +had been abandoned by the residents, and so far as I know the houses +were all vacant. The buildings were small frame or log structures, +composed of cypress and pine lumber or logs, roofed with shingles, and +highly combustible, and they made an exceedingly hot fire. I do not +know the cause of the burning of the town. The soldiers were tired, +mad, and out of sorts generally, and they may have fired it on their +own motion, but it is more likely that it was done by order of the +military authorities. The empty houses afforded excellent cover whereby +the Confederates could slip up to the river bank and annoy our +gunboats, even to the extent of capturing one, as they had done quite +recently. So as a military measure the burning of the town was fully +justified. + +We left Clarendon on the evening of the 29th, on the steamer "Lillie +Martin," arrived at Devall's Bluff some time during the night, debarked +from the boat next morning, and went into camp near the river, where we +enjoyed for a time an agreeable rest. + +Before taking final leave of the Clarendon expedition I will, in the +interest of the truth of history, indulge in a little criticism of the +gallant and distinguished officer who was the Confederate commander in +this affair. All who are conversant with the military career of General +J. O. Shelby will readily concede that he was a brave, skillful, and +energetic cavalry commander. He kept us in hot water almost continually +in the Trans-Mississippi department, and made us a world of trouble. +But I feel constrained to remark that, in reporting his military +operations, he was, sometimes, a most monumental----well, I'll scratch +out the "short and ugly" word I have written, and substitute "artist," +and let it go at that. I have just been reading his reports of this +Clarendon episode, as they appear on pages 1050-1053, Serial Number 61, +Official Records of the War of the Rebellion, and as he describes it, +it is difficult to recognize it as being the same affair we took part +in, in June, 1864. In the first place, he says that the loss of the +Federals can "safely be put down at 250 killed and wounded," and that +30 will cover his own. On the other hand, our commander, Gen. Carr, +says the Confederate loss, killed, wounded and captured, was "about" +74, and gives ours as 1 killed and 16 wounded. (Ib., p. 1047.) And from +what I personally saw, I have no doubt that Gen. Carr's statements are +correct. Shelby further asserts that "three times" he drove us "back to +the river," and that later, while on his retreat, he "charged" us and +"drove them (us) back three miles in confusion." Now, those statements +are pure moonshine. I was there, and while, as previously stated, not +on the firing line, was nevertheless in a position either to see or +hear every thing of any material consequence that transpired. The force +on each side was comparatively small, the field of active operations +was limited, and it was not difficult for even a common soldier to have +an intelligent idea of what was going on. And, for my part, with the +natural curiosity of a boy, I was constantly on the alert to see or +hear everything that was being done in the shape of fighting. In the +operations near the town, we were not driven "back to the river," nor +towards it, on any occasion. On his retreat, Shelby did make one or two +feeble stands, the object being merely to delay us until his main body +could get well out of the way, and when that was accomplished, his rear +guard galloped after them as fast as they could. That it was mainly a +race with him to get away is evident from a statement in his report, in +which he says he was then (June 30th) "resting" his "tired and terribly +jaded horses." But, in telling of his exploits, he says nothing about +losing two pieces of his artillery. The saying of Bonaparte's, "False +as a war bulletin," has passed into a proverb, and this bulletin of +Gen. Shelby's is no exception. + + + + +CHAPTER XVII. + +DEVALL'S BLUFF. GRAND REVIEWS AND INSPECTIONS. SURGEON J. P. ANTHONY. +PRIVATE PRESS ALLENDER. JUNE AND JULY, 1864. + + +I have said nothing so far about "grand reviews," or other functions of +that sort, and here is as good a place as any to notice them. From some +cause or other we had what seemed to us an undue proportion of grand +reviews in Arkansas in the summer of 1864. They were not a bit popular +with the common soldiers. It became a saying among us, when a grand +review was ordered, that the reviewing officer had got a new uniform +and wanted to show it--but, of course, that was only soldier talk. + +On June 10th, while in camp at Huntersville, all the troops at Little +Rock were reviewed by Maj. Gen. Daniel E. Sickles, late of the Army of +the Potomac. He lost a leg at the battle of Gettysburg, which +incapacitated him for active service, so President Lincoln gave him a +sort of roving commission to visit and inspect all the western troops. +In conducting the review at Little Rock, on account of his maimed +condition he rode along the line in an open carriage. The day was +exceedingly hot, the troops on our side of the river were reviewed on +low grounds where the air was stifling, we wore our jackets tightly +buttoned, and we all suffered fearfully from heat. One man in the line +near me went over with a crash, all in a pile, from sunstroke, and I +heard that there were several other such cases. Nine days later, (June +19th,) we had division grand review conducted by our division +commander, Gen. C. C. Andrews, and on July 11th another grand review by +the same officer. And interspersed with the reviews were several +brigade inspections of arms. But as those did not involve any marching, +they were not as fatiguing as the reviews. I will mention specifically +but one of these inspections, and do so for the reason that there were +some things connected with it I have always remembered with interest +and pleasure. It was held on July 4th, at Devall's Bluff, the +inspecting officer being Col. Randolph B. Marcy, Inspector-General U.S. +Army. He was a regular army officer, a graduate of West Point, and +at this time was about fifty-two years of age. He was over six feet +tall, straight as an arrow, and a splendid looking man in general. We +had very short notice of this inspection, and having returned only a +few days before from the Clarendon expedition, had not yet had time or +opportunity to wash our shirts, and were in quite a rough and tough +condition. And the fact that this inspection was to be conducted by the +Inspector-General of the United States Army, an old regular, and a West +Point graduate, made us nervous, and we apprehended all sorts of +trouble. So far as I ever knew, the volunteers had not much love for +the regular army officers. We regarded them as unreasonably strict and +technical, and were of the impression that they were inclined to "look +down" on volunteers. Whether this feeling was well founded, or not, I +cannot say, but there is no question that it existed. On this occasion +we went to work with a will, and soon had our muskets, bayonets, +belt-plates, and accouterments in general, bright and shining, and in +the very pink of condition. It was to be an inspection of arms only, +and did not include knapsacks. About 9 o'clock on the morning of July +4th, we fell in on the regimental parade ground, broke into columns of +companies, right in front, in open order, and the greatly feared +Inspector-General entered on his duty. As already stated, we looked +hard. Many of us were barefoot, and our clothes in general were dirty +and ragged. But Col. Marcy knew we had just come off a march, he was a +very sensible man, and capable of making some allowances. In accordance +with the regulations, he passed in front of us, walking slowly and +looking at us critically. As he came opposite each soldier, the latter +brought his piece into the prescribed position for examination, but +Col. Marcy contented himself with a sweeping glance, and did not take +the musket in his hands. Then he passed to the rear of the ranks, and +walked slowly along behind us, while we stood immovable, with eyes +fixed to the front. It was soon all over. He then approached Col. Ohr, +said something I did not hear, but which was evidently pleasant, for +the Colonel smiled, then turned round facing us, and with a sweep of +his arm in our direction said,--loud enough for many of us to hear, +"Good soldiers!" whereupon we all felt much relieved and proud,--and +the dreaded inspection was a thing of the past. Several years +afterwards, when in civil life out in Kansas, I learned that Col. Marcy +was not only a grand old soldier, but also a most interesting writer. I +have two of his books in my library now, and have had for many years, +one being his official report of the "Exploration of the Red River of +Louisiana, in the year 1852;" the other, "Thirty Years of Army Life on +the Border." Both are highly interesting, and I frequently take them +from the shelf and look them over. And when I do so, there always rises +up on about every page the recollection of the tall, imposing figure of +Col. Marcy, as he stood beneath the oaks at Devall's Bluff, Arkansas, +on the morning of July 4th, 1864, and waved his arm towards us, and +said in a kind tone, and with approving look: "Good soldiers!" + +There was in Company D an original sort of a character, by the name of +Ambrose Pressley Allender,--for short, generally called "Press." He was +at this time (1864) about thirty-five years old. He had been a private +in a regiment of Kentucky infantry during the Mexican War, but what the +length of his service may have been I do not know. But in his Mexican +War experience he had at least learned every possible trick and device +that could be resorted to in "playing off," as the boys called it; that +is, avoiding duty on the plea of sickness or any other excuse that +would serve. He was not a bad man, by any means, but a good-hearted old +fellow. He had re-enlisted, along with the rest of us, when the +regiment "veteranized." But his propensity for shirking duty, +especially anything severe or unpleasant, seemed inveterate and +incurable. He made me lots of trouble, for some time, after I became +first sergeant. I was only a boy, and he was a man of mature age, about +fifteen years my senior, and looking back to those days, I can see now +where many times he pulled the wool over my eyes completely and induced +me to grant him favors in the matter of details that he was not +entitled to. But it was not long before I began to understand Press, +and then, if he was excused from duty, or passed over for a lighter +job, the authority had to come from the regimental surgeon. Dr. Julius +P. Anthony, of Brown county, Illinois, was appointed surgeon of the +regiment in September, 1863, and remained with us in that capacity +until we were mustered out of the service. He was not a handsome man, +by any means. He was hawk-nosed, with steel-blue eyes, and had a most +peculiar sort of a high-keyed, nasal toned voice. But he was an +excellent physician, and a shrewd, accurate judge of men. So, when +Press bucked up against Dr. Anthony, he found a foeman worthy of his +steel, and the keen-eyed old doctor was a different proposition from a +boy orderly sergeant. Press would keep close watch of the details as +they progressed down the company roll, and when he was next in turn, +and the impending duty was one he did not fancy, would then retire to +his tent or shack, and when wanted for picket, or some laborious +fatigue duty, would be found curled up in his bunk and groaning +dismally. When we were at Devall's Bluff, at a time about the last of +July, 1864, I discovered him in this condition one morning before +sick-call, when I went to apprise him (out of abundant caution) that he +was next for duty, and not to wander from the camp. He forthwith told +me he was very sick, hadn't slept a wink all night, and that I must +pass over him for the time being. I replied that if he was sick, he +must fall in at sick-call, and have the surgeon pass on his case, so he +climbed out of his bunk, put on his trousers, and made ready. Sick-call +was sounded pretty soon, and I went with Press and two or three of the +other boys to the surgeon's tent. Press kept in the background until +the other cases were disposed of, and then stepped forward. His +breeches were unbuttoned down to nearly the last button, he was holding +them up with his hands, and his stomach protruded like the belly of a +brood-sow. "Well, Allender," inquired Dr. Anthony, "egad, what's the +matter with you?" Press was careful to put on all the military frills +at such a time, and he began thus: "Major Anthony, First Sergeant +Stillwell has several times putten me on duty when I was not fitten for +duty, and so I am now compelled to come to you, and----" "That'll do, +Allender," interrupted the doctor, "what are your symptoms?" Press then +began the story of his woes. He had racking pains in the stomach, +headache, couldn't sleep, "all bloated up," he said, "as you can see +for yourself;" with a comprehensive gesture towards his abdominal +region,--and numerous other troubles, including "night sweats." Dr. +Anthony heard him patiently, and without interruption, but scanned him +closely all the time he was talking. Press at last stopped to take +breath, and then the doctor, in his rasping voice, spoke as follows: +"Allender, the trouble with you is simply exercising too little, and +eating too much. And if you don't quit stuffing yourself, and get +around more, I shall instruct Sergeant Stillwell to put you on fatigue +duty every day until you are rid of that mass of fermenting fecal +matter in your bowels, and your stomach is restored to normal +condition. That's all." Then addressing me, he said: "Allender's able +for duty;" and Press and I walked out. As soon as we were beyond the +hearing of Dr. Anthony, Press turned loose. He was a terribly profane +fellow when, in his opinion, ordinary language would not do the subject +justice, and had accumulated a stock of the most unique and outrageous +expressions that could be invented, and all these he now fired at the +Doctor. Having no desire to put salt on a green wound, I said nothing. +In perhaps an hour or so the first sergeant's call was sounded at the +adjutant's tent, which meant a detail. I responded to the call, and the +Sergeant-Major, consulting the regimental detail slip he held in his +hand, told me he wanted a corporal and five privates from my company, +with two days' rations, to help make up a scouting party going up White +river on a steamboat, and for them to report in fifteen minutes. That +caught old Press, and I went to his shack expecting a scene. He was +found lying on his bunk, in his drawers and shirt--as usual in such +emergencies. I proceeded to detail him as one of the scouting party, +and told him to be all ready within fifteen minutes. In the meantime, +the weather had changed, and a disagreeable, drizzling rain was +falling. Press heaved a deep sigh when informed of his detail, and +began to beg and protest. I told him that the doctor had refused to +excuse him, that he was the next man on the roll for duty, that I had +no discretion in the matter, and he would have to get ready and go. +But, if he was feeling worse, I would go with him again to the doctor, +and request him to look further into his case. Press sprang out of his +bunk with a bound, and grabbed his trousers. "Before I'll ever go +again," he said, "to that hawk-nosed old blankety-blank-blank, to get +excused from duty, I'll see him in hell further than a pigeon can fly +in a leap year. He hasn't got sense enough, anyhow, to doctor an old +dominecker hen that is sick with a sore [anus], much less a civilized +human being. You could let me off this detail, if you wanted to, and +let me tell you, Stillwell, if this trip kills me, which it probably +will, I want you to remember, as long as you live, that the +responsibility for my death lies on your head!" This last statement, I +will confess, rather staggered me, and had it been delivered in a weak +and pitiful tone, there is no telling what I might have done. But he +didn't "roar" me "as gently as a sucking dove," by a long shot, for his +voice was full and loud, and quivering with energy and power. So I made +no response to this dire prediction; Press got ready, and went. The +weather cleared up in a few hours, and was bright and pleasant, but +nevertheless I became very uneasy about Press. If the old fellow really +was sick, and if, by any possibility, this detail should result in his +death, why, then, I felt that his last words would haunt me as long as +I lived. I waited anxiously for the return of the scouting party, and +when the whistle of the boat was heard on its arrival at the Bluff, +went at once to the landing to learn the fate of Press, and stood on +the bank where the men could be seen as they came ashore. Presently +here came Press, very much alive, and looking fine! He bore, transfixed +on his bayonet, a home-cured ham of an Arkansas hog; the tail feathers +of a chicken were ostentatiously protruding from the mouth of his +haversack, and which receptacle was also stuffed well-nigh to bursting +with big, toothsome yams. And later the fact was developed that his +canteen was full of sorghum molasses. As he trudged up the road cut +through the bank, his step was springy and firm, his face was glowing +with health, and beaded with perspiration. I felt greatly relieved and +happy, and, inspired by the joy of the moment, called to him: "Hello, +Press! You seem to be all right!" He glanced up at me, and in a sort of +sheepish manner responded: "Ya-a-ss. As luck would have it, the trip +'greed with me." And from this time on, I had no more trouble with old +Press. He turned over a new leaf, cut out completely his old-time +malingering practices, and thenceforward was a good, faithful soldier. +We were in some close places afterwards, and he never flinched, but +stood up to the work like a man. He was mustered out with the rest of +us in September, 1865, and after some going and coming, settled down in +Peoria county, Illinois, where he died March 15, 1914, at the age of +nearly eighty-five years. + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII. + +THE REGIMENT GOES HOME ON VETERAN FURLOUGH. INTERVIEW WITH GEN. W. T. +SHERMAN AFTER THE WAR. A SHORT TOUR OF SOLDIERING AT CHESTER, ILLINOIS. +AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, 1864. + + +After our return from the Clarendon affair, we remained in camp at +Devall's Bluff, where nothing more important occurred than drilling, +reviews, inspections, and the like. The summer was rapidly passing +away, and still the regiment had not received the 30-day furlough +promised us when we veteranized. Nearly all the other regiments in the +department that had re-enlisted had received theirs, and it looked as +if the poor old 61st Illinois had been "lost in the shuffle." The boys +began to get a little impatient about this, and somewhat disposed to +grumble, which was only natural. But on August 8th the paymaster made +us a visit, paid us six months' pay and our veteran bounty, and then +the prospect for the furlough began to brighten, and we were assured by +our officers that we had not much longer to wait. And sure enough, on +August 14th we started home. We left the recruits and non-veterans at +Devall's Bluff, to which we expected to return on the expiration of our +furlough, but the Fates willed otherwise, as will be seen later. When +we filed on board the steamboat that August morning, the old regiment, +as an organization, was leaving Arkansas forever. + +I will say here that I have always regretted, and shall regret as long +as I live, that after the capture of Vicksburg, the regiment happened +to get switched off into Arkansas. We thereby were taken away from the +big armies, and out of the main currents of the war, where great deeds +were being done, and history made. Of course we couldn't help it; we +had no choice; and, as I have remarked before, the common soldier can +only do what those in authority direct. As connected with this subject, +I will here tell the story of a little conversation I had with Gen. W. +T. Sherman, at his office in Washington in February, 1883. I had gone +to that city on a business matter, and while there met Col. P. B. +Plumb, then one of the senators from Kansas. In the course of our +conversation he asked if there were any of the "big bugs" in Washington +I wanted to see,--if so, he would be glad to take me around and +introduce me. I replied that there were only two; that just as a matter +of curiosity I would like to see President Arthur, but I really was +very desirous of having a little visit with Gen. Sherman. Plumb +laughed, said that my desires were modest, and made a date with me when +he would take me to see the President and Gen. Sherman. At the time +appointed we went, first to the White House, where we met the +President. I shook hands with him, and after a few commonplace remarks, +retired to the background. The President and Plumb talked a minute or +two about some public matter, and then we left. "Now," said Plumb, +"we'll go and see 'Uncle Billy'." Sherman was then the General of the +Army, and had his office, as I now remember, in the War Department +building, near the White House. On entering his office, we found him +seated at a desk, writing. I had seen him previously several times, but +had no acquaintance with him whatever. Plumb introduced me to him, +saying, as he gave my name, that I was one of his "boys." The General +dropped his pen, shook hands with me heartily, and at once began +talking. I think he was the most interesting talker I ever have known. +He had lived a life of incessant activity, had done great things, and +had mingled with great men, hence he was never at a loss for an +engaging topic. After a while the monologue lulled, and gave me the +opportunity for which I had been patiently waiting. "General," I began, +"there is an incident connected with your military career during the +Civil War that I have wanted for some time to speak to you about, and, +if agreeable, will do so now." "Huh," said he, "what is it?" It was +interesting, and a little amusing to me at the time, to see the +instantaneous change that came over him. His face darkened, his eyes +contracted, and a scowl appeared on his brow. His appearance and manner +said, almost as plain as words: "Now here's a smart young Aleck, who +never had a greater command than a picket post of three men, who is +going to tell me how he thinks I should have fought a battle." +Resuming, I said: "Some years ago I read Gen. Badeau's 'Life of Grant,' +and found published therein a letter from Gen. Grant to you, written +some time in the fall of 1863, when you were marching across the +country from Memphis to reinforce him at Chattanooga, in which Grant +said, in substance, 'Urge on Steele the necessity of sending you +Kimball's division of the Sixteenth Corps.'[2] General," said I, "that +meant us; it meant me; for my regiment was in Kimball's division, with +Gen. Steele, in Arkansas. Now my point is, I am afraid that you didn't +'urge' Steele strongly enough, for we never got to you, and," I +continued (in a tone of deep and sincere earnestness), "consequently we +missed Missionary Ridge, the campaign of Atlanta, the March to the Sea, +and the campaign of the Carolinas,--and I shall regret it as long as I +live!" I noted with interest the change in the old General's +countenance as I made my little speech. His face lighted up, his eyes +sparkled, the scowl disappeared, and when I concluded he laughed +heartily. "Didn't need you; didn't need you," he said; "had men +enough,--and, let me tell you,--Steele needed every d--d man he had." +It was quite evident that the General enjoyed the recital of my little +alleged grievance, and he launched into a most interesting account of +some incidents connected with the campaigns I had mentioned. I became +fearful that I was imposing on his good nature, and two or three times +started to leave. But with a word or gesture he would detain me, and +keep talking. And when I finally did depart, he followed me out into +the hall, and laying his hand on my shoulder in a most fatherly way, +said, "Say! Whenever you are in Washington, come and see me! Don't be +afraid! I like to see and talk with you boys!" and with a hearty shake +of the hand he bade me good-by. He was a grand old man, and we common +soldiers of the western armies loved him. + + [2] See "Military History of Ulysses S. Grant," by Adam Badeau, + Vol. 1, page 456. + +In going home on our veteran furlough, the regiment went by steamer +down White river, thence up the Mississippi to Cairo, where we debarked +and took the cars, and went to Springfield, Illinois, arriving there +August 24th. The Mississippi was low, and our progress up the river was +very slow. Two or three times our boat grounded on bars, and after +trying in vain to "spar off," had to wait until some other boat came +along, and pulled us off by main strength. Near Friar's Point, not far +below Helena, where there was a long, shallow bar, the captain of the +steamer took the precaution to lighten his boat by landing us all on +the west bank of the river, and we walked along the river's margin for +two or three miles to the head of the bar, where the boat came to the +shore, and took us on again. Our officers assured us that our thirty +days furlough would not begin until the day we arrived at Springfield, +so these delays did not worry us, and we endured them with much +composure. + +On this entire homeward trip, on account of a matter that was purely +personal, I was in a state of nervous uneasiness and anxiety nearly all +the time. As heretofore stated, just a few days before starting home we +were paid six months' pay, and our veteran bounty, the amount I +received being $342.70. Several of the recruits and non-veterans whose +homes were in my neighborhood gave me different amounts that had been +paid them, with the request that I take this money home and hand it to +their fathers, or other persons they designated. So, when we started, I +had the most money on my person I ever had had before, and even since. +The exact amount is now forgotten, but it was something over fifteen +hundred dollars. Of nights I slept on the hurricane deck of the boat, +with the other boys, and in the day time was mingling constantly with +the enlisted men, and with all that money in my pocket. Of course, I +said nothing about it, and had cautioned the boys who trusted me with +this business also to say nothing, but whether they had all complied +with my request I didn't know. I kept the money (which, except a little +postal currency, was all in greenbacks) in my inside jacket pocket +during the day time, didn't take off my trousers at night, and then +stowed the bills on my person at a place--well, if a prowling hand had +invaded the locality, it would have waked me quick! But I finally got +home with all the money intact, duly paid the trust funds over to the +proper parties, and then felt greatly relieved. + +When the regiment arrived at Springfield we stored our muskets and +accouterments in a public building, and then dispersed for our +respective homes. I arrived at the Stillwell home the following day, +August 25th, and received a hearty welcome. + +But the admission must be made that I didn't enjoy this furlough near +as much as the individual one of the preceding autumn, for reasons I +will state. You see, we were all at home now, that is, the veterans, +and there were several hundred of us, and it seemed as if the citizens +thought that they must do everything in their power to show how much +they appreciated us. So there was something going on nearly all the +time; parties, oyster suppers, and gatherings of all sorts. There was a +big picnic affair held in the woods at the Sansom Spring which was +attended by a crowd of people. A lawyer came down from Jerseyville and +made us a long speech on this occasion, in which he refreshed our +recollection as to our brave deeds and patriotic services in battle, +and in camp and field generally, which was doubtless very fine. It is +true, I spent several very happy days at home, with my own folks, but +they were frequently broken in on by the neighbors, coming and going, +who wanted to see and talk with "Leander." And the girls! bless their +hearts! They were fairly ready to just fall down and worship us. But I +was young, awkward, and exceedingly bashful, and can now see clearly +that I didn't respond to their friendly attentions with the same +alacrity and heartiness that would have obtained had I been, say, ten +years older. The French have a proverb with a world of meaning in it, +something like this: "If youth but knew--if old age could!" But +probably it is best as it is. + +[Illustration: S. P. Ohr + Lieut. Colonel, 61st Illinois Infantry.] + +When home on our veteran furlough a sad event occurred which directly +affected the regiment, and which it can be truly said every member +thereof sincerely deplored. This was the death of Lieut. Col. Simon P. +Ohr. He never was a strong man, physically, and the hardships and +exposures incident to army life were really the cause of his death. He +died at his home, in Carrollton, Illinois, of a bronchial affection, on +September 14th, 1864. He was a man of temperate habits, honest and +upright, and a sterling patriot. As an officer, he was kind, careful as +to the wants and necessities of his men, and in battle, cool, +clear-headed, and brave. In due course of time Maj. Daniel Grass was +appointed to the office of Lieutenant-Colonel, to fill the vacancy thus +created by the lamented death of Col. Ohr. + +The regiment rendezvoused at Springfield on September 26th, and left on +the next day, on the cars, went to St. Louis, and were quartered in the +Hickory Street Barracks, in the city. Another "Price Raid" was now on. +Only a few days previously Gen. Sterling Price with a strong force, +including, of course, Shelby's cavalry, entered southeast Missouri, and +the day we arrived at St. Louis he showed up at Pilot Knob, only about +85 miles south of the city, where some sharp fighting occurred. There +was now the biggest kind of a "scare" prevailing in St. Louis, and, +judging from all the talk one heard, we were liable to hear the thunder +of Price's cannon on the outskirts of St. Louis any day. We had been at +Hickory Street Barracks only a day or two, when my company, and +companies B and G, were detached from the regiment, embarked on a +steamboat, and went down the Mississippi to the town of Chester, +Illinois, which is situated on the Mississippi, at the mouth of the +Kaskaskia river. We were sent here for the purpose, as we understood at +the time, of guarding the crossing of the Mississippi at this place, +and to prevent any predatory Confederate raid in that vicinity. We were +quartered in some large vacant warehouses near the river, and had no +guard duty to perform except a guard at the ferry landing, and a small +one over our commissary stores. Altogether, it was the "softest" piece +of soldiering that fell to my lot during all my service. We had roofs +over our heads and slept at night where it was dry and warm, it was +ideal autumn weather, and we just idled around, careless, contented, +and happy. One lovely October day Bill Banfield and I in some way got a +skiff, and early in the morning rowed over the river to the Missouri +side, and spent the day there, strolling about in the woods. The +country was wild and rough, and practically in a state of nature. We +confined our rambling to the river bottom, which was broad and +extensive, and densely covered with a primeval forest. Some of the +trees, especially the sycamores and the cottonwoods, were of giant +size. And the woods abounded in nuts and wild fruits; hickory nuts, +walnuts, pecans, pawpaws, big wild grapes,--and persimmons, but the +latter were not yet ripe. This locality was in Perry County, Missouri, +and it seemed to be destitute of inhabitants; we saw two or three log +cabins, but they were old, decayed, and deserted. We had brought some +bacon and hardtack with us in our haversacks, and at noon built a fire +and had an army dinner, with nuts and fruit for dessert. We got back to +Chester about sundown, having had a most interesting and delightful +time. + +There was another little incident that happened while we were at +Chester, which I have always remembered with pleasure. Between +companies D and G of our regiment was a strong bond of friendship. Many +of the boys of the two companies had lived in the same neighborhood at +home, and were acquainted with each other before enlisting. The first +sergeant of G was Pressley T. Rice, a grown man, and some five or six +years my senior. He came to me one day soon after our arrival at +Chester, and in his peculiar nasal tone said: "Stillwell, some of my +boys think that when we are soldiering here in 'God's Country,' they +ought to have soft bread to eat. If 'D' feels the same, let's go down +to the mill, and buy a barrel of flour for each company, and give the +boys a rest on hardtack." I heartily assented, but asked what should we +do about paying for it, as the boys were now pretty generally strapped. +Press responded that we'd get the flour "on tick," and settle for it at +our next pay day. To my inquiry if we should take Company B in on the +deal (the other company with us at Chester), Press dryly responded that +B could root for themselves; that this was a "cahootnership" of D and G +only. Without further ceremony we went to the mill, which was a +fair-sized concern, and situated, as I now remember, in the lower part +of the town, and near the river bank. We found one of the proprietors, +and Press made known to him our business, in words substantially the +same as he had used in broaching the matter to me, with some little +additional explanation. He told the miller that the only bread we had +was hardtack, that the boys accepted that cheerfully when we were down +South, but that here in "God's Country," in our home State of Illinois, +they thought they were entitled to "soft bread," so we had come to him +to buy two barrels of flour; that the boys had not the money now to pay +for it, but at our next pay day they would, and we would see to it that +the money should be sent him. While thus talking, the miller looked at +us with "narrowed eyes," and, as it seemed to me, didn't feel a bit +delighted with the proposition. But maybe he thought that if he didn't +sell us the flour, we might take it anyhow, so, making a virtue of +necessity, he said he would let us have it, the price of the two +barrels being, as I now remember, seven dollars. I produced my little +memorandum book, and requested him to write the name and address of his +firm therein, which he did, in pen and ink, and it is there yet, in +that same little old book, now lying open before me, and reads as +follows: + + "H. C. Cole & Co., + Chester, Ill." + +Well, he sent us the flour, and D and G had soft bread the balance of +the time we were at Chester. + +I will now anticipate a few months, in order to finish the account of +this incident. The spring of 1865 found the regiment at Franklin, +Tennessee, and while there the paymaster made us a welcome visit. I +then went to Press Rice, and suggested to him that the time had now +come for us to pay the Chester miller for his flour, and he said he +thought so too. We sat down at the foot of a tree and made out a list +of all the boys of our respective companies who, at Chester, helped eat +the bread made from the flour, and who were yet with us, and then +assessed each one with the proper sum he should contribute, in order to +raise the entire amount required. Of course the boys paid it +cheerfully. Press turned over to me the proportionate sum of his +company, and requested me to attend to the rest of the business, which +I did. I wrote a letter to the firm of H. C. Cole & Co., calling their +attention to the fact of our purchase from them of two barrels of flour +in October of the previous year, and then went on to say that several +of the boys who had taken part in eating the bread made from this flour +had since then been killed in battle, or died of diseases incident to a +soldier's life, but there were yet enough of us left to pay them for +their flour, and that I here inclosed the proper sum. (I have forgotten +in just what manner or form it was sent, but think it was by express.) +In due course of time I received an answer, acknowledging receipt of +the money, written in a very kind and complimentary vein. After +heartily thanking us for the payment, the letter went on to state that +in all the business dealings of H. C. Cole & Co. with Union soldiers +the firm had been treated with fairness and remarkable honesty, and +they sincerely appreciated it. + +Many years later out in Kansas I met a man who had lived in Chester +during the war, and told him the foregoing little story. He said he +knew the milling firm of Cole & Co. quite well, and that during the war +they were most intense and bitter Copperheads, and had no use whatever +for "Lincoln hirelings," as Union soldiers were sometimes called by the +"Butternut" element. My informant was a respectable, truthful man, so +it is probable that his statement was correct. It served to throw some +light on the grim conduct of the miller with whom Press and I dealt. +But they treated us well, and if they were of the type above indicated, +it is hoped that the little experience with us may have caused them to +have a somewhat kindlier feeling for Union soldiers than the one they +may have previously entertained. + + + + +CHAPTER XIX. + +EXPEDITION TO NORTH MISSOURI. BACK IN TENNESSEE ONCE MORE. +MURFREESBORO. OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER, 1864. + + +On October 14th we left Chester on the steamer "A. Jacobs," and went to +St. Louis, where we arrived on the 15th, and marched out to Laclede +Station, about six miles from St. Louis, on the Pacific railroad, where +we found the balance of the regiment. There was a railroad bridge at +this place, over a small stream, and I suppose that during the scare at +St. Louis it was deemed prudent to have a force here to guard the +bridge. On October 19th the regiment left Laclede, and went by rail on +the North Missouri railroad, to Mexico, in Audrain county, Missouri, +about 110 miles northwest of St. Louis. Here we reported to Col. Samuel +A. Holmes, Colonel of the 40th Missouri Infantry. We left Mexico +October 21st and marched northward 25 miles to Paris, the county seat +of Monroe county. There was a body of irregular Confederate cavalry, +supposed to be about 500 strong, under the command of a Col. McDaniel, +operating in this region, and carrying on a sort of predatory and +uncivilized warfare. We learned that it was our business up here to +bring this gang to battle, and destroy them if possible, or, failing in +that, to drive them out of the country. Our force consisted of about +700 infantry,--the 40th Missouri and the 61st Illinois, and a +detachment of about 300 cavalry, whose state and regimental number I +have forgotten. Our cavalry caught up with the Confederates at Paris, +and had a little skirmish with them, but before the infantry could get +on the ground the enemy lit out as fast as their horses could carry +them. We lay that night at Paris, and the next day (the 22nd) marched +to the little town of Florida, where we bivouacked for the night. It +was a small place, situated on a high, timbered ridge, between the main +Salt river and one of its forks. With the exception that it was not a +county seat, it was practically a counterpart of the little village of +Springfield, Arkansas, hereinbefore mentioned. It had only one street +of any consequence, and all up and down this street, in several places +right in the middle thereof, were grand, imposing native trees, such as +oaks and hickories. But the place was now totally deserted, and looked +lonesome and desolate. I ascertained several years later that it was +the birthplace of Samuel L. Clemens, the author,--better known under +his pen-name, "Mark Twain." It is also an interesting circumstance that +the first military operation conducted by Gen. U. S. Grant was a +movement in the summer of 1861 on this little village of Florida, with +the intention and expectation of giving battle to a Confederate force +in camp near the town. (Grant's Memoirs, 1st Edition, Vol. 1, pp. 248 +et seq.) + +The next day (the 23rd) we turned south, and marched to the little town +of Santa Fe, and the next day thereafter back to Paris, where we +remained a day. On the 26th we went to Middle Grove, and on the +following day again reached the railroad at Allen, some distance +northwest of Mexico, where we first started out. It would seem that +this little station of Allen has, since the war, disappeared from the +map,--at least, I can't find it. On this expedition the infantry never +caught a glimpse of an armed Confederate, but the object of the +movement was accomplished. We kept after our foes so persistently that +they left that locality, crossed the Missouri river, joined Price's +army, and with it left the State. At this time the section of country +over which we marched in the pursuit of McDaniel's command is now all +gridironed by railroads, but in 1864 there were only two, the North +Missouri, running north-west from St. Louis to Macon, and the Hannibal +and St. Joe, connecting those two places and extending from the +Mississippi river on the east to the Missouri river on the west. We +always remembered this scout up in north Missouri with feelings of +comfort and satisfaction. Compared with some of our Arkansas marches, +it was just a pleasure excursion. The roads were in good condition, and +the weather was fine;--ideal Indian Summer days. And in the fruit and +vegetable line we lived high. The country through which we passed +abounded in the finest of winter apples, Little Romanites and +Jennetings being the chief varieties. The farmers had gathered and +piled them in the orchards in conical heaps and covered them with straw +and earth sufficient to keep them from freezing. We soon learned what +those little earth mounds signified, and, as a matter of course, +confiscated the apples instanter. And the country was full of potatoes, +cabbages, and turnips, on which we foraged with great liberality. If +any apology for this line of conduct should be thought proper, it may +be said that many of the farms were at this time abandoned, the owners +having fled to the garrisoned towns to escape the Confederate raiders; +further, if we hadn't taken this stuff our adversaries would, if by +chance they happened again to infest that locality. Anyhow, a hungry +soldier is not troubled, in such matters, by nice ethical distinctions. +We remained at Allen on the 28th, and until the evening of the +following day, when we left there on the cars for St. Louis. But +sometime near midnight the train stopped at Montgomery City, about +midway between Allen and St. Louis, we were roused up, and ordered to +get off and form in line, which we did. Our officers then proceeded to +give us careful instructions, to the effect that a band of Confederate +cavalry was believed to be at Danville, out in the country a few miles +south, and that we were going there to surprise and capture this party, +if possible. We were strictly enjoined to refrain from talking and +singing, and to remain absolutely silent in ranks. We then fell into +column and marched for Danville, where we arrived an hour or so before +dawn. But our birds (if there when we started from Montgomery) had +flown--there were no Confederates there. A party of guerrillas had been +in the town about two weeks before, who had murdered five or six +unarmed citizens, (including one little boy about eight or ten years +old,) and it was believed when we started to march out here that this +gang, or some of them, had returned. The party that had previously +raided Danville were under the command of one Bill Anderson, a +blood-thirsty desperado, with no more humanity about him than an Apache +Indian. He was finally killed in battle with some Union troops about +the last of October, 1864. When killed there was found on his person a +commission as Colonel in the Confederate army, signed by Jefferson +Davis, and the brow-band of his horse's bridle was decorated with two +human scalps. (See "The Civil War on the Border," by Wiley Britton, +Vol. 2, p. 546.) He was of that class of men of which Quantrell and the +James and the Younger boys were fitting types, and who were a disgrace +to mankind. + +Sometime during the day (October 30th) we marched back to Montgomery +City, got on the cars, and again started for St. Louis, where we +arrived the next day, and marched out to old Benton Barracks, where we +took up our quarters for the time being. So we were once more "tenting +on the old camp ground," after an absence of nearly three years. But +the place did not look as it did before. It seemed old and dilapidated +and there were only a few troops there. As compared with the active, +stirring conditions that obtained there in February and March, 1862, it +now looked indescribably dejected and forlorn. But our stay here this +time was short. We left on November 5th, marched into St. Louis, and +down to the wharf, where we embarked on the steamer "David Tatum," and +started up the Mississippi. We were puzzled for a while as to what this +meant, but soon found out. We were told that the regiment was being +sent home to vote at the ensuing presidential election, which would +occur on November 8th, that we would take the cars at Alton and go to +Springfield, and from there to our respective homes. We surely were +glad that we were going to be granted this favor. The most of the +States had enacted laws authorizing their soldiers to vote in the +field, but the Illinois legislature since 1862 had been Democratic in +politics, and that party at that time in our State was not favorably +disposed to such a measure. Consequently the legislature in office had +failed to pass any law authorizing their soldier constituents to vote +when away from home. We arrived at Alton about 9 o'clock on the evening +of the 5th, and found a train waiting us (box cars), which we at once +climbed on. We had just got our guns and other things stowed away in +corners, and were proceeding to make ourselves comfortable for a night +ride to Springfield, when Lt. Wallace came down from the officers' +caboose, and stopped at the Co. D car. "Boys," he called, "get out, and +fall in line here by the track. The order to go to Springfield has been +countermanded by telegraphic dispatch and we are ordered back to St. +Louis." "What! What's that?" we exclaimed, in astonishment. "It's so," +said Wallace, in a tone of deep regret; "get out." "Well, don't that +beat hell!" was the next remark of about a dozen of us. But orders are +orders, and there was nothing to do but obey. The curses of the +disappointed soldiers in thus having this cup of satisfaction dashed +from their lips were "not loud, but deep." But we all swung down from +the cars, fell in, and marched back to and on board the "David Tatum," +and were back at the wharf in St. Louis by next morning. We stacked +arms on the levee, and the next morning, November 7th, left St. Louis +on the steamer "Jennie Brown," headed down stream. So here we were +again on the broad Mississippi, duplicating our beginning of March, +1862, and once more bound for "Dixie's Land." By this time we had +become philosophical and indifferent in regard to the ups and downs of +our career. If we had been ordered some night to be ready the next +morning to start to California or Maine, the order would have been +treated with absolute composure, and after a few careless or sarcastic +remarks, we would have turned over and been asleep again in about a +minute. We had made up our minds that we were out to see the war +through, and were determined in our conviction that we were going to +win in the end. + +Election day, November 8th, was densely foggy, so much so that the +captain of our steamboat thought it not prudent to proceed, so the boat +tied up that day and night at the little town of Wittenburg, on the +Missouri shore. Mainly to pass away the time, the officers concluded to +hold a "mock" regimental presidential election. The most of the line +officers were Democrats, and were supporting Gen. McClellan for +President in opposition to Mr. Lincoln, and they were quite confident +that a majority of the regiment favored McClellan, so they were much in +favor of holding an election. An election board was chosen, fairly +divided between the supporters of the respective candidates, and the +voting began. As our votes wouldn't count in the official result, every +soldier, regardless of age, was allowed to vote. But at this time I was +a sure-enough legal voter, having attained my twenty-first year on the +16th of the preceding September. You may rest assured that I voted for +"Uncle Abe" good and strong. When the votes were counted, to the +astonishment of nearly all of us, Mr. Lincoln was found to have sixteen +majority. As the regiment was largely Democratic when it left Illinois +in February, 1862, this vote showed that the political opinions of the +rank and file had, in the meantime, undergone a decided change. + +We left Wittenburg on the forenoon of the 9th, but owing to the foggy +conditions our progress was very slow. We reached Cairo on the 10th, +and from there proceeded up the Ohio, and on the 11th arrived at +Paducah, Kentucky, where we debarked, and went into camp. We remained +here nearly two weeks, doing nothing but the ordinary routine of camp +duty, so life here was quite uneventful. Paducah was then an old, +sleepy, dilapidated, and badly decayed river town, with a population at +the outbreak of the war of about four thousand. After our brief stay +here terminated, I never was at the place again until in October, 1914, +when I was there for about a day, which was devoted to rambling about +the town. The flight of fifty years had made great changes in Paducah. +It now had a population of about twenty-five thousand, four different +lines of railroad, street cars, electric lights, and a full supply +generally of all the other so-called "modern conveniences." On this +occasion I hunted faithfully and persistently for the old camp ground +of the regiment in 1864, but couldn't find it, nor even any locality +that looked like it. + +On the evening of November 24th the regiment left Paducah on the little +stern-wheel steamboat "Rosa D," which steamed up the Ohio river as far +as the mouth of the Cumberland, there turned to the right, and +proceeded to ascend that stream. That move told the story of our +probable destination, and indicated to us that we were doubtless on our +way to Nashville to join the army of Gen. Thomas. There was another +boat that left Paducah the same time we did, the "Masonic Gem," a +stern-wheeler about the same size of our boat. It was also transporting +a regiment of soldiers, whose State and regimental number I do not now +remember. The captains of the two boats, for some reason or other, +lashed their vessels together, side by side, and in this manner we made +the greater part of the trip. In going up the Cumberland the regiment +lost two men by drowning; Henry Miner, of Co. D, and Perry Crochett, of +Co. G. There was something of a mystery in regard to the death of +Miner. He was last seen about nine o'clock one evening on the lower +deck of the boat, close to where the two boats were lashed together. It +was supposed that in some manner he missed his footing and fell between +the boats, and was at once sucked under by the current and drowned. His +cap was discovered next morning on the deck near the place where he was +last observed, but no other vestige of him was ever found. The other +soldier, Perry Crochett, stumbled and fell into the river in the day +time, from the after part of the hurricane deck of the boat. He was +perhaps stunned by the fall, for he just sank like a stone. The boats +stopped, and a skiff was at once lowered and manned, and rowed out to +the spot where he disappeared, and which lingered around there a short +time, in the hope that he might come to the surface. His little old +wool hat was floating around on the tops of the waves, but poor Perry +was never seen again. There was nothing that could be done, so the +skiff came back to the boat, was hoisted aboard, the bells rang the +signal "go ahead," and we went on. Miner and Crochett were both young +men, about my own age, and had been good and brave soldiers. Somehow it +looked hard and cruel that after over three years' faithful service +they were fated at last to lose their lives by drowning in the cold +waters of the Cumberland, and be devoured by catfish and snapping +turtles,--but such are among the chances in the life of a soldier. + +On our way up the Cumberland we passed the historic Fort Donelson, +where Gen. Grant in February, 1862, gained his first great victory. +There was, at that time, desperate and bloody fighting at and near the +gray earthen walls of the old fort. Now there was only a small garrison +of Union troops here, and with that exception, the place looked about +as quiet and peaceful as some obscure country graveyard. + +We arrived at Nashville after dark on the evening of the 27th, remained +on the boat that night, debarked the next morning, and in the course of +that day (the 28th) took the cars on what was then known as the +Nashville and Chattanooga railroad, and went to Murfreesboro, about +thirty miles southeast of Nashville. Here we went into camp inside of +Fortress Rosecrans, a strong and extensive earthwork built under the +direction of Gen. Rosecrans soon after the battle of Murfreesboro, in +January, 1863. + + + + +CHAPTER XX. + +THE AFFAIR AT OVERALL'S CREEK. MURFREESBORO. DECEMBER, 1864. + + +The invasion of Tennessee by the Confederate army under the command of +Gen. J. B. Hood was now on, and only a day or two after our arrival at +Murfreesboro we began to hear the sullen, deep-toned booming of +artillery towards the west, and later north-west in the direction of +Nashville. And this continued, with more or less frequency, until the +termination, on December 16th, of the battle of Nashville, which +resulted in the defeat of the Confederates, and their retreat from the +State. About December 3rd, the Confederate cavalry, under the command +of our old acquaintance, Gen. N. B. Forrest, swung in between Nashville +and Murfreesboro, tore up the railroad, and cut us off from Nashville +for about two weeks. The Union forces at Murfreesboro at this time +consisted of about 6,000 men,--infantry, cavalry, and artillery, (but +principally infantry,) under the command of Gen L. H. Rousseau. + +December 4th, 1864, was a pleasant, beautiful day at old Murfreesboro. +The sun was shining bright and warm, the air was still, and the weather +conditions were like those at home during Indian summer in October. +Along about the middle of the afternoon, without a single note of +preliminary warning, suddenly came the heavy "boom" of cannon close at +hand, in a northwesterly direction. We at once ran up on the ramparts, +and looking up the railroad towards Nashville, could plainly see the +blue rings of powder-smoke curling upwards above the trees. But we +didn't look long. Directly after we heard the first report, the bugles +in our camp and others began sounding "Fall in!" We hastily formed in +line, and in a very short time the 61st Illinois and two other +regiments of infantry, the 8th Minnesota and the 174th Ohio, with a +section of artillery, all under the command of Gen. R. H. Milroy, filed +out of Fortress Rosecrans, and proceeded in the direction of this +cannonading. About four miles out from Murfreesboro we came to the +scene of the trouble. The Confederates had opened with their artillery +on one of our railroad block-houses, and were trying to demolish or +capture it. The 13th Indiana Cavalry had preceded us to the spot, and +were skirmishing with the enemy. Our regiment formed in line on the +right of the pike, the Minnesota regiment to our right, and the Ohio +regiment on the left, while our artillery took a position on some +higher ground near the pike, and began exchanging shots with that of +the enemy. The position of our regiment was on the hither slope of a +somewhat high ridge, in the woods, with a small stream called Overall's +creek running parallel to our front. We were standing here at ease, +doing nothing, and I slipped up on the crest of the ridge, "to see what +I could see." The ground on the opposite side of the creek was lower +than ours, and was open, except a growth of rank grass and weeds. And I +could plainly see the skirmishers of the enemy, in butternut clothing, +skulking in the grass and weeds, and occasionally firing in our +direction. They looked real tempting, so I hurried back to the +regiment, and going to Capt. Keeley, told him that the Confederate +skirmishers were just across the creek, in plain sight, and asked him +if I couldn't slip down the brow of the ridge and take a few shots at +them. He looked at me kind of queerly, and said: "You stay right where +you are, and tend to your own business. You'll have plenty of shooting +before long." I felt a little bit hurt at his remark, but made no +reply, and resumed my place in the ranks. But he afterwards made me a +sort of apology for his brusque reproof, saying he had no desire to see +me perhaps throw my life away in a performance not within the scope of +my proper and necessary duty. And he was right, too, in his prediction, +that there would soon be "plenty of shooting." I had just taken my +place in the ranks when a mounted staff officer came galloping up, and +accosting a little group of our line officers, asked, with a strong +German accent, "Iss ziss ze 61st Illinois?" and on being told that it +was, next inquired for Col. Grass, who was pointed out to him. He rode +to the Colonel, who was near at hand, saluted him, and said, "Col. +Grass, ze Sheneral sends his compliments wiss ze order zat you +immediately deploy your regiment as skirmishers, and forthwith advance +on ze enemy, right in your front!" The recruits and non-veterans of the +regiment being yet in Arkansas, its present effective strength hardly +exceeded three hundred men, so there was just about enough of us to +make a sufficient skirmish line, on this occasion, for the balance of +the command. In obedience to the aforesaid order the regiment was +promptly deployed as skirmishers, and the line advanced over the crest +of the ridge in our front, and down the slope on the opposite side. At +the bank of the creek a little incident befell me, which serves to show +how a very trifling thing may play an important part in one's fate. I +happened to reach the creek at a point opposite a somewhat deep pool. +The water was clear and cold, and I disliked the idea of having wet +feet on the skirmish line, and looked around for a place where it was +possible to cross dry-shod. A rod or two above me the stream was +narrow, and where it could be jumped, so I started in a run for that +place. The creek bank on my side was of yellow clay, high and +perpendicular, while on the other margin the bank was quite low, and +the ground adjacent sloped upward gently and gradually. While running +along the edge of the stream to the fording place, one of my feet +caught on the end of a dead root projecting from the lower edge of the +bank, and I pitched forward, and nearly fell. At the very instant of my +stumble,--"thud" into the clay bank right opposite where I would have +been, if standing, went a bullet fired by a Confederate skirmisher. He +probably had taken deliberate aim at me, and on seeing me almost fall +headlong, doubtless gave himself credit for another Yankee sent to "the +happy hunting grounds." It is quite likely that owing to the existence +of that old dead root, and my lucky stumble thereon, I am now here +telling the story of this skirmish. By this time it was sunset, and +darkness was approaching, but we went on. The Confederate skirmishers +retired, but we soon developed their main line on some high ground near +the edge of the woods,--and then we had to stop. We lay down, loaded +and fired in that position, and nearly all of the enemy's balls passed +over our heads. Presently it grew quite dark, and all we had to aim at +was the long horizontal sheet of red flame that streamed from the +muskets of the Confederates. In the mean time the artillery of both +parties was still engaged in their duel, and their balls and shells +went screaming over our heads. Occasionally a Confederate shell would +explode right over us, and looked interesting, but did no harm. While +all this firing was at its liveliest, I heard close by the heavy "thud" +that a bullet makes in striking a human body, followed immediately by a +sharp cry of "Oh!" which meant that someone had been hit. It proved to +be Lieutenant Elijah Corrington, of Co. F. He was struck by the ball in +the region of the heart, and expired almost instantly. He was a good +man, and a brave soldier, and his death was sincerely mourned. + +The affair was terminated by the 174th Ohio on our left getting around +on the enemy's right flank, where it poured in a destructive volley, +and the Confederates retired. We followed a short distance, but neither +saw nor heard anything more of the enemy, so we finally retired also. +We recrossed the creek, built some big fires out of dry chestnut rails, +which we left burning, in order, I suppose, to make our foes believe we +were still there, and then marched to Murfreesboro, where we arrived +about midnight. + +On the two following days, December 5 and 6, the Confederates showed +themselves to the west of us, and demonstrated most ostentatiously +against Murfreesboro. From where we stood on the ramparts of Fortress +Rosecrans we could plainly see their columns in motion, with flags +flying, circling around us as if looking for a good opening. They were +beyond the range of musketry, but our big guns in the fortress opened +on them and gave them a most noisy cannonading, but what the effect was +I don't know,--probably not much. In the battles of the Civil War +artillery playing on infantry at short range with grape and canister +did frightful execution, of which I saw plenty of evidence at Shiloh; +but at a distance, and firing with solid shot or shell, it simply made +a big noise, and if it killed anybody, it was more an accident than +otherwise. + +Beginning about December 5th, and continuing for several days +thereafter, we turned out at four o'clock every morning, fully armed, +and manned the trenches in the rear of the breastworks, and remained +there till after sunrise. It was a cold, chilly business, standing two +or three hours in those damp trenches, with an empty stomach, waiting +for an apprehended attack, which, however, was never made. For my part, +I felt like I did when behind our big works in the rear of Vicksburg, +and sincerely hoped that the other fellows would make an attempt to +storm our defenses, and I think the other boys felt the same way. We +would have shot them down just like pigeons, and the artillery in the +corner bastions, charged with grape and canister, would have played its +part too. But the Confederates had no intention of making any attempt +of this nature. The Official Records of the Rebellion hereinbefore +mentioned contain the correspondence between Hood and Forrest +concerning this movement on Murfreesboro, and which clearly discloses +their schemes. The plan was simply to "scare" Rousseau out of +Murfreesboro, and cause him to retreat in a northerly direction towards +the town of Lebanon, and then, having gotten him out of his hole, to +surround him in the open with their large force of cavalry, well +supported by infantry, and capture all his command. But Rousseau didn't +"scare" worth a cent, as will appear later. + + + + +CHAPTER XXI. + +THE BATTLE OF WILKINSON'S PIKE. DECEMBER 7, 1864. + + +Early in the morning of December 7th, General Rousseau started out +General Milroy with seven regiments of infantry, (which included our +regiment,) a battery of artillery, and a small detachment of cavalry, +to find out what Gen. Forrest wanted. Our entire force consisted of a +trifle over thirty-three hundred men. We first marched south from +Murfreesboro, on the Salem pike, but gradually executed a right wheel, +crossed Stone river, and worked to the northwest. We soon jumped up the +Confederate cavalry vedettes, and a portion of the 61st was thrown out +as skirmishers, and acted with our cavalry in driving back these +scattered outposts of the enemy. Finally, about noon, we ran up against +the main line of the Confederates, on the Wilkinson pike, protected by +slight and hastily constructed breastworks, made of dirt, rails, and +logs. Their artillery opened on us before we came in musket range, and +we halted and formed in line of battle in some tall woods, with an open +field in front. We were standing here in line when Gen. Milroy with +some of his staff rode up right in front of our regiment, and stopped +on a little elevated piece of ground. Then the old man took out his +field-glass, and proceeded carefully and deliberately to scrutinize the +country before him. My place in the line was only two or three rods +from him, and I watched his proceedings with the deepest interest. He +would look a while at the front, then sweep his glass to the right and +scan that locality, then to the left and examine that region. While he +was thus engaged, we all remained profoundly silent, his staff sat near +him on their horses, also saying nothing. His survey of the country +before him could not have lasted more than five minutes, but to me it +seemed terribly long. At last he shut up his glass, returned it to its +case, gave his horse a sort of a "haw" pull, and said something in a +low tone to the different members of his staff, who forthwith dispersed +in a gallop up and down our line. "Now," thought I, "something is going +to happen." One of the staff stopped and said something to Col. Grass, +and then came the command: "Attention, battalion! Shoulder arms! Face +to the rear! Battalion, about face! Right shoulder shift arms! Forward, +guide center, march!" And that, I thought, told the story. The other +fellows were too many for us, and we were going to back out. They +probably had someone up a tree, watching us, for we had hardly begun +our rearward movement before their artillery opened on us furiously, +and the cannon balls went crashing through the tree tops, and bringing +down the limbs in profusion. But, as usual, the artillery hurt nobody, +and we went on, quietly and in perfect order. After retiring through +the woods for some distance, we gradually changed the direction of our +march to the left, the result being that we executed an extensive left +wheel, and pivoted towards the left flank of the enemy. Here our entire +regiment was deployed as skirmishers, and we again advanced. We later +learned that the enemy had made all their preparations to meet us at +the point where we first encountered their line, so they were not fully +prepared for this new movement. + +Gen. Milroy, in his official report of the battle, in describing this +advance, says: + + "The Sixty-first Illinois was deployed as skirmishers in front of + the first line, [and the] line advanced upon the enemy through the + brush, cedars, rocks, and logs, under a heavy fire of artillery. + * * * * Skirmishing with small arms began soon after commencing my + advance, but my skirmish line advanced, rapidly, bravely, and in + splendid order, considering the nature of the ground, driving the + rebels before them for about a mile," [when their main line was + struck]. See Serial number 93, Official Records of the War of the + Rebellion, p. 618. + +As we were advancing in this skirmish line across an old cotton field, +the Confederates ran forward a section of artillery, placed it on some +rising ground and opened on us a rapid fire. The shot and shell fell +all around us, throwing up showers of red dirt, but doing no harm. +While these guns were thus engaged, I noticed a large, fine-looking +man, mounted on an iron gray horse, near one of the pieces, and who was +intently watching our advance across the field. He evidently was a +Confederate officer, and I thought possibly of high rank; so, taking +careful aim each time, I gave him two shots from "Trimthicket," (the +pet name of my old musket,) but without effect, so far as was +perceivable. After each shot he remained impassive in his saddle, and +soon after galloped away. After the battle I talked about the incident +with some of the Confederates we captured, and they told me that this +officer was Gen. Forrest himself. He was probably too far away when I +fired at him for effective work, but he doubtless heard the bullets and +perhaps concluded that he had better not expose himself unnecessarily. + +Our skirmish line continued to advance across the cotton field before +mentioned. In our front was a dense thicket of small cedars occupied by +the Confederate skirmishers, and as we approached these woods our +progress was somewhat slow. I happened to notice in the edge of the +thicket, and only a few rods in my front, a big, heavy log, which was +lying parallel to our line, and would afford splendid protection. +Thereupon I made a rush, and dropped behind this log. It was apparently +a rail-cut, and had been left lying on the ground. A little fellow of +Co. H, named John Fox, a year or two my junior, saw me rush for this +log, he followed me, and dropped down behind it also. He had hardly +done this when he quickly called to me--"Look out, Stillwell! You'll +get shot!" I hardly understood just what caused his remark, but +instinctively ducked behind the log, and at that instant "whis-sh" went +a bullet from the front through the upper bark of the log, right +opposite where my breast was a second or two before, scattering +worm-dust and fragments of bark over my neck and shoulders. "I seed him +a-takin' aim," dryly remarked little Fox. "Where is he?" I quickly +inquired. "Right yander," answered Fox, indicating the place by +pointing. I looked and saw the fellow--he was a grown man, in a faded +gray uniform, but before I could complete my hasty preparations to +return his compliment he disappeared in the jungle of cedar. + +An incident will now be described, the result of which was very +mortifying to me at the time, and which, to this day, I have never been +able to understand, or account for. We had passed through the cedar +woods before mentioned, and entered another old cotton field. And right +in the hither edge of that field we came plump on a Confederate cavalry +vedette, seated on his horse. The man had possibly been on duty all the +previous night, and perhaps was now dozing in his saddle, or he never +would have stayed for us to slip up on him as we did. But if asleep, he +waked up promptly at this stage of the proceedings. All along our line +the boys began firing at him, yelling as they did so. The moment I saw +him, I said to myself, with an exultant thrill, "You're my game." He +was a big fellow, broad across the back, wearing a wool hat, a gray +jacket, and butternut trousers. My gun was loaded, I was all ready, and +what followed didn't consume much more than two seconds of time. I +threw my gun to my shoulder, let the muzzle sink until I saw through +the front and rear sights the center of that broad back--and then +pulled the trigger. Porting my musket, I looked eagerly to the front, +absolutely confident that my vision would rest on the horse flying +riderless across the field, and the soldier lying dead upon the ground. +But to my utter amazement, there was the fellow yet on his horse, and, +like John Gilpin of old, going, + + "Like an arrow swift + Shot by an archer strong." + +He had a small gad, or switch, in his right hand, with which he was +belaboring his horse every jump, and the upshot of the matter was, he +reached and disappeared in the woods beyond, without a scratch, so far +as any of us on our side ever knew. How my shot happened to miss that +man is just one of the most unaccountable things that ever happened to +me in my life. I was perfectly cool and collected at the time, and my +nerves were steady as iron; he was a splendid mark, at close range, and +I took a deadly aim. And then to think that all our other fellows +missed him too! It was certainly a thing that surpasses all +comprehension. + +At the time I am now writing these lines, a little over half a century +has passed away since this incident occurred, and it will here be +recorded that now I am sincerely thankful that I failed to kill that +man. Considering his marvelous escape on this occasion, the presumption +is strong that he lived through the war, married some good woman, and +became the father of a family of interesting children, and likely some +one of his boys fought under the old flag in the Spanish-American +War,--so it is probably all for the best. + +But,--how in the world did I happen to miss him? + +Only a few minutes after this incident I experienced the closest call +(so far as can be stated with certainty) that befell me during my +service. On this day it so happened that Co. D was assigned a position +on the extreme right of the skirmish line. This was not the regulation +place for the company in the regimental line, and just how this came +about I don't know, but so it was. As the first sergeant of D, my +position was on the extreme right of the company, consequently I was +the right hand man of the whole skirmish line. We were continuing our +advance across the field where we came on the vedette just mentioned, +and all in high spirits. I had on a broad-brimmed felt hat, my +overcoat, and beneath that what we called a "dress-coat," with the ends +of my trouser legs tucked in my socks; was carrying my gun at a ready, +and eagerly looking for something to shoot at. There was a little bunch +of Confederates in the woods on our right that were sort of +"pot-shooting" at us as we were moving across the field, but we paid no +attention to them, as the main force of the enemy was in our front. +Suddenly I was whirled around on my feet like a top, and a sensation +went through me similar, I suppose, to that which one feels when he +receives an electric shock. I noticed that the breast of my overcoat +was torn, but saw no blood nor felt any pain, so it was manifest that I +wasn't hurt. It was clear that the ball which struck me had come from +the right, so some of us paid attention to those fellows at once, and +they soon disappeared. At the first opportunity after the battle was +over I examined my clothes to find out what this bullet had done. As +stated, it came from the right, and first went through the cape of my +overcoat, then through the right-arm sleeves of my overcoat and dress +coat, thence through the right breast of both those coats, and then +through the left breast thereof, and from thence went on its way. All +told, it made nine holes in my clothes, but never touched my flesh. But +it was a fine line-shot and had it been two inches further back all +would have been over with me. + +Just after this episode, as we approached a rise in the field we came +in sight of the main line of the enemy, in the edge of the woods on the +opposite side of the field. The right wing of our skirmish line then +took ground to the right and the other wing to the left in order to +uncover our main line. It then marched up, and the action became +general. The musketry firing on both sides was heavy and incessant, +and, in addition, the enemy had a battery of artillery, which kept +roaring most furiously. We also had a battery, but it was not now in +evidence, the reason being as we afterwards learned, that it had +exhausted its ammunition during the previous course of the day, and had +returned to Fortress Rosecrans for a further supply, but before it got +back the fight was over. The engagement had lasted only a short time, +when the command was given to charge, and our whole line went forward. +And thereupon I witnessed the bravest act that I ever saw performed by +an officer of the rank of general. The regiment immediately on the left +of the right wing of our regiment was the 174th Ohio. It was a new +regiment, and had never been under fire but once before, that occasion +being the affair at Overall's creek three days previous. So, when we +started on this charge, I anxiously watched this big, new Ohio +regiment, for it was perfectly plain that if it faltered and went back, +our little right wing of the 61st Illinois would have to do likewise. +And presently that Ohio regiment stopped!--and then we stopped too. I +looked at those Ohio fellows; there was that peculiar trembling, wavy +motion along their line which precedes a general going to pieces, and +it seemed like the game was up. But just at that supreme moment, old +Gen. Milroy appeared, on his horse, right in front of that Ohio +regiment, at a point opposite the colors. He was bareheaded, holding +his hat in his right hand, his long, heavy, iron-gray hair was +streaming in the wind, and he was a most conspicuous mark. The +Confederates were blazing away along their whole line, yelling like +devils, and I fairly held my breath, expecting to see the old General +forthwith pitch headlong from his horse, riddled with bullets. But he +gave the enemy very little time to practice on him. I was not close +enough to hear what he said, but he called to those Ohio men in a +ringing tone, and waved his hat towards the enemy. The effect was +instantaneous and sublime. The whole line went forward with a furious +yell, and surged over the Confederate works like a big blue wave,--and +the day was ours! + +The Confederates retreated on a double quick, but in good order. We +captured two pieces of their artillery, a stand of colors, and about +two hundred prisoners. We followed them a short distance, but saw them +no more, and about sundown we marched back to Fortress Rosecrans. But +before finally passing from this affair, a few other things connected +therewith will be mentioned. + +As we went over the Confederate works on our charge, I saw lying on the +ground, inside, a dead Confederate lieutenant-colonel. He was on his +back, his broad-brimmed hat pulled over his face, and a pair of large +gauntlet gloves tucked in his belt. His sword was detached from the +belt, in the scabbard, and was lying transversely across his body. As I +ran by him I stooped down and with my left hand picked up the sword, +and carried it along. I brought it to camp with me, kept it until we +were mustered out, and then brought it home. Later a Masonic lodge was +organized in Otterville, and some of the officers thereof borrowed from +me this sword for the use of the tyler of the lodge, in his official +duties. In 1868 I came to Kansas, leaving the sword with the lodge. +After the lapse of some years there came a time when I desired to +resume possession of this relic of the war, but on taking action to +obtain it, it was ascertained that in the meantime the lodge building, +with all its furniture and paraphernalia, including the sword in +question, had been accidentally destroyed by fire. And thus passed away +the only trophy that I ever carried off a battlefield. Many years later +I met here in Kansas the late Confederate Gen. John B. Gordon, of +Georgia, and had a long and interesting conversation with him. I told +him the facts connected with my obtaining this sword, and of its +subsequent loss, as above stated. He listened to me with deep +attention, and at the close of my story, said he was satisfied from my +general description of the dead Confederate officer that the body on +which I found the sword was that of W. W. Billopp, lieutenant-colonel +of the 29th Georgia, who was killed in this action. Gen. Gordon also +said that he was well acquainted with Col. Billopp in his life time, +and that he was a splendid gentleman and a brave soldier. It has always +been a matter of regret with me that the sword was destroyed, for I +intended, at the time I sought to reclaim it from the Masonic lodge, to +take steps to restore it to the family of the deceased officer, in the +event that it could be done. + +When the Confederates retired from this battlefield of December 7th, +they left their dead and severely wounded on the field, as it was +impossible for them to do otherwise. I walked around among these +unfortunates, and looked at them, and saw some things that made me feel +sorrowful indeed. I looked in the haversacks of some of the dead to see +what they had to eat,--and what do you suppose was found? Nothing but +raw, shelled corn! And many of them were barefooted, and judging from +appearances, had been so indefinitely. Their feet were almost as black +as those of a negro, with the skin wrinkled and corrugated to that +extent that it looked like the hide of an alligator. These things +inspired in me a respect for the Confederate soldiers that I never had +felt before. The political leaders of the Davis and Toombs type who +unnecessarily brought about the war are, in my opinion, deserving of +the severest condemnation. But there can be no question that the common +soldiers of the Confederate army acted from the most deep-seated +convictions of the justice and the righteousness of their cause, and +the fortitude and bravery they displayed in support of it are worthy of +the highest admiration. + +After the engagement of December 7th, the Confederates still remained +in our vicinity, and showed themselves at intervals, but made no +aggressive movement. Cold weather set in about this time, the ground +was covered with sleet, and our situation, cooped up in Fortress +Rosecrans, was unpleasant and disagreeable. We had long ago turned in +our big Sibley tents, and drawn in place of them what we called +"pup-tents." They were little, squatty things, composed of different +sections of canvas that could be unbuttoned and taken apart, and +carried by the men when on a march. They were large enough for only two +occupants, and there were no facilities for building fires in them, as +in the case of the Sibleys. Owing to the fact that the Confederates +were all around us, we were short of fire-wood too. Stone river ran +through the fortress, and there were some big logs in the river, which +I suppose had been there ever since the work was constructed, and we +dragged them out and used them to eke out our fires. They were all +water-soaked, and hardly did more than smoulder, but they helped some. +At night we would crowd into those little pup-tents, lie down with all +our clothes on, wrap up in our blankets and try to sleep, but with poor +success. I remember that usually about midnight I would "freeze out," +and get up and stand around those sobbing, smouldering logs,--and +shiver. To make matters worse, we were put on half rations soon after +we came to Murfreesboro, and full rations were not issued again until +the Confederates retreated from Nashville after the battle of December +15-16. + + + + +CHAPTER XXII. + +THE FIGHT ON THE RAILROAD NEAR MURFREESBORO, DECEMBER 15, 1864. + + +On the afternoon of December 12th the regiment fell in and we marched +to the railroad depot at Murfreesboro, climbed on a train of box cars, +and started for Stevenson, Alabama, about 80 miles southeast of +Murfreesboro. The number of the regiment who participated in this +movement, according to the official report of Maj. Nulton, was 150 men, +and we were accompanied by a detachment of about forty of the 1st +Michigan Engineers. (See Serial No. 93, Official Records of the War of +the Rebellion, p. 620.) We soon learned that the train was going to +Stevenson to obtain rations for the troops at Murfreesboro, and that +our province was to serve as guards for the train, to Stevenson and on +its return. We had not gone more than eight or ten miles from +Murfreesboro before we ran into the Confederate cavalry vedettes who +were scattered along at numerous points of observation near the +railroad. However, on our approach they scurried away like quails. But +in many places the track had been torn up, and culverts destroyed, and +when we came to one of these breaks, the train had to stop until our +engineers could repair it, and then we went on. Right here I will say +that those Michigan Engineers were splendid fellows. There was a flat +car with our train, and on this car was a supply of extra rails, +spikes, and other railroad appliances, with all the tools that the +engineers used in their work, and it was remarkable to see how quick +those men would repair a break in the road. They also were provided +with muskets and accouterments the same as ordinary soldiers, and when +the necessity arose, (as it did before we got back to Murfreesboro,) +they would drop their sledges and crowbars, buckle on their cartridge +boxes and grab their muskets, and fight like tigers. It was "all the +same to Joe" with them. After getting about thirty-five miles from +Murfreesboro we saw no more of the enemy, the railroad from thereon was +intact, and we arrived at Stevenson about 10 o'clock on the morning of +the 13th. The train was loaded with rations and early on the morning of +the 14th we started back to Murfreesboro, having in addition to the +force with which we left there, a squad of about thirty dismounted men +of the 12th Indiana Cavalry, who joined us at Stevenson. The grade up +the eastern slope of the Cumberland Mountains was steep, a drizzling +rain had fallen the night before, making the rails wet and slippery, +and the train had much difficulty in ascending the grade, and our +progress was tedious and slow. This delay probably was the cause of our +undoing, as will be revealed later. We didn't get over the mountains +until some time in the afternoon, and went along slowly, but all right; +and about dark reached Bell Buckle, 32 miles from Murfreesboro. Here +trouble began on a small scale. A Confederate cavalry vedette was on +the alert, and fired at us the first shot of the night. The bullet went +over us near where I was sitting on top of a car, with a sharp "ping," +that told it came from a rifle. But we went on, proceeding slowly and +cautiously, for the night was pitch dark, and we were liable to find +the railroad track destroyed at almost any place. At 2 o'clock in the +morning, just after leaving Christiana, about 15 miles from +Murfreesboro, our troubles broke loose in good earnest. We encountered +the Confederate cavalry in force, and also found the track in front +badly torn up. We got off the cars, formed in line on both sides of the +road and slowly advanced, halting whenever we came to a break in the +road, until our Michigan Engineers could repair it. As above stated, +they were bully boys, and understood their business thoroughly, and +very soon would patch up the breaks so that the train could proceed. +But it went only about as fast as a man could walk, and during the +balance of that cold, dark night, we marched along by the side of the +track, skirmishing with the enemy. On one occasion we ran right up +against their line, they being on their horses, and evidently awaiting +our approach. Luckily for us, their guns must have been wet; they +nearly all missed fire, with no result save a lively snapping of caps +along substantially their entire line. But our guns went off, and we +gave the fellows a volley that, at least, waked up all the owls in the +neighborhood. It was so intensely dark that accurate shooting was out +of the question, and whether we hurt anybody or not I don't know, but +our foes galloped off in great haste, and disappeared for a while. +Shortly before daylight, when we were within about six miles of +Murfreesboro, we came to the worst break in the track we had yet +encountered. It was at the end of a short cut in the road that was +perhaps four or five feet deep. In front of this cut the track was +demolished for several rods, and a deep little culvert was also +destroyed. We sat down on the ground near the track, and our engineers +went to work. The situation was like this: In our front, towards +Murfreesboro, and on our right and left rear were corn fields, with the +stalks yet standing, and on our left front was a high rocky ridge, +heavily timbered with a dense growth of small cedars, and which ridge +sloped abruptly down to the railroad track. A small affluent of Stone +river, with a belt of willow along its banks, flowed in a winding +course along our right, in the general direction of Murfreesboro. While +we were sitting here on the ground, half asleep, waiting for the +engineers to call out "All right!"--there came a volley of musketry +from the woods of the rocky ridge I have mentioned. We sprang to our +feet, formed in the cut facing the ridge, and began returning the fire. +After this had continued for some time, a party of the enemy moved to +our rear, beyond gunshot, and began tearing up the track there, while +another party took up a position on the opposite side of the little +stream on our right, and opened fire on us from that direction. A +portion of our force was shifted to the right of the train to meet the +attack from this quarter, and the firing waxed hot and lively. Our +engineers had seized their guns, and were blazing away with the rest of +us, and our bunch of dismounted cavalry men were also busy with their +carbines. This state of things continued for fully an hour, and I think +some longer, when suddenly, coming from our left rear, a cannon ball +screamed over our heads, followed by the roar of the gun. The +commanding officer of Co. D in this affair (and the only officer of our +company present) was Lieut. Wallace, and he was standing near me when +the cannon ball went over us. "What's that?" he exclaimed. "It means +they have opened on us with artillery," I answered. "Well," he +responded, "let 'em bang away with their pop-guns!" and I think we all +felt equally indifferent. We had become familiar with artillery and +knew that at long range it was not very dangerous. But the enemy's +cannon kept pounding away, and pretty soon a shot struck somewhere on +the engine with a resounding crash. About this time Col. Grass gave the +order to retreat. There was only one way of escape open, and that was +down the track towards Murfreesboro. We hastily formed in two ranks, +and started down the right side of the track in a double quick. As we +passed out of the cut a body of dismounted cavalry came out of the +woods on the ridge to our left and gave us a volley of musketry. But, +being on higher ground than we were, they overshot us badly, and did +but little harm. We answered their fire, and their line halted. The +command quickly went along our column to load and fire as we went, and +"keep firing!" and we did so. We kept up a rattling, scattering fire on +those fellows on our left which had the effect of standing them off, at +any rate, and in the meantime we all did some of the fastest running +down along the side of the railroad track that I have ever seen. +Speaking for myself, I am satisfied that I never before surpassed it, +and have never since equaled it. But we had all heard of Andersonville, +and wanted no Confederate prison in ours. To add to our troubles, an +irregular line of Confederate cavalry charged on us through the corn +field in our rear, firing and yelling at the top of their voices, +"Halt! Halt! you G---- d---- Yankee sons of ----!"--their remarks +closing with an epithet concerning our maternal ancestors which, in the +words of Colonel Carter of Cartersville, was "vehy gallin', suh." But, +as said by the French soldier, old Peter, in "The Chronicles of the +Drum," + + "Cheer up!'tis no use to be glum, boys,-- + 'Tis written, since fighting begun, + That sometimes we fight and we conquer + And sometimes we fight and we run." + +Occasionally we would send a bullet back at these discourteous +pursuers, and possibly on account of that, or maybe some other reason, +they refrained from closing in on us. + +About half a mile from where we left the train the railroad crossed on +a high trestle the little stream I have mentioned, which here turned to +the left, and we had to ford it. It was only about knee-deep, but awful +cold. The Confederates did not attempt to pursue us further after we +crossed the creek, and from there we continued our retirement +unmolested. I fired one shot soon after we forded the stream, and I +have always claimed, and, in my opinion, rightfully, that it was the +last shot fired in action by the regiment during the war. I will +briefly state the circumstances connected with the incident. In +crossing the creek, in some manner I fell behind, which it may be said +was no disgrace, as the rear, right then, was the place of danger. But, +to be entirely frank about it, this action was not voluntary on my +part, but because I was just about completely played out. Firing had +now ceased, and I took my time, and soon was the tail-end man of what +was left of us. Presently the creek made a bend to the right, and +circled around a small elevated point of land on the opposite side, and +on this little rise I saw a group of Confederate cavalrymen, four or +five in number, seated on their horses, and quietly looking at us. They +maybe thought there was no more fight left in us, and that they could +gaze on our retreat with impunity. They probably were officers, as they +had no muskets or carbines, and were apparently wearing better clothes +than private soldiers. I noted especially that they had on black coats, +of which the tails came down to their saddle-skirts. They were in easy +shooting distance, and my gun was loaded. I dropped on one knee behind +a sapling, rested my gun against the left side of the tree, took aim at +the center of the bunch, and pulled the trigger. "Fiz-z-z--kerbang!" +roared old Trimthicket with a deafening explosion, and a kick that sent +me a-sprawling on my back! There were two loads in my gun! My last +preceding charge had missed fire, and in the excitement of the moment +and the confusion and uproar around me, I had failed to notice it, and +rammed home another load. But I regained my feet instantly, and eagerly +looked to see the effect of my shot. Nobody was lying on the ground, +but that entire party was leaving the spot, in a gallop, with their +heads bent forward and their coat tails flying behind them. Their +curiosity was evidently satisfied. There is no mistake that I sent two +bullets through the center of that squad, but whether they hit anybody +or not I don't know. + +At a point about a mile or so from where we left the train, we reached +one of our railroad block houses, held by a small garrison. Here we +halted, and reformed. As I came slowly trudging up to Co. D, Bill +Banfield was talking to Lieut. Wallace, and said: "I guess Stillwell's +gone up. Haven't seen him since we crossed that creek." I stepped +forward and in a brief remark, containing some language not fitting for +a Sunday-school superintendent, informed Bill that he was laboring +under a mistake. + +Soon after we arrived at the blockhouse a strong force of our troops, +having marched out that morning from Murfreesboro, also appeared on the +ground. Gen. Rousseau had learned that we were attacked, and had sent +these troops to our assistance, but they were too late. He had also +sent a detachment to this point the evening before, to meet us, but on +account of our being delayed, as before stated, we did not appear, so +this party, after waiting till some time after sunset, marched back to +Murfreesboro. + +In this affair we lost, in killed, wounded, and prisoners, about half +the regiment, including Col. Grass, who was captured. He was a +heavy-set man, somewhat fleshy, and at this time a little over forty +years old. He became completely exhausted on our retreat, (being on +foot,) tumbled over, and the Confederates got him. Many years later, +when we were both living in Kansas, I had an interesting conversation +with him about this affair. He told me that his sole reason for +ordering the retreat was that he had ascertained shortly before the +artillery opened on us, that our cartridges were almost exhausted. +Then, when our assailants brought their artillery into play, he +realized, he said, that the train was doomed, that it would soon be +knocked to pieces, and also set on fire by the balls and shells of the +enemy, and that we were powerless to prevent it. Under these +circumstances he deemed it his duty to give up the train, and save his +men, if possible. Col. Grass was a good and brave man, and I have no +doubt that he acted in this matter according to his sincere convictions +of duty. + +The Confederate commander in this action was Gen. L. S. Ross of Texas, +who, after the war, served two terms as governor of that State. All his +men were Texans, (with the possible exception of the artillery,) and, +according to the official reports, were more than three times our +number. I think it is permissible to here quote a small portion of the +official report made by Gen. Ross of this engagement, as found on page +771, Serial No. 93, Official Records of the War of the Rebellion. +Speaking of our defense of the train, he says: + + "The men guarding it fought desperately for over an hour, having a + strong position in a cut of the railroad, but were finally routed + by a most gallant charge of the Sixth Texas, supported by the Third + Texas." + +While the tribute thus paid by Gen. Ross to the manner of our defense +is appreciated, nevertheless I will say that he is absolutely wrong in +saying that we were "routed" by the charge he mentions. We retreated +simply and solely in obedience to the orders of Col. Grass, our +commander, and neither the Sixth Texas nor the Third Texas had a thing +to do in bringing that about. I don't deny that they followed us pretty +closely after we got started. + +Among our casualties in this affair was Lt. Lorenzo J. Miner, of Co. B, +(originally of Co. C,) a splendid young man, and a most excellent +officer. In addition to his other efficient soldierly qualities he +deservedly had the reputation of being the best drill-master in the +regiment. I happened to see him on our retreat, shortly before we +arrived at the blockhouse. He was being helped off the field by Sergt. +Amos Davis of Co. C and another soldier, one on each side, supporting +him. They were walking slowly. Miner's eyes were fixed on the ground, +and he was deathly pale. I saw from his manner that he was badly hurt, +but did not learn the extent of it till later. He was shot somewhere +through the body. The wound proved mortal and he died a few days after +the fight. + +And so it was, that after more than three years of brave and faithful +service he was fated to lose his life in the last action the regiment +was in--a small, obscure affair among the rocks and bushes, and which, +when mentioned in the general histories at all, is disposed of in a +paragraph of about four lines. But a soldier in time of war has no +control over his fate, and no option in the selection of the time when, +nor the place where, it may be his lot to "stack arms" forever. + +I will now resume the account of what occurred after we reached the +blockhouse. It will be brief. We formed in line with the reinforcements +that had come from Murfreesboro, and advanced toward the train. We +encountered no opposition; the enemy had set fire to the cars, and then +had hastily and entirely disappeared. + +I have recently discovered in a modern edition of the Reports of the +Adjutant-General of Illinois, (the date on the title page being 1901,) +that in the revised sketch of our regiment a recital has crept in +stating that in our subsequent advance we "recaptured the train in time +to prevent its destruction." How that statement got into the sketch I +do not know, and I am sorry to be under the necessity of saying that it +is not true. When we got back to the scene of the fight the train was a +mass of roaring flame, the resulting consequence being that every car +was finally consumed. No matter how much it may hurt, it is always best +to be fair, and tell the truth. + +[Illustration: J. B. Nulton + Major, 61st Illinois Infantry (later Colonel).] + +In the course of the day our troops all returned to Murfreesboro. Maj. +Nulton, who was now our regimental commander, gave us of the 61st +permission to march back "at will." That is, we could start when we got +ready, singly or in squads, and not in regimental formation. So Bill +Banfield and I started out to get something to eat, as we were very +hungry. Since leaving Stevenson on the morning of the 14th, we had had +no opportunity to cook anything, and had eaten nothing but some +hardtack and raw bacon. Then that night we had left our haversacks on +top of the cars when we got off the train to skirmish with the enemy, +and never saw them again. And this was a special grievance for Bill and +me. We each had a little money, and on the morning we left Stevenson +had gone to a sutler's, and made some purchases to insure us an extra +good meal when we got back to Murfreesboro. I bought a little can of +condensed milk, (having always had a weakness for milk in coffee,) +while Bill, with a kind of queer taste, invested in a can of lobsters. +One time that night, while sitting on the ground, in the cold and dark, +tired, hungry, and sleepy, waiting while our engineers patched a break +in the railroad, Bill, with a view, I reckon, to cheering us both up, +delivered himself in this wise: "This is a little tough, Stillwell, but +just think of that bully dinner we'll have when we get to Murfreesboro! +You've your can of condensed milk, and I've mine of lobsters; we'll +have coffee with milk in it, and then, with some hardtack, we'll have a +spread that will make up for this all right." But, alas! + + "The best laid schemes o' mice and men + Gang aft a-gley." + +My precious condensed milk, and the crustaceans aforesaid of Bill's, +doubtless went glimmering down the alimentary canal of some long-haired +Texan, to his great satisfaction. My wish at the time was that the +darned lobsters might make the fellow sick,--which they probably did. +So Bill and I were now at the burning train, looking for something to +take the place of our captured Belshazzar banquet. We found a car that +was loaded with pickled pork in barrels, and getting a fence rail, we +finally succeeded, after some peril and much difficulty, in prying off +one of the barrels, and it fell to the ground, bursting open as it did +so, and scattering the blazing pieces of pork all around. We each got a +portion, and then sat down on a big rock, and proceeded to devour our +respective chunks without further ceremony. The outside of the meat was +burned to a coal, but we were hungry, all of it tasted mighty sweet, +and we gnawed it just like dogs. At the close of the repast, I took a +look at Bill. His face was as black as tar from contact with the burnt +pork, and in other respects his "tout ensemble" "left much to be +desired." I thought if I looked as depraved as Bill certainly did it +would be advisable to avoid any pocket looking-glass until after a +thorough facial ablution with soft water and plenty of soap. Dinner +over, we were soon ready for the march to camp, (there being no dishes +to wash,) and started down the railroad track for Murfreesboro. We took +our time, and didn't reach camp till about sundown. We were the last +arrivals of Co. D, and, as there were all sorts of rumors afloat, we +afterwards learned that Capt. Keeley had become quite anxious about us. +As we turned down our company street I saw the Captain standing in +front of his tent, looking in our direction. After the affairs of the +4th and the 7th, I had taken much satisfaction, in speaking to him of +those events, in adopting the phraseology of the old chaplain, and had +expressed myself several times in language like this: "And we smote +them, hip and thigh, even as Joash smote Boheel!" But it was now +necessary to amend my boastful statement, so as I approached Capt. +Keeley, and before anything else had been spoken, I made to him this +announcement: "And they smote us, hip and thigh, even as Joash smote +Boheel!" Keeley laughed, but it was a rather dry laugh, and he +answered: "Well, I'm glad they didn't smite you boys, anyhow--but, +great God! go wash your faces, and clean up generally. You both look +like the very devil himself." We passed on, complied with the Captain's +directions, and then I curled up in my dog tent and slept without a +break until next morning. + +[Illustration: Lorenzo J. Miner + 1st Lieutenant Co. B, 61st Illinois Infantry. + Died December 19, 1864, of a wound received in a + fight on the railroad, near Murfreesboro, Tenn., + December 15, 1864.] + +In concluding my account of this affair it will be stated that the most +of our boys who were captured in the fight, and (I think) all the line +officers who had the same bad luck, made their escape, singly, or in +little parties, not long thereafter. Their Confederate captors, on or +about the day after our encounter, had hurriedly joined the army of +Gen. Hood, taking their prisoners with them. In their retreat from +Tennessee on this occasion, the Confederates had a hard and perilous +time. The guards of the captured Yankees were probably well-nigh worn +out, and it is likely that, on account of their crushing defeat at +Nashville, they had also become discouraged and careless. Anyhow, the +most of our fellows got away while Hood was yet on the north side of +the Tennessee river. He crossed that stream with the wreck of his army +on the 26th and 27th of December, and fell back into Mississippi. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIII. + +MURFREESBORO. WINTER OF 1864-1865. FRANKLIN. SPRING AND SUMMER OF 1865. + + +After the retreat of Hood from Nashville, matters became very quiet and +uneventful with us at Murfreesboro. The regiment shifted its camp from +the inside of Fortress Rosecrans out into open ground on the outskirts +of the town, and proceeded to build winter quarters. These consisted of +log cabins, like those we built at Little Rock the previous winter, +only now the logs were cedar instead of pine. There were extensive +cedar forests in the immediate vicinity of Murfreesboro, and we had no +difficulty whatever in getting the material. And we had plenty of nice, +fragrant cedar wood to burn in our fire-places, which was much better +than soggy Arkansas pine. And I remember with pleasure a matter +connected with the rations we had in the fore part of the winter. For +some reason or other the supply of hardtack became practically +exhausted, and we had but little in the line of flour bread, even for +some weeks after Hood retreated from Nashville. But in the country +north of Murfreesboro was an abundance of corn, and there were plenty +of water-mills, so Gen. Rousseau sent out foraging parties in that +region and appropriated the corn, and set the mills to grinding it, and +oh, what fine cornbread we had! We used to make "ash-cakes," and they +were splendid. The method of making and cooking an ash-cake was to mix +a quantity of meal with proper proportions of water, grease, and salt, +wrap the meal dough in some dampened paper, or a clean, wet cloth, then +put it in the fire and cover it with hot ashes and coals. By testing +with a sharp stick we could tell when the cake was done, then we would +yank it from the fire, scrape off the fragments of the covering and the +adhering ashes,--and then, with bacon broiled on the cedar coals, and +plenty of good strong coffee, we would have a dinner better than any +(from my standpoint) that Delmonico's ever served up in its palmiest +days. + +On February 4th, 1865, the non-veterans and recruits of the regiment +came to us from Arkansas, and so we were once more all together, except +a few that were in the Confederate prisons down South. We were all glad +to see each other once more, and had many tales to "swap," about our +respective experiences during our separation. + +On February 10th, Lieutenant Wallace resigned, and returned to his home +in Illinois. The chief reason for his resignation was on account of +some private matter at home, which was giving him much anxiety and +trouble. Further, the war in the region where we were was practically +over, and there was nothing doing, with no prospect, so far as we knew, +of any military activity for the regiment in the future. Wallace's +resignation left Co. D without a second lieutenant, as we then did not +have enough enlisted men in the company to entitle us to a full +complement of commissioned officers, and the place remained vacant for +some months. + +On March 21st, we left Murfreesboro by rail and went to Nashville, and +thence to Franklin, about twenty miles south of Nashville, and on what +was then called the Nashville and Decatur railroad. A desperate and +bloody battle occurred here between our forces under the command of +Gen. Schofield and the Confederates under Gen. Hood, on November 30th, +only two days after our arrival at Murfreesboro. I have often wondered +why it was that Gen. Thomas, our department commander, did not send our +regiment, on our arrival at Nashville, to reinforce Schofield, instead +of to Murfreesboro, for Gen. Schofield certainly needed all the help he +could get. But it is probable that Gen. Thomas had some good reason for +his action. + +When we arrived at Franklin we relieved the regiment that was on duty +there as a garrison, and it went somewhere else. It was the 75th +Pennsylvania, and the officers and men composing it, so far as I saw, +were all Germans. And they were fine, soldierly looking fellows, too. +From this time until we left Franklin in the following September, our +regiment comprised all the Union force that was stationed at the town. +Maj. Nulton was in command of the post, and, subject only to higher +authorities at a distance, we were "monarchs of all we surveyed." When +we came to Franklin the signs of the battle of November 30th were yet +fresh and plentiful. As soon as time and opportunity afforded, I walked +over the whole field, (in fact, several times,) looking with deep +interest at all the evidences of the battle. I remember especially the +appearance of a scattered grove of young locust trees which stood at a +point opposite the right center of the Union line. For some hours the +grove was right between the fire of both the Union and the Confederate +lines, and the manner in which the trees had been riddled with musket +balls was truly remarkable. It looked as if a snowbird could not have +lived in that grove while the firing was in progress. + +General William A. Quarles, of Tennessee, was one of the Confederate +generals who were wounded in this battle, and after incurring his wound +was taken to the house of a Tennessee planter, Col. McGavock, about a +mile from Franklin, near the Harpeth river. Two or three other wounded +Confederate officers of less rank were taken to the same place. When +the Confederates retreated from Nashville, Gen. Quarles and these other +wounded officers were unable to accompany the army. They remained at +McGavock's, and were taken prisoners by our forces. They were put under +a sort of parole of honor, and allowed to remain where they were, +without being guarded. They had substantially recovered from their +wounds at the time our regiment arrived at Franklin, and not long +thereafter Capt. Keeley came to me one day, and handed me an order from +Maj. Nulton, which directed me to take a detail of four men, with two +ambulances, and go to McGavock's and get Gen. Quarles and the other +Confederate officers who were there, and bring them into Franklin, for +the purpose of being sent to Nashville, and thence to the north to some +military prison. I thereupon detailed Bill Banfield and three other +boys, told them what our business was, and instructed them to brush up +nicely, and have their arms and accouterments in first class condition, +and, in general, to be looking their best. Having obtained the +ambulances, with drivers, we climbed aboard, and soon arrived at the +fine residence of old Col. McGavock. I went into the house, met the +lady of the establishment, and inquired of her for Gen. Quarles, and +was informed that he was in an upper room. I requested the lady to give +the general my compliments, and tell him that I desired to see him. She +disappeared, and soon the general walked into the room where I was +awaiting him. He was a man slightly below medium stature, heavy set, +black hair, piercing black eyes, and looked to be about thirty years +old. He was a splendid looking soldier. I stepped forward and saluted +him, and briefly and courteously told him my business. "All right, +sergeant," he answered, "we'll be ready in a few minutes." Their +preparations were soon completed, and we left the house. I assigned the +general and one of the other officers to a seat near the front in one +of the ambulances, and Bill Banfield and I occupied the seat behind +them, and the remaining guards and prisoners rode in the other +conveyance. There was only one remark made on the entire trip back to +Franklin, and I'll mention it presently. We emerged from the woods into +the Columbia pike at a point about three-quarters of a mile in front of +our main line of works that had been charged repeatedly and desperately +by the Confederates in the late battle. The ground sloped gently down +towards the works, and for fully half a mile was as level as a house +floor. I noticed that at the moment we reached the pike Gen. Quarles +began to take an intense interest in the surroundings. He would lean +forward, and look to the right, to the front, to the left, and +occasionally throw a hasty glance backward,--but said nothing. Finally +we passed through our works, near the historic "cotton-gin," and the +general drew a deep breath, leaned back against his seat, and said: +"Well, by God, the next time I fight at Franklin, I want to let the +Columbia pike severely alone!" No one made any response, and the +remainder of the journey was finished in silence. I duly delivered Gen. +Quarles and his fellow-prisoners to Maj. Nulton, and never saw any of +them again. + +Early in April, decisive military operations took place in Virginia. On +the 3rd of that month our forces marched into Richmond, and on the 9th +the army of Gen. Lee surrendered to Gen. Grant. At Franklin we were on +a telegraph line, and only about twenty miles from department +headquarters, so the intelligence of those events was not long in +reaching us. I am just unable to tell how profoundly gratified we were +to hear of the capture of Richmond, and of Lee's army. We were +satisfied that those victories meant the speedy and triumphant end of +the war. It had been a long, desperate, and bloody struggle, and +frequently the final result looked doubtful and gloomy. But +now,--"there were signs in the sky that the darkness was gone; there +were tokens in endless array"; and the feeling among the common +soldiers was one of heart-felt relief and satisfaction. But suddenly +our joy was turned into the most distressing grief and mourning. Only a +few days after we heard of Lee's surrender came the awful tidings of +the foul murder of Mr. Lincoln. I well remember the manner of the men +when the intelligence of the dastardly crime was flashed to us at +Franklin. They seemed dazed and stunned, and were reluctant to believe +it, until the fact was confirmed beyond question. They sat around in +camp under the trees, talking low, and saying but little, as if the +matter were one that made mere words utterly useless. But they were in +a desperate frame of mind, and had there been the least appearance of +exultation over the murder of Mr. Lincoln by any of the people of +Franklin, the place would have been laid in ashes instanter. But the +citizens seemed to understand the situation. They went into their +houses, and closed their doors, and the town looked as if deserted. To +one who had been among the soldiers for some years, it was easy to +comprehend and understand their feelings on this occasion. For the last +two years of the war especially, the men had come to regard Mr. Lincoln +with sentiments of veneration and love. To them he really was "Father +Abraham," with all that the term implied. And this regard was also +entertained by men of high rank in the army. Gen. Sherman, in speaking +of Mr. Lincoln, says this: + + "Of all the men I ever met, he seemed to possess more of the + elements of greatness, combined with goodness, than any other." + (Memoirs of Gen. W. T. Sherman, revised edition, Vol. 2, p. 328.) + +For my part, I have been of the opinion, for many years, that Abraham +Lincoln was the greatest man the world has ever known. + +In the latter part of June the recruits of the 83rd, the 98th, and the +123rd Illinois Infantry were transferred to the 61st, making the old +regiment about nine hundred strong. Co. D received forty-six of the +transferred men, all of these being from the 83rd Illinois. And they +were a fine set of boys, too. Their homes were, in the main, in +northwestern Illinois, in the counties of Mercer, Rock Island, and +Warren. They all had received a good common school education, were +intelligent, and prompt and cheerful in the discharge of their duties. +They were good soldiers, in every sense of the word. It is a little +singular that, since the muster-out of the regiment in the following +September, I have never met a single one of these boys. + +[Illustration: Daniel S. Keeley + Major, 61st Illinois Infantry.] + +The ranks of the regiment now being filled nearly to the maximum, the +most of the vacancies that existed in the line of commissioned officers +were filled just as promptly as circumstances would permit. Lieut. Col. +Grass had been discharged on May 15th, 1865, and Maj. Nulton, who was +now our ranking field officer, was, on July 11th, promoted to the +position of Colonel. He was the first, and only, colonel the regiment +ever had. The vacancy in the lieutenant-colonelcy of the regiment was +never filled, for what reason I do not know. Capt. Keeley was promoted +Major, and first Lieutenant Warren to Captain of Co. D in Keeley's +stead. And thus it came to pass that on July 11th I received a +commission as second lieutenant of our company, and on August 21st was +promoted to first lieutenant. Soon after receiving my commission, Capt. +Warren was detailed on some special duty which took him away from +Franklin for some weeks, and consequently during his absence I was the +commanding officer of Co. D. So far as ever came to my knowledge, I got +along all right, and very pleasantly. It is a fact, at any rate, that I +presented a more respectable appearance than that which was displayed +during the brief time I held the position at Austin, Arkansas, in May, +1864. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIV. + +THE SOLDIER'S PAY. RATIONS; ALLUSIONS TO SOME OF THE USEFUL LESSONS +LEARNED BY SERVICE IN THE ARMY IN TIME OF WAR. COURAGE IN BATTLE. + + +This story is now drawing to a close, so I will here speak of some +things of a general nature, and which have not been heretofore +mentioned, except perhaps casually. + +One important feature in the life of a soldier was the matter of his +pay, and a few words on that subject may not be out of place. When I +enlisted in January, 1862, the monthly pay of the enlisted men of a +regiment of infantry was as follows: First sergeant, $20; duty +sergeants, $17; corporals and privates, $13. By act of Congress of May +1st, 1864, the monthly pay of the enlisted men was increased, and from +that date was as follows: First sergeant, $24; duty sergeants, $20; +corporals, $18; privates, $16. That rate existed as long, at least, as +we remained in the service. The first payment made to our regiment was +on May 1st, 1862, while we were in camp at Owl Creek, Tennessee. The +amount I received was $49.40, and of this I sent $45 home to my father +at the first opportunity. For a poor man, he was heavily in debt at the +time of my enlistment, and was left without any boys to help him do the +work upon the farm, so I regarded it as my duty to send him every +dollar of my pay that possibly could be spared, and did so as long as I +was in the service. But he finally got out of debt during the war. He +had good crops, and all manner of farm products brought high prices, so +the war period was financially a prosperous one for him. And, to be +fair about it, I will say that he later repaid me, when I was pursuing +my law studies at the Albany, New York, Law School, almost all the +money I had sent him while in the army. So the result really was that +the money received by me, as a soldier, was what later enabled me to +qualify as a lawyer. + +I have heretofore said in these reminiscences that the great +"stand-bys" in the way of the food of the soldiers of the western +armies were coffee, sow-belly, Yankee beans, and hardtack. But other +articles of diet were also issued to us, some of which we liked, while +others were flat failures. I have previously said something about the +antipathy I had for rice. The French General, Baron Gourgaud, in his +"Talks of Napoleon at St. Helena" (p. 240), records Napoleon as having +said, "Rice is the best food for the soldier." Napoleon, in my opinion, +was the greatest soldier that mankind ever produced,--but all the same, +I emphatically dissent from his rice proposition. His remark may have +been correct when applied to European soldiers of his time and +place,--but I know it wouldn't fit western American boys of 1861-65. + +There were a few occasions when an article of diet was issued called +"desiccated potatoes." For "desiccated" the boys promptly substituted +"desecrated," and "desecrated potatoes" was its name among the rank and +file from start to finish. It consisted of Irish potatoes cut up fine +and thoroughly dried. In appearance it much resembled the modern +preparation called "grape nuts." We would mix it in water, grease, and +salt, and make it up into little cakes, which we would fry, and they +were first rate. There was a while when we were at Bolivar, Tennessee, +that some stuff called "compressed vegetables" was issued to us, which +the boys, almost unanimously, considered an awful fraud. It was +composed of all sorts of vegetables, pressed into small bales, in a +solid mass, and as dry as threshed straw. The conglomeration contained +turnip-tops, cabbage leaves, string-beans (pod and all), onion blades, +and possibly some of every other kind of a vegetable that ever grew in +a garden. It came to the army in small boxes, about the size of the +Chinese tea-boxes that were frequently seen in this country about fifty +years ago. In the process of cooking, it would swell up +prodigiously,--a great deal more so than rice. The Germans in the +regiment would make big dishes of soup out of this "baled hay," as we +called it, and they liked it, but the native Americans, after one +trial, wouldn't touch it. I think about the last box of it that was +issued to our company was pitched into a ditch in the rear of the camp, +and it soon got thoroughly soaked and loomed up about as big as a +fair-sized hay-cock. "Split-peas" were issued to us, more or less, +during all the time we were in the service. My understanding was that +they were the ordinary garden peas. They were split in two, dried, and +about as hard as gravel. But they yielded to cooking, made excellent +food, and we were all fond of them. In our opinion, when properly +cooked, they were almost as good as Yankee beans. + +When our forces captured Little Rock in September, 1863, we obtained +possession, among other plunder, of quite a quantity of Confederate +commissary stores. Among these was a copious supply of "jerked beef." +It consisted of narrow, thin strips of beef, which had been dried on +scaffolds in the sun, and it is no exaggeration to say that it was +almost as hard and dry as a cottonwood chip. Our manner of eating it +was simply to cut off a chunk about as big as one of our elongated +musket balls, and proceed to "chaw." It was rather a comical sight to +see us in our cabins of a cold winter night, sitting by the fire, and +all solemnly "chawing" away, in profound silence, on the Johnnies' +jerked beef. But, if sufficiently masticated, it was nutritious and +healthful, and we all liked it. I often thought it would have been a +good thing if the government had made this kind of beef a permanent and +regular addition to our rations. As long as kept in the dry, it would +apparently keep indefinitely, and a piece big enough to last a soldier +two or three days would take up but little space in a haversack. + +Passing from the topic of army rations, I will now take leave to say +here, with sincerity and emphasis, that the best school to fit me for +the practical affairs of life that I ever attended was in the old 61st +Illinois during the Civil War. It would be too long a story to +undertake to tell all the benefits derived from that experience, but a +few will be alluded to. In the first place, when I was a boy at home, I +was, to some extent, a "spoiled child." I was exceedingly particular +and "finicky" about my food. Fat meat I abhorred, and wouldn't touch +it, and on the other hand, when we had chicken to eat, the gizzard was +claimed by me as my sole and exclusive tid-bit, and "Leander" always +got it. Let it be known that in the regiment those habits were gotten +over so soon that I was astonished myself. The army in time of war is +no place for a "sissy-boy;" it will make a man of him quicker, in my +opinion, than any other sort of experience he could undergo. And +suffice it to say, on the food question, that my life as a soldier +forever cured me of being fastidious or fault-finding about what I had +to eat. I have gone hungry too many times to give way to such weakness +when sitting down in a comfortable room to a table provided with plenty +that was good enough for any reasonable man. I have no patience with a +person who is addicted to complaining or growling about his food. Some +years ago there was an occasion when I took breakfast at a decent +little hotel at a country way-station on a railroad out in Kansas. It +was an early breakfast, for the accommodation of guests who would leave +on an early morning train, and there were only two at the table,--a +young traveling commercial man and myself. The drummer ordered (with +other things) a couple of fried eggs, and that fellow sent the poor +little dining room girl back with those eggs three times before he got +them fitted to the exact shade of taste to suit his exquisite palate. +And he did this, too, in a manner and words that were offensive and +almost brutal. It was none of my business, so I kept my mouth shut and +said nothing, but I would have given a reasonable sum to have been the +proprietor of that hotel about five minutes. That fool would then have +been ordered to get his grip and leave the house,--and he would have +left, too. + +I do not know how it may have been with other regiments in the matter +now to be mentioned, but I presume it was substantially the same as in +ours. And the course pursued with us had a direct tendency to make one +indifferent as to the precise cut of his clothes. It is true that +attention was paid to shoes, to that extent, at least, that the +quartermaster tried to give each man a pair that approximated to the +number he wore. But coats, trousers, and the other clothes were piled +up in separate heaps, and each man was just thrown the first garment on +the top of the heap; he took it and walked away. If it was an +outrageous fit, he would swap with some one if possible, otherwise he +got along as best he could. Now, in civil life, I have frequently been +amused in noting some dudish young fellow in a little country store +trying to fit himself out with a light summer coat, or something +similar. He would put on the garment, stand in front of a big looking +glass, twist himself into all sorts of shapes so as to get a view from +every possible angle, then remove that one, and call for another. +Finally, after trying on about every coat in the house, he would leave +without making a purchase, having found nothing that suited the exact +contour of his delicately moulded form. A very brief experience in a +regiment that had a gruff old quartermaster would take that tuck out of +that Beau Brummell, in short order. + +Sometimes I have been, at a late hour on a stormy night, at a +way-station on some "jerk-water" railroad, waiting for a belated train, +with others in the same predicament. And it was comical to note the +irritation of some of these fellows and the fuss they made about the +train being late. The railroad, and all the officers, would be +condemned and abused in the most savage terms on account of this little +delay. And yet we were in a warm room, with benches to sit on, with +full stomachs, and physically just as comfortable as we possibly could +be. The thought would always occur to me, on such episodes, that if +those kickers had to sit down in a dirt road, in the mud, with a cold +rain pelting down on them, and just endure all this until a broken +bridge in front was fixed up so that the artillery and wagon train +could get along,--then a few incidents of that kind would be a benefit +to them. And instances like the foregoing might be multiplied +indefinitely. On the whole, life in the army in a time of war tended to +develop patience, contentment with the surroundings, and equanimity of +temper and mind in general. And, from the highest to the lowest, +differing only in degree, it would bring out energy, prompt decision, +intelligent action, and all the latent force of character a man +possessed. + +I suppose, in reminiscences of this nature, one should give his +impressions, or views, in relation to that much talked about +subject,--"Courage in battle." Now, in what I have to say on that head, +I can speak advisedly mainly for myself only. I think that the +principal thing that held me to the work was simply pride; and am of +the opinion that it was the same thing with most of the common +soldiers. A prominent American functionary some years ago said +something about our people being "too proud to fight." With the +soldiers of the Civil War it was exactly the reverse,--they were "too +proud to run";--unless it was manifest that the situation was hopeless, +and that for the time being nothing else could be done. And, in the +latter case, when the whole line goes back, there is no personal odium +attaching to any one individual; they are all in the same boat. The +idea of the influence of pride is well illustrated by an old-time war +story, as follows: A soldier on the firing line happened to notice a +terribly affrighted rabbit running to the rear at the top of its speed. +"Go it, cotton-tail!" yelled the soldier. "I'd run too if I had no more +reputation to lose than you have." + +It is true that in the first stages of the war the fighting qualities +of American soldiers did not appear in altogether a favorable light. +But at that time the fact is that the volunteer armies on both sides +were not much better than mere armed mobs, and without discipline or +cohesion. But those conditions didn't last long,--and there was never +but one Bull Run. + +Enoch Wallace was home on recruiting service some weeks in the fall of +1862, and when he rejoined the regiment he told me something my father +said in a conversation that occurred between the two. They were talking +about the war, battles, and topics of that sort, and in the course of +their talk Enoch told me that my father said that while he hoped his +boy would come through the war all right, yet he would rather "Leander +should be killed dead, while standing up and fighting like a man, than +that he should run, and disgrace the family." I have no thought from +the nature of the conversation as told to me by Enoch that my father +made this remark with any intention of its being repeated to me. It was +sudden and spontaneous, and just the way the old backwoodsman felt. But +I never forgot it, and it helped me several times. For, to be perfectly +frank about it, and tell the plain truth, I will set it down here that, +so far as I was concerned, away down in the bottom of my heart I just +secretly dreaded a battle. But we were soldiers, and it was our +business to fight when the time came, so the only thing to then do was +to summon up our pride and resolution, and face the ordeal with all the +fortitude we could command. And while I admit the existence of this +feeling of dread before the fight, yet it is also true that when it was +on, and one was in the thick of it, with the smell of gun-powder +permeating his whole system, then a signal change comes over a man. He +is seized with a furious desire to kill. There are his foes, right in +plain view, give it to 'em, d---- 'em!--and for the time being he +becomes almost oblivious to the sense of danger. + +And while it was only human nature to dread a battle,--and I think it +would be mere affectation to deny it, yet I also know that we common +soldiers strongly felt that when fighting did break loose close at +hand, or within the general scope of our operations, then we ought to +be in it, with the others, and doing our part. That was what we were +there for, and somehow a soldier didn't feel just right for fighting to +be going on all round him, or in his vicinity, and he doing nothing but +lying back somewhere, eating government rations. + +But, all things considered, the best definition of true courage I have +ever read is that given by Gen. Sherman in his Memoirs, as follows: + +"I would define true courage," (he says,) "to be a perfect sensibility +of the measure of danger, and a mental willingness to endure it." +(Sherman's Memoirs, revised edition, Vol. 2, p. 395.) But, I will +further say, in this connection, that, in my opinion, much depends, +sometimes, especially at a critical moment, on the commander of the men +who is right on the ground, or close at hand. This is shown by the +result attained by Gen. Milroy in the incident I have previously +mentioned. And, on a larger scale, the inspiring conduct of Gen. +Sheridan at the battle of Cedar Creek, Virginia, is probably the most +striking example in modern history of what a brave and resolute leader +of men can accomplish under circumstances when apparently all is lost. +And, on the other hand, I think there is no doubt that the battle of +Wilson's Creek, Missouri, on August 10, 1861, was a Union victory up to +the time of the death of Gen. Lyon, and would have remained such if the +officer who succeeded Lyon had possessed the nerve of his fallen chief. +But he didn't, and so he marched our troops off the field, retreated +from a beaten enemy, and hence Wilson's Creek figures in history as a +Confederate victory. (See "The Lyon Campaign," by Eugene F. Ware, pp. +324-339.) I have read somewhere this saying of Bonaparte's: "An army of +deer commanded by a lion is better than an army of lions commanded by a +deer." While that statement is only figurative in its nature, it is, +however, a strong epigrammatic expression of the fact that the +commander of soldiers in battle should be, above all other things, a +forcible, determined, and brave man. + + + + +CHAPTER XXV. + +FRANKLIN, SUMMER OF 1865. MUSTERED OUT, SEPTEMBER 8, 1865. RECEIVE +FINAL PAYMENT AT SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, SEPTEMBER 27, 1865. THE +REGIMENT "BREAKS RANKS" FOREVER. + + +Soldiering at Franklin, Tennessee, in May, June, July, and August, +1865, was simply of a picnic kind. The war was over in that region, and +everything there was as quiet and peaceful as it was at home in +Illinois. Picket guards were dispensed with, and the only guard duty +required was a small detail for the colors at regimental headquarters, +and a similar one over our commissary stores. However, it was deemed +necessary for the health of the men to maintain company drills to a +certain extent, but they were light and easy. Near the camp was a fine +blue-grass pasture field, containing in a scattered, irregular form +numerous large and magnificent hard maples, and the drilling was done +in this field. Capt. Warren was somewhat portly, and not fond of +strenuous exercise anyhow, so all the drilling Co. D had at Franklin +was conducted by myself. But I rather liked it. With the accession of +those 83rd Illinois men, the old company was about as big and strong as +it was at Camp Carrollton, and it looked fine. But, to tell the truth, +it is highly probable that we put in fully as much time lying on the +blue grass under the shade of those grand old maples as we did in +company evolutions. + +Sometime during the course of the summer a middle aged widow lady named +House began conducting a sort of private boarding establishment at her +residence in the city, and Col. Nulton, Maj. Keeley, and several of the +line officers, including myself, took our meals at this place during +the remainder of our stay at Franklin. Among the boarders were two or +three gentlemen also of the name of House, and who were brothers-in-law +of our hostess. They had all served in Forrest's cavalry as +commissioned officers, and were courteous and elegant gentlemen. We +would all sit down together at the table of Mrs. House, with that lady +at the head, and talk and laugh, and joke with each other, as if we had +been comrades and friends all our lives. And yet, during the four years +just preceding, the Union and the Confederate soldiers thus mingled +together in friendship and amity had been doing their very best to kill +one another! But in our conversation we carefully avoided anything in +the nature of political discussion about the war, and in general each +side refrained from saying anything on that subject which might grate +on the feelings of the other. + +On September 4th, 1865, the regiment left Franklin and went by rail to +Nashville for the purpose of being mustered out of the service. There +were some unavoidable delays connected with the business, and it was +not officially consummated until September 8th. In the forenoon of the +following day we left Nashville on the cars, on the Louisville and +Nashville railroad, for Springfield, Illinois, where we were to receive +our final payment and certificates of discharge. + +Early on Sunday morning, September 10th, we crossed the Ohio river at +Louisville, Kentucky, on a ferry boat, to Jeffersonville, Indiana. This +boat was provided with a railroad track extending from bow to stern, +and so arranged that when the boat landed at either bank, the rails +laid along the lower deck of the boat would closely connect with the +railroad track on the land. This ferry transferred our train in +sections, and thus obviated any necessity for the men to leave the +cars. The ferrying process did not take long, and we were soon speeding +through southern Indiana. As stated, it was Sunday, and a bright, +beautiful autumn day. As I have hereinbefore mentioned, our train +consisted of box cars, (except one coach for the commissioned +officers,) and all the men who could find room had taken, from +preference, seats on top of the cars. Much of southern Indiana is +rugged and broken, and in 1865 was wild, heavily timbered, and the most +of the farm houses were of the backwoods class. We soon began to see +little groups of the country people, in farm wagons, or on foot, making +their way to Sunday school and church. Women, young girls, and children +predominated, all dressed in their "Sunday-go-to-meeting" clothes. And +how the women and girls cheered us, and waved their handkerchiefs! And +didn't we yell! It was self-evident that we were in "God's Country" +once more. These were the first demonstrations of that kind the old +regiment had seen since the girls of Monticello Seminary, in February, +1862, lined the fences by the road side and made similar manifestations +of patriotism and good will. + +We arrived at Indianapolis about noon, there got off the cars and went +in a body to a Soldiers' Home close at hand, where we had a fine +dinner; thence back to the old train, which thundered on the rest of +the day and that night, arriving at Springfield the following day, the +11th. Here we marched out to Camp Butler, near the city, and went into +camp. + +And now another annoying delay occurred, this time being in the matter +of our final payment. What the particular cause was I do not know; +probably the paymasters were so busy right then that they couldn't get +around to us. The most of us (that is, of the old, original regiment) +were here within sixty or seventy miles of our homes, and to be +compelled to just lie around and wait here at Camp Butler was rather +trying. But the boys were patient, and on the whole endured the +situation with commendable equanimity. "But the day it came at last," +and in the forenoon of September 27th we fell in line by companies, and +each company in its turn marched to the paymaster's tent, near +regimental headquarters. The roll of the company would be called in +alphabetical order, and each man, as his name was called, would answer, +and step forward to the paymaster's table. That officer would lay on +the table before the man the sum of money he was entitled to, and with +it his certificate of discharge from the army, duly signed by the +proper officials. The closing of the hand of the soldier over that +piece of paper was the final act in the drama that ended his career as +a soldier of the Civil War. Now he was a civilian, free to come and go +as he listed. Farewell to the morning drum-beats, taps, roll-calls, +drills, marches, battles, and all the other incidents and events of a +soldier's life. + + "The serried ranks, with flags displayed, + The bugle's thrilling blast, + The charge, the thund'rous cannonade, + The din and shout--were past." + +The scattering-out process promptly began after we received our pay and +discharges. I left Springfield early the following day, the 28th, on +the Chicago, Alton, and St. Louis railroad, and went to Alton. Here I +luckily found a teamster who was in the act of starting with his wagon +and team to Jerseyville, and I rode with him to that place, arriving +there about the middle of the afternoon. I now hunted diligently to +find some farm wagon that might be going to the vicinity of home, but +found none. While so engaged, to my surprise and great delight, I met +the old Chaplain, B. B. Hamilton. As heretofore stated, he had resigned +during the previous March and had been at home for some months. His +greeting to me was in his old-fashioned style. "Son of Jeremiah!" he +exclaimed, as he extended his hand, "why comest thou down hither? And +with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness?" I promptly +informed him, in effect, that my coming was regular and legitimate, and +that the "few sheep" of the old regiment were forever through and done +with a shepherd. Hamilton did not reside in Jerseyville, but had just +arrived there from his home in Greene county, and, like me, was trying +to find some farmer's conveyance to take him about five miles into the +country to the home of an old friend. I ascertained that his route, as +far as he went, was the same as mine, so I proposed that we should +strike out on foot. But he didn't entertain the proposition with much +enthusiasm. "Son of Jeremiah," said he, "you will find that a walk of +nine miles" (the distance to my father's) "will be a great weariness to +the flesh on this warm day." But I considered it a mere pleasure walk, +and was determined to go, so he finally concluded to do likewise. I +left my valise in the care of a Jerseyville merchant, and with no +baggage except my sword and belt, we proceeded to "hit the dirt." I +took off my coat, slung it over one shoulder, unsnapped my sword, with +the scabbard, from the belt, and shouldered it also. Our walk was a +pleasant and most agreeable one, as we had much to talk about that was +interesting to both. When we arrived at the mouth of the lane that led +to the house of the Chaplain's friend, we shook hands and I bade him +good-by, but fully expected to meet him many times later. But our paths +in life diverged,--and I never saw him again. + +I arrived at the little village of Otterville about sundown. It was a +very small place in 1865. There was just one store, (which also +contained the post-office,) a blacksmith shop, the old "Stone school +house," a church, and perhaps a dozen or so private dwellings. There +were no sidewalks, and I stalked up the middle of the one street the +town afforded, with my sword poised on my shoulder, musket fashion, and +feeling happy and proud. I looked eagerly around as I passed along, +hoping to see some old friend. As I went by the store, a man who was +seated therein on the counter leaned forward and looked at me, but said +nothing. A little further up the street a big dog sprang off the porch +of a house, ran out to the little gate in front, and standing on his +hind legs with his fore paws on the palings, barked at me loudly and +persistently,--but I attracted no further attention. Many of the +regiments that were mustered out soon after the close of the war +received at home gorgeous receptions. They marched under triumphal +arches, decorated with flags and garlands of flowers, while brass bands +blared, and thousands of people cheered, and gave them a most +enthusiastic "Welcome Home!" But the poor old 61st Illinois was among +the late arrivals. The discharged soldiers were now numerous and +common, and no longer a novelty. Personally I didn't care, rather +really preferred to come back home modestly and quietly, and without +any "fuss and feathers" whatever. Still, I would have felt better to +have met at least one person as I passed through the little village who +would have given me a hearty hand-shake, and said he was glad to see me +home, safe from the war. But it's all right, for many such were met +later. + +I now had only two miles to go, and was soon at the dear old boyhood +home. My folks were expecting me, so they were not taken by surprise. +There was no "scene" when we met, nor any effusive display, but we all +had a feeling of profound contentment and satisfaction which was too +deep to be expressed by mere words. + +When I returned home I found that the farm work my father was then +engaged in was cutting up and shocking corn. So, the morning after my +arrival, September 29th, I doffed my uniform of first lieutenant, put +on some of father's old clothes, armed myself with a corn knife, and +proceeded to wage war on the standing corn. The feeling I had while +engaged in this work was "sort of queer." It almost seemed, sometimes, +as if I had been away only a day or two, and had just taken up the farm +work where I had left off. + +Here this story will close. + +In conclusion I will say that in civil life people have been good to +me. I have been honored with different positions of trust, importance, +and responsibility, and which I have reason to believe I filled to the +satisfaction of the public. I am proud of the fact of having been +deemed worthy to fill those different places. But, while that is so, I +will further say, in absolute sincerity, that to me my humble career as +a soldier in the 61st Illinois during the War for the Union is the +record that I prize the highest of all, and is the proudest +recollection of my life. + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE STORY OF A COMMON SOLDIER OF +ARMY LIFE IN THE CIVIL WAR, 1861-1865*** + + +******* This file should be named 26561.txt or 26561.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/6/5/6/26561 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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