UNIVERSITY OF
ILLINOIS LIBRARY
AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN
ILONOIS HISTORICAL SURVEY
- *
'LI E> R.AR.Y
OF THE
UNIVERSITY
Of ILLINOIS
ILLINOIS HISTORICAL
Ninety-Second
Illinois Volunteers.
" What we say here will soon be forgotten ; but what they did
here will ever live in the Nation's memory." Abraham Lincoln,
at Gettysburg.
FREEPORT, ILLINOIS:
JOURNAL STEAM PUBLISHING HOUSE AND BOOKBINDERY.
1875-
Entered according to the Act of Congress in the year 1875, by the
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS REUNION ASSOCIATION,
In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C.
-,
'
Preface.
This work is published by the Ninety-Second Illinois Reunion
^ Association, under the supervision of a Committee, appointed at
the third Reunion, at Mt. Carroll, September 4, 1873. Neither
- member of the Committee had any qualification for the proper
fO performance of the task imposed upon them ; neither had a
Jp scratch of a pen to aid in the compilation of the work ; neither
_ had time at his disposal to devote to it. The material facts have
i been gathered from the diaries and old letters of the members of
^i the Regiment, and have been hastily thrown together in chrono-
^ logical order. That it is but a broken fragment of an imperfect
- sketch of the services of the Regiment, the Committee well
5 know, and full of imperfections, they fear; but they submit it to
* the generous consideration of their comrades, hoping that it may
j> serve to revive, in the memory of each one who was a soldier in
the Ninety-Second, some pleasant remembrance.
THE COMMITTEE.
Freeport, Illinois, January 15, i$75-
Contents.
CHAPTER I.
What was It All About The Slavery Question The Missouri Compromise
of 18-20 The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 The Kansas-Nebraska Bill
The Election of President Buchanan, in 1856 The Debate between
Douglas and Lincoln, in Illinois, in 1 858 The Election of President
Lincoln, in istio The Deliberate Secession Preparations by the South
President Lincoln's Inaugural Address The Progress of the Contest
until July 1, 1862 The Call for Three Hundred Thousand Additional
Volunteers How It Happened that the Ninety-Second Went to the
War 9
CHAPTER II.
Kecruiting Regimental Organization The First Dress Parade Camp
Life at Rockford Regimental Drill in Presence of the Ladies The
First March The First Man Wounded Camp at Covington, Ky.
Orders to March Company A Buys Mutton for the Hospital Camping
in a Snow-Storm Lexington Mt. Sterling The Difficulties on the
Negro Question Kentucky Methodists Marching Away from Mt.
Sterling Winchester Suits Against the Colonel for Stealing Negroes
Lexington Nicholasville Marching After John Morgan A Slave
Auction Taking the Oath of Allegiance Off for Louisville Embarking
on Steamers' Good-Bye, Loyal Kentucky." 25
CHAPTER III.
Down the Ohio Up the Cumberland Fort Donelsou Nashville Reso-
lutions March to Franklin Offering Battle to Van Dorn Brentwood
Back to Franklin The New Chaplain March to Triune Forrest's
Attack on Triune Shelbyville The Colonel's Application to be De-
tached from the Reserve Corps Wartrace The Regiment Mounted,
and Assigned to Wilder's Brigade of Mounted Infantry Camping at
Decherd 67
CHAPTER IV.
The Campaign Against Chattanooga Over the Cumberland Mountains-
Artillery Practice at Harrison's Landing -First Scout on Lookout
Mountain Leading the Army of the Cumberland into Chattanooga
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 7
Catawba Wine Fighting Forrest at Ringgold, Georgia Rebel Spies
Pretending to be Deserters Gordon's Mill Marching Down Lookout
Mountain in the Storm and Darkness Scouting Along the Chattanooga
Before the Battle The Battle of Chicamauga How McCook's Corps
Was Surprised and Routed Back to Harrison's Landing A Dying
Woman Back Again Over the Cumberland Mountains Caperton's
Ferry Off for Huntsville Judge Hammond's Plantation The Cold
New Year's Night, 1864 Pulaski, Tenn. Back to Huntsville Skirmish
at Bainbridge Ferry Fight at Sweetwater Triauna Scouting Along
the Tennessee Detached from "Wilder's Brigade 9
CHAPTER V.
From Huntsville to Ringgold Beautiful Camp at Ringgold The Massacre
at Nickojack Reconnoissances Under Kilpatrick Nickojack Avenged
Lieutenant Colonel Sheets and Major Bonn Complimented in Reso-
lutionsGeneral Movement of Sherman's Army Against Jo Johnston
Kilpatrick Wounded Reseca Guarding the Railroad Kilpatrick Re-
turnsOutpost Duty on the Chattahoochee Dave Boyle's Capture and
Escape Band Horses Gobbled Laying Pontoons at Sandtown Cut-
ting Railroad at West Point Raiding Around the Rebel Army at
Atlanta Night Fighting at Jonesboro Kilpatrick, Surrounded, Cuts
His Way Out Swimming the Cotton River Saving the Bridge Across
Flint River Brilliant Diversion on the Right of the Army of the
Tennessee Glass's Bridge Fall of Atlanta The Summer's Campaign
Ended /^^?
CHAPTER VI.
No Rest Off Again After Hood Powder Springs Drawing the Enemy's
Fire Picking Out a Farm Van Wert Washing for Gold in the Gold
Mines Marietta Getting Ready for the Great March The Start Bear
Creek Pontoons Described Feinting on Forsyth and Macon Crews's
Rebel Brigade Scattered Repulsing the Enemy Near Macon Sher-
man's Bummers Milledgeville " Blowed Up" Holding the Rear
Against Wheeler and Hampton Repulsing the Rebel Cavalry Near
Buckhead Creek Resting at Louisville, Georgia Destroying Railroads
-The Battle of Waynesboro Capturing a Rebel Major A Negro
Boy's Grave Covering the Rear of the 14th A. C. Our Friends Cruelly
Left Behind Covering the Rear of the 17th A. C. Fall of Fort McAl-
listerMidway Church Down to the Ocean's Edge Lockridge's
Capture and Escape Fall of Savannah Sherman's Letter to
Kilpatrick. /<?.5.
CHAPTER VII.
Camping and Foraging About Savannah Starting on the March Again
. Torchlight Battle Into South Carolina Barn well The Rebel Trap
at Aiken The Ninety-Second, Completely Surrounded by the Enemy,
Gallantly Cuts Its Way Out Exchanging Prisoners with Wheeler-
Sending Up Sky-RocketsRunning Into the Rebel Camps at Night
Averysboro Bentonsville News of Lee's Surrender Fighting Near
8 NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
Raleigh Entering Raleigh Chapel Hill Marching Along, Gray-Coat
and Blue-Coat, Together Concord Mustered Out Homeward-Bound
The Three.Years' Soldiering Ended 307
CHAPTER VIII.
Roster of Field and Staff Roster of Each Company of the Regiment- -Ros-
ter of Unassigned Recruits 254.
+ CHAPTER IX.
Statement of Charles W. Reynolds, who was Taken Prisoner at Nickoj;
Statement of Nathan C. Tyler Statement of Don B. Frazer Carry
ing a Dispatch Chat with a Southern Lady Foraging in South Caro-
linaVenison Steak, and How the Boys Got It Captain Smith's New
Boots Serenading a Deaf and Dumb Asylum 3O6
CHAPTER X.
The Reunion at Polo, September 4th, 1867 General Atkins's Address A
Reunion Association Organized The Reunion at Freeport, Septeml
4th, 1870 General Sheets's Address The Reunion at Mt. Carroll, Sep
tember 4th, 1873 Major Woodcock's Address 3S&
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
CHAPTER I.
WHAT IT WAS ALL ABOUT. THE SLAVERY QUESTION. THE
MISSOURI COMPROMISE OF 1820. THE FUGITIVE SLAVE LAW
OF 1850. THE KANSAS-NEBRASKA BILL. THE ELECTION OF
PRESIDENT BUCHANAN IN 1856. THE DRED SCOTT CASE.
THE DEBATE BETWEEN DOUGLAS AND LINCOLN IN ILLI-
NOIS IN 1858. THE ELECTION OK PRESIDENT LINCOLN IN
1860. THE DELIBERATE SECESSION PREPARATIONS BY THE
SOUTH. PRESIDENT LINCOLN'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS. THE
PROGRESS OF THE CONTEST UNTIL JULY i, 1862. THE CALL
FOR THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND ADDITIONAL VOLUNTEERS.
HOW IT HAPPENED THAT THE NlNETY-SKCOND WENT TO
THE WAR.
What was it all about? How did it happen that the Ninety-
Second Regiment went to the war? These are questions for a
reply to which the old members of the Ninety-Second will have-
no need to look into a book; they will find the ready answers
engraven upon the tablets of their memories in characters that
can never fade. But their children will be asking these questions,
nd we may ;is well answer them now. What was it all about?
ut that question reaches so far back into the past that we cannot
'. the whole story. It was about the rights of man, and they
n when Adam was created. If you throw a stone into a
a little circular wave will be caused upon the surface of the'
:er, and the circle will grow larger, and inside of it will come
ther circle, and yet another, and another ; and by and by one
e of the circles will break upon the shore at your feet, and the
Jier side of the circles will cross the pond and break upon the
farther shore. And so it is with the great events in history, only
there are no shores for the circles of influence to break upon;
they go back, by relation, many hundreds of years in the past,
2 (9)
io NINBTT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
and no man can tell how far the widening circles of influence of
the great deeds of any age may reach into the coming centuries.
We said it was about the rights of man. We will be more specific.
It was about the rights of the black man ; for, we think it safe to
say now, whatever was said at the time, that African slavery was
the real cause of the war. That is what it was all about. When
the American Colonies were settled African slaves were intro-
duced into the Colonies; the first were landed at Jamestown, in
Virginia, by a Dutch trading vessel, in the year A. D. 1620.
They were afterwards introduced into other Colonies, and before
the American Revolution African slavery existed in most of the
North American Colonies. During the Revolution the American
slaves aided the American patriots in many ways. Many people
believed that the Declaration of American Independence, upon
which the American Revolution was fought, when it said "all
men are created equal," meant ALL men, black as well as white ;
but many also believed that it did not apply to slaves, or Indians,
or to any but white men. And when the American Revolution
was ended, and liberty had been gained, it was construed not to
mean liberty to black men, but to white men only. The Southern
Colonies did not wish to give up slavery, yet there appeared at
that titnejx) be a general sentiment among the people at the
North and South that slavery was wrong, and detrimental to the
best interests of the newly developing communities; and when
Virginia, in the year 1787, ceded to the General Government her
title to the Territory out of which the States of Ohio, Indiana,
Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan have since been formed, on
July 13, 1787, in the last Congress that convened under the
Articles of Confederation, the Northwest Ordinance was passed for
the government of all the Territory at that time owned by the
infant Republic. And by Article VI of that Ordinance it was
provided : "That there shall be neither slavery nor involuntary
servitude in the said Territory otherwise than in the punishment
of crimes, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted."
That was the way our revolutionary fathers provided for the
government of the Territory belonging to the Union in the first
legislative act they passed upon the subject.
But the invention of the Cotton Gin, a machine to separatt
the cotton seed fiom the cotton fibre, invented bv Eli Whitnr
in 1792, and afterwards brought into general use, made the cu
vation of cotton in the South, bv slave labor, profitable : and a
the cultivation of rice and sugar cane, by slave labor, beconr
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. it
profitable at the South, there was built up thereby in the
Southern Colonies a sentiment strongly favoring slavery. There
were no such reasons for continuing slavery in the Northern
Colonies, and it was abolished in New York and Pennsylvania,
and the Colony of Massachusetts Bay refused to permit slavery
when its State government was established. And in a few years
after the adoption of the Federal Constitution, in 1789, there were
but few slaves in the Northern States, and very few colored
people. When the Federal Constitution was adopted, slavery
was indirectly recognized in that fundamental law of the new
Nation, by its providing, in Section IX of Article I, that "the
migration or importation of such persons as any of the States
now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited
by Congress, prior to the year 1808." This was well known to
refer to the African slave trade, and it was a concession to the
extreme Southern States. It did not apply to the Territories out
of which new States might be carved, and afterwards admitted
into the Union, but only to the States at that time existing. But
in the early days of the Republic the best and most enlightened
sentiment of the nation, North and South, tended toward the
broadest liberty, and the American Congress, soon after the
constitutional prohibition expired, prohibited the African slave
trade, by declaring it piracy upon the high seas. For many years
afterward, in the South, slavery continued to grow more and more
profitable; in the North it died out entirely, and a strong senti-
ment inimical to slavery rapidly grew up. In 1820, when
Missouri was erected into a State, with slavery, it created great
excitement and profound discussion in Congress and throughout
the Nation ; but slavery already existed in Missouri by a clause
in the treaty ceding the Louisiana Territory, out of which the
State of Missouri was formed, to the United States, and at the
instance of Jesse B. Thomas, United States Senator from Illinois,
slavery was allowed in that State, but prohibited in all the Western
Territorial possessions of the United States in the future, North of
36 30', that being the Southern line of the State of Missouri.
That is known in history as the Clay Compromise, or Missouri
Compromise of 1820. Some statesmen thought that it was the
final settlement of all difficulty on the slavery question; but
compromises seldom settle anything, and the Missouri Compromise
of 1820 did not settle the slavery question; it only postponed the
day of settlement. The people of the South did not any the less
desire to extend the area of slavery : the people of the North did
12 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
not look with any less aversion upon the institution of slavery
itself. The South saw the North prosperous, rapidly advancing
in wealth and population, and new States preparing for admission
into the Union, in which slavery would not be permitted. And
the South saw its own section languishing in -enterprise, and no
new States continually coming into the Union at the South, to
enable that section to hold the same relative political power in the
Union ; and political power was passing rapidlv into the possession
of the more populous, more enterprising free States of the North.
Slaves escaping from the plantations in the South were aided by
Northern citizens, fed and clothed, and secretlv and illegally
forwarded on their journey to freedom, in Canada. Free men of
color from the North were reduced to slavery in some portions of
the South. Freedom of speech was denied in a great portion of
the South, and any one who there asserted that slavery was
wrong was at the mercv of the mob, and always of a mob that
had no mercy. Slaveholding was denounced in the North in a
portion of the public press, and from the pulpit and the stump.
In 1850 there was great excitement again in Congress; the ghost
of slavery, although compromised out of sight in 1820, would
not stay down. The South demanded, with bitterness and threats
of war and disunion, additional safe-guards against the escape of
their slaves; and the North, or many people at the North, did
not like to become slave-hunters for Southern slave masters.
But the South, being united, succeeded in dividing the North, and
carrying with its section a portion of the Democratic party of the
North, passed the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, so harsh in its
terms as to meet the bitter denunciation of many of the wisest
and best men at the North Many men refused to obey the law,
and were sustained in such refusal by the Supreme Courts of
manv of the Northern States. In 1854 Kansas and Nebraska
were organized into Territories, and the bill for that purpose,
introduced into the Senate by Stephen A. Douglas, Senator from
Illinois, in express terms trampled down the compromise adopted
at the instance of Jesse B. Thomas, Senator from Illinois, in 1820.
The excitement was intense, and the slavery question was almost
the only question publicly discussed in the press and on the
stump, both at the North and South. The South was united and
the North divided. Most of the Democratic party at the North,
following the lead of Senator Douglas, joined with the united
South, and the Kansas-Nebraska bill was passed, on July 13, 1854,
providing that Kansas and Nebraska, notwithstanding the Com-
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 13
promise of 1820, dedicating that Territory to freedom, might come
into the Union as States, "with or without slavery," as the people
might determine at the time of their admission into the Union.
Then came a race as to who should settle up those Territories,
Southern people favoring slavery, or Northern people favoring
freedom. The Southern planter went with his slaves, his prejudice
against education, his pistol and his bowieknife. The Northern
people sent out colonies of settlers with bibles and Sharpe's rifles,
and the Northern settlers in Kansas built school houses and
churches, and roads, and mills; read their bibles as their Pilgrim
Fathers had done before them, and defended their settlements
with their rifles. They were raided upon and marty times
temporarily overpowered by the bands of slaveholders from
Missouri and Arkansas, but the Northern settlers in Kansas went
to stay, and they did stay. In the long run intelligence and free
labor always triumph over prejudice and slavery. They triumphed
in Kansas and Nebraska.
But, while the contest was being fought out in Kansas and
Nebraska Yankee intelligence and freedom against Southern
prejudice and slavery many other interesting phases of the con-
test were developing. One of the most interesting, and one that
ultimately assumed the most prominent part in the solution of
the slavery question in the United States, was a law case that
arose in the State of Missouri ; an action of trespass vi ft armis,
by Dred Scott, a negro, against one Sanford, who claimed to be
his master, to try the question of Dred Scott's freedom, and the
freedom of his wife and children ; which case found its way into
the Supreme Court of the United States. The facts in the case
were as follows: Dred Scolt, the negro, was taken by his master,
voluntarily on the part of his master, in the year 1834, to Rock
Island, in the free State of Illinois, and for two years held in
Rock Island as a slave, forty-seven years after the adoption of
the North- West Ordinance of 1787, which threw its protecting
shield of freedom over all the Territory from which the State of
Illinois was formed, and sixteen years after the Free State Con-
stitution of Illinois was adopted. The negro was then taken by his
master to the military post of Ft. Snelling, in Minnesota, and
there held as a slave two years longer. During the time he was
held as a slave in Minnesota, Dred Scott was married, and had
two children born unto him. The case was argued in the Su-
preme Court of the United States, at December Term, A. D.
1855; but it was not decided at that term. The Presidential cam-
I 4 NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
palgn of 1856 was approaching. The Democrats nominated
James Buchanan, of Pennsylvania, for President; the Republi-
cans nominated John Charles Fremont, who was the first
Republican candidate for the Presidency. The canvass was
exceedingly earnest, and the points upon which it turned were
the extension of slavery and the breaking down of the Missouri
Compromise of 1820. The supporters of Fremont were called
" black Republicans," and " negro worshippers," and great preju-
dice seemed to exist against them. They were not successful in
that Presidential campaign, and James Buchanan, the Democratic
candidate, was elected President of the United States. The
Senate a*hd Lower House of Congress were overwhelmingly
Democratic. The South had apparently triumphed ; they controlled
two of the three important branches of the Government under
the Constitution of the United States the Executive and the
Legislative and they were sure of the other branch the Judicial.
Surely, if now, having the Executive and Legislative branches
of the Government with them, they could " clinch" the repeal of
the Missouri Compromise with a decision of the Supreme Court
of the United States, then abolition hate, and Yankee ingenuity
and pluck, could not prevail against them. The decision came
immediately after the election. The Dred Scott case was
decided by the Supreme Court of the United States, at the De-
cember Term, 1856. In that case, it was decided to be the law of
the land, so far as the Supreme Court of the United States could
decide it to be law: First, that negroes had no rights' which
white men were bound to respect, and consequently that no
person who had African blood in his veins could be a citizen of
the United States, even to the extent of being able to sue in its
courts for his liberty or the liberty of his child. Second, that the
right of property in human beings was distinctly affirmed in the
Constitution of the United States. Third, that slavery could not
be prohibited in the Territories by any authority whatever, or any-
where else where the Constitution of the United States was the
paramount law. Fourth, that Dred Scott was lawfully held as a
slave, both at Rock Island, in the free State of Illinois, and at Ft.
Snelling, in Minnesota, and that it would have made no differ-
ence had he been taken there with the intention of a permanent
residence.
It was supposed by many that this decision, by the most
august judicial tribunal in the world, would settle the slavery
question forever. The fact was that it unsettled it more than the
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 15
passage of the Fugitive Slave Law in 1850, or the repeal of the
Missouri Compromise in 1854. The court went too far. It was
easy to be seen that, if that decision was to be followed out to its
logical extent, there was no such thing as freedom anywhere in
the United States for the black man; not in the Territories, nor
yet in the States, for the Constitution of the United States was
recognized as the paramount law in all the States and Territories.
The Northern people, the anti-slavery people of the United States,
denied the binding authority of that decision. They pronounced
it monstrous, but they never dreamed of going into a rebellion
over it. In the press, and in the pulpit, and on the stump, it was
'denounced. Greater political excitement prevailed than was ever
known before. More colonies of settlers, and more bibles, and
more rifles were sent by Massachusetts to Kansas. In 1858, in
Illinois, the most remarkable political debate that had ever
occurred in the history of the United States took place. Senator
Stephen A. Douglas, the author of the Kansas-Nebraska Bill,
which repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820, and Abraham
Lincoln, Esq., of Springfield, Illinois, met in joint public debate,
and the turning points of the whole series of debates were the
questions of the extension of slavery, the repeal of the Missouri
Compromise, and the decision of the Supreme Court of the
United States in the Dred Scott case. Senator Douglas, as the
champion of the Democratic party, affirmed the wisdom of the
repeal of the Missouri Compromise, and the binding force of the
decision of the Supreme Court of the United States in the Dred
Scott case; and Mr. Lincoln, as the champion of the Republican
party, deplored both, and contended for a return to the tendencies
in favor of freedom, which prevailed in the infancy of the
Republic. It was the contest of intellectual giants. But Illinois
went Democratic, and Senator Douglas and the Democratic party
had the immediate victory. So confident was the South, in
complete victory, with every department of the Government
sustaining slavery, that the African slave trade was actually
revived, and a ship load of African slaves imported into Georgia,
by G. B. Lamar, of Savannah.
In 1860 came on another Presidential campaign. Four candi-
dates for the Presidency and Vice-Presidency of the United States
were presented for the suffrages of the people. The contest was
one of the most exciting that had ever occurred. The Demo-
cratic party was divided; one wing of that party supported
Stephen A. Douglas, of Illinois, for President, and Herschel V.
16 NINETr-SECOND ILLINOIS.
Johnson, of Georgia, for Vice-President; the other wing of the
Democratic party supported John C. Breckenridge, of Kentucky,
for President, and Joseph Lane, of Oregon, for Vice-President.
The old-line Whigs supported John Bell, of Tennessee, for Presi-
dent, and Edward Everett, of Massachusetts, for Vice-President.
The Republican party supported Abraham Lincoln, of Illinois,
for President, and Hanibal Hamlin, of Maine, for Vice-President.
Under the Constitution of the United States the vote is not
direct for President and Vice-President; but in each State the
voters vote for "Presidential Electors," as many as the State has
Senators and Representatives in Congress. After the election,
these Presidential Electors form an Electoral College, and a
majority of votes in the Electoral College elects the President
and Vice-President. The result of the Presidential election in
1860 was that, in the Electoral College, Lincoln and Hamlin had
one hundred and eighty electoral votes; Douglas and Johnson
had twelve electoral votes; Breckenridge and Lane had seventy-
two electoral votes; Bell and Everett had thirty-nine electoral
votes; that is, Lincoln and Hamlin had a majority of fiftv-seven
electoral votes, in the Electoral College, over all opposing candi-
dates. Curious students of history may wish to -examine the
popular vote, which was as follows: Lincoln and Hamlin
received 1,857,610; Douglas and Johnson, 1,365,976; Breckenridge
and Lane, 847,553; Bell and Everett, 590,631. The election of
Lincoln and Hamlin was the first great victory of the Republican
party, and the anti-slavery sentiment of the Nation. And never
was there a fairer election -held, except that the supporters of
Lincoln and Hamlin were mobbed in many, if not all, of the
Slave States. Had the Democrats not quarrelled, and voted
solidly, they must have, succeeded. It seemed that the Southern
Democrats deliberately resolved to quarrel, divide the Democratic
vote, and thereby help to elect Lincoln and Hamlin, and for no
other reason than that they might organize the Rebellion; and in
support of this view it may be mentioned that, at Charleston,
South Carolina, the hot-bed of secession, on November 7th, 1860,
the very day following the election of Lincoln and Hamlin, the
news of their election was received with cheers bv the Secession-
ists of that rebel city, and with shouts for a "Southern Con-
federacy;" and on the ninth of November, 1860, onlv two davs
after the election of Lincoln and Hamlin, the citizens of Charles-
ton, South Carolina, attempted to seixe the United States arms in
Fort Moultrie, one of the United States forts in Charleston Harbor.
NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 17
Indeed, it became plain that the original Secessionists at the
South had deliberately planned treason, and deliberately de-
termined to put into execution their ot't-repeated threats of
disunion. Warlike preparations quickly followed each other in
the South. On the tenth of November, 1860, a bill was intro-
duced in the South Carolina Legislature, to raise and equip ten
thousand men; and the Legislature of that State ordered the
election of a Convention, to consider the question of Secession,
and James Chestnut, one of the United States Senators from
South Carolina, resigned ; which was followed on the eleventh
bv the resignation of United States Senator Hammond, of that
State., On the fifteenth of November, Governor Letcher, of Vir-
ginia, called an extra session of the Virginia Legislature. On
the eighteenth of November, the 'Legislature of Georgia appro-
priated one million dollars to arm that State. On the nineteenth,
Governor Moore, of Louisiana, called an extra session of the
Legislature. On the first of December, a great Secession meet-
ing was held at Memphis, in the State of Tennessee ; and on the
same day, the Legislature of Florida ordered the election of a
Secession Convention. On the third day of December, the
United States Congress assembled; and President James
Buchanan, a Northern dough-faced Democrat, who sympathized
with treason, denied, in his message to Congress, the right of
the United States to coerce a seceding State. On the fifth of
December, the delegates to the Secession Convention in South
Carolina were elected. On the tenth, Howell Cobb, Secretary of
the Treasury of the United States, resigned, and went home to
Georgia, to engage in Secession; and on the same day, the Leg-
islature of Louisiana assembled, and appropriated five hundred
thousand dollars to arm that State, and called a Secession Con-
vention. On the thirteenth of December, a special meeting of
President Buchanan's Cabinet was held, to consider the question
of reinforcing Fort Moultrie; and President Buchanan opposed
it, and no reinforcements were sent. On the seventeenth, the
Secession Convention of South Carolina assembled, and on the
twentieth, passed the Ordinance of Secession by a unanimous
vote; and President Buchanan sent a message to the South
Carolina Secession Convention, pledging 'hat Fort Moultrie
should not be reinforced. On the twenty-sixth, Major Anderson.
with one hundred and eleven men, evacuated Fort Moultrie, and
took possession of Fort Sumter, in Charleston Harbor. On the
twenty-seventh, the Revenue Cutter, William Aiken, was treach-
i8 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
erously surrendered to the South Carolina authorities by Captain
M. S. Coste; and on the twenty-eighth, South Carolina seized
the United States property in the city of Charleston, and took
possession of Castle Pinckney and Fort Moultrie; and on the
thirty-first of December, South Carolina sent Commissioners to
other Slave States, to stir up Secession. So the year 1860 went
out. And the North stood still and quiet; amazed, but not
frightened.
And the new year, 1861, came in with the same methodical
preparations for war, on the part of the South. On the second
day of January, Governor Ellis, of North Carolina, seized Fort
Macon; and on the same day, the Secession militia of Georgia
seized Fort Pulaski, and Fort Jackson, and the United States
Arsenal at Savannah, Georgia. On the fourth of January,
Governor Moore, of Alabama, seized Fort Morgan and the
United States Arsenal at Mobile And the people of the North
observed that day as a day of fasting and prayer. On the sev-
enth, the Secession Conventions of Alabama and Mississippi
convened, and the Legislatures of Virginia and Tennessee
assembled. On the eighth, Jacob Thompson, Secretary of the
Interior, resigned and joined the Rebellion ; and on the same
day, the Secessionists of North Carolina seized Fort Johnson, at
Wilmington, and Fort Caswell, at Oak Island. On the ninth of
January, the steamer, Star of the West, bearing'provisions to the
United States garrison in Fort Sumter, was fired upon by the
Rebel batteries in Charleston Harbor, and the steamer turnec'
back ; and on the same day, Mississippi passed the Secession
Ordinance. On the tenth, the Florida militia seized Fort
McRea, and Florida passed an Ordinance of Secession. On the
eleventh, Alabama seceded ; and on the same day, the Governor
of Louisiana seized Fort St. Phillip and Fort Jackson, on the
Mississippi below New Orleans, and Fort Pike and Fort Macornb,
on Lake Ponchartrain, and the United States Arsenal at Baton
Rouge. On the thirteenth, the Secessionists of Florida took
possession of the Pensacola Navy Yard and Fort Barnacas. On
the sixteenth, Arkansas and Missouri called Secession Conven-
tions. On the eighteenth, Virginia voted one million dollars for
the Rebellion. On the nineteenth, Georgia adopted a Secession
Ordinance. On the twenty-first, Jefferson Davis, Senator from
Mississippi, resigned his seat in the United States Senate, and
joined the Conspirators; and all the Members of Congress from
Al-abama resigned and went home to engage in Secession, followed
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 19
on the next day by all the Members of Congress from Georgia ; and
on the following day, the Georgia militia seized the United States
Arsenal at Augusta. On the twenty-sixth, Louisiana passed a
Secession Ordinance. On the thirtieth, the United States
Revenue Cutters, Cass at Mobile, and McLelland at New
Orleans, were traitorously surrendered to the Rebel insurgents by
their contemptible Commanders. This is the record of Secession
preparation in the month of January, 1861, and it is by no means
complete; we have aimed only to give the most prominent
events. The month of February was as fruitful of Secession.
On the first of February, the State of Texas seceded, and the
Louisiana ^Secessionists seized the United States Mint and
Custom House at New Orleans. On the fourth, the delegates
from the Southern States met at Montgomery, Alabama, to
organize the "Confederate States of America." On the eighth,
the United States Arsenal at Little Rock, Arkansas, was seized.
On the ninth, Jefferson Davis, of Mississippi, and Alexander H.
Stephens, of Georgia, were declared the Provisional President
and Vice-President of the so-called Southern Confederacy. And
on the twenty-third, General Twiggs, a traitorous West Point
bantling of the Republic, surrendered and turned traitor in
Texas, taking with' him over one million two hundred thousand
dollars' worth of property of the United States.
And now we turn to the North. What was the North doing
all this time, in the face of all this warlike preparation and con-
certed treason, on the part of the South? The truthful answer is,
nothing, absolutely nothing. President James Buchanan did
nothing; and the Northern people waited for the inauguration of
Abraham Lincoln, as President of the United States. The
Northern people were exceedingly quiet; but they were very
solemnly in earnest, in their determination to maintain the integ-
rity of the United States Government. When Abraham Lincoln
left his home in Springfield, Illinois, to go to Washington, to be
inaugurated as President, on taking leave of his fellow citizens at
the depot, he said : " My friends, no one not in my position can
appreciate the sadness I feel at this parting. I know not how
soon I shall see you again. A duty devolves upon me which is,
perhaps, greater than that which has devolved upon any other man
since the days of Washington. He never would have succeeded
except for the aid of Divine Providence, upon which he at all
times relied. I feel that I cannot succeed without the same
Divine aid which sustained him. In the same Almighty Being
20 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
I place my reliance for support; and I hope that my friends will
.ill pray that i may receive that Divine assistance, without which
I cannot succeed, but with which success is certain. Again I bid
vou all an affectionate farewell." On his journev to Washington,
the Secessionists attempted his assassination. At one time an
attempt was made to throw the railroad train off from the track.
At Cincinnati a hand-grenade was found concealed on the train.
A gang in Baltimore had arranged, upon his arrival, to " get up
a row," and, in the confusion, to make sure of his death with
revolvers and hand-grenades. The plot was discovered by a
detective; and a secret, special train was provided to take him
from Harrisburg, through Baltimore, at an unexpected hour of
the night. The train started at half-past ten from Harrisburg;
and as soon as the train had started, the telegraph wire was cut.
His safe arrival in Washington, the next morning, was tele-
graphed over the North. Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated as
President of the Unied States, on the steps of the Capitol, March
fourth, 1861, General Winfield Scott having charge of the military
escort. General Scott, in his autobiography, says: "The
inauguration of President Lincoln was, perhaps, the most critical
and hazardous with which I have ever been connected. In the
preceding two months I had received more than fifty letters,
many from points distant from each other; some earnestly dis-
suading me from being present at the event, and others distinctly
threatening assassination, if I dared to protect the ceremony by
military force." Without General Scott's military force, it is
confidently believed that the diabolism of treason would have
accomplished the death of Abraham Lincoln before his inaugu-
ration as President. In his Inaugural Address, he spoke calmly
and kindly to the South. We quote only a few sentences:
"Apprehension seems to exist among the people of the
Southern States, that, by the accession of a Republican Adminis-
tration, their property and their peace and personal security are
to be endangered. There never has been any reasonable cause
for such apprehension. Indeed, the most ample evidence to the
contrary has all the while existed, and been open to their inspec-
tion. It is found in nearly all of the published speeches of him
who now addresses you. I do but quote from one of those
speeches, when I declare that I have no purpose, directly or
indirectly, to interfere with slavery in the States where it exists.
"A disruption of the Federal Union, heretofore only menaced,
is pow formidably attempted. I hold that, in the contemplation
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 21
of universal law and of the Constitution, the union of these
States is perpetual. Perpetuity is implied, if not expressed, in
the fundamental law of all national governments. It is safe to
assert, that no government proper ever had a provision in its
organic law for its own termination. Continue to execute all the
express provisions of our National Constitution, and the Union
will endure forever; it being impossible to destroy it, except by
some action not provided for in the instrument itself.
" I therefore consider that, in view of the Constitution and
the laws, the Union is unbroken; and, to the extent of my ability,
I shall take care, as the Constitution expressly enjoins upon me,
that the laws of the Union shall be faithfully executed in all the
States. Doing this, which I deem to be only a simple duty on
my part, I shall perfectly perform it, so far as is practicable, unless
my rightful masters, the American people, shall withhold the
requisiton, or in some authoritative manner direct the contrary.
" I trust this will not be regarded as a menace, but only as the
declared purpose of the Union, that it will constitutionally defend
and maintain itself.
" In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow-countrymen, and not
in mine, is the momentous issue of civil war. The Government
will not assail you.
" You can have no conflict without being yourseves the
aggressors. You have no oath registered in Heaven to destroy
the Government; while I shall have the most solemn one to
preserve, protect, and defend it.
" I am loath to close. We are not enemies, but friends. We
must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it
must not break, our bonds of affection.
" The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battle-
field and patriot grave to every living heart and hearth-stone all
over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when
again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our
nature."
These words of President Lincoln, so calmly and kindly
spoken, had no effect upon the people of the South; they had
deliberately entered into Secession, and they steadily pursued
their chosen course. They continued to seize the Forts, and
Mints, and Custom Houses of the United States, and to organize,
equip, and drill their soldiery. On the eleventh of April, Federal
troops were stationed in Washinton city ; and on the twelfth, the
Rebels commenced the bombardment of Fort Sumter, and that
22 NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
Fort was surrendered to them, by Major Anderson, on the day
following. On the fourteenth, Governor Yates called a special
session of the Illinois Legislature. On the fifteenth of April, the
President issued a proclamation commanding all persons in arms
against the Government to disperse within twenty days^ and
called an extra session of Congress, to meet July fourth, and
called for seventy-five thousand Volunteers for three months.
The Governors of Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee, and Missouri,
refused to furnish troops under the President's proclamation,
claiming that their States would remain " neutral" in the con-
test ; but the call was more than filled within twenty-four hours.
On the nineteenth of April, the Sixth Massachusetts Regiment
was attacked by a mob while passing through Baltimore to Wash-
ington. On the twenty-fourth, Cairo, Illinois, was occupied by
Union troops; and on the twenty-fifth, Illinois Volunteers re-
moved twenty-two thousand stand of arms from the United
States Arsenal in St. Louis, to Springfield, Illinois. On the
twenty-seventh, all the officers of the Regular Army who still
remained in the service, were required to take the Oath of Alle-
giance to the United States. On the third of May, President
Lincoln called for forty thousand three years Volunteers, and
twenty-two thousand troops for the Regular Army, and eighteen
thousand seamen. The call was quickly filled. On May twenty-
fourth, thirteen thousand Union troops crossed the Potomac, and
occupied Arlington Heights. On the first of June, there was a
cavalry skirmish at Fairfax Court House, Virginia. On the
third, Colonel Kelly defeated the Rebels in a skirmish at Phil-
lippi, Virginia, killing fifteen. On the tenth, was fought the
battle of Big Bethel ; and on the eleventh, a skirmish at Romney ;
and on the same day, a skirmish occurred at Cole Camp, Mo.
On the seventh of July, General Patterson defeated the Con-
federates at Falling Water, Virginia. On the fifth, Siegel was
defeated at Carthage, Missouri. On the twelfth, Colonel W. S.
Rosecrans defeated the Confederates at Rich Mountain, Virginia,
the enemy losing one hundred and fifteen killed and wounded,
eight hundred prisoners, and their wagons, guns, and camp
equipage. On the twenty-first of July, occurred the battle of
Bull Run. The Union forces, forty-five thousand strong, under
the command of General McDowell, were defeated, losing four
hundred and eighty-one killed, one hundred and four wounded,
and one thousand two hundred and sixteen missing. General
Beauregard reported the Confederate loss at two hundred and
NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 23
sixty-nine killed, and one thousand four hundred and eighty-
three wounded. The Union troops disgracefully retreated upon
Washington, and the Confederates disgracefully retreated toward
Richmond. On the tenth of August, General Lyon, with five
thousand troops, attacked General McCulloch, at Wilson's Creek,
Missouri. General Lyon was killed, and Colonel Siegel and
Major Sturgis retreated to Springfield, but McCulloch did not
follow. The Rebel loss, as reported by McCulloch, was two hun-
dred and sixty-five killed, and eight hundred wounded ; Federal
loss two hundred and three killed, and one thousand and twelve
wounded and missing. On the tenth of September, occurred the
battle of Carnifix Ferry, the Federals being successful under
Brigadier General Rosecrans. On the twenty-first of October,
was fought the battle of Ball's Bluff, in which General Baker, of
the Union Army, and United States Senator from Oregon, was
killed. The Union troops were defeated, with a loss of two hun-
dred and twenty-three killed, three hundred and sixty-six wounded,
and three hundred and fifty-five prisoners. On November seventh,
General prant, with two thousand eight hundred troops, attacked
Belmont, Missouri, and drove the enemy from his camp; who,
being reinforced, renewed the battle, and General Grant retreated.
Union loss, eighty-four killed, two hundred and eighty-eight
wounded, and thirty-five missing. On January nineteenth, 1862,
was fought the battle of Mill Spring, Kentucky, in which the
Rebels were defeated, and the Rebel General Zollicoffer killed.
On February eighth, General Burnside captured from the Rebels
the six forts on Roanoke Island, with three thousand small arms,
and two thousand five hundred Rebel prisoners. On the six-
teenth, Fort Donelson surrendered to General Grant, with fifteen
thousand prisoners, forty cannon, and twenty thousand stand of
small arms. The Union loss was three hundred and twenty-one
killed, one thousand and forty-six wounded, and one hundred and
fifty missing. On March eighth, General Curtis was attacked by
Van Dorn, Price, and McCulloch, at Pea Ridge, Missouri.
General Curtis defeated the Rebels. The Union loss was two
hundred and twelve killed, and nine hundred and twenty-six
wounded. On April sixth, the Rebels, under General Albert
Sidney Johnson and General Beuregard, attacked General Grant
at Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee, and were defeated on the next
day by General Grant. Genaral Johnson was killed. The Union
loss was one thousand six hundred and fourteen killed, seven
thousand seven hundred and twenty-one wounded, and three
24 NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
thousand nine hundred and fifty-six missing, and the RebeJ loss
full y as great. On the eighth 'of April, Island No. 10, in the
Mississippi below Cairo, was captured by General John Pope,
with five thousand Rebel prisoners, one hundred siege guns,
twenty-four pieces of field artillery, five thousand stand of small
arms, two thousand hogsheads of sugar, and large quantities of
ammunition. On the twenty-fifth of April, Commodore Farragut
captured New Orleans. On June first, the Rebels were defeated
at Fair Oaks, and withdrew. The Union loss was eight hundred
and ninety killed, and four thousand eight hundred and forty-four
wounded. On June thirtieth, 1862, General McClellan retreated
from Richmond, after several days' very severe fighting and
terrible loss. On July first, was fought the battle of Mal.vern
Hill, the last of the Richmond battles. In the six days' fighting
before Richmond, the Union loss was one thousand five hundred
and sixty-one killed, seven thousand seven hundred and one
wounded, and five thousand nine hundred and fiftv-eight missing.
On this day, July i, 1862, President Lincoln called for three hun-
dred thousand additional Volunteers; and it was under this call
that the Ninety-Second enlisted. We have only faintly touched
upon the terrible struggle which had been going on with treason
since President Lincoln's inauguration. Immense armies were
in the field; and while the Union forces were many times success-
ful, their ranks were sadly thinned by battles and disease. Some
one must take up the muskets our dead and wounded soldiers
could no longer handle, and continue the battle for the Union and
Liberty so heroically commenced; and the Ninety-Second Illinois
Volunteers was a part of the grand Army of three hundred thou-
sand that marched to the war under the President's call of July
i, 1862. And this is the way we have told the storv of what it
was all about, and how it happened that the Ninety-Second went
to the War.
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 25
CHAPTER II.
RECRUITING REGIMENTAL ORGANIZATION THE FIRST DRESS
PARADE CAMI' LIFE AT ROCKKORD REGIMENTAL DRILL
IN PRESENCE OK THE LADIES THE FIRST MARCH THE
FIRST MAN WOUNDED CAMP AT COVINGTON, KY. ORDERS
TO MARCH COMPANY A BUYS MUTTON FOR THE HOSPITAL
CAMPING IN A SNOW-STORM LEXINGTON MT. STERLING
THE DIFFICULTIES ON THE NEGRO QUESTION KEN-
TUCKY METHODISTS MARCHING AWAY FROM MT. STER-
LING WINCHESTER SUITS AGAINST THE COLONEL FOP
STEALING NEGROES LEXINGTON NICHOLASVILLE MARCH
ING AFTER JOHN MORGAN A SLAVE AUCTION TAKING
THE OATH OF ALLEGIANCE OFF FOR LOUISVILLE EM-
HARKING ON STEAMERS " GOOD BYE, LOYAL KENTUCKY."
That was a gloomy period in the history of the war, when
President Lincoln issued his cail for " three hundred thousand
more," on July first, 1862. McClellan had been hurled back, with
terrible loss, from the very battlements of Richmond. Soldiers
on crutches and soldiers with an " empty sleeve " were becoming
familiar sights in the North. The rough pine boxes at the ex-
press offices were often seen ; they contained the remains of the
"boys in blue" who had fallen on the battle-field, in the camp,
or the hospital, brought home for burial, that loving eyes might
bedew their graves with tears, and loving hands bedeck them
with flowers. The North was commencing to realize how ter-
ribly in earnest the battle was. To many it appeared that the
countrv could not spare any more of its young men. In North-
ern Illinois the golden grain fields were bowing their heavily
laden heads, and inviting the commencement of the harvest,
and the laborers were few. The quota of Illinois was large, and
it required time to get the machinery of recruiting and organiza-
tion into working order. At length, on the fourth of August,
the good President " put his foot down firmly," and directed a
draft of three hundred thousand in addition to the call of the
3
26 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
first of July. Then the people, with an impulse that was grand,
took hold of the work in earnest. In every school house in the
three counties from which the Ninety-Second was recruited,
meetings were held; the fife sent out its shrill notes, and the
drum its roll, and the old flag was displayed ; the harvest hands
gathered to the meetings after their days of toil. Patriotic songs
were sung : " We will rally around the Flag, boys, rally once
again, shouting the battle cry of Freedom," and partriotisin
took up the refrain, and arswered it, "We are coming, Father
Abraham, six hundred thousand more." Gray haired fathers,
who had already sent one or more sons to the battle, attended the
meetings, and saw their remaining sons enlist. Many who went
onlv to hear the speeches and songs, were touched with the pre-
vailing spirit of patriotism, and signed their names to the muster
rolls. Eloquent speakers, many of whom did not say " Go, boys,"
but said, "Come, boys," told the story of the Nation's peril.
Many who had seen the battle's terrible carnage, and were not
dismayed, were ready to go again to the front, and eloquently
plead with the people to " fill the vacant ranks of their brothers
gone before." The sacred fires of Liberty were kindled in these
meetings, and the people lifted up to the high resolve of demon-
strating to the world the strength of Republican government,
that a free people, of their own free will, with courage sublime,
would not halt in the battle for the Nation's existence, but march
forward, filling the battle-broken ranks of the army corps in the
field. It was a greater task than any nation had before accom-
plished; not to beat off the assaults of a foreign foe, but the far
more difficult one of " saving ourselves from ourselves." It was
in these meetings that "party was sunk in patriotism;" and those
who had been fighting political battles* clasped their hands in
friendship, and signed together the agreement to enlist, and
together to march and fight. No one who witnessed the recruit-
ing in the summer of i862, in Northern Illinois, will ever forget
it; the people rallying from their harvest-fields, leaving the
ripened grain ungathered, to fill the ranks of the new regiments.
It was grand, beyond all power of ours to tell. The true story of
the enlistment of the ten companies of the Ninety-Second would
require more space than this whole book. It never will be told
in print. Grandsires will tell to their grandchildren the story of
that great uprising of the people, when the fires of Liberty were
lighted in the hour of the Nation's need; and they in turn will tell
it to their grandchildren; and its effect will not be lost in the Re-
XINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 27
public for generations to come. It was at first thought that one
regiment might be raised in the counties of Stephenson, Ogle,
Carroll, Jo Daviess, Winnebago, Boone, McHenry, and Lake.
But it was found that four regiments and three companies were
ready to muster, when finally put into camp at Rockford.
Major Smith D. Atkins, of the Eleventh Illinois Infantry, by the
direction of Governor Yates, had charge of the enlistment of
companies in Stephenson, jo Daviess, Ogle, and Carroll counties.
By his direction, Captain Stouffer, of one of the Mt. Carroll com-
panies, afterwards of the Ninety-Second, went into camp with
his company at Rockford, on July twenty-second, 1862, and was
joined by the other companies, afterwards organized into the
Regiment within a few days thereafter. Bv the twenty-sixth of
August, forty-three companies were encamped at Rockford.
Barracks were built of pine boards; but it was not till long after-
wards that the soldiers learned to appreciate how comfortably
they were situated. The companies, by ballot, selected their
Captains and Lieutenants; and the officers and men of the com-
panies selected the regimental officers. For days there was little
drilling. The making up of regiments, and who should be Colo-
nel, and who Lieutenant Colonel, and who Major, were the
important questions discussed. The following ten companies
unanimously resolved themselves into a regimental organization :
Captain William J. Ballinger, Lena, Stephenson Countv; Captain
VVilber W. Dennis, Byron, Ogle County ; CaptainWilliam Stouffer,
Mt. Carroll, Carroll County ; Captain Lyman Preston, Polo,
Ogle County ; Captain Matthew Van Buskirk, Polo, Ogle County ;
Captain Christopher T. Dunham, Freeport, Stephenson County ;
Captain John M. Schermerhorn, Lena, Stephenson County;
Captain James Brice, Rochelle, Ogle County; Captain Egbert T.
E. Becker, Mt. Carroll, Carroll County ; Captain Albert Wood-
cock, Oregon, Ogle County. And, with the same remarkable
unanimity, every commissioned officer and soldier in the ten
companies petitioned Governor Yates to be mustered in a regi-
ment together, under Major Smith D. Atkins, of Freeport,
Stephenson County, as Colonel. Their unanimous request was
granted. And with the same unanimity, Benjamin F. Sheets, of
Oregon, Ogle Countv, was chosen Lieutenant Colonel ; and John
H. Bohn, of Mt. Carroll, Carroll County, was chosen Major.
On September fourth, 1862, under the direction of Hon. A. C.
Fuller, Adjutant General of Illinois, the Ninety-Second was
mustered into the United States service " for three years, or
28 NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
during the war," by Lieutenant Long, U. S. A. As soon as
mustered, Adjutant General Fuller made a speech to the Regi-
ment, thanking the men for their patriotism, and telling them
how much Illinois expected from them. The unanimity which
had prevailed in the organization of the Regiment was continued.
Isar C. Lawver, of West Point Township, Stephenson County,
who had received a military education at the Military School at
Nashville, Tennessee, and had refused to join the Re-
hellion, when that school hroke up at the commencement
of the war, and who had been drilling the companies at
Rockford, upon the unanimous petition of all the line officers,
was appointed Adjutant of the Regiment. George W. Marshall,
of Mt. Morris, Ogle County, First Sergeant of Company K, was
promoted to Regimental Quarter-master. Clinton Helm, M. D.,
of Byron, Ogle County, was appointed Regimental Surgeon ;
Thomas Winston, M. D., of Mt. Morris, Ogle County, First
Assistant Surgeon ; Dr. Nathan Stephenson, of Fair Haven,
Carroll County, Corporal of Company I, was promoted to Sec-
ond Assistant Army Surgeon of the Regiment; Rev. O. D. W.
White, of Mt. Carroll, Carroll County, was appointed Chaplain ;
Lieutenant Orville T. Andrews, of Rockford, Winnebago County,
who had lost a leg in the battle of Pittsburg Landing, was ap-
pointed Sutler. The line officers met, and drew lots for the letter
of the company in the Regiment, by which the company was to
be afterwards known. Little, square slips of paper, with the
letters A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, K, were written and put into a
hat; and each Captain drew out a slip, and the letter on the slip v
became the letter of his company. Captain W. J Ballinger, of
Lena, drew letter A. His company was enlisted in Stephenson
County, and principally in the townships of Winslow, West
Point, and Kent. Harvey M. Timms, of Loran, was First Lieu-
tenant, and William Cox, of Winslow, Second Lieutenant. On
the day of muster, the company numbered ninety all told. Cap-
tain Albert Woodcock, of Oregon, Ogle County, drew letter K.
His company was enlisted from all parts of Ogle Count}'. Hor-
ace J. Smith, of Oregon, was First Lieutenant, and Horace C.
Scoville, of Mt. Morris, was Second Lieutenant. There were,
ninety-four rank and file. Captain C. T. Dunham, of Freeport,
drew letter F. His company was organized at Freeport, but was
made up of men from all parts of Stephenson County. Alfred
G. Dunham, of Cherry Valley, was First Lieutenant, and Wil-
Ham C. Dove, of Freeport, was Second Lieutenant. The com-
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 29
pany numbered ninety-five. Captain Matthew Van Buskirk, of
Polo, drew letter E. His company was enlisted in Ogle County,
in the vicinity of Polo, Forreston, and Brookville. Joseph L.
Spear, of Polo, was First Lieutenant, and Jeremiah Vorhis, of
Polo, was Second Lieutenant. The company was ninety-four
strong. Captain Wilber W. Dennis, of Byron, drew letter- B.
His company enlisted in Ogte County, in the vicinity of Byron
and Rock Vale. William H. Crowell, of Marion, Ogle County,
was First Lieutenant, and Ephraim W. Bauder, of Leaf River,
Second Lieutenant. The company mustered eighty-five. Cap-
tain John M. Schermerhorn, of Lena, drew letter G. His com-
pany was raised in Stephenson County, principally in the
townships of West Point, Kent, and Waddams. John Gishwiller,
of Lena, was First Lieutenant, and Justin N. Parker, of Lena,
Second Lieutenant. The company had ninety-five rank and file.
Captain Lyman Preston, of Polo, Ogle County, drew letter D.
His company was enlisted in Ogle County, in the vicinity of Polo
and Pine , Creek. George R. Skinner, of Polo, was First Lieu-
tenant, and Oscar F. Sammis, of Polo, Second Lieutenant. The
company had ninetv-four officers and men. Captain Egbert T.
E. Becker, of Mt. Carroll, drew letter I. His company was
enlisted in Carroll County, Mt. Carroll, Lanark, Cherry Grove,
and Wysox being well represented. David B. Colehour, of Mt.
Carroll, was First Lieutenant, and Alexander M. York, of Lan-
ark, was Second Lieutenant. The company was ninety-six
strong, aside from the Captain, who was the strongest man in the
company. Captain William Stouffer, of Mt. Carroll, drew letter
C. His company was raised in Carroll County, Mt. Carroll,
Savanna, and York being well represented. Robert M. A. Hawk,
of Lanark, was First Lieutenant, and Norman Lewis, of York,
Second Lieutenant. The company mustered ninety-three.
Captain James Brice, of Rochelle, Ogle County, drew letter H.
His company was enlisted in Ogle County, principally in Ro-
chelle and White Rock. James Dawson, of Rochelle, was First
Lieutenant, and Edward Mason, of White Rock, Second Lieu-
tenant. Captain Brice had one hundred and six officers and men
in his company, aside from himself; and the Captain was too old
to he counted, except for his lofty patriotism, which induced him
to enlist when far on the downhill side of life. Company H was
the overflowing company of the Ninety-Second. The officers
and men of the Regiment had not been subjected to the searching
medical examination required by strict justice, justice to the
30 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
*
men themselves, and justice to the Government, which required
not only patriotic hearts, but well developed brawn. Yet, taken
together, it was a band of sturdy yeomanry, equal to any for the
fatigue of the march or the shock of battle. We feel perfectly
safe in saying, that no finer body of men, physically, mentally,
and morally, were ever mustered together into a military
organization.
On September 5, 1862, the first regimental order was issued
by the Colonel, announcing the duties of the day, from reveille
in the morning until taps at night; and the roll calls, sick calls,
meal calls, commissary calls, quarter-master calls, guard mounts,
squad drills, company drills, battalion drill, and dress parade, took
up every moment of time from sunrise to sundown. Captains
found that they had parted with some of their authority. If they
wanted to stroll down into the city, it was necessary to obtain a
pass ; and, if in the evening, the countersign to return by ; and
passes for the men had to be approved at the head-quarters of
the Regiment. That evening the first regimental dress parade
was held. Just at sundown, the Regiment was formed into line
by Adjutant Lawver. They were without arms; and the Colonel
was received, with great solemnity, by each officer and soldier
removing his cap, with military precision, at the word of com-
mand. Captain Becker and associates sang The Star Spangled
Banner. The Orderly Sergeants reported the strength of their
companies. The commissioned officers marched to the front and
center, and " maintained an awful line, as they marched up to
face the Colonel for the first time at dress parade." They saluted
him gravely. Parade was dismissed. The Orderly Sergeants
marched their companies to their quarters, and the officers hur-
ried after them. The first day's soldiering was done.
On the sixth, Lieutenant Tibbits, U. S. A., paid each man in
the Regiment thirteen dollars, one month's pay. The seventh
was Sabbath. Many were permitted to spend the Sabbath at
home, with family and friends once more. Many attended
church in Rockford, and many in the grove adjoining the camp,
on the banks of Rock River, a beautiful spot. The camp was
filled with visitors from miles around. On Monday forenoon,
the Regimental Quarter-master issued uniforms; and in the after-
noon, the first regimental drill was had, still without arms. The
next day, all the duties called for by orders were gone through
with. Kind friends at home seemed afraid the boys would starve;
and wagon loads of cooked provisions, turkeys, chickens, pies,
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 31
cakes, puddings, and everything else that loving sister or mother
could imagine a soldier would eat, were brought to camp, and
resulted in about half the Regiment first learning to " double-
quick," in their reluctant endeavors to perform the " Rock River
Quickstep." That never was a popular march with the Ninety -
Second ; but, soonef or later, every officer and soldier learned it
to perfection. It was laughable to see them " light out," solitary
and alone, when the silent, but painful order came to " march,"
and to note how slowly and demurely they would creep back to
their quarters. On the eleventh, the Colonel left for Springfield,
to draw arms and accoutrements; and the next day, Lieutenant
Colonel Sheets commanded the Regiment, for the first time on
battalion drill. He made a fine appearance on " Old Blutcher,"
whose long body, and long legs, and long neck, and long nose,
were proofs that he scented the battle a long way off, and longed
for the fray. On the thirteenth, the Colonel returned from
Springfield with Enfield Rifles for the Regiment. The fourteenth
was Sabbath, and the first regimental inspection was held.
There was preaching in the grove, attended by the entire encamp-
ment. Dress parade, with a religious song by Captain Becker's
glee club, closed the duties of the day. On Monday, the " dress"
coats were issued. The little men looked laughable in their dress
coats, which fit them like a shirt on a bean pole ; but the large
men, with their hands dangling wildly, six inches below their
coat cuffs, and. their coat skirts just below their belts, were the
most laughable. By dint of considerable swapping between the
big and the little fellows, a nearer approach to a fit was obtained;
and the company tailors, by cutting off redundancies for the little
ones, and letting out seams for the big ones, finally brought the
men into fair uniformity in dress. The Regiment was now in
complete uniform ; the guns and equipments were new and bright;
the men were becoming steady in their drill, and methodical in
their movements; the officers acquiring confidence in their ability
to command. Company A bought a handsome sword for Cap-
tain Ballinger, which was presented with speech-making and
replies, and wound up with an oyster supper given by the Cap-
tain to his company. On the seventeenth, bv special application
to Governor Yates, permission was granted to the Colonel to fur-
lough twenty men from each company for forty-eight hours.
The men drew lots for the privilege of once more visiting home,
and two hundred soldiers were made happv. Many thought their
luck was hard, when a comrade with no wife and children would
32 NINETT-SBCOND ILLINOIS.
get the lucky privilege, and they, knowing their wives and babies
were lonely at home, would draw blanks. On the twenty-fourth,
the furloughed men were back to camp; and the Regiment
marched to the Fair Grounds, while the County Fair was in
progress, as did the other regiments in camp at Rockford; and
the members of the Ninety-Second thought'they won the most
plaudits for drill and soldierly bearing. On Sunday, the twenty-
first, there was the usual inspection of arms, clothing, camps,
quarters, kitchens, and company books. Captains were begin-
ning to learn that they were responsible for ever}' article issued to
their companies, and must give receipts for and take receipts for
everything obtained or issued. There was preaching to the mul-
titude of soldiers and citizens in the grove, dress parade at sun-
down, and a temperance lecture to the troops in the evening.
On Tuesday, the twenty-third, the papers contained the Presi-
dent's preliminary emancipation proclamation, giving the Rebels
one hundred days to return to their allegiance. That it created
much discussion in the Regiment, is true. It was a rainy day ;
the ordinary camp duties were suspended, and little knots
were gathered through the camp discussing it. The general
verdict was approved. Indeed, manv hoped that the war would
not end before the hundred days had expired, and the freedom of
the black man had become secure. Some of the arguments used
by the soldiers were exceedingly apt and logical, as was this:
"According to the Southern idea, the black man is property.
Well, now, we can confiscate property in war. Nobody com-
plains if we take their mules to draw our wagon trains. If a
confiscated mule could take my musket and stop a Rebel bullet
in my place, I would not be sorry about it. I guess a nigger,
who is property, can be confiscated from the Rebels ; and if he
will take a musket and help us fight, all the better for the prop-
erty." The soldiers could see that freedom to the black man
meant regiments and brigades of black men, with muskets and
bayonets. On the next day, a train load of excursionists, from
Winslow, Lena, Freeport, and other places, visited camp, to see
their friends in the Regiment. At battalion drill that afternoon,
five thousand ladies and gentlemen looked on: and it was an
awkward drill, for the officers would bow to their particular friends
among the young ladies; and the men would not keep their eyes
steadily to the front, touching the ground at fifteen paces; but
they, too, would have some recognition for sweethearts, or a sly
glance as they passed, just to see if she was looking. The Colo-
NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 33
nel had so many sweethearts to attract his attention, that he at
one time forgot all about the Regiment, and it marched bang up
against a high board fence. The next Sabbath, the Ninety-
Second escorted the 74th Illinois Volunteers to the depot, that
regiment having been ordered to Louisville, Kentucky. On the
first of October, knapsacks, haversacks, and canteens were
issued. The few old soldiers in the Regiment, with airs of im-
portance, showed those who had never seen one before, how to
pack a knapsack. From the first to the sixth, it was beautiful
weather; the camp was full of visitors, and the drills were fine
displays. On the seventh, twenty-seven dollars advance bounty
money was paid each man. On the night of the seventh, some
foolish difficulty arose between a portion of the 96th and Ninety-
Second men, while in the city ; and it required the efforts of the
officers of both regiments to prevent it taking the shape of a
general scrimmage with muskets. On the eighth, the 9&th
Illinois Volunteers left Rockford for the South. On the morning
of the ninth, the Ninety-Second received its first marching
orders. There was no drilling. The camp was full of fathers,
and mothers, and sisters, and sweethearts, bidding their soldier-
boys "good-bye." It was no ordinary journey on which that
thousand men were about entering; it was a march to battle, and,
for many, to the grave. No one could tell who would come back
again, and who would fall by the way. They were sad good-
byes. On the morning of the tenth, in full strength, with
blankets rolled and knapsacks packed, the Ninety-Second, with
music, and with colors flying, marched down through the streets
of Rockford, and embarked on a special train for Chicago, reach-
ing there at 3 P. M.; marched through the streets of Chicago to
the Illinois Central Depot, and stacked arms. At 6 P. M., the
Regiment took a special train for Cincinnati, and at 10 A. M. next
day, was delaj'ed, waiting for the repair of the railroad bridge
over the W abash River, near the battle-ground of Tippecanoe.
Some of the soldiers straggled oft" into the surrounding
orchards, for apples : and Dick McCann, of Company D,- of Polo,
was ferociously attacked by a tame deer, and while making a wild
retreat, the deer, with his sharp antlers, helped Dick along.
Dick was the first man wounded in the Ninetv-Second, and the
only one who ever retreated without orders. Owing to various
delays, the Regiment did pot reach Indianapolis until after dark,
and was all night reaching Cincinnati, arriving there at daylight;
and marched immediately through the streets of Cincinnati, in
4
34 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS..
the solemn stillness of the Sabbath morning, crossing the Ohio
River on a bridge of floating coal barges, and on through the
city of Covington, treading, for the first time, i the "sacred soil"
of Kentucky, and camped four miles south of the Ohio, in the
valley of the Licking. The sullen roar of artillery was heard to
the southward; it was the Union advance, pushing along the rear
guard of the Rebel column, under Kirby Smith, whose near
approach to Cincinnati had frightened some of the Porkopolis-
ites nearly out of* their wits. The Regiment held a dress parade
at sundown ; and then, without tents, for the first time, spread
their blankets on the ground, and lay wearily down, with only
the star-lit dome of heaven above them.
On Monday, the Regiment drew Bell-Tents, and a six-mule
team and wagon for each company. The entire day was spent in
breaking in the little three-year old mules, and in pitching tents,
and fixing up camp. On the next day, there was a review and
inspection of the Regiment, General Baird, Division Commander,
being present; and he complimented the Regiment highly for its
fine marching and drill. On the fifteenth, the Union regiments
that had garrisoned Cumberland Gap, reached Covington, ragged,
footsore, and weary. The camping ground was among the most
abrupt hills and gullies; and the battalion drills at Covington
will long be remembered. No matter how rough the ground,
the regimental manoeuvres were gone through with all the same;
and it was laughable to see the men sometimes helping each
other up the abrupt banks, or trying to dress into line on a side-
hill so steep they could not stand still in the position of a
soldier. At noon, on the eighteenth of October, the Regiment
received orders to be ready to march at 4 P. M. It was not to
march by cars or steamer, but to strap knapsacks on backs; roll
blanket, and tie the ends together, and hang it over the shoul-
der; put on a belt with a cartridge box and forty rounds of ball
cartridges; bayonet scabbard, with bayonet in it; and, with a
heavy Enfield Rifle, take the " route step" and trudge along
through the country, weary mile after weary mile. The start
was always splendid; every man in ranks, colors flying, drum
corps playing, arms at a shoulder or right shoulder shift, and left,
left, left, always with the tap of the bass drum ; but after a while,
the drum corps quit playing, the colors were furled, and " route
step" was the command. The officers returned swords to scab-
bards, and the men no longer carried their arms in any particular
way, or tried to keep step, but trudged along, like any other weary
XINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 3$
foot-man, for miles and miles and miles, through towns, over
streams, passing farm, and orchard, and forest, up hill, down hill,
on, on, on. The march was to Independence, county-seat of
Kenton County, probably thirteen miles from the camp at Cov-
ington, through a beautiful country, along a broad, smooth, lime-
stone pike road. Needham, the Drum Major, had marched in
the armj r before, and he tried hard to keep the Regiment from
pushing on so fast, but it was useless; the men were fresh and
strong, and they pushed ahead, determined to reach camp and
have the march over. The men, as they marched along that
October afternoon, continually heard the rumble of artillery-firing
to the front, the skirmishing of the Union forces with the Rebels
under Morgan, whose advance, on its march southward, occupied
Lexington that dav. The Regiment went into camp after dark,
on the County Fair Grounds of Kenton County. It was a much
longer march than the Regiment ought to have made; and weary
and tired out with their first day's marching of thirteen miles,
began late and ended late, many sank upon the ground in an
exhausted condition, and went supperless to sleep. It rained
during the night, rained as it only can when thousands of men
are laying out in the storm without shelter. Reveille sounded at
the first gray of morning; the Regiment was roused from slum-
ber, and many stood cold and shivering. A high board fence
inclosed the Fair Grounds; but not a board could be touched for
fires to fry the u sow-belly" and make coffee; and many munched
their " hard-tack" in the rain, and made no effort to cook. Many
who had disdained the coarse army shoes, with broad heels and
fiat, thick soles,- and clung to their neat-fitting French calf-skin
boots, learned their error; they could not get their boots on their
swollen feet, and, tieing them together, they slung them over
their shoulders, and marched on the gritty pike in their bare feet.
At seven A. M., the Regiment moved out, and down the pike
road, and made nineteen miles that day. The Regiment marched
at sunrise on the twentieth, and left the pike road to strike Fal-
tnouth in the Licking River valley; but after fourteen miles'
inarch, being delayed by the igth Michigan wagon trains, halted
for th night. On the twenty-first, the inarch was resumed early.
Soon after marching, the Colonel observed some men of
Company A going into the fields. Their movements were
watched. They killed a couple of sheep, and, dressing them, put
the mutton into the company wagon of Company A. The Regi-
ment kept on, and reached Falmouth at eleven A. M. The
36 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
owner of the sheep killed, professing to be a good Union man,
was soon detailing his loss of mutton to the Colonel. The men
of Company A were called up; they saw they were caught; and,
as the Colonel suggested that it would be a good thing to take
up a collection and pay for the sheep, it was quickly done. Then
said one of them, " Well, Colonel, I suppose we can have the
mutton now?" But the Colonel replied, " No, it is paid for; and
this time I will let you off without further punishment. But,
boys, just take the mutton up to the hospital, to make broth for
the sick." The joke on Company A got out among the other
companies of the Regiment; and if any one said, " Ba! ba!" to a
Company A man after that, he had to run or fight. The Regi-
ment went into regular camp at Falmouth, and, the next day and
the day following, had regular battalion drills.
On the twenty-fourth, the Regiment marched at six A. M.
for Lexington, and, after marching sixteen miles over a very hilly
country, camped on the banks of the Licking ; and, on the next
day, marched fourteen miles, being turned out, off from the pike
onto a dirt road at four P. M., by command of General Granger,
to save a mile's march, and was two hours marching, in mud
ankle deep, to make a mile and a half, and camped at dark near
Cynthiana, in a snow-storm, with snow five or six inches deep.
The Colonel declined to occupy a house near at hand for his
head -quarters, but had the snow cleared away, and his tent put
up, and a fire built close to the door in front, and then sounded
the "officers' call," just to 'show the officers how snug and com-
fortable one could make himself, even in a dark night, and in a
snow-storm, by a little work. He then sounded the " orderlies'
call," and only to show them how easy it was to make themselves
comfortable by trying. But it was a sad sight to stroll through
the camp and see the men stand shivering in the storm, weary,
and apparently helpless. It is only by long experience that sol-
diers learn how to take care of themselves. Money had been
voluntarily subscribed by the officers and men, to purchase in-
struments for a band; and Collen Bauden left by rail that
evening for Cincinnati, to purchase the silver horns for the Ninety-
Second band. On the twenty-sixth, the Regiment trampetl on
through the snow to Paris, and camped at four P. M. On the
twenty-seventh, marched early for Lexington, but, after marching
five miles, was ordered to halt and go into camp. The twenty-
eighth was a beautiful day, and the Regiment marched early,
and reached Lexington at three P. M. The march was along the
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 37
pike north of Lexington, the most beautiful portion of the blue-
grass region of Kentucky. The Regiment passed the plantation
of Cassius M. Clay, walled in by stone fences, its oak-studded
blue-grass fields filled with blooded Short Horns. The Regiment
was joyfully welcomed in Lexington, by the colored people,
especially by one little darkey at the head of the Regiment, who
sang without ceasing, in a sesawing sort of a way,
" Wake up, snakes, pelicans, and Sesh'ners!
Don't you hear 'um comin'
Comin' on de run?
Wake up, I tell yer! Git up, Jefferson !
Bobolishion's comin'
Bob-o lish-i-on!"
The Regiment marched through the city in column of platoons,
arms at a right shoulder shift, and a thousand voices joined the
chorus of " John Brown's body lies a mouldering in the grave."
The Regiment passed in sight of the monument of Henry Clay,
a beautiful iron column, one hundred and thirty feet high, and
camped one and a half miles west of Lexington.
On the twenty-ninth, orders came to march ; and on the next
day, we were off on the pike to Winchester, and marched twelve
miles and camped. Negroes came flocking to the Regiment, and
desired to accompany it, but were advised by the Colonel not to
do so. 'During the night, some of the soldiers who had been out
foraging approached a picket post, where Lieutenant Scoville, of
Company K, was on duty, and were arrested; and not being able
to account for their turkeys, chickens, and honey, the Lieutenant
ordered them to be retained at the picket post until morning ;
but during the night, they slipped away from the picket post,taking
all their turkeys, chickens, and honey with them, and the army
blanket of the Lieutenant in addition. The Lieutenant made no
report of their arrest the next morning. On the morning of the
thirty-first, marched early, passing through Winchester, and as
soon as east of the town, an advance guard was sent out for the
first time. The Regiment went into camp in the woods, early in
the afternoon. During the month, the Ninety-Second had
marched five hundred and fifty miles. All day long, negroes
had been flocking to the Ninety-Second, but were uniformly
advised to return to their masters.
On Saturday, November first, 1862, the Regiment reached
Mt. Sterling, Montgomery County, Kentucky, and went into
38 NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
camp one mile south of the town. While the Regiment was
marching into the grove to encamp, the following communication
was handed to the Colonel :
" FAYETTEVILLE Co., KY., Nov. ist, 1862.
COLONELS COCHRAN AND ATKINS :
Gentlemen: My brother-in-law, Mr. Graves, informs me that
one of his servants has left, and may be following your com-
mand. Mr. Graves has had a great deal of trouble during the
Rebel raid ; they have taken sixty odd of his cattle, and one of
his best horses. I feel well satisfied that Mr. Graves has not
aided the Rebellion ; he is a pacifier man, stays at home attending
to his farm. You will confer a special favor on me by granting
any aid Mr. Graves ask's in regaining his servant, which may be
compatible with your stations.
Very Respectfully Yours,
HOWARD SHAFFER,
JACOB HOUGHS."
On the back of which was written the following :
" COL. ATKINS, Comd'g g2d 111. Vol.:
I am satisfied, from the statement of the above gentleman, as
well as other evidences I have, that Mr. Graves is a 'loyal citizen.
He informs me that he has a Boy within your lines : if so, have
him put outside of the lines. Yours Truly,
J. C. COCHRAN,
Col. Comd'g Demi-Brigade."
The Colonel was evidently in a brown study; he read the
order over again, and then called Major Bohn, and giving him
the order, directed him to learn if the " Boy" referred to was in
the lines of the Regiment, and if so, to have him put outside,
and to endorse his action in writing on the order. The Colonel
visited the village, and had an interview with the so-called Union
men, and returned to camp in the evening. That evening the
Colonel examined the Proclamation of President Lincoln, dated
September 22, 1862, and published by the War Department, Ad-
jutant General's Office, Washington, September 24, 1862, in
General Orders, War Department, No 1391, and found that it
contained the following :
" Attention is hereby called to the Act of Congress entitled,
' An Act to make an additional Article of War,' approved March
13, 1862, and which Act is in the words and figures following:
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 39
" Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives
of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That
hereafter the following shall be promulgated as an additional
Article of War for the Government of the United States, and
shall be obeyed and observed as such :
" ARTICLE All officers or persons in the Military or Naval
service of the United States are prohibited from employing any
of the forces under their respective commands for the purpose of
returning fugitives from service or labor who may have escaped
from any person to whom such service or labor is claimed to be
due; and any officer who shall be found guilty by a Court-
Martial of violating this article shall be dismissed from the
service.
" SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That this act shall take
effect from and after its passage."
President Lincoln, in his Proclamation, added, " And I do
hereby enjoin upon and order all persons engaged in the military
and naval service of the United States to observe, obey, and
enforce, within their respective spheres of service, the act and
section above recited."
The Colonel called Major Bohn, and called for the order irom
Colonel Cochran, and his endorsement ; the order was handed to
the Colonel, with the following endorsement by Major Bohn :
" HEAD-QUARTERS 92d ILL. VOL., i
CAMP DICK YATES, MT. STERLING, KY., /
November ist, 1862. )
The within named servant has been taken without the lines
by order of S. D. Atkins, Col. 92d 111. Vol.
JOHN H. BOHN,
Major 92d Reg. 111. Vol."
The Colonel read the endorsement, by the Major, and called
his attention to the Article of War. and the Proclamation of
President Lincoln, above quoted, and desired to know what
answer he could make why he should not be Court-Martialed
and dismissed the service; and assured him that he was aston-
ished that anv citizen of Carroll Countv, Illinois, would engage
in the unspeakably low employment of hunting up black men
living irom slavery. But the Major was an able lawyer, and
quite equal to the occasion. Said he, "In the first place, I was
obeying the positive order of my superior officer, Colonel Atkins;
and in the second place, I did not return the ' Boy ' to ' any per-
son to whom such service or labor is claimed to be due.' I took
4 o NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
him to the picket post, and told him to make tracks for the
north side of the Ohio river." The Major's plea was accepted,
and he was not Court-Martialed. But it was unanimously re-
solved by the Field Officers, that if Colonel Cochran sent anv
more such orders they should not be obeyed ; but that the Proc-
lamation of President Lincoln, and the new Article of War,
should be the rule on that question.
The following day was the Sabbath. The camp was regularly
laid out, and policed. A Rebel soldier, who was home on a fur-
lough, was brought in. Scouting parties were sent out on all the
roads, and permanent picket posts and regimental guards estab-
lished. The Colonel prepared an order assuming command of
the Post of Mt. Sterling and vicinity, and went to the village to
have it printed. Before printing it he read it to the " Loyal
Kentuckians," who gave their general approval. As soon as
done reading the order, he was presented with several written
commands from Colonel Cochran, directing him to deliver up fugi-
tive slaves. He referred the citizens to the Proclamation of
President Lincoln and the law of Congress enacting the new
Article of War, and declined to obey the orders of Colonel
Cochran. He was informed, by the citizens, that Colonel
Cochran had directed them to report his refusal to him, and was
assured that no Kentuckian would countenance a set of " nigger
thieves," and that all " Loyal Kentuckians " would withdraw
their support from his command. Thev were evidentlv pleased
at his refusal, regarding it as a test question, and said that if the
Colonel was sustained, Kentuckv would be a unit for the cause
of Jefferson Davis. The Colonel then added the last paragraph
to the order, and it was printed as follows:
" HEAD-QUARTERS CAMP DICK YATES, c
MT. STERLING, KY., Nov. 2, 1862. f
" General Orders, No. i.
" In compliance with General Orders No. i, issued from the
Head-quarters of Demi Brigade, I hereby assume command of
the post of Mt. Sterling and vicinity.
" Loyal citizens will be protected as such, and the civil au-
thorities assisted in the enforcement of the laws.
" All loyal citizens and soldiers in Mt. Sterling and vicinitv
are commanded to give information of the whereabouts of any
one who is now, or has been in anv capacity in the Confederate
service, and to arrest all such parties found in Mt. Sterling or
NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 41
vicinity, and report them in custody to the commander of the
post for further proceedings.
" All loyal citizens are commanded to give information to the
commander of the post, of the whereabouts of any citizen who
has at any time during hostilities given any aid or comfort to the
common enemy.
" Farmers are invited to bring their marketable products to
the town and camp for sale, and will be granted protection in so
doing.
" Dealers in intoxicating liquors are commanded not to sell, or
in any way to dispose of any intoxicating liquor to any soldier.
Any one doing so will, for the first offense, have his stock in
trade destroyed ; and for the second offense, be severely punished
and confined.
" Loyal citizens who are the owners of slaves, are respectfully
notified to keep them home, as no part of my command will in any
way be used for the purpos* of returning fugitive slaves. It is
not necessary for Illinois soldiers to become slave-hounds to
demonstrate their loyalty; their loyalty has been proven upon
too many bloody battle-fields to require new proof.
" By command of SMITH D. ATKINS,
Col. 92d 111. Vol. Com. Post.
" I C. LAWYER, Adj't."
That order appeared, for a little while, to have settled the fate
of the Ninety-Second. There was no Kentuckian loyal enough
to stand the last' paragraph ! The very officious "loyal Ken-
tuckians," who had essayed to control the Colonel in his action,
were the most bitter in denouncing him and the Regiment.
An amusing incident occurred the first Sabbath the Regiment
was in Mt. Sterling. Captain Woodcock and Lieutenant Horace
J. Smith were out walking, when they were hailed by a citizen,
and invited to come in and stay to dinner. During the conver-
sation which ensued, Captain Woodcock had informed his host
that he belonged to the Methodist Church. When dinner was
announced as ready, the Kentuckian, with true Kentucky hos-
pitality, addressed them, saving: " Well, gentlemen, before we
dine, let us take a drink of Bourbon whisky ; you drink, don't
you, Lieutenant? There is no use of asking I he Captain, because
he told me he \\asa Methodist, and the Methodists all drink!"*
The Lieutenant declined, and so did Captain Woodcock ; but the
Kentuckian did not understand how Woodcock could be a mem-
5
42 NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
her of the Methodist Church, and not drink Bourbon whisky
before dinner. There was, evidently, considerable difference
between Methodism in Kentucky and Methodism in Illinois.
On Monday, the regular duties of the camp were resumed.
Many negroes flocked to see the dress parade, and some Ken-
tucky white ladies came to see, and to hear the music and hear
the songs by the glee club. On Tuesday, November 4th, 1862,
the Regiment held an informal election for Member of Congress
from the Third Illinois District, which resulted in an almost
unanimous vote for Hon. E. B. Washburne. It was of no
importance. Illinois soldiers in the field were disfranchised!
Hospitals were arranged in the unoccupied buildings in the vil-
lage, and under the care of the Regimental Surgeons and Miss
Addie Parsons, of Byron, and Miss Fannie Carpenter, of Polo,
the two heroic lady nurses, the " Daughters of the Regiment,"
the sick of the Ninety-Second were comfortably provided for.
The Regiment had review, inspection, and dress parade. Many
prisoners were being picked up by our scouting parties. On
the fifth, Captain Becker, of Company I, with a sufficient guard,
went to Lexington, to turn over fifty prisoners that had accumu-
lated in the command. Two more prisoners were brought into
camp. At night it rained. At about twelve o'clock at night, the
reports of two guns were heard in quick succession. Needham,
Drum Major, beat the long roll, and in just three minutes the
Regiment was in line of battle. Scouts were sent out in all
directions, but rio enemy was found. Some said the guns were
fired by negroes hunting coons. No one was hurt; but Needham
stove in the heads of three drums in beating the long roll, and
Major Bohngot into his pantaloons with his pantaloons wrong end
up. As soon as it was demonstrated that no enemy was near,
the men returned to their slumbers. On the sixth, Benjamin
Hetrick, of Company B, was shot and fatally wounded by the
accidental discharge of a gun at the guard tent. lie died the next
day, and his funeral, on the eighth, was attended by the entire
Regiment. The ninth was Sabbath, and the customary inspec-
tion of arms, clothing, and quarters was held. The weather was
beautiful. The preaching by the Chaplain was largely attended.
The camp was flooded with upward of five hundred colored peo-
ple, men and women, old and young, gaudily dressed, and in
tatters and rags, and of all colors. A soldier, in his diary,
writes: " Some of the slaves are as white as the Yankees. One
child was as white as any child, and was really pretty. The
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 43
more I see of slavery, the more I hate and despise the accursed
thing." There were more orders from Colonel Cochran to de-
liver up fugitives, but they were not obeyed. At night, if any
negroes were in the camp who were not employed as servants by
the officers, they were turned out of camp. There were no
rations to be issued to them, no tents or clothing for them ; and
while the Colonel would not issue orders to return them to their
masters, he was compelled to keep his camp from being flooded
and overwhelmed with them. From day to day, the negro prob-
lem was the great difficulty. If a negro was employed by an
officer as a servant, and was furnished with a written certificate
by the officer to that effect, he was protected. If his master
called for him, and was a Rebel, he was quietly informed that his
application was useless. If he could establish his loyalty, there
was no instance where the officer longer employed the negro;
neither the Colonel, Lieutenant Colonel, nor Major employed any
colored servant in Kentucky. The thirty-seven officers of the
Regiment were all entitled to servants; and just fifteen employed
Kentucky negroes in that capacity, and all of them the former
slaves of Rebels, either serving in the Rebel army, or giving aid
or comfort to the Rebellion. But it appeared as though the whole
State of Kentucky was fated to go wild over those fifteen colored
servants.
On the fourteenth of November, the water having given out
in the spring near the encampment, the camp was moved three
miles north of Mt. Sterling, on the Maysville pike, on the planta-
tion of Colonel Thompson, who was serving " loyal Kentucky"
in the Rebel army. Here the Regiment camped by the side of
his cattle pond. The frosty nights had somewhat purified the
water. The pond was simply a hole scooped out in a field, and
the bottom puddled to hold the rain water that accumulated in it.
Thorougly boiled, and set out over night in the frosty air, it was
a very palatable and healthful drink. On the fifteenth, Major
Bohn drilled the Regiment for the first time. In the night, orders
came to march to Nicholasville, and report to General Baird.
On Sabbath morning, November sixteenth, the Regiment
marched at six o'clock, down through Mt. Sterling, and out on
the Winchester pike. About sixty men of the Regiment were
left in the hospitals at Mt. Sterling, under the charge of Dr. Na-
than Stephenson, Army Surgeon. Little regret was felt at leav-
ing Mt. Sterling. But, while the people could not forgive the
Regiment for its course on the negro question, thev were exceed-
44 NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
ingly hospitable, and many good Union families were there.
It can be said, to the great credit of the village, that, after the
Regiment had left, the residents were exceedingly kind to the
sick of the Ninety-Second left behind. The Regiment marched
twelve miles, and camped on the old ground it had occupied the
night before reaching Mt. Sterling. A hard rain-storm prevailed
during the night. The Regiment again marched at davlight.
Many negroes came in from the fields and woods, as the Regi-
ment marched along, and brought wild stories of the gathering
of ten thousand armed people at Winchester, where Colonel
Cochran was encamped with the I4th Kentucky Infantry, and,
with the assistance of the Kentucky "loyal" blue coated soldiers,
were determined to take the colored servants emploved by the
line officers out of the Regiment by force, and " clean out" the
whole Regiment of " nigger thieves." A few miles before reach-
ing Winchester, a Kentucky lady pointed out a colored lad as her
" Boy," and demanded of the Colonel his release ; and when
asked if she was a Union woman, she replied, " No, I am a Rebel.
You can keep him now, but you will never take him or any other
slave beyond Winchester; and you yourself \vill be put into jail,
unless you are killed." The Regiment all knew that the Colonel
did not want to be killed, or go to jail. When the Regiment
reached the top of the hill near Winchester, where the men could
look down into the town, it was apparent that the stories told by
the negroes, although exaggerated, contained much truth. The
streets were crowded with hundreds of people, mostly on foot,
and many mounted. The windows of the houses, on both sides
of the streets, were crowded with soldiers of the i4th Kentucky
Infantry. The head of the Regiment marched close to the town
and halted, and the Regiment closed up, and at the word of com-
mand, dressed into line of battle. Then came the commands,
" Order arms. Load at will. Load." Cartridges were handled,
and torn, and charged; rammers were drawn, and balls rammed
home; and the jingling steel ramrods returned, and gun-caps
placed on the nipples. Another command, "Attention, battalion.
Order arms. Fix bayonets." The rattling bayonets were placed
on the Enfields, and secured. The Colonel then said, " Soldiers
of the Ninety-Second, we are threatened with difficulty in passing
through this town. I hope there will not be any. Listen to my
orders. You will march in silence. No word must be spoken.
If you are spoken to, you must not reply. If a gun is fired at
you; if a brickbat, or club, or stone be thrown at you, do not
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 45
await orders, but resent it at once with bullet and bayonet. To be
attacked by citizens whose homes we are guarding, and by sol-
diers of Kentucky in the service of the United States, is no ordi-
nary warfare; we cannot meet it in the ordinary way. You
must not fire first; but if fired upon, kill every human being in
the town, and burn every building." A shout from the Regi-
ment that shook the houses, told that the men understood the
orders, and would obey them. All was again silent. A squad of
mounted Kentuckians, who had rode up to the head of the Regi-
ment, and listened to the Colonel's orders, scattered through the
town, telling the crowd what the Colonel's orders were. The
Colonel commanded, " Attention, battalion. Shoulder arms.
Right shoulder shift arms. By sections, right wheel. Forward,
march." Away the Regiment went. A soldier writes in a letter
home, " Lieutenant Hawk had charge of the van-guard, and as
he came sweeping around the square, with his fine, soldierly bear-
ing, and fight in his eye, the cowards fell back, putting their
pistols under their coats, knowing full well that it was useless to
say fight to the Ninety-Second." The Sheriff of the county, on
horse-back, rode up by the side of the Colonel, and asked if he
might speak to him, and was told that he could. He then served
summons upon the Colonel in several suits for stealing niggers.
One attempt was made to take a negro servant out from between
the sections of Company E, but it was not successful, and no
other molestation was experienced in Winchester. Had the Regi-
ment straggled along through Winchester, there would have been
trouble; but loaded guns, fixed bayonets, and a silent march, were
things not counted upon bv the Kentuckians. South-west of the
town about a mile, the Regiment was halted at the side of the
road on the hill, and the guns were emptied into the woods, the
whole Regiment firing at the word of command, the first time,
and the last time, that the Regiment together ever heard the
command, " Ready, aim, fire." It was said that the camp of the
i4th Kentucky was at the foot of the hill, in the direction of the
firing; but it was concealed bv the woods, and no one in the
Ninety-Second knew it. The rattling bullets from the Enfields
did no harm, for the camp of. the I4th Kentucky was deserted ;
they were all up at Winchester, where they had been swelling the
ovation given by the " loyal Kentuckians" to the Ninety-Second
as it marched along. It was a grand thing to have the entire
population turn out and give the Regiment a continual ovation ;
it was not just the kind of an ovation that would have pleased
46 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
the Regiment best, but it was better than no ovation. Marched
thirteen miles, and went into camp at Pine Grove. The rain had
ceased, and the evening was beautiful. Captain Schermerhorn,
always ready for sport, had laid a large barn-door on the ground,
and was superintending a dancing match between a lot of ne-
groes. The Captain knew how to pat "Juba," and knew just
where to put in encouraging remarks, like " Go in, Sambo," and
" Lay right down to it, Caesar ;" and the shouts of the boys enjoy-
ing the scene soon brought the entire Regiment out, to help the
sport along. It was a merry lot of men that formed the ring
there, in the moonlight, around the barn-door on the ground, and
laughed and shouted at the dancing of the darkies. And when
they had wearied of that, or the darkies had wearied, they called
on Major Bohn to sing a comic song. The blushing Major com-
plied, and sang what he chose to call the Colonel's favorite,
commencing, "Julie am a handsome gal, her heart am young
and tender." Then the Colonel, not being able to sing a song,
gave a specimen of the " Mexican double-shuffle," while Captain
Schermerhorn patted "Juba" and made encouraging remarks to the
Colonel. When not on duty the men and officers of the Ninety-
Second were always on an exact equality. Picket posts were estab-
lished, and a line guard put around the Regiment, and in the mid-
dle of the night an attack was made upon the picket post between
Winchester and the camp. A volley was fired by the picket. A
white woman living outside of the picket post, said there was a
large body of men there in the night, and after the firing, pressed
in a wagon to carry their wounded back toward Winchester.
The Regiment marched at daylight, and passed again through
Lexington. The streets were crowded with people. In column
of sections, the Regiment silently marched through the streets,
with colors flying, and drum corps playing. After gaining the
hill at the southern extremity of the town, the Major rode up to
the head of the Regiment and informed the Colonel that there
was trouble in the rear. The Colonel rode rapidly back, and
found company A surrounded by a crowd of deputy sheriffs,
special policemen, and cadaverous looking Kentuckians, who
had attempted to take a negro out from between the sections of
that company. The Regiment came to an about face, and
marchd back to company A. The Colonel commanded com-
pany A to load at will, and the ball cartridges soon went into
the guns. The Colonel took out his watch and told the crowd,
"I give you just three minutes to clear these streets; if you
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 47
remain that long these streets will run with blood." The
crowd exhibited commendable anxiety in getting around the
street corners in the rear of the Regiment, and out of sight.
The march was resumed, and the Regiment went into camp
three miles south of Lexington. Very polite attentions were
extended to the Colonel. General Quincy A. Gilmore, of the
United States Army, commanding a Division at Lexington, sent
the Colonel an invitation to dine with him but concluding it
was a ruse to get him into the hands of the sheriff, the Colonel
declined, and returned an invitation to the General to ride out to
camp and enjoy a little hard-tack and coffee. That it was a ruse
was soon demonstrated, for General Gilmore immediately sent a
peremptory command for the Colonel to report at his Head-
quarters in Lexington; but his aid-decamp was informed by the
Colonel, that he was already under orders to report to General
Baird, his own Division Commander, at Nicholasville, and if
General Gilmore really desired to see him he must ride out to the
camp of the Ninety-Second. The Governor of Kentucky also
extended his polite invitation to the Colonel to dine with him in
Lexington, but the Colonel sent word to the Governor to ride
out to the camp and dine with him. The next morning the
Sheriff of Lexington brought a letter from. General Gilmore to
the Colonel, written, Gilmore said, at the request of the Judge of
the Court, advising the Colonel to give up the negroes the line
officers had employed as servants, as, if he did not, he would be
subject to very severe penalties for contempt of court. But the
Colonel stood by the law of Congress and the Proclamation of
President Lincoln. The Colonel ought to have been punished for
contempt ; for he certainly entertained the liveliest contempt for
General Gilmore, and the Governor of Kentucky, and the
Judges, and all the balance of the Ketuckians and Regular Army
officers, who thought more of the institution of slavery than they
did of their country.
On the nineteenth, the Regiment trudged along in the rain
nine miles to Nicholasville, and went into camp. On the twen-
tieth, it cleared up, and the camp was permanently established.
On the next day, Brigadier General Juda inspected the Regiment,
and placed it first for drill, discipline, care of arms, and cleanli-
ness of camp. General Juda was a fussy old gentleman, but a
very thorough Inspector General. The Colonel received the
following communication from General Baird, commanding the
Division:
48 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
" HEAD-QUARTERS 3d DIVISION, ARMY OF KENTUCKY, }
NICHOLASVILLE, KY., Nov. 2ist, 1862. f
" COL. SMITH D. ATKINS,
Commanding Ninety-Second Illinois Volunteers,
''Colonel: It having come to the knowledge of the General
Commanding, that during the time you were stationed at Mt.
Sterling, Ky., and subsequently, while upon the march from
thence to this place, grave questions, with regard to the rendition
of fugitive slaves, have arisen; and, also, that upon your march,
your Regiment was subjected to insult by certain members of
the I4th Kentucky Volunteers, combined with citizens and
others, he directs that you furnish a full and complete report of
all that transpired relative to that subject; and particularly, as
to how may negroes may, at that time, have taken refuge in
your camp, and the circumstances connected therewith. You
will also state, in your report, whether you delivered over any
of these persons to their claimants, and if so, under whose
orders, and what circumstances.
" I am, Colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
B. H. POLK,
Capt. and A. A. A. G."
On the next day the Colonel replied to the communication of
the Commander of the Division as follows:
" HEAD-QUARTERS y2d ILLINOIS VOLUNTEERS, /
NICHOLASVILLE, KY., Nov. 22, 1862. \
"CAi'T. B. H. POLK, A. A. A. G.,
"Sir: In compliance with your communication of yesterday,
I have the honor to report:
"That, on the first day of November, inst, Saturday, I arrived,
with my Regiment, at Mt. Sterling, Ky. On the road several
negroes desired to accompany mv Regiment, but I uniformly
advised them not to do so.
" I had scarcely arrived in camp, when a man presented an
order from Colonel Cochran, of the 14111 Ky., commanding me
to deliver up a fugitive slave, and, finding that the slave had got
into my Regiment on the road, I ordered him put out of the
lines, which was done. See exhibit 'A.'
"On Sunday, I issued General Order No. i, assuming com-
mand of the Post of Mt. Sterling and vicinity. Before printing
it I read the order to some of the ' loyal ' citizens of Mt. Sterling,
which order did not, at first, contain the last paragraph, relative
NINETY -S&^OND ^LLINOIS. 49
to slaves. While reading it a person sought me out and pre-
sented a written order from Colonel Cochran, commanding me to
deliver up a slave, and said to me that Colonel Cochran had
directed him to report me if I refused. I read the order, and
told him that I did not wish to harbor the slave of any loyal
man, but that as I understood the law, I had no right to deliver .
up fugitive slaves by taking them beyond my lines under guard,
and that I would not, even under that written order of Colonel
Cochran, hunt up any slave and send him beyond my lines, and
within the lines of the enemy; that I was in command of Mt.
Sterling and vicinity, and that to obey that order I might have
to go as far as Abingdon, Va., with the fugitive; but that if he
was a ' loyal ' man, and his slave was within my lines, that I
presumed that no opposition would be made by any one if he
took him. The man claiming the fugitive, and the others whom
I had before supposed to be ' loyal ' men, seemed greatly gratified
that I had refused to give up a fugitive slave upon the order
of Colonel Cochran, and informed me that the matter could now
be settled, making -of it a test question; and told me that all the
people of Montgomery County, Kentucky, would now be against
me. My Regiment was stigmatised as ' nigger thieves ' in my
hearing, and Illinoisans declared worse enemies of Kentucky
than the Rebels. After this exciting conversation, I added the
last paragraph to my General Order No. I.
" At this time I am very certain that there were not six slaves
within my Regimental lines.
" I cautioned my men against enticing any slave within my
lines, and urged upon them the impolicy of, in any way, inter-
fering with the slaves of loyal masters. My pickets would, how-
ever, occasionally bring one in, all of whom claimed to be slaves
of Rebels, and seeking protection. On receiving Colonel
Granger's General Order No. 15, dated Nov. 4th, I ordered, in
compliance with that order, that all persons, not enlisted men, or
regularly employed, to be put out of my camp, andone colored
person, and only one, was put out, and that included ALL within
my Regimental lines at that time.
" Colonel Cochran sent me repeated orders upon this subject,
(See Exhibit ' C.') some of which I have preserved, and some
of which I have lost, but none of which have I obeyed, except
the first one, as above stated.
"I endeavored to adopt a conciliatory course; did not permit
50 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
my camp to be filled up with " hangers-on," and none to remain
in after nightfall, except officers' servants, furnished with written
certificates, as per Army Regulations, and trusted that time
would allay the excitement. On Sabbath, the 8th, my camp was
filled with negroes, sent in from miles around, to the number of
five to eight hundred, in violation of my published order; and the
people seemed determined, by threatening my Regiment, and
sending their slaves into camp, to raise the question, and force it to
a violent issue.
41 When people came to my camp and furnished evidence of
their loyalty, and any of my line officers had EMPLOYED their
slaves, I introduced them to my officers ; and in every instance
where their loyalty has been undoubted, my officers have refused
to longer employ their slaves as servants, and they have been
permitted to take them. I uniformly refused to "order'' my offi-
cers to give them up; and I have as uniformly urged them not
to employ slaves of loyal men. Tn at least ten instances, where
the loyalty of the persons has been established to the satisfaction
of my officers, they have refused longer to employ the slaves,
and their masters have been permitted to take them away quietly
without opposition.
" Two days before I was relieved of the command of the post
at Mt. Sterling, the citizens informed me that the order relieving
me had been made; and I often heard that the i4th Kentucky
Infantry would join with the mob and the Rebels, and would
"clean out" my Regiment. In marching through Mt. Sterling,
no violence was offered but once, when a man said he would take
a negro from between the sections ; and I commanded my men,
that if he did so to bayonet him. One or two people standing on
the sidewalk drew pistols, but none were fired. All along the
road, 1 was told that at Winchester the I4th Kentucky Infantry
regiment (Colonel Cochran's), with the mob, would take every
negro out of my Regiment, or kill every man in it. When at the
edge of the town, I halted my command, ordered the men to load
and fix bayonets, and march in sections. I commanded my
Regiment to march silently, and in order, and under no circum-
stances to provoke an attack, or to answer any insulting remark
or questions; but if fired upon by any one, or if stones or clubs
were thrown, to fire in self-defense. The town was full of peo-
ple and soldiers, the sidewalks lined on both sides, many armed
with side arms, and, I am fully convinced, intended an attack,
but were intimidated by my bayonets and loaded guns. Only
NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 51
one disturbance occurred, which is fully narrated in exhibit " D,"
to which I beg to refer.
" That night, while encamped at Pine Grove, west of Winches-
ter, Lieutenant B. F. Sheets, of ist Battalion, Kentucky Cavalry,
and an officer of the i4th Kentucky, came to the guard ; but, as I
then knew of their actions during the day, as stated in exhibit
" D," I refused to admit them, but received from them a written
communication signed by officers of the I4th Kentucky Infantry,
marked exhibit " E," to which I beg to refer.
" While marching through Lexington, Kentucky, a crowd,
armed with revolvers and stones, forcibly made an attempt to
take a nego from between two of the sections of my Regiment.
I was at once notified, and rode to the rear, and told the crowd
that if the attempt was again made, the streets of Lexington
would run with blood, as we could and would defend ourselves
from any attack. No further resistance was offered.
" The next morning, the Sheriff of Lexington, Kentucky,came
to my camp and desired to serve papers on me in civil suits, to
which I made no resistance; and he left divers chancery sum-
mons and orders of court with me, one of each of which I inclose
as a specimen of all the others, marked exhibit " F."
" I was also complimented by a large batch of similar docu-
ments at Winchester, Kentucky. The Sheriff of Lexington,
Kentucky, also brought me a letter from Brigadier General Q.
A. Gilmore, written, he said, at the request of the Judge of the
Court, advising me to obey the summons and court orders, as,
otherwise, I would be liable to severe punishment for contempt.
I replied to him, that I was busy with the Rebellion, expecting
soon to meet the enemy, and could not stop to hunt up negroes,
or formally answer bills in chancery, or orders of court, but
would be happy to spread upon the records of the court a com-
plete defense after the war was over.
" Three colored persons have been taken from my camp, upon
warrants charging them with crime all that have been so
claimed.
" There are yet fifteen men employed as servants by the com-
missioned officers of mv Regiment, some of whom I know to
have been formerly the slaves of Rebels. There are none in my
camp that are not so regularly employed as officers' servants.
" Countless rumors, to which I am unable to give any definite
form, have come to my ears, like these : ' The Kentucky troops
would annihilate the Ninety-Second Illinois.' ' The Governor of
52 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
Kentucky would call out the militia, to suppress the Ninetv-
Second Illinois.' ' That the jails of Kentucky would be filled by
the nigger thieves from Illinois,' &c. ; all calculated to produce
excitement and collision, and evincing a determination, on the
part of Kentucky soldiers and citizens, to force the question to a
bloody issue.
"I have the honor to be, Captain, very respectfully, your
obedient servant, SMITH D. ATKINS,
" Colonel 92d Illinois Volunteers."
EXHIBIT " A."
" FAYETTEVILLE COUNTY, KENTUCKY, j
November ist, 1862. )
" Colonels Cochran and Atkins :
"Gentlemen: My brother-in-law, Mr. Graves, informs me
that one of his servants has left, and may be following your com-
mand. Mr. Graves has had a great deal of trouble during the
Rebel raid, they having taken sixty odd of his cattle, and one of
his best horses. I feel satisfied that Mr. Graves has not aided the
Rebellion ; he is a pacifier man, stays at home attending to his
farm. You will confer a special favor on me, by granting any
aid Mr. Graves asks in regaining his servant, which may be com-
patible with your stations.
" Very Respectfully Yours,
" HOWARD SHAFFER,
"JACOB HOUGHS."
" WINCHESTER, KY., Nov. ist, 1862.
" Colonel ATKINS, Comd'g g2d Illinois Volunteers :
" I am satisfied, by the statement of the above gentlemen, as
well as other evidence I have, that Mr. Graves is a loyal citizen.
He informs me that he has a Boy within your lines ; if so, have
him put outside of the lines. Yours Truly,
" J. C. COCHRAN,
" Col. Comd'g Demi-Brigade."
" HEAD-QUARTERS 920 ILLINOIS VOLUNTEERS, j
CAMP DICK YATES, MT. STERLING, KY., >
November ist, 1862. )
" The within named servant has been taken without the lines,
by order of S. D. Atkins, Col. 92d 111. Vol.
" JOHN H. BOHN,
" Major 92d Reg. 111. Vol."
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 53
EXHIBIT "C."
" WINCHESTER, Nov. ist, 1862.
" Colonel ATKINS, Comd'g 92d 111. Vol.:
"Sir: Mr. James Ballurd informs me he has a Boy within
your lines. He is reported by the Union men here as being a
good Union man. He has in his possession a pass from the Pro-
vost Marshal of this place to that effect. If his Boy is inside of
your lines, have him put outside.
" Yours Truly, J. C. COCHRAN,
" Col. Comd'g Demi-Brigade "
" HEAD-QUARTERS DEMI-BRIGADE, }
WINCHESTER, Nov. ist, 1862. f
"Colonel ATKINS, Comd'g p2d 111. Reg. Vol. :
" Hiram Barclay, an undoubted Union man, of this county,
has a Boy within your lines. You will cause him to be put out-
side of vour lines, agreeably to General Gilmore's General
Order. J. C. COCHRAN,
" Col. Comd'g Demi-Brigade."
EXHIBIT " D."
" Nov. 1 7th, 1862.
" The 92d Ills. Vols., in marching from Mt. Sterling, Ky., to
Nicholasville, passed through Winchester, by sections, and had
command of the second section of Co. E; and as I gave the com-
mand, ' Right wheel,' three men came in on the right, and one of
them, who said he was a Lieutenant in the i4th Ky., (I think he
said the i4th Kentucky,) came into my section, and said to a
negro marching near me, ' Come out of there, you thick-
lipped son of a .' I brought my gun to the position of
' charge bayonet,' and told him that I had command of that sec-
tion, and would not be interrupted by any man. He asked me if
I intended to defeYid the nigger. I told him I did. He
said, ' I have come for him, and will have him or die. The*
Ninety-Second is good for nothing but to steal niggers. I am an
officer in the Union Army; that nigger belongs to a Union man,
and we will have him, if we follow the Regiment to .' I
then said, ' Get out of this section, or I will run you through
with my bayonet.' He stepped out to the right of the section,
and drew his revolver ; each of the others also drew revolvers,
54 NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
and he said, 'I will shoot the cuss.' (I do not know
whether he meant me or the negro.) I told them that if they
leveled or cocked their revolvers, they would be dead men, and
they had better put them up, and that if they did not, I would
order my section to charge. They then put up their pistols, and
the Lieutenant of the i4th Kentucky said, ' If you don't give up
that Boy, I will go to my regiment, and bring it up, and clean
your Regiment out.' I told him that we were ready at
any moment. He said, 'Are you going to give him up or not?'
I said, ' Never.' He said, ' Do you claim him ?' I said, ' No,
the Second Lieutenant has hired him, and if you want to ask any
more questions, go to the Colonel.' For I had disobeyed my
orders for the first time, by answering him a question. He said,
' It will do no good to go to him, for he is as big a thief as the
rest of you, and he will give me no satisfaction ; but I will go and
see the cuss.' And he went off, and when he came back,
he said, ' The Colonel says I can take him.' I said, ' You can, if
you have force enough.' He started back toward town, after fol-
lowing ijs about a mile, and said as he left, ' You may look for a
warm time.' I told him, ' That is just what we came for.' This
is a true statement of the conversation I had with the Lieutenant
of the I4th Kentucky, and I am willing to testify to it at any
time.
, "JAMES O'KANE,
" Orderly Sergeant Co. E, Q2d 111. Vol."
EXHIBIT " E."
" WINCHESTER, KY., Nov. lyth, 1862.
" Colonel ATKINS, Comd'g g2d 111. Vol. :
" Dear Sir : There are several negroes within your lines.
The fact of their being so is causing intense excitement, and
wounding the feelings of men who are unswerving in their loy-
alty and patriotism to our common cause. You have slaves
with you that belong to men who have had all their stock and
what property could be moved, taken from them by the Rebels.
*They think this Government they support should protect them
in their rights and property. If the negro is to be freed, let it be
done by the National Legislatures. If we understand the policy
of the General Government, it is not proposed to take the slaves
of either Rebels or loyal citizens without some formality of law.
The fact of your taking the slaves you have with you off, only
confirms the charges made by the Rebels, that we would deprive
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 55
the citizens of their slave property. For the good of our com-
mon cause, we expect you to turn them out of your lines.
" Yours Respectfully,
" GEORGE W. GALLUPP, Lt. Col. i^h Ky.
" R. M. THOMAS, Capt. i4th Ky.
"J. C. COLLINS, Capt. i4th Ky.
" JAMES H. DAVIDSON, Capt. i4th Ky.
" H. G. GARDNER, Capt. Co. I, i4th Ky.
" J. B. BUCHANAN, Capt. ist Batt, Ky.
" D. L. COOK, Lt. Co. A, ist Batt., Ky.
" B. F. SHEETS, Lieut.
" ISAAC TAYLOR, Lieut."
" WINCHESTER, KY., Nov. 17, 1862.
" COL. ATKINS : You are a stranger to me, but I like you for
your cause. I have labored in it, and suffered for it. I am not
negro crazy. The course of some of your Regiment, in regard
to slaves, has done us much harm, and, if persisted in, will do
more. You will personally get yourself into danger, all of which
I greatly regret. Just turn the slaves out of your camp don't
give them up to any one but turn them out. I ask this for the
sake of the cause. I have no interest in it beyond the purposes
expressed. You may find out who I am, if desired to, from any
one. Yours, &c., JOHN B. HUSTON."
EXHIBIT " F."
"(SUMMONS EXTRAORDINARY.)
" THE COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY.
" To the Sheriff of Fayette County Greeting :
" You are commanded to summon Smith D. Atkins to an-
swer on the 'first day of the next February term of the Fayette
Circuit Court, a petition filed against him in said Court by Wil-
liam Hickman, and warn him that, upon his failure to answer,
the petition will be taken for confessed, or he will be proceeded
against for contempt, and you will make due return of this sum-
mons, on the first day of the next February term of this Court.
" Witness, JOHN B. NORTON, Clerk of said Court, this iSthday
of November, 1862.
" Att. : JOHN B. NORTON, C. F. C. C."
56 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
" (ORDER FOR DELIVERY OF PROPERTY.)
" (Section 231.)
" WILLIAM HICKMAN, Plaintiff, )
against [ ORDER OF DELIVERY.
SMITH D. ATKINS, Defendant. )
" THE COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY.
" To the Sheriff of Fayette County : You are commanded to
take the slave Sylvester, about 38 years old, and of black com-
plexion, and of the value of Five Hundred Dollars, from the
possession of the Defendant, Smith D. Atkins, and deliver him
to the Plaintiff, William Hickman, upon his giving the Bond
required by law; and you will make due return of this Order on
the first day of the next February Term of the Fayette Circuit
Court.
" Witness, JOHN B. NORTON, Clerk of said Court, this i8th
day of November, 1862.
" JOHN B. NORTON, C. F. C. C."
It may be mentioned that the Sheriff did not find the slave
" Sylvester" in the possession of the Colonel ; and whether the
Court took the petition for " confessed," or proceeded against the
Colonel for " contempt," has never been known to any member
of the Ninety-Second. An examination of these exhibits reveals
the usual Kentucky swagger ; first, attempting to intimidate, and
afterward t an argumentative communication in writing. And
Mr. Huston, who liked the Colonel for his cause, could not write
him a letter without intimating to the Colonel that he was per-
sonally in danger.
On Sunday, the twenty-third of November, all the regiments
in General Baird's division were inspected and reviewed by
General Baird. On the twenty-sixth, the Regiment took up its
line of march, in a snow-storm, for Danville, and, after marching
seven miles, went into camp. It is a necessary rule in army life,
that at " taps" every light be extinguished in the men's quarters,
and perfect silence be maintained until " reveille" breaks the
stillness. In an army of forty thousand men, dead silence is
maintained, save the foot-fall of the line guards. On this night,
some of the soldiers were hilarious after " taps," but their prompt
arrest was the result. The march was resumed at daylight, and
the broad pike road wound around among the hills bordering the
Kentucky River, passing through the ancient hunting grounds of
Daniel Boone, the famous Kentucky back-woodsman. A soldier
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 57
writes of this day's march: " At the Kentucky River, some of
the Western boys got a fair sight of mountain scenery for the
first time in their lives, and stood aghast, looking down over per-
pendicular rocks for hundreds of feet below, over and through
which the pike is cut, while upon the opposite side of the road it
was equally as wild ; and looming high up in the air stood the
sturdy pines and gentle cedars. For miles on this march, our
minds were relieved of the dull monotony of the ' route-step.'
Now we pass a great, high, cone-shaped mountain, around the
base of which we wind, until we have made two-thirds of its
circle. This mountain is celebrated as the place where Daniel
Boone tossed a ' Red-skin' heels over head off from the cliffs
into the great abyss below. Daniel did a good thing that time,
for which we will remember him. Pity that Daniel don't live
now to try his hand on a few of the Rebels who still infest these
hills. If the Rebels desired, or, rather, if they had the ' vim,'
our passage could have been disputed here for months, but they
' don't stay about as thick as they used to.' " Camp Dick Rob-
inson was the next point of interest. Here we found the first sad
havoc of war. The fences were gone, timber cut, houses de-
serted, and everything in confusion. The Rebels, in their flight,
left several pieces of artillery, all dismounted but one fine, brass,
Spanish six-pounder, which the Ninety-Second took charge of.
There were fifteen hundred stand of small arms, badly smashed
and cut into pieces; one thousand five hundred barrels of salt
pork, and many tents, and other things. Captain Dennis, with
Company B, was detailed to take charge of the plunder. The
Regiment pushed on through Danville to the Fair Grounds be-
yond. Here was found a guard of the o/jth Illinois Volunteers,
holding the grounds for a camp for that regiment. The Colonel
marched the Ninety Second in, and placed the men in one half
of the buildings and stables, reserving the other half for the 96th,
and invited the officers of that regiment to share with him his
head-quarters in the principal building. It was the first time the
regiments had met since the difficulty at Rockford ; but the thought-
ful courtesy of the Colonel healed the breach, and it was never
mentioned again by officer or soldier. The next day, both regi-
men's moved nearer the town, and camped side bv side. A sol-
dier, writing from camp, says: " Danville is the prettiest place
we have seen in Kentucky. It is famous for its churches, semi-
naries, and asylums, as well as for being the residence of the
celebrated Divine, Dr. Robert J. Breckenridge, General Boyle,
7
58 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS,
and Colonel Frey ; the latter being the individual who, through
his carelessness in handling a pistol, took the wind out of the
Rebel General Zollicoffer at Mill Spring. There is a strong
Union sentiment here plenty of" pretty Union girls, who are
polite and hospitable to the ' Yanks,' and the town is full of
Union wounded soldiers from the battle of Perryville, nearly all
the churches being occupied as hospitals. Lieutenant Colonel
Sheets is commanding the Regiment, Colonel Atkins being in
command of the Post, having, as a garrison, the Ninety-Second
Illinois, the 96th Illinois, and six hundred cavalry." Very strin-
gent orders relating to guard duty were issued. Captain Albert
Woodcock, of Company K, Ninety-Second Illinois Volunteers,
was detailed as Provost Marshal. A Kentucky lady came into
his head-quarters, and desired a pass for her servants to go outside
of the lines to obtain fuel. The Captain told her it would be
necessary for her first to take the Oath of Allegiance. She in-
dignantly declined, and swept out of the Captain's presence very
haughtily. A day or two afterward, she came again, saying she
was nearly out of fuel, and would take the oath, but that she was
a Rebel, and would not regard it. " Madam," said the Captain,
in his solemnly impressive tone, " 1 cannot administer the oath
to vou. According to your own statement, you would be com-
mitting perjury. I cannot permit so fine a lady to commit per-
jury in my presence, and imperil her immortal soul." The
Captain's impressive tone, stern morality, and unanswerable
logic, astonished the Kentucky matron, and she withdrew in con-
sternation. A few days afterward she again appeared, contrite
and in tears, and declared she was freezing for want of fuel. The
Captain explained the Oath of Allegiance to her, and said that, if
she took it at all, it must be of her own free will, without evasion
or mental reservation, when she subscribed her name, and swore
by " the ever-living God" to maintain her allegiance to the United
States. On another occasion, an old, gray-haired, colored man
applied to Captain Woodcock for a pass; but the Captain had pre-
viously been informed that the colored man himself was a
slaveholder and a Rebel. He was a free negro, and free negroes
sometimes owned slaves in Kentucky. So the Captain told *him
that he must first establish his loyalty. The old, colored man
took off his hat, and took out a copy of the New York Tribune,
and said: "For twelve years I have been a subscriber to that
paper. Would any but a loyal man take the New York Tri-
bune?" The Captain was convinced of his loyalty; and the old.
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 59
gray-haired subscriber to the New York Tribune obtained the
desired pass. The weather was very cold and changeable, alter-
nating rapidly between snow, rain, and sunshine, and the morning
sick call brought crowds upon crowds to the surgeons. One of
the large seminary buildings in the town was taken as a regi-
mental hospital,and every attention bestowed upon the sick that was
possible; but deaths were frequent. Colonel Sheets drilled the
Regiment whenever the weather would permit of it ; and one of
the soldiers, in his diary, writes : " He is getting to be a splendid
drill-master." On the seventh of December, it was so cold that
ice was frozen on the creek so solid that nearly all the Regi-
ment went sliding, with merry shouts, like a district school let
out. One of the boys' diaries says, " But it is rather cold lying
on the ground, with a little straw for a bed, and a slimpsy army
blanket for a cover, and one thickness of cotton cloth for a house."
-
It was Sabbath; and at two o'clock P. M., the Rev. Dr. Robert J.
Breckenridge preached a sermon on the camp ground. The
ninth was a beautiful day, and hundreds of ladies and gentlemen
visited the camp at dress parade. On the tenth, a slave auction
was held near the camp, and five slaves were sold under the ham-
mer, a very strange sight to most of the men. On the eleventh,
two more regiments of infantry arrived ; and on the thirteenth,
two more regiments of infantry and a battery arrived, accompa-
nied by General Baird, who assumed command of the Post. On
Sunday, the fourteenth, a negro preacher held services on the
camp grounds. In the afternoon, Company I was marching
through the town, accompanying to its last resting-place the re-
mains of one of their comrades, when a bevy of SeCesh women
made insulting remarks as the funeral cortege passed. It was
reported to General Baird, who promptly turned the family into
the street, and bccupied their residence as his head-quarters. A
storm of sleet and snow set in, and continued for several days.
The men resorted to all sorts of contrivances to make their cot-
ton houses comfortable. A favorite plan was to remove the earth
from the inside of the tent to the depth of three feet, piling the
removed earth around the tent on the outside; a fire-place was
tht-n constructed in the earth wall, just bevond the line of the
tent, and on the earth outside a rude chimney was constructed of
empty barrels or cracker boxes reaching above the top of the tent;
they were constructed with great skill, and usually had a good
draft, and a cheerful fire blazed and crackled in the earthen fire-
places. It was a pleasing sight to step down into one of the tents
60 NINRTT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
in the evening, room enough to stand erect, arms, and belts, and
cartridge boxes, on racks around the center pole, the floor covered
with clean straw, the cheerful fire blazing, and the men laying
around on their blankets', with bayonets stuck into the ground for
candle-sticks; some of the men reading, some writing letters
home, some playing chess, or backgammon, or whist. But it was
fatal to health. The men were packed in the tents like herrings
in a box. At night, when the tent flap was closed, and the fire
had gone out, the warm, ascending breath from the sleeping sol-
diers struck the ice-cold cotton cloth, wet with dew and perfectly
air-tight, and back to the bottom of the tent would go the car-
bonic acid to be breathed over and over again, and poison the
sleepers with disease. The Colonel, directed the openings in the
top of the tents to be always kept open, in order to give ventila-
tion ; but that made the tent cold, and the soldiers would close
them up, and shut off every chance of fresh air. Removing the
earth and lowering the bottom of the tents were prohibited in
orders, but not in fact. Wood was brought from the wood-lots in
the surrounding country. Lieutenant Cox was detailed to go out
some six miles on the Stanford pike, with fifteen army wagons
and a squad of men, to chop wood. He was told that he would
find a large house on the right of the pike, with a large gate cov-
ered bv an arch, and to turn in there. He was not, as he ought
to have been, particularly instructed to go to the wood-lot a half
mile in rear of the house. He found the gate and turned in, and
his wood-choppers fell to work cutting down the beautiful oaks
adorning the lawn in front of the mansion. The matron was
amazed to see her lawn trees fall before the axes of the Yankee
vandals, and hastily despatched a servant to inform the Colonel,
and beg him to take wood from the woods, and not from the
door-yard. Orders were sent to the Lieutenant, but they reached
him too late; his wagons were loaded with wood from the finest
shade trees on the lawn. It was an accident; but as the owner
was supposed to be a Rebel, no one seriously mourned over it.
On the twenty-fourth, Captain Dunham, of Company F, topo-
graphical officer on General Baird's staff, was out examining and
mapping the country, with a party of six men, and they were
fired upon by a squad of roving Johnnies. Christmas was cele-
brated by a cessation of all ordinary camp duties; many of the
officers and men were invited out to dine by the Union ladies of
Danville. Rank never counted for anything in the Ninety-
" Second, except on duty. A single company had twenty mem-
NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 61
bers who were graduates of high institutions of learning. Many
private soldiers of the Regiment had polished manners in the
drawing-room, and could hold their own in conversation with the
best blue bloods of Kentucky. They were always welcome to
the residence of the Reverend Doctor Breckenridge, and he never
took any note of rank in his visitors. Many of the members of
the Regiment were members, of churches, in regular standing at
home, and they especially were welcomed heartily in their calls
on Dr. Breckenridge. They did not leave their religion at home
when they went into the army; they "kept the faith," and, by the
example of their daily walk and conversation, testified to the
beauty of true Christianity. The afternoon 1 was celebrated in
camp by a grand game of town-ball. It rained during the night.
The next morning, the entire command at Danville, under
the command of General Gordon Granger, who had come from
Lexington to win glory, started on the tramp after John Morgan's
dashing Rebel rovers, who were supposed to be marching on
Lebanon. The Regiment marched at seven o'clock in the morn-
ing on the Lebanon pike ; the cold, winter rain poured in torrents ;
John Morgan and his Rebel raiders were mounted on fleet steeds,
and so was General Gordon Granger and his gorgeous staff ; on
and on through the pouring rain the division marched, with never
a halt for rest, and the Ninety-Second kept its place in the col-
umn. Eight o'clock, nine o'clock, ten o'clock, eleven o'clock,
twelve o'clock, and one o'clock passed, and no halt for breath;
the weak men were falling down by sheer exhaustion ; the ambu-
lances already overloaded, and the column kept on, leaving the
exhausted men by the roadside, in a storm of rain and sleet that
froze as it fell. The medical officers came to the head of the
Regiment, and begged the Colonel to halt for a little while, to
give the exhausted men a chance to rally. But on and on the
Regiment swept. The Colonel, as well as Gordon Granger, was
on horseback. It is not very hard work to ride a fine horse,
booted and spurred, even in a storm, with rubber poncho and
leggins, and meerschaum pipe. That is the way the Colonel was
fixed. Again and again the medical officers begged for only a
short halt, just a breathing spell, but the Colonel said, " -
- it, I have no order to halt." Colonel Cochran, of the i4th
Kentucky, was commanding the brigade; his regiment were old
soldiers, accustomed to the march ; his was among the regiments
that garrisoned Cumberland Gap, and had astonished the mem-
bers of the Ninety-Second when they came, ragged and dust-
62 NINBTT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
covered, weary and foot-sore, to Covington, Kentucky. On and
on, through the storm, the black stallion of the Colonel kept his
course, and the Regiment tried hard to keep up. Never a man
fell out that could take one step more. But, by and by, in the
middle of the afternoon, when the Colonel, by some sort of an
accident, happened to look back, and see how few of his Regi-
ment were staggering along behind him, he ordered a halt.
Never was a Colonel more heartily " cussed," and he deserved it
too. The Army Regulations provide for frequent rests on the
march, and the men of the Ninety-Second had probably read the
Army Regulations oftener than the Colonel, and just at that mo-
ment they would have liked to have heard the Colonel explain
the violation of the United States Army Regulations on that
march. But the word " halt" was no sooner called than a staff
officer of Colonel Cochran came riding back, with an order to the
Colonel to " close up." If the Colonel of the Ninety-Second
ever swore at anybody, he let fly a few hard words at that staff
officer. But there is a sort of impression prevailing among some
of the members of the Ninety-Second, confined strictly to those
who always were in hospital, or on detached duty, and who never
served with the command, that the Colonel never knew how to
swear. There was a break in the column. After a short rest,
the Ninety-Second resumed the march. After that, there were
occasional breathing spells. It was almost dark, when the head of
the Regiment reached the brick house where Colonel Cochran
and General Granger had established head-quarters, and the
Ninety-Second was ordered into a plowed field, where the men
sank, at every step, over their ankles, in the mud; and just as
the men were closing up, preparatory to the order to stack arms,
Colonel Cochran came out of the house, and said to the Colonel
that no rails must be burned, the wagons must be unloaded, and
details made to go to the wood-lot, a mile away, on the hill, and
get fuel. The balance of the division was camped all around, and
not a fence had yet been touched. The Colonel was sitting on
his horse, and as the Regiment closed up and stacked arms, while
Colonel Cochran was still standing in hearing, he said : " Men
of the Ninety-Second, do you see those rail fences? Cook your
suppers with them." There was silence for a little while ; and
Colonel Cochran said to the Colonel, " This farm belongs to a
Union man; I shall have to report you to General Granger."
"All right; tell General Granger that my men are not responsi-
ble; I assume all of the responsibility." The Ninety-Second
NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 63
" went for'' those rails, and so did the whole division. They were
only waiting for an example, and the Ninety-Second furnished it;
but the men had to work lively to get rails enough to cook their
suppers-. The Regiment lav encamped not far from Lebanon.
At twelve o'clock, the Regiment was called up, with orders to
push out, at three o'clock A. M., to Lebanon, in advance of the
division; but the order was countermanded, and the Regiment
did not march until seven A. M., when it returned to Danville,
with the balance of the division. When the Regiment marched
from Danville, the barrels and cracker boxes used for chimneys,
and the boards for tent floors, bunks, and walks through the
grounds, had been burned up. When the Regiment camped in
Danville, on the same ground they had left, the Colonel formed
the line, and congratulated the men of the Regiment that they
had .again returned to their old camp, and the boards, cracker
boxes, barrels, and everything else they had gathered with so
much pains to make camp-life comfortable, were still at their ser-
vice. The men saw the point, and sorrowfully went into camp,
minus straw, barrels, cracker-boxes, board floors, bunks, walks,
and everything else that fire could consume. The next morning,
the sick-call took nearly all the Regiment that was left. Dr.
Winston had charge of the largest building, used as a hospital for
the Ninety-Second at Danville, and every nook and corner was
filled, after this senseless and heedless march. Never did physi-
cians attend the sick more faithfully than did Doctors
Winston, Helm, and Stephenson, and the faithful " Daughters of
the Regiment ;" but the skill of man was not able to stay the
hand of death. This march, so utterly futile, and wholly without
results, cost the Regiment fifty lives. Nine out of ten of the
graduates of West Point do not possess as much common sense
as the most illiterate eighth corporal of volunteers, and Gordon
Granger was not the tenth exception. If he had comfortable
quarters, plenty of wine, and other enjoyments, he apparently
cared very little for the comfort of the men in his command.
The next day was Sabbath ; but the men were too weary for
preaching or dress parade, which were seldom omitted on Sunday.
On the thirtieth, Major Bohn, of the Ninety-Second, with
Company A, and five companies from the other regiments, and a
battery of artillery, went to Hickman Bridge, over the Kentucky
River, fifteen miles north of Danville, to guard the bridge from
being burned by John Morgan's Rebel cavalry, and marched in a
cold rain-storm, and did not return until the third of January.
64 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
During the year 1862, the Regiment marched seven hundred and
seventy miles.
January first, 1863, was a bright, sunny day. It was cele-
brated by big dinners and various sports in camp. The Colonel
was serenaded, and said he wished the Ninety-Second could be
mounted and sent after Morgan. On the fifth, good news from
General Rosecrans, at Stone River, made the camp lively with
cheers. On the eighth, the Regiment was paid up to October 31,
1862. On the tenth, some of the line officers celebrated their
first pay-day by buying cigars and apples for the men of their com-
panies. On Sunday, the eleventh, there was no preaching in
camp; Chaplain O. D. W. White had resigned on account of ill-
ness. Many citizens from Illinois were visiting camp. Hon.
Joshua White and Capt. H. Weld, of Ogle County, were in
Danville on the twelfth. On the thirteenth, camp was moved
about a mile to new grounds and the Regiment went into camp
in a blinding snow-storm. Colonel J. C. Cochran, of the I4th
Kentucky, having resigned, Colonel Atkins assumed command of
the brigade, and Lieutenant Colonel Sheets of the Regiment.
The snow was four inches deep, and heavy details were made to
chop wood for the various hospitals. A soldier writes in his diary,
on the eighteenth: "I heard Colonel Atkins repremanding a
Kentucky teamster to-day for abusing his mules. Said the Colo-
nel, ' My man, you ought to use discretion when you are driving
mules.' The Kentuckian didn't know what ' discretion' was, and
artlessly replied : ' I would, Colonel, but I hain't got any.' "
The soldier was not punished. On the twenty-first, Captain
William Stouffer, of Company C, died of typhoid fever. He was
a generous-hearted, noble man, and the Regiment deeply felt his
loss. Lieutenant Hawk, of Companv C, was promoted to be
Captain, and Second Lieutenant Norman Lewis promoted to First
Lieutenant, and Sergeant George P. Sutton promoted to Second
Lieutenant; Lieutenant E. F. Bauder, of Company B, having re-
signed, on the recommendation of Captain William W. Den-
nis, and with the advice and consent of all the field and staff offi-
cers, Miles B. Light, of Company D, was promoted to be Second
Lieutenant of Companv B. Some weeks afterward, Captain
Wilber W. Dennis resigned, leaving Companv B \vithout its com-
pliment of officers; when Lieutenant Horace J. Smith, of Com-
pany K, was commissioned Captain of Company B. The men
of Company B were very justly indignant at the promotion of
men in other companies to command them. There was plenty
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 65
of good material for officers in Company B; but the field officers
of the Regiment did not learn of the excellent qualities of many
of the members of Company B until afterward. The promotions
for Company B were made with the best of motives ; and the men
of that company, while feeling the sting, conducted themselves
like the splendid soldiers they were, and yielded obedience to
their new officers. They soon learned to respect and love their
new Captain, Horace J. Smith, who was promoted against his
own wishes. He did not seek the place, but he filled it ably.
The weather was fine on the twenty-fourth, and Colonel Sheets
had the Regiment out on battalion drill for the first time in a
month. On Sunday, orders came to march; and on Monday, the
Regiment, with the brigade, marched at six A. M., on the Har-
rodsburg pike, passing through Harrodsburg about noon, and
marched seventeen miles and camped. The next day, the Regi-
ment marched through rain and snow, and camped three miles
north of Lawrenceburg^ Marched at daylight on the twenty-
eighth, the ground covered with snow; passed through Clayville,
and about eight miles south of Frankfort; made sixteen
miles, and camped at three o'clock P. M. Marched at day-
light,* passing through Shelbyville, sixteen miles, and camped.
Marched early and camped at two P. M., three miles south of
Louisville, Kentucky, on the Shelbyville pike. On the thirty-first
of January, the Regiment marched through Louisville, in col-
umn of platoons, and while passing the Gault House, a Kentuck-
ian stepped in between the platoons and grabbed hold of a col-
ored servant marching there, when a soldier clubbed his musket
and tapped the Kentuckian on his skull, letting out his brains.
Not a word was spoken, not a soldier broke step, but the Regi-
ment moved steadily along. The Sheriff of Louisville, with a
hundred special policemen, stood upon the sidewalk. They
intended to have taken the colored servants out of the Regiment.
The quiet but effective reception given to the man who made the
first attempt, deterred the others. The Regiment marched to
the Ohio River, and embarked on the steamers Tempest and
Arizonia. The work of embarkation was not a slight one; the
wagons were all taken apart, and stowed away between decks.
It was not till late the next' day, that the brigade was all aboard.
Mrs. Colonel Sheets, Mrs. Captain Woodcock, Mrs. Major Bohn,
Mrs. Dr. Helm, and many citizens from Ogle, Stephenson,
and Carroll Counties, visited the Regiment. The 14111 Ken-
tucky Infantry, Colonel Cochran's old regiment, was detached,
66 NINBTT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
and remained in " loyal Kentucky." The Colonel of the Ninety-
Second was complimented with more suits for stealing negroes.
Gordon Granger ordered every colored man to be left in Ken-
tucky, and the police were ready to nab any colored man they
could. The order of Granger was, by most of the line officers,
thought to mean negroes who had no right to accompany the
troops, and not to refer to officers' servants regularly employed,
and very few negroes left the Ninetv-Second on account ot
Granger's order. At eleven o'clock P. M., as the moon rose, the
fleet of six steamers, carrying Colonel Atkins' brigade, quietly
dropped down the Ohio River, every one in the Ninetv-Second
happy at the thought of getting outside of " loyal Kentucky."
NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 67
CHAPTER III.
DOWN THE OHIO UP THE CUMBERLAND FORT DONELSON
NASHVILLE RESOLUTIONS MARCH TO FRANKLIN OF-
FERING BATTLE TO VAN DORN BRKNTWOOD BACK TO
FRANKLIN THE NEW CHAPLAIN-^-MARCH TO TRIUNE
FORREST'S ATTACK ON TRIUNE SHELBYVILLE THE COLO-
NEL'S APPLICATION TO BE DETACHED FROM THE RESERVE
CORPS WARTRACE ; THE REGIMENT MOUNTED, AND AS-
SIGNED TO WILDER'S BRIGADE OF MOUNTED INFANTRY
CAMPING AT DECHF.RD.
A steamboat journey on the Ohio River is generally antici-
pated with pleasure. In summer time, a cabin passage in a
floating palace down the Ohio, surrounded with genial com-
panions, and books, and music; sweeping bv inlands, and forests,
and farms; noting the eager crowds, who come and go at
every landing, forms, together, a journey full of pleasure and
enjoyment. The moving of troops by steamer in mid winter, is
altogether a different thing. It is not very hard for the officers,
who are comfortably quartered in the cabins and staterooms, but
the men suffer. All of the available space below hatches is filled
bv taking the wagons and ambulances apart, and packing them,
with everything movable, as closely as possible; if there is any
space left it is assigned to a company as " quarters," where the
men can spread their blankets and pack themselves in as closelv
as the living cargoes of African slaves were once transported.
On the bows, in front of the boilers, the artillery is " parked,"
with the artillery horses tied to the railing as thick as they can
stand, while all the available space on the boiler deck is used for
the officers' horses and mules of the transportation trains. The
men are quartered all over the vessel, from the texas to the va-
cant space under the boilers, wherever a soldier can lie down
without being trampled bv a mule or a horse. By orders of the
Brigade Commander, the officers were directed to^put the sick
accompanving the Regiment into the unoccupied staterooms, and
68 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
at night to cover the cabin floors with the weakest men, to whom
commanders of companies were to furnish written permits, and
in the day time to fill the cabins by reliefs; no well soldier to be
permitted to remain longer than an hour at one time, but to make
room for those outside. It was very cold on the 'morning of
February second, 1863, as the boats bearing the Regiment
steamed downed the Ohio. To sleep in the open air was out of
the question, and to keep warm in the cutting wind and piercing
storm required constant exercise. Shortly after daylight, a
landing was made upon an island, and the men went ashore to
cook three days' rations. As soon as the cooking was over, the
journev was continued down the river. At night the steamers
coaled at Evansville. *The weather continued very cold and
windy. A soldier, in his diary, writes under date of February
third : " This morning was so cold that the boys suffered
greatly ; not a shoulder-strap was to be seen outside of the cabin
until late in the morning, and then the gay officer would shiver
and run in again, like a rat runs into a hole when a cat makes an
unsuccessful leap at him." At five o'clock P. M., the boats landed
at Smithland, at the mouth of the Cumberland River, where the
artillery-firing at Fort Donelson was heard. Here the brigade
was to await the arrival of the corps; but the rumble of artillery
at Fort Donelson beckoned the brigade on ; and without orders,
except from the Brigade Commander, the six steamers continued
up the Cumberland, running slowly, and at eight o'clock the next
morning were within a few miles of the Fort. There was no
firing heard; it was evident that the battle was ended; but how it
had ended was not known. Caution had to be observed ; if the
Rebels held the Fort, it would not do to steam up to the landing.
Horsemen were observed in. the woods on the right bank of the
river, and the steamers landed. The Ninety-Second was quickly
on shore, and deployed in line of battle. Men were sent to
a house some distance up the river, and information obtained
that our forces still held the Fort, and that the enemy had
retired from the conflict. The Regiment returned to the boats,
and the brigade steamed up the river, reaching Fort Donelson at
eleven o'clock. The Rebel Generals Forrest and Wheeler, with
about eight thousand men, had, at one o'clock P. M. of the day
before, made a desperate assault upon nine companies of the 83d
Illinois Volunteers, and Company C, 2d Illinois Artillery, under
Colonel A. C. Harding, and kept up the battle till half-past eight
P. M., when the Rebels withdrew, with a loss of eight hundred
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 69
killed and wounded. The ground around the little village of
Dover was strewn with the dead, lying as they fell ; and for the first
time, the soldiers of the Ninety-Second looked upon the horror
of a battle- field after the carnage was ended. Not quite a year
before, the Commander of the Brigade was there as Captain of
Company A, nth Illinois Volunteers; and, after dinner, accom-
panied bv some of the members of his staff, he rode out to the
long grave of the nth Illinois, nearly two miles from the land-
ing; and while they sat upon their horses, with uncovered heads,
by the grave of the Eleventh, in a light snow-storm, such as had
prevailed at the time when the men who lay buried there had
fallen a year before, the rear guard of Wheeler and Forrest's Rebel
cavalry sent a few leaden messages over the party. It was a
remarkable incident that an officer of the nth Regiment, almost
a year after the first battle of Fort Donelson, on returning to the
battle-field, should find the ground covered with the freshly slain
unburied dead, and by the grave of his slain comrades in the
battle of nearly a year before, should listen to the rattle of Rebel
musketry. The next day the steamers lay at the landing, without
disembarking the troops, awaiting the arrival of General Gran-
ger's corps, which came up during the day and night ; and the
next day at noon, the entire fleet, of about sixty steamers, con-
voyed by several gun-boats, resumed the march to Nashville.
Before reaching Clarksville, where the iron railroad bridge had
been destroyed, leaving portions of the iron-work hanging to the
piers and into the river, somewhat obstructing the passage, Lieu-
tenant A. M. York, of the Ninety-Second, heard the Captain of
the steamer Tempest, in conversation with one of his pilots, pre-
dicting a disaster at the bridge ; and the Lieutenant believed that
it was the intention of the captain and pilot, who were Rebel
sympathizers, deliberately to wreck the steamer Tempest, and
the steamer Arizonia lashed to its side, on which the Ninety-
Second was being transported. He was therefore directed, by
the Brigade Commander, to take a file of soldiers, let them load
their guns, place the same pilot at the wheel, and the captain by
the pilot-house, and inform them that, if any accident happened
at the Clarksville Bridge, he was directed to shoot them both.
Lieutenant York did as he was commanded, and there was no
accident. The fleet of steamers and gun-boats moved slowly,
and did not arrive at Nashville until nearly night on the seventh
of February. The Regiment had marched eighty miles by land,
from Danville, Kentucky, to Louisville, Kentucky, and four
70 NINETT-SBCOND ILLINOIS.
hundred and twenty miles by steamer, and occupied, in the march
from the morning of January twenty-sixth to the evening of
February seventh, thirteen days, at an immense expense to the
Government for steamboats and gun-boats, and the additional
expense of creating much sickness among the men and animals,
by their exposure to winter travel by steamers. From Danville
to Nashville, over good roads, it is but one hundred and seventv
miles; and in the same length of time, by easy marches of less
than fourteen miles a day, the command could have been placed
in Nashville, with the health of the men improved by the march,
and hundreds of thousands of dollars saved to the Government.
A volunteer corporal would have marched the command directly
from Danville to Nashville ; and why it was not done, is one of
those things which are not explainable by the ordinary rules of
common sense. The next day, Sabbath, the Regiment disem-
barked, marched through the city of Nashville, and three miles
south, on the Franklin pike, and went into camp in an old field,
where the mud was horrible in rainy weather, and it rained nearly
all of the time the Regiment remained there. On the fourteenth,
Lieutenant John Gishwiller, of Company G, resigned on account
of disability. On the sixteenth, Lieutenant Crowell, of Com-
panv B, resigned, and Sergeant Henry C. Cooling was promoted
to First Lieutenant. On the seventeenth, the entire Regiment
went into the woods to chop fire-wood, the rails being " ousga-
sphield." A large mail, from "God's country," came to the Regi-
ment. On the twenty-first, Colonel John Coburn's brigade
inarched to Franklin. February twenty-second, the forts about
Nashville fired cannon in honor of the memory of Washington.
Captain James Brice, of Company H, resigned on account of
illness, and Lieutenant John F. Nelson was promoted to Captain.
William McCammons, Sergeant of Company G, was promoted
to Lieutenant. On the twenty-fourth, the weather was beautiful,
and there was a review and inspection. On the twenty-fifth, it
rained; the tents were getting old and leakv ; the Lieutenant,
Colonel, and Major, " tenting together on the old camp ground,"
were wet as drowned rats in their quarters. On the twenty-sixth,
news was received in camp, that Congress had authorized Presi-
dent Lincoln to call out additional troops. The papers from the
North, received in camp, and eagerly read, had kept the members
of the. Regiment fully informed regarding the opposition made to
the war by the peace-sneaks at home; and on this day, a meeting
was held by the commissioned officers of the Ninety-Second.
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 71
Captain Albert Woodcock, of Company K, was called to the
Chair, and Lieutenant George R. Skinner, of Company D, Act-
ing Adjutant of the Regiment, was elected Secretary. On
motion, the following named officers were elected as a committee
to draft resolutions, setting forth the views of the officers and
members of the Regiment upon the policy of the Administration,
and the conduct of the copperheads and traitors at the North :
Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin F. Sheets; Captains Lyman Pres-
ton, Mathew Van Buskirk, Egbert T. E. Becker, John M. Scher-
merhorn, John F. Nelson, Robert M. A. Hawk, Horace J. Smith,
Harvey M. Timms, and Lieutenant Horace C. Scoville, who
reported tyie following preamble and resolutions, which were
unanimously adopted by the officers; and, upon being read to
each company upon its company parade ground, were adopted,
with but three dissenting voices in the entire Regiment:
" CAMP OF THE NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS VOLUNTEERS, )
" Near Nashville, Tenn., February 26th, 1863. f
" WHEREAS, We, the officers and members of the Ninety-
Second Regiment Illinois Volunteers, have left our >homes, our
farms, our work-shops, and all our peaceful avocations, and have
taken up arms in the defense of our country, now threatened by
tyrannical and treacherous foes, who are endeavoring to rend in
twain our once peaceful and happy nation; and
" WHEREAS, Certain unprincipled individuals and factions
have arisen at the North, who, by words and by acts, are daily
aiding and giving comfort to our enemies, by bitterly opposing
our Chief Executive, by clogging the wheels of legislation, by
encouraging our enemies, by discouraging our friends, and, in
general, using every effort to oppose any and all measures,
whether Executive, Legislative, or Judicial, which look to the
speedy and happy termination of the present Rebellion ;
therefore,
" Resolved, i. That we, as a Regiment, and as individuals,
hold all such persons in the light of enemies enemies to our
cause enemies to our country and justly deserving the condem-
nation of all true and loyal citizens.
" Resolved, 2. That any person who will not, in this hour of
his country's trial and peril, lend every nerve, use every effort,
and, lastly, sacrifice his verv life, if needs be, on his country's
altar, is undeserving the friendship and support of the members
of the Ninety-Second Regiment of Illinois Volunteers.
" Resolved, 3. That words cannot express the bitter contempt
72 NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
and detestation, in which we hold traitors to this Govern-
ment the best the sun ever shone upon wherever thev may be
found, and under whatever name thev may assume to hide their
hellish purposes.
" Resolved, 4. That we are opposed to all secret organizations,
organized for any political purpose, believing it to be an unmanly
way of gaining political power, subversive of Constitutional
Liberty, and in which injustice may be done, as witness the past.
" Resolved, 5. That a traitor has no rights which this Gov-
ernment is bound to respect, no matter where he resides ; that
copperheads at the North are but a revised edition of traitors at
the South, and that we most earnestly request our friends at home
to mark them for future reference shoot them, if need be, and
write over their graves, ' Here lies a cowardly traitor to his
country, rejected of God, and despised of honest men.'
" Resolved, 6. That we fully and unequivocally endorse the
Administration (Emancipation Proclamation included), in any
and all efforts to suppress this unholy Rebellion, and are deter-
mined that ' Butternuts, 1 either North or South, be brought to
speedy justice, ' that hemp be not created in vain, and that fire
and brimstone be not defrauded.'
" Resolved, 7. That we heartily endorse the acts of Hon.
Richard Yates, our Governor, and return him our sincere thanks
for his noble efforts in behalf of Illinois soldiers.
" ALBERT WOODCOCK, Chairman.
" GEORGE R. SKINNER, Secretary"
On the twenty-eighth of February, the Regiment was mus-
tered for pay. On the first of March, all the regiments in the
brigade having adopted resolutions of a similar import to those
adopted by the Ninety-Second, a brigade dress parade was held
in the afternoon ; after which each regiment was formed in col-
umn doubled on the center, and the brigade closed in mass;
when Colonel Atkins, the Brigade Commander, made the men
and officers an address, which he had previously been invited to
do. There was cheering for Governors Yates, of Illinois, Todd,
of Ohio, and Morton, of Indiana, and for President Lincoln and
the old flag.
Artillery-firing was heard on the fifth of March, in the direc-
tion of Franklin. Orders soon came lo be ready at a moment's
notice to march in light marching order, and the command was
ready at eleven A. M., and patiently waited, while the roar of
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 73
artillery was almost continuous until six P. M., when cars came,
and the Regiment, with the brigade, piled into and on top of the
cattle cars. In an old letter written b\' a soldier, and dated at
Franklin, March sixth; we find the following: "We left our
camp near Nashville, last evening at six P. M., for this point, by
rail, in light marching order, leaving tents, horses, knapsacks,
baggage, and everything else, except one day's ' hardtack', and
arms and ammunition, behind. The miserable old cars and
crazy engine were just five hours in getting us here, a distance of
seventeen miles. Our brigade had the good fortune to be dumped
down into a muddy corn-field, with no wood, shelter, or anything,
and the men and officers lay down in the cold mud, with a blanket
for cover, and the wind and rain pelting us from eleven o'clock
P. M. until daylight. In military parlance this is called ' bivou-
acing.' Call it what you please, our boys think it pretty rough,
but stand it unmurmeringlv. All day long we have been stand-
ing in the muddy corn-field, with no shelter, and the rain pouring
down heavily. Only think of eight thousand men packed into
close quarters in a corn-field in the pelting rain, and their con-
tinuous tramping, and, my word for it, there will be some mud.
Yesterday Colonel Coburn's brigade, about twenty-five hundred
strong, all that were fit for duty, were sent out toward Spring
Hill, and left all day unsupported, fighting about eighteen thou-
sand Rebels under Van Dorn, Forrest, and Wheeler. Coburn's
brigade made a gallant fight; but, surrounded and left alone, with
such terrible odds against them, were at last compelled to surren-
der, onl}' a few making their escape, and returning to Franklin.
Some one blundered, and it was not Coburn." The rain con-
tinued without ceasing; but in the afternoon of the sixth, the
tents and baggage of the Regiment came up, and the men were
more comfortable. The troops at Franklin held the right of
Rosecrans' armv. We were twenty-one miles south of Nash-
ville, and eighteen west of Murfresboro. Orders came to the
Regiment to keep constantly on hand three days' cooked rations.
Franklin was a Rebel town ; and it was reported in camp that the
Rebel citizens had sent word to Van Dorn, Wheeler, and Forrest,
to come into Franklin tor supper on the sixth. Bui the Rebel
Generals did not like the company that had forced itself upon the
people of Franklin, and did not accept of the invitation of the
citizens to take supper in that town. On the seventh, the rail-
road bridge across the Harpeth River was completed. On the
eighth, many troops, cavalry and infantry, including Sheridan's
74 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
division, arrived and reported to General Gordon Granger. On
the ninth, all of the troops at Franklin, under the command of
Gordon Granger, marched southward on the Columbia pike, the
cavalry skirmishing lightly with the enemy, who fell back before
our advance, and the Regiment bivouaced one and a half miles
south of Spring Hill ; moved the next day at noon to Rutherford
Creek, seven miles south of Spring Hill, and went into camp
after dark. Remained in camp all the next day, the Rebels ap-
pearing in considerable force about noon, on the opposite side of
the creek, and, for an hour, shelled the Regiment, without doing
any injury. Our brigade battery shelled a column of the enemy's
cavalry marching on the other side of the stream. It cleared up
at noon. The cavalry followed the enemv to Duck River, at
Columbia. Duck River was at flood tide with heavy rains, and
no bridge, and the independent corporals of volunteers, who did
their own thinking, never doubted that Gordon Granger, who
commanded a column three times the force of the enemy north
of the river, by energetic work, might have compelled the enemy
to accept battle, and have killed, drowned or captured the entire
Rebel force. Moved back to Franklin the next morning, Gene-
ral Sheridan's division taking the lead, his corps of trumpeters
making the echoes ring as he marched out. His troops marched
like quarter horses, and made no halt until they reached camp at
Franklin, and the Ninety-Second bowled along nineteen miles
in six hours, without a halt, keeping up with the column. The
troops wondered why in the world Granger was in such a hurry
to get back to Franklin, when he had uselesslv consumed so
much time in marching out. Just before reaching Franklin, a
squad of Rebel cavalry fired on the rear guard, and the Regiment
was halted, and put into line of battle; but the enemy not appear-
ing in force, the Regiment crossed the Harpeth, and went into
camp. Oscar Taylor, Esq., of Freeport, the law-partner of the
Colonel of the Ninety-Second, and brother of the Chief Quar-
termaster of the Army of the Cumberland, visited the Regiment.
The next day the order to keep three days' cooked rations on
hand was renewed. On the fourteenth, the troops of Franklin
were reviewed by General Gordon Granger. On Sunday, the
fifteenth, the Regiment listened to a sermon by a private soldier
of Company E; and a soldier, in his diarv, writes: "I would
give more to hear him pi each, although he gets but thirteen dol-
lars per month, than I would to hear Chaplain White, who gets
a hundred dollars a month." Contrabands had been at work
NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 75
building a fort on the north side of the Harpeth ; but, by order of
General Granger, heavy details of soldiers were made for that
purpose. On the seventeenth, a line guard was put around the
Regiment, to the great disgust of the men. A few unruly sol-
diers made it necessary to guard the entire Regiment. Heavy
siege guns were mounted on the fort at Franklin. Lieutenant
David B. Colehour, of Company I, died in hospital at Nashville.
He was an excellent officer, and his loss was deeply felt by his
comrades. On the twentieth, the Regiment, an hour before day-
light, marched over the Harpeth to the south of the town of
Franklin, and remained thirty hours on picket, the picket line
extending entirely around the town, from river bank above to
river bank below. An hour before daylight the next morning,
another regiment marched out to the reserve post, at an old cot-
ton gin and press south of the town, so that there were two full
regiments on picket at daylight: after daylight the Ninety-Second
returned to camp. On Sunday, the twenty-second, Company A
received large boxes of good things to eat and to wear from home.
Sergeant Samuel L. Bailey, of Company H, was promoted to
Lieutenant. There was brigade dress parade. On Monday
morning, the pickets were fired on, and the Regiment was in line
an hour before daylight. The first regimental drill since leaving
Nashville took place. On the twenty-fifth, firing was heard in
the direction of Nashville before daylight, and the Regiment was
soon in line of battle, with faces toward home. And there they
stood in the peach orchard, listening to an occasional gun at"
Brentwood, eight miles away, until long after daylight, when
orders came to march. From an old letter written by a soldier
of the Ninety-Second, we extract the following: " There we
waited until the cavalry, under command of Brigadier General
Green Clay Smith, of Kentucky, took the road didn't the bu-
gles blow though, and didn't they go helter-skelter out on the
pike, with sabers jingling! After the capture of Colonel Co-
burn, at Spring Hill, the debris of his brigade, convalescents,
teamsters, etc., about three hundred men, had been sent to Brent-
wood, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Bloodgood, of
the 22d Wisconsin, and had not been there many days, when
Van Dorn sent a column of cavalry from Spring Hill, crossing the
Harpeth on the Granny White pike road west of Franklin, and
made an attack on Brentwood just before daylight; and Lieuten-
ant Colonel Bloodgood surrendered without losing a man, or
scarcely firing a shot. A few of his men, in a stockade at a rail-
76 NINETr-SECOND ILLINOIS.
road bridge, held out until Van Dorn planted his artillery and
fired a few shots, when they surrendered also. It was while the
Rebel artillery was firing that the Regiment got into line of
battle at Franklin. General Green Clay Smith and his chargers
found a Rebel picket at Hollow Tree Gap, and fooled around
waiting until the infantry came up from Franklin, and until Van
Dorn's column, with all their prisoners and plunder, was well on
its way to Spring Hill by the road it came. And then, when the
Rebel picket at Hollow Tree Gap had voluntarily retired, the
cavalry followed up their rear guard, skirmishing occasionally ;
and the Kentucky newspapers had glowing accounts of how
General Green Clay Smith drove Van Dorn back to his camp.
Our boys said that Van Dorn had found the muster rolls of
Coburn's brigade, and had come back after the balance of the
command ; they got it all, slick and clean, by the second capture
at Brentwood. Now, the Granny White pike crosses the Harpeth
not far west of Franklin; and why in the d 1 General Gordon
Granger did not send a portion of his corps of infantry to inter-
cept Van Dorn on his return to Spring Hill, is one of those
things which no private soldier of volunteers can ever find out."
The Ninety-Second did not march farther than Hollow Tree
Gap, when it returned to Franklin, and went into camp. By
command of General Granger, the troops at Franklin were or-
dered into line of battle, each morning an hour before daylight,
to stand shivering in the fog from the Harpeth, until after sun-
rise. On the afternoon of the twenty-seventh, Lieutenant Colo-
nel Sheets received orders to be ready to march in fifteen
minutes. The Ninety-Second was promptly in line, and marched
at five o'clock P. M. to Brentwood, reaching there after dark, and
bivouaced in the rain. The Colonel of the Ninety-Second was
in command of the troops, having with him the Ninety-Second,
the 96th Illinois Volunteers, the 6th Kentucky Volunteer Cav-
alry, and gth Ohio Battery of Artillery. The next morning, the
Regiment, and all of the command, went into camp in a grove
near a railroad bridge which the}' were to guard, and, on the next
morning, commenced fortifying, the cavalry regiment doing
scouting duty. A strong little fort was built for the artillery on
the brow of the hill, and a trench large enough to hold two regi-
ments was dug around it, in zig-zag shape, six feet wide, and six
feet deep, with benches of earth left each side for the troops
to stand on while firing. Timber was cut, and out of the limbs
was formed chevaux-dc-frise; that is, the limbs were sharpened at
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 77
the points, and placed thicklv, points outward, around the trench
and fort, and staked fast, so that a charging column could not get
easily over, or through them, or remove them, without axes.
The bodies of the trees were laid along the trench on both sides,
elevated on skids, so that the troops in the trench could fire
through the opening under the logs, and have their heads pro-
tected from the enemy's fire by them. The ground was chosen
on the apex of a knoll ; and, bv cutting down the trees on a gen-
tleman's lawn, and felling the trees in his orchard, which was,
of course, done, a clean sweep for musketry was obtained all
around. It was an unique idea; no such work was treated of in
anv military book; but it was inspected bv Captain Merrill,
Chief Engineer of the Army of the Cumberland, and pro-
nounced by him to be one of the strongest works that could have
been as easily constructed on that ground. Major John C. Smith,
a gallant soldier of the g6th Illinois Volunteers, had general
charge of the construction of the little fort and trench. All of
the able-bodied contrabands in the vicinity were pressed into
service, and heavy details made on the command for the work.
One white man was pressed into the service also, Dr. William
Mavlield, a finely educated, gentlemanly appearing little fellow,
who practiced medicine in that neighborhood. The Doctor, on
March 3Oth, visited the head-quarters of the Colonel command-
ing, and requested a permit to pass the guards, night or day, on
4 professional duty." A permit was prepared for him, but he
was requested to sign a written statement that he was, and would
remain, a loyal citizen, and, under penalty of death, would not
give information to the enemv. The Doctor blandly remarked
that he could not sign it, for the reason that he was a Rebel.
"What!" said the Colonel, "do you come here into my head-
quarters, and insist on a permit to pass my lines, night or day,
and tell me that you are a Rebel? Guard, take this Rebel to
Major Smith, and tell him to put the fellow at work in the
trenches." The guard did not need a second order. Side by side
with his own slaves the little fellow dug and delved until, after a
day or two, Major Smith reported him ill, and obtained permis-
sion to relieve him. The soldiers, and the darkies, enjoyed it
considerably more than did the little Rebel Doctor. The boys
would have their sport, and always enjoyed getting some laugh
on the officers. They found in the vicinity a little, old jackass,
and dressed him up in officers' uniform, with the hugest pair of
shoulder-straps ever seen, and paraded him through the camps,
78 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
to the delight of every one, for the officers good-naturedly joined
in the laugh, although it was at their expense. On the fifth of
April, there was a scare in camp, and the pickets were doubled ;
the enemy were reported to be marching in strong force to attack
the camp. How the boys did want them to come on, just to be
able to show them that surrendering, without righting, was not
what the Ninety-Second enlisted for. The command was ready
for them, and that is just the reason why they did not come.
Troops that are vigilant, and always readj r for battle, are seldom
gobbled up. For a nation, the surest guarantee of peace is to be
ready for war; for an outpost of an army, the surest guarantee
that there will be no fighting to do, is to be ready to accept battle
at any moment. The cavalry regiment was sent out, and found
parties of the enemy, who did not press on toward the command,
but retreated. On the eighth of April, General Morgan, with a
division of infantry, arrived from Nashville at Brentwood, and,
on thirty minutes' notice, at five o'clock P. M., the command
took up the line of march on its return to Franklin, arriving
after dark; and was up in line of battle at three in the morning of
the ninth, in accordance with Granger's order. On the tenth, at
about ten o'clock A. M., Van Dorn's cavalry, having been in-
formed that Franklin was evacuated the information probably
being based upon the fact that Sheridan's division had returned
to the vicinity of Murfresboro made a furious attack upon the
4Oth Ohio Infantry, of Atkins' Brigade, which was doing picket
duty south of Franklin. Of course, the Ninety-Second was in
line of battle very quickly. Van Dorn's troops charged the cav-
alry outposts on the three roads leading south from Franklin, and
chased them in on a dead run, all at the same time. The 4Oth
Ohio did not leave their posts ; but the officers and men of that
entire regiment made but little impression on the charging Rebel
columns that swept by while the 4Oth Ohio emptied their muskets
at them ; then the soldiers of the 4Oth Ohio took to the gardens,
buildings, and outhouses; while the charging Rebel columns
swarmed down into the village of Franklin, one Rebel even
crossing the pontoon bridge to the north of the river Harpeth,
and others being killed at the bridge on the south side. The
Rebels soon learned that their information in regard to the evacu-
ation of Franklin was a mistake, and that Granger's entire corps
still held it; and then they charged out again, a little more rapidly
than they had come in, while the 4oth Ohio gave them a hearty
salute as they passed back toward Spring Hill. The 4oth lost
NINETY SECOND ILLINOIS. 79
but two killed and seven wounded, while nineteen dead Rebels
lay close by their line, all killed with their musketry, and there
must have been a large number of Rebels wounded. The hills
and woods south of Franklin swarmed with Van Dorn's grey-
coats; and the heavy siege artillery, at the fort on the north side
of the Harpeth, sent shells over the 4Oth Ohio, and screaming on
beyond. The newspapers reported one hundred 'and fifty killed
and wounded in Van Dorn's command, probably a high estimate.
The cavalry of Green Clay Smith followed the Rebels again on
their return to Spring Hill. The dead Rebels near the pickets of
the 4Oth Ohio had canteens, with whisky and powder mixed in
them ; and whether or not they were inspired by draughts from
their canteens, they certainly made a most wreckless and dashing
charge into Franklin and out again. On the eleventh, a large
number of Rebel wounded were picked up in the woods south of
the town, and taken to the hospitals. On the twelfth, the Ninety-
Second again did picket duty south of Franklin. Gordon Gran-
ger camped his corps north of the Harpeth, and daily sent a
regiment to encircle the town on the south, and a regiment to
reinforce it at three A. M., so as to have two regiments there at
daylight each morning. When Major General Schofield was
falling back in front of Hood's Rebel army, and made a stand at
Franklin, and repulsed Hood's fiery attack, Schofield made his
line of battle where the line of the reserve pickets of the Ninety-
Second was this day ; that is, south of Franklin, encircling the
town from river bank to river bank. On the fifteenth of April,
the Ninety-Second was made happy by receiving four months'
pay. Pay day was always looked forward to most anxiously in
the army; many of the men had families at home, and needed
the trifling amount of their stipulated monthly pay to keep the
wolf from their home firesides during their absence. There is
too much machinery in the United States Army; the Pay-
master's Department ought to be abolished, and Regimental
Quartermasters instructed to pay the men promptly every month.
If not desirable for Regimental Quartermasters to carry the coin
or currency with them on campaigns, payments might be made
in drafts' on the money centers of the country, adding five mills
on a dollar for every hundred miles, from place of drawing draft
to place of payment; such drafts, in the hands of the soldier,
would be worth the full amount of his monthly pay anywhere.
The laborer is worthy of his hire, and then he would have it
when due him. On the seventeenth of April, orders from brigade
8o NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
head-quarters were issued to detail men from each company to
cook coffee, when the command went into line of battle before
daylight, and furnish each man in line A cup full of hot coffee as
soon as possible. Malaria lurks in the fog that rests upon the
earth just before sunrise, and coftee is an antidote to malaria.
Lieutenant Colonel Sheets had already disobeyed the orders of
Gordon Granger, to stand silently in battle-line, and had assisted
the circulation of the blood of the men in the Ninety-Second, by
rapid exercise in the manual of arms, and even by double-quick
marching; but, with every precaution, the men could not stand
it, and were rapidly going into hospital; it was only a sad conso-
lation to know that the percentage in the Ninety-Second of sick
men was much lower than in anv other regiment. On the
eighteenth, Second Lieutenant Horace C. Scoville, of Company
K, was promoted to First Lieutenant, and Sergeant Peleg R.
Walker, of Company K, was promoted to Second Lieutenant.
On the twentieth, there was target practice by the Regiment, and
Company A, with the smallest number of men, hit the target the
most times. On the twenty-second, the Regiment turned over
the bell tents drawn at Cincinnatit, and drew "dog tents." It
was the greatest possible improvement upon the old manner ot
sheltering the men far better for their health, and gave greater
mobility to the army, as it cut down the transportation trains
eleven wagons and sixty-six mules to every regiment. They
were simply strips of tent-cloth, about six and a half feet long,
by three feet wide, with button-holes on one edge, and buttons on
the other, one issued to each man, and to be carried by him on
the march, and two buttoned together formed the " tent" of two
soldiers. The men regarded them with extreme aversion, and
there were serious threatenings of mutiny when they were
issued. A soldier of the Ninety-Second, writing from Franklin
in a letter home, says: " The 'dog-kennels' have been introduced
into our Regiment; and now, in place of the sixty-five or seventy
tents used by us for the last eight months, we have one of these
rags for each man. Shelter tent is, however, a misnomer: there
is no shelter about it, but precisely the opposite. Have you ever
seen one? No. Well, I can introduce you to the modus ope-
rand! of making one. Rob your bed of a sheet, if you have
one (and if you have, it is more than I have had for some time, if
not longer); and now, while speaking of sheets, it is enough to
put a soldier to feeling bad not to have any, for there is a charm
in that word sheets : yes, there is. But to go on and tell you ho\v
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 81
to make one of these dog kennels. Go out into the yard, if you
have one ; pm down two sides of the sheet by a little pegging,
and then run a pole, if you have one, through the center, length-
wise ; elevate it upon big stones or stakes at the corners, and you
have a dog kennel such as we have, except that yours will be
larger than ours. Ours are about five feet wide by six feet long,
and are intended for two persons by splicing. In order to get
into them, the hands and knees are brought into requisition. In
turning over through the night, you must remember that it is
safest to back out, turn over, and then crawl in again. Unless
you do so, you are extremely liable to injure your pole, and down
comes your dog kennel. If Gordon Granger comes riding
through the camp, certain as you live, out comes the entire com-
mand on hands and knees from the dog kennels, and such un-
earthly barking, like dogs, never was heard ; and thousands take
it up, and away over and beyond the fort, and all through the
corps it is bark, bark, and growl, growl." During the night of the
twenty-sixth, the cavalry, under Gen. Green Clay Smith, inarched
out in the direction of Spring Hill, and surprised a camp of
Rebels, capturing about one hundred and thirty prisoners, and
one hundred horses; and on the morning of the twenty-seventh,
Atkins' brigade, including our Regiment, marched out to meet the
cavalry returning, and to be ready to support them, if support
was required. On April thirtieth, the Regiment was mustered
for pay, and inspected by Brigadier General A. Baird, Division
Commander. The day was observed by the Regiment as a day
of fasting and prayer.
On the first of May, Atkins' brigade, accompanied by a regiment
of cavalry, made a reconnoissance in the direction of Spring
Hill, with a little skirmishing, the Rebel picket falling back. On
the second, the Regiment again did picket duty south of Frank-
lin. Chaplain Cartwright, appointed vice White resigned, reached
camp, and, finding the regimental grounds nearly deserted,
approached Major Bohn, who was solemnly presiding over the
deserted camp, when the following dialogue is supposed to have
ensued: Chaplain "Do you belong to the Ninety-Second?"
Major " Yes, I have the honor to belong to that Regiment."
Chaplain " Well, God bless you; how do you do? I am Chap-
lain of the Ninety-Second. How are you? Where is Sheets?"
Major "Sheets, Sheets! Who is Sheets?" Chaplain "Why,
God bless you, man ; you a member of the Ninety-Second, and
don't know Sheets, Lieutenant Colonel Sheets?" Major " Oh!
10
82 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
ah! you are inquiring about Lieutenant Colonel Sheets, are you?"
Chaplain "Yes, Sheets; I know Sheets, and Sheets knows me,
and I want to see Sheets." Major " Well, I am sorry to say
that Lieutenant Colonel Sheets is not in just now." Chaplain
" Well, where is Woodcock?" Major "Woodcock, Woodcock!
There are plenty of mocking-birds in the woods along the Har-
peth, stranger; but, I tell you what it is, I have n't had a shot at
a woodcock since I left Carroll County." Chaplain ' I mean
Captain Woodcock, the County Clerk at Oregon." Major " Oh !
do you refer to Captain Woodcock, of Company K?" Chap-
lain " Yes, I know him." Major " Well, Captain Woodcock
is not in, either, just now." Chaplain " Well, then, where is
Preston; I know Preston." Major " Preston, Preston; it seems
to me that name sounds familiar; who is Preston?" Chaplain
" Why, Captain Preston, of Polo." Major " Oh ! you wish to
inquire about Captain Preston, of Company D?" Chaplain
" I know him, too." Major " Well, I am sorry to say that Cap-
tain Preston is not here just now." At this juncture, the Chap-
lain espied a soldier whom he had known in Ogle County,
Illinois, and bolted for him, and met a much warmer reception
than Major Bohn had given him. When the Major used to tell
about it, and declared that he was going to teach the new Chap-
lain to have dignity, everybody smiled out loud at the unique idea
of the Major teaching " dignity" to any one. On the third, the
new, old Chaplain preached his first sermon, and won the respect
and love of the men and officers from the start. Colonel Sheets
declined to order the men to attend preaching, but the Chaplain
found a way to get them out. At half-past ten, the usual church
time, the melodious and sonorous voice of the Chaplain was
heard, " Ho, boys ! Ho, boys ! Come up here, and help me serve
the Lord for half an hour, and I will help you in the trenches the
balance of the week." That was a proposition, on the part of the
Chaplain, that meant business. The boys took him at his word;
he had a congregation of willing listeners, and the men did not
afterward complain that the Chaplain did not keep his part of the
bargain. It did not run in the Cartwright blood to be lazy; and,
with pick, or spade, or axe, the Chaplain was an adept. On the
fifth, the Regiment went out chopping a swath through the tim-
ber on the hill-tops, for the signal corps to sight their flags
through. Now, of course, the soldiers of the Ninety-Second
know all about what that means; but, possibly, the child of a sol-
dier who may, perchance, read this book long years hence, will
NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 83
not know what it means ; and it is npt an easy thing to explain
it in print, but we shall try and do so. If " the Committee on
Publication" belonged to the signal corps, and fully understood
it themselves, they might be able to explain it better ; but, alas !
the}' don't. Well, to start with, the signal corps send messages
from station to station by motion of flags. The signal flag is a
large, square, white flag, with a square patch of red in the center.
In communicating with another signal station, down to the
ground will go the signal flag to the right and up again ; then
down to the right and up again twice in rapid succession ; then
down to the left and up again ; then down to the right and clear
over down to the left and up again: and so it goes. These
motions of the signal flag mean something; we don't know what
they mean, only that every quick motion of the flag indicates a
letter of the alphabet, and that the message is being spelled out
by an officer of the next signal station, who is watching the mo-
tions of the signal with a powerful field telescope. Sometimes,
when high points are occupied by the signal stations, they are
twenty miles apart. Sometimes the forest trees, on the highest
points between stations, have to be chopped down to open a sight-
way from signal station to signal station ; and the Ninety-Second
were all wood-choppers on the fifth of May, 1863, performing
such duty. On the sixth, the pickets on the Louisburg pike,
south of Franklin, were attacked, and Atkins' Brigade moved out,
the Ninety-Second having the advance. General Baird, a soldier
loved by all under him, accompanied the command, and skir-
mished with the enemy quite lively until dark; returned to camp
about nine o'clock at night. On the eighth, Dr. Peters, of Spring
Hill, walked into the head-quarters of the Rebel General Van
Dorn, and deliberately killed him, by shooting him through
the head with a pistol, on account of the alleged intimacy of
General Van Dorn with Mrs. Peters. Doctor Peters, in the ex-
citement momentarily created by the assassination at the head-
quarters of the Rebel General, made his escape to the woods, in
the rear end of the house, and was at Franklin the next day with
the Union lines, boasting of his exploit. General Gordon Gran-
ger fixed up a letter, directed to the Commander of the Confede-
rate forces at Spring Hill, and sent the Colonel of the Ninety-
Second to deliver it under a flag of truce. With a hundred cavalry
as an escort, and a good supply of Havana cigars, and imported
wine, from General Granger's stock, accompanied by a few offi-
cers in their best suits, he approached the Rebel pickets, and
4 N1NETT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
requested that an officer equal in rank might be sent for, to re-
ceive his dispatches. While waiting for a Confederate Colonel to
arrive, supper was prepared at a farm-house. When the Con-
federate Colonel came, accompanid by a few officers, all sat down
together at supper. The grey-coats made the best display of good
clothes ; but " Havana" cigars and " imported" wines were luxu-
ries they did not bring with them. While enjoying a social
smoke after supper, the conversation was turned upon Van Dorn's
sudden taking off. The Confederate officers pretended to know
nothing of it; but the Union officers detailed the story minutely,
without intimating that Peters had furnished the information,
and nonchalantly pretended that the Union officers knew every
thing daily occurring at Spring Hill. How they had such minute
information, was a puzzler to the Confederate officers; and so to
puzzle them, was the real object of the flag of truce. Just at
midnight, the grey-coats and blue-coats shook hands and sepa-
rated, each party returning to their own encampments.
Sunday, May tenth, was a beautiful day, and closed with a
brigade dress parade, an innovation of the Regulations ; which,
probably, did not occur in any other brigade in the army. The
brigade was composed of the gth Ohio battery of artillerv, the
Ninetv-Second, 96th, and ii5th Illinois, 74th Indiana, and 4Oth
Ohio infantrv regiment. At brigade dress parade, one regiment
was formed on the right; three regiments at right angles with the
first, the right of the line resting on the left of the first; the fifth
regiment at right angles with the three, right resting on the left,
forming three sides of a square, except that one of the sides was
three times the length of each of the others. The music of all
the regiments was massed, making a drum corps of a hundred
drummers and filers; and at the command, " Music, beat off," the
music, at slow time, the Ninety-Second Silver Band playing,
marched down in front of the first regiment, wheeled and passed
along the line of the three regiments, wheeled and passed the
fifth regiment. They marched back at quick time, the drum
corps of a hundred all playing. Lieutenant Lawver, Brigade
Adjutant, would then command, " Attention, battalions. Shoul-
der arms ! Prepare to open ranks, to the rear open order, march !"
The ranks opened, and aligned the commissioned officers in front;
the Adjutant took his position in front of the center of the line
of three regiments, and commanded, " Present arms!" Coming
to an " about face," he would salute Colonel Atkins, the Brigade
Commander, and say : " Sir, the parade is formed." The Adju-
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 85
tant would then take position to the left and rear of the Colonel ;
and the Colonel, acknowledging the salute, would draw his sword
and command, "Battalions, shoulder arms!" And would then
go through with the entire manual of arms The practical diffi-
culty of the command of execution being heard at the same
instant by so large a body of troops, was obviated by a little
Yankee ingenuity ; while not able to hear at the same instant,
they were able to see; and after giving the preparatory command,
" Shoulder," he would wait abundantly long for his voice to be
heard by the flanks; and at the command of "Arms," the left
hand of the Colonel commanding always went up into the air;
and every soldier in the line could see that at the same instant, and
the manual of arms was executed by the entire brigade, with as
exact precision as it was ever executed by a squad of five men.
Officers of the Regular Army looked on, and Avondered at the
precision of the execution of the manual of arms, but did not
detect the slight of hand by which it was attained. After the
manual of arms had been executed, brigade orders were read by
the Adjutant. At the command, " Parade dismissed," the field
officers of the brigade returned swords, closed on the Adjutant,
and marched up to salute the Brigade Commander. When the
field officers dispersed, the Captains marched their companies to
quarters. On May fourteenth, the Ninety-Second was again on
picket south of Franklin. On the nineteenth, there was brigade
drill, for the first time, in a clover-field north of Franklin. On the
twenty-first, there was another brigade drill, General Baird being
present. On the twenty-second, the Regiment was called up at
two A. M., and ordered to be ready to march at three A. M., but
the order was countermanded. Brigade drills every day, until the
twentv-seventh, when orders came to be ready to march at three
A. M., with two days' cooked rations and seventy rounds of am-
munition. The Regiment was ready, and waited all day for the
order to " march," but none came. There were countless rumors
of a Rebel attack on Triune.
On the first of June, the sick were all sent to Nashville. On
the second, there were orders to be ready to march at three A. M.,
the time that Granger always proposed to march; but the Regi-
ment waited in the rain until Granger's leisurely breakfast had
been eaten, and started at nine o'clock A. M. for Triune. It was
very hot and showry, the dirt roads horrible for men and trains;
the men lightened up their loads, by throwing away extra pairs of
shoes, overcoats, and some even dress-coats and blankets. It was
86 NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
the first march for the new, old Chaplain, and the kind-hearted
old man knew the boys would want their blankets when night
came, and he loaded down his horse with as many as his horse
could carry. After reaching camp, he called the boys to come
and get their blankets ; but the Chaplain did not have blankets for
all who came; and it is said that he did not have one for himself
that night! It was a hard march, many of the men falling out bv
the way, and many not reaching Triune until the next morning.
The next day there was cannonading at Franklin, and the cavalry
was sent back there. General Granger reviewed the remainder
of his corps, thirty regiments of infantry, and thirty-six pieces of
light artillery. It was Granger's order to be up at three A. M.,
daily, and stand silently in line of battle until after sunrise; that
order, kept up for months, killed more men of his corps than the
Rebels ever did. It rained on the fifth, and the picket firing was
continuous all day. On the seventh, the cavalry had a light
skirmish, and the Regiment was in line of battle from morning
until night. On the ninth, the Regiment was paid. On the
eleventh, Forrest made an attack on Triune. Atkins' Brigade,
holding the front, was promptly in line, two regiments on the
right of the road, concealed by timber and underbrush, with a
masked battery, an open clover field in front, through which,
about one hundred yards in front of the regiments, the water had
cut a deep gully, that no horse could leap or get through. For-
rest was leading a charge of Rebel cavalry over the open field,
right in the direction of the gully, where he must neces-
sarily have come to a halt, and been at the mercy of the
masked artillery and two. regiments of infantry, that had been
directed not to fire a shot until the Brigade Commander gave the
order. At this juncture, up rode Gordon Granger, and ordered
the boys to fire. The commander of the brigade endeavored to
explain to Granger, but he would hear nothing, and so the artil-
lery opened on the charging column before it had come within
musket range, and it quickly retreated. If Granger had been
acquainted with the ground himself, or had listened to the
Colonel commanding the brigade, there would have been terrible
slaughter in that Rebel column when it reached the gully
running through the clover field, which was not discernable
twenty feet away, but an effectual barrier to horsemen, where the
artillery could have thrown grape and canister, and two regiments
of infantry, at short range, poured in a musketry fire. As it was,
the- artillery killed only a few Rebels, and Forrest and most of
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 87
his troops rode safely away. Granger then ordered the troops to
fire on our own skirmishers, that the Brigade Commander had
just sent out to a brick house, on the left of the road, in front of
the line of battle, but the men knew they were our own troops,
and refused to obey his order. Granger then rode off. The
Rebels planted a section of artillery, and sent their shells flying
over the brigade. Our brigade battery of artillery replied, and
dismounted one of the Rebel guns. The Rebels soon withdrew.
There were no losses in the Ninety-Second. The newspapers
reported the Rebel loss at twenty-one killed and seventy wounded.
One laughable incident occurred. The camp equippage was
quickly loaded in wagons and moved to the rear, and on the top
of one wagon, the company wagon of Company I, sat a little
negro on a knapsack packed with clothing. A Rebel shell
knocked the knapsack out from under the colored boy, without
injuring him in the least; but he was terribly frightened. The
mules ware too slow for him after that, and he went to the rear
on foot double quick. About two A. M. of June thirteenth, a
brigade of infantry, and a force of cavalry, prepared to march
out on the road south of Triune, General Steedman in command,
and 'blowing of the bugles in the cavalry camp aroused all the
troops, who imagined it was the Rebel cavalry. At three P. M.,
while our brigade was all out in the large clover field drilling,
the firing at the front became brisk, and the whole brigade
received orders to march to the assistance of Steedman, and
moved from the drill ground rapidly four miles south of Triune,
where Steedman was met, leisurely falling back, with only a
regiment engaged as rear guard, skirmishing. Steedman said he
had one pretty little brush with them, but there was no difficulty
in repulsing the enemy. Returned to camp after dark, and were
called up at eleven P. M. to await marching orders, and waited
until after daylight, but no orders came. The next day, Sunday,
June fourteenth, there was inspection, and orders received to keep
constantly on hand two days' cooked rations, and sixty rounds ball
cartridges to the man. This order kept the men constantly on
cold victuals, and sometimes spoiled victuals. On the seventeenth,
the Ninety-Second cut down the timber between the Shelbyville
and Murfresboro pikes, so that it could not be used as a cover by
the enemy. On the twentieth, there was a scare, and pickets
doubled, but no attack came. On June twenty-third, the Regi-
gent marched with the corps from Triune at daylight, but were
delayed by wagon trains, and, after marching twelve miles,
88 NINBTT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
camped at two P. M. Marched next day at one P. M., in hard rain,
and at one o'clock at night bivouaced on the Shelbyville pike, at
Walnut Church. Willich's Brigade took Liberty Gap, and
Wilder's Brigade took Hoover's Gap from the Rebels, and we
marched all the afternoon to the music of heavy cannonading.
The rain was continuous night and day. The next day, the
twenty-fifth, inarched but a mile, standing in line all day, listen-
ing to the continuous roar of artillery in the distance. Sent the
knapsacks and surplus trumpery to Murfresboro, to lighten the
loads of the men. Remained at Walnut Church all the next
day, cannonading heavy at the fort. On the twenty-seventh,
moved at twelve M. down the .Shelbyville pike to Guy's Gap.
The cavalry, under command of General Mitchell, had the
advance, and charged into Shelbyville at five P. M., capturing five
hundred and five prisoners and two pieces of artillery. On the
twenty-eighth, the Ninety-Second guarded the Rebel prisoners,
marching eight miles toward Murfresboro, and turned over
the prisoners to the 96th Illinois. Captain Espy, of the H5th
Illinois, Commissary on the staff 'of the Colonel commanding
the brigade, was notified of the coming of" the Rebel prisoners,
and issued rations to them, and in the kindness of his heart, even
prepared hot coffee for them in large plantation kettles. How
different from the treatment of our soldiers in the hands of the
enemy at Andersonville! The kind-hearted, gallant Captain
Espy lost his life afterward, at Chicamauga. On the twenty-
ninth, the Ninety-Second joined the brigade, four miles north of
Shelbyville. On the thirtieth, marched through Shelbyville, and
camped one mile south of the town, on Duck River, and was
mustered for pay. On the first of July, moved a mile and went
into permanent camp. The Colonel of the Ninety-Second learn-
ed of the probability that General Baird would leave the divi-
sion, and, desiring himself to get out from under the command
of General Gordon Granger, he earnestly sought the influence of
Colonel Arthur C. Ducat, Inspector General oi' the Army of the
Cumberland, whom he had been intimately acquainted with
while they were serving together under Grant, at Cairo; and of
Colonel Simmons, Commissary of the Army of the Cumberland,
who had served with the Colonel of the Ninety-Second on the
staff of General Hurlbut in the Army of the Tennessee; and of
Colonel John W. Taylor, the Chief Quartermaster of the Army
of the Cumberland, who was a brother of the law partner of the
Colonel of the Ninety-Second, to induce General Rosecrans to
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 89
detach the Ninety-Second from the reserve corps of General
Granger, and attach it to some active command at the front; and
he received the assurance of the gentlemen named that they would
use their influence with General Rosecrans to obtain such an
order. On the third of July, the Ninety-Second marched at two
o'clock P. M. to Wartrace, eight miles, on the Nashville and
Chattanooga Railroad, through a terrible rain storm, the water in
the mountain roads being, frequently, two feet deep. From an
old letter written by a member of the Ninety-Second, from
Wartrace, we extract the following: "It was given to Stokes'
regiment, under the command of Major Gilbraith, to lead the
charge into Shelbyville. Major Gilbraith's family lived in that
town. At it thev went with a rush and a yell, dashing into town,
cutting, shooting, and killing. The Rebels were so hard pressed
that, for all to cross the bridge over Duck River, was impossible.
Many rushed for the ford above, the Union cavalry on their
heels, and into the river the Rebels plunged, which, being high
from recent rains, was difficult to cross, and between fifty and a
hundred of the Rebels were drowned. Our boys pulled out quite
;i number of the dead Confederate soldiers two days afterward,
and gave them decent burial. Stokes' regiment were fighting
for their own homes and firesides. Such meetings of old friends
in Shelbyville never occurred there before. Men, women and
children were kissing and embracing each other in the streets,
while tears rolled down their cheeks, until the stoutest heart
would melt away in like feelings. To see men, old and young,
embracing and hugging each other, was a common occurrence.
For several davs after their deliverance, refugees who had sought
shelter and protection at the North for a year or more, returned to
their homes and families. O, such meetings and greetings as I
there witnessed is worth a year of the hard life of a soldier.
Bedford county, of which Shelbyville is the capital, 'is largely
Union, and it is due to the efforts of Mr. Edmund Cooper, an
influential, patriotic and able lawyer of Shelbyville, that so many
citizens of Bedford county have remained true and faithful to the
Union. Bragg made his head-quarters there, and during the
reign of terror the Union people suffered beyond the power of
iny description. The Fourth of July has been made perpetual there
every day since our troops broke the shackles, and Union flag*,
long sewn up in quilts, are brought out and deck the town.
Platforms are erected, and speeches are made by citizens and
oldiers daily, while the Court House square is packed full
11
90 NINBTT-SBCOND ILLINOIS.
of the ladies and gentlemen of Shelbyville, waving flags and
handkerchiefs, and singing Union songs. The emotions, the
rejoicings, the joyful demonstrations, the bursting out of long
pent up feelings, are as boundless as the ocean, and no pen can
picture the real happiness of the citizens. Long live Shelbj-ville.
It is the general opinion that Bragg would have been bagged if
the weather had not been so continuously rainy ; and now he is
away down at Chattanooga, with a demoralized army, trying to
get up into Kentucky by the way of Knoxville. The Rebels
burned all the bridges over Duck River, and also over Elk River:
but the first are up again, and the others will be before this letter
reaches you."
July fourth was celebrated by a cessation of all ordi nan-
duties, and most of the men went black-berrying, and found the
most lucious blackberries in the greatest abundance in the "old
fields" about Wartrace. The Colonel of the Ninety-Second
dined with Captain Hicks, of the 96th Illinois. Many patriotic
speeches were made. On Sunday, the fifth, there was preaching
and black-berrying. On the sixth, the Ninety-Second marched
seven miles, under command of Lieutenant Colonel Sheets, to
Duck River, and engaged in building a wagon bridge across that
stream at Rouseville. Colonel Wilder came along, and, fancying
the Ninety-Second, declared his determination to have it detached
from the reserve corps, and assigned to his brigade of mounted
infantry. It is safe to say that the men of the Ninety-Second
were overjoyed with the hope that Wilder might be successful in
his application. Apples and blackberries were abundant, and
details were made to gather them, while the work of building the
bridge progressed, which was completed on the ninth. Colonel
Wilder's application was supplemental to the request of the
Colonel df the Ninety-Second, and was successful, and General
Rosecrans detached the Ninety-Second from General Gordon
Granger's corps, and assigned it to Wilder's brigade of mounted
infantry. On the tenth, the Regiment returned to Wartrace, and
there was great excitement among all the troops to be mounted.
The 4Oth Ohio, officers and men, joined in a petition to Colonel
Atkins to have that regiment mounted. On the eleventh, a detail
was sent to Murfresboro for horses, and Lieutenant Colonel
Sheets went to Nashville to procure equipments. In a letter
home, written at Wartrace, July i6th, 1863, a soldier of the
Ninety-Second writes: "The Ninety-Second is no longer first
regiment, first brigade, first division, reserve army corps,
NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 91
but has been detached, by special order of General Rosecrans,
making a special selection of the Ninety-Second, without any
solicitation or knowledge on our part. Nothing but the good
reputation we bear could have secured to us this high and hon-
ored position. The Spencer Repeating Rifle is the arm we are
to use. With the Spencer Rifle one hundred men are as effect-
ive as five hundred with the Enfield. Our saddles are here.
Four hundred and forty horses will be here by noon ; and four
companies are now over Duck River, under charge of that excel-
lent and efficient officer and gentleman, Captain Horace J. Smith,
of Oregon. Six companies are here waiting for the equipments
which Lieutenant Colonel Sheets, now at Nashville, is pushing
forward as rapidly as possible. You may expect to hear of sharp
work from us soon, as our position (mounted infantry) will keep
us to the front of the invincible and advancing Army of the
Cumberland." On the nineteenth, the Ninety-Second, under the
command of Lieutenant Colonel Sheets, made its first march on
horseback, seven miles to Duck River, and joined Wilder's
brigade. Colonel Atkins was ordered, by telegraphic dispatch
from General Gordon Granger, to remain in command of the
brigade of infantry, which he had commanded more than six
months. He took the position that none but a department com-
mander could issvie such an order, and as the department com-
mander had detached his Regiment from the reserve corps, he
was also detached from that corps, and on the twenty-first, dis-
regarding Granger's order, he turned over the command Qf the
brigade to Colonel T. E. Champion, of the 96th Illinois^ and
himself joined the Ninety-Second, and assumed command of the
Regiment. On the twenty- second, a detail of two hundred
mounted men was ordered from the Ninety-Second to report to
Colonel John J. Funkhouser, of the gSth Illinois mounted in-
fantrv, to scout along Duck River, and pick up animals and able-
bodied contrabands. Colonel Atkins took command of the detail,
and reported to Colonel Funkhouser the entire detail under
Colonel Funkhouser, amounting to six hundred. On the twenty-
fifth, three hundred and eighty horses arrived from Nashville for
the Ninety-Second. On the twenty-sixth, at two P. M., the
Regiment marched, with Wilder's brigade, fifteen miles, to
Tullahoma. On the twentv-seventh, marched to Dechard, with
brigade, and joined division of Major General J. J. Reynolds, 4th
division, i4th army corps, Major General George H. Thomas
commanding. On the twenty-eighth, Colonel Atkins returned
*8 N1NBTT-SBCOND ILLINOIS.
with captured animals. The detail had a gala time of it; the
column marched west, on the north side of Duck River, through
Shelbyville, and as far west as Hickman county, capturing all
the horses and mules and able-bodied contrabands in the country.
Scouting parties were sent bv Colonel Funkhouser along the
south side of the river, capturing all they could, but moving
rapidly, and spreading the report that thev were the advance of a
column marching west on the south of the river. The citizens
would gather up their stock and contrabands, and make for the
north side of Duck River, to escape capture, and run into the very
column they were attempting to escape. The results of the
expedition were the capture of fiftv Rebel soldiers, found home
on furlough ; between sixteen and seventeen huridred horses and
mules, the horses to mount our men upon, the mules for the
wagon trains; and eight hundred able-bodied negroes, for muster
into a colored regiment. On the thirtieth, the camp was moved
to better grounds, the camp regularly laid out, policed and adorned
with evergreens. The strictest discipline was enforced. A
soldier, in his diary, under date of July thirty-first, 1863, writes:
" Not much of anything to do, but water, feed, groom and graze
our horses. In the evening \ve had dress parade, bv Regiment,
when something less than a thousand orders were read to us,
concerning roll-call, drills, feeding and watering our horses, and a
great many other things too numerous to mention. They were
so arranged as to keep a soldier busy every hour in the day, from
half past four in the morning until nine o'clock at night. This
we find to be the effect of lying in camp, where the officers have
nothing to do but manufacture orders." The Regiment was all
mounted, and on the first of August, all the Spencers not in use
in the other regiments of Wilder's brigade were turned over to
the Ninety-Second, enough to arm three companies, and the
lucky companies getting them were D, E and F. In the forenoon
of the second, there was inspection ; in the afternoon, regimental
drill ; in the evening, dress parade. The soldiers did not fancy
the drill and discipline, especially as the other regiments of
mounted infantry paid no attention to drill, discipline or cleanli-
ness of camp, and a soldier, in his diary, writes: "This is what
makes the thing military." The blacksmiths were busy shoeing
and branding the captured animals. On the fourth of August,
the Regiment held its first inspection on horseback. The sixth
was observed as a day of thanksgiving, agreeably to the procla-
mation of the President, and the thanksgiving dinners were
NINETT-SRCOND ILLINOIS. 93
composed of green corn, " sow-belly " and " Uncle Abe's plat-
form," as the boys called the " hard-tack." The Regiment was
addressed by the Chaplain and Colonel. The weather contiuned
intensely hot; on the ninth, a soldier was sun-struck while on
duty ; on the thirteenth, a soldier writes in his diary : " I was
again detailed on head-quarter's guard, and to-day had to stay
around to salute officers. It is certainly very disgusting to have
to walk backwards and forwards on a beat when the sun pours
down as hot as it does in this climate, and at this time of the
year, and see the red tape, the military pomp, the West Pointism
that is put on at our regimental head-quarters. In the after-
noon, it rained, making it a great deal more agreeable and
pleasant, as it was not so hot, and there were not so many officers
strutting around." Rations and forage were scarce, as " Rosy "
was using all the cars to get up hard-tack and ammunition for a
move. The men went foraging for their animals and themselves,
but the country was soon stripped ; no matter, the army was pre-
paring to leave it.
94 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
CHAPTER IV.
THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST CHATTANOOGA OVER THE CUMBER-
LAND MOUNTAINS ARTILLERY PRACTICE AT HARRISON'S
LANDING FIRST SCOUT ON LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN LEADING
THE ARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND INTO CHATTANOOGA CA-
TAWBA WINE FIGHTING FORREST AT RINGGOLD, GEORGIA
REBEL SPIES PRETENDING TO BE DESERTERS GORDON'S
MILL MARCHING DOWN LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN IN THE STORM
AND DARKNESS SCOUTING ALONG THE CHICAMAUGA BE-
FORE THE BATTLE THE BATTLE OF CHICAMAUGA How
McCooK's CORPS WAS SURPRISED AND ROUTED BACK TO
HARRISON'S LANDING A DYING WOMAN BACK AGAIN
OVER THE CUMBERLAND MOUNTAINS CAPERTON'S FERRY
OFF FOR HUNTSVILLE JUDGE HAMMOND'S PLANTATION
THE COLD NEW YEAR'S NIGHT, 1864 PULASKI, TENN.
BACK TO HUNTSVILLE SKIRMISH AT BAINBRIDGE FERRY
FIGHT AT SWEETWATER TRIANNA SCOUTING ALONG TIIK
TENNESSEE DETACHED FROM WILDER'S BRIGADE.
Sunday morning, August sixteenth, 1863, General Rosecrans'
army, that, since the advance on Tullahoma and Shelbyville, had
been scattered in camps about Dechard and Winchester, north of
the Cumberland Mountains, pushed out after Bragg, whose head-
quarters were then at Chattanooga, south of the Tennessee River.
The main army marched to Stevenson, and crossed the Tennessee
at Bridgeport and Caperton's Ferry, and swung off through the
mountain gorges, to the south and west of the Rebel strong-
hold. Wilder's brigade of mounted infantry, Minty's brigade of
cavalry, and Wagner's brigade of infantry, crossed the Cumberland
range into the Tennessee valley north of Chattanooga, with orders
to demonstrate stronglv, as if contemplating a crossing, at every
ford and ferrv on the Tennessee. At eleven A. M., the Regiment
marched, with Wilder's brigade, toward the mountain that loomed
up in the distance, and, in a heavy thunder-shower, climbed up its
side over a rocky road, down which the water rushed and roared,
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 95
and, after marching twelve miles, camped at University Place, on
the mountain-top The town is celebrated for its mineral springs,
and as being the seat of the college over which Bishop Polk, of
Tennessee, at that time a Confederate Major General in Bragg's
army, had presided. There were many beautiful residences in
the place; among them Bishop Folk's, and the mountain village
had been quite a resort in summer for Southern people. A sol-
dier, on the seventeenth, writes in his diary : "This morning I
took my horse to graze on a spot high enough to overlook the
valley below. Beneath where I stood, over the valley hung a
heavy cloud, and where it hung, no portion of the valley could be
seen; and, looking from above on the clouds beneath me, I com-
pared the scene to a storm-tossed ocean. One cloud would be
higher than another, and all in constant motion, like the changing
billows of the sea 3 and all moving slowly down the valley. Such
a beautiful sight of the marvelous works of nature I never be-
fore looked upon. By and by, as the sun approached the zenith,
the clouds lifted higher and higher, until I could see the long
winding valley, as it stretched far off in the distance. It looked
to me like the prettiest land in the world, and as if the happiest
people on earth might reside there. But, alas! when I marched
through the valley, how different the scene ! Deserted log cab-
ins, a few only occupied by negroes that lived as best they
could. War had laid its destructive hand upon the valley. Hu-
man habitations were deserted, and even the birds refused to sing,
and nothing was heard but the neighing of horses, braying of
mules, the rumble of cannon wheels and wagon trains." On the
seventeenth, the Regiment marched about twenty miles, and
camped, still on the mountain. On the eighteenth, marched
early, passed Tracy City, a coal-mining town, and again camped
on the mountain. Marched at seven o'clock, on the morning ot
the nineteenth, and, a little after noon, descended into the Se-
quatchie Valley. On going down the mountain, the advance had
a brisk little skirmish with the enemy, and camped early. Com-
pany A was on picket on the Jasper road, and was fired upon by
the enemy, when Colonel Wilder sent out four companies of the
1 7th Indiana, who killed one, and wounded one, of the enemy
and captured eight prisoners. Another party, sent out by Colonel
Wilder on another road, surprised a party of Rebel conscript
officers in a church, killed two, wounded four, and captured
twenty ; among them eight Union men, three of whom had been
sentenced to be shot the next dav, but whose lives were saved by
96 NINBTT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
the whole party being captured by the Yankees. These moun-
tainous regions were full of Union men, and the vilest scum of
the Rebel army was sent to conscript them into the Rebel ser-
vice. The atrocities committed by the conscripting parties
surpassed belief. They were too cowardly to fight in battle, but
ferociously brutal toward the defenseless Union men who fell
into their power. The Union men in the mountain regions
of Tennessee carried their lives in their hands. On the twen-
tieth, two companies of the Ninety-Second were sent back to
Tracy City to guard the supply trains. The mountain is about
twenty-five hundred feet high, and it is two miles up the steep
and winding road from the valley to the mountain top. On the
twenty-first, the brigade crossed Walden's Ridge, a continuation
of Lookout Mountain on the north side of the river, and camped
at Poe's Tavern, in the valley of the Tennessee. The scenery,
from the top of Walden's Ridge above Poe's Tavern, is very
beautiful. Below lies the valley of the Tennessee, some ten
miles broad, through which the river winds like a thread of
silver; off to the south lies the city of Chattanooga, twelve miles
distant. As the Regiment commenced descending, a party of
officers dismounted, and standing on a jutting rock that appar-
ently was overhanging the valley, thev could, with a field glass,
plainly see the streets of Chattanooga, swarming with the
army wagons of Bragg's army. On the river, ten miles above
the city, was seen a little steamer, flying the Confederate flag,
slowly moving northward. The day was beautiful, and the
officers lingered until shouts in the valley called them to
join the Regiment. On the twenty-second, Colonel Wilder
marched down the valley toward Chattanooga, leaving the
Ninety-Second and two pieces of rifled artillery to scout the
country, and demonstrate at the fords and ferries above and be-
low Dallas, on the Tennessee. The Regiment marched to Har-
rison's Landing. A Rebel picket was found on the top of the hill
where the road commences to descend to the Tennessee River,
but rapidly fell back, and crossed in a flat-boat to the other side.
The enemv had a fort on the hill, back some distance from the
water-front, in which were mounted three pieces of artillery ; and
close to the bank of the river were rifle pits, along the top of
which the gray-coated soldiers were leisurely pacing. A large
frame house stood on the bank of the river, on the side occupied
bv the Ninety-Second, in the vard of which the Colonel stood,
examining the Rebel works across the river with hi? glass, when
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 97
the Rebel officer of the day, with his sash across his shoulder,
rode down the hill from the fort, rapidly dismounted and kneeled
under a tree, on the opposite side of the river, and the Colonel
was endeavoring to discover what he was doing, when a puff of
white smoke informed him that the Rebel officer was firing a rifle,
and soon after the leaden messenger passed over the Colonel,
through the side of the house, and through the arm of William
C. Patterson, a member of Company D, the first soldier in the
Ninety-Second to be hit by the enemy. The men of the Ninety-
Second took position along the river's edge, and, concealed by
the undergrowth, opened a fire on the sentries leisurely pacing on
top of the Rebel rifle-pits, who quit marching their beats. The
Enfields would not carry across the river without a double
charge of powder, but the Spencers, with which three companies
were armed, carried over very accurately. The men of the
Ninety-Second had the advantage ; they were concealed from the
view of the enemy by the undergrowth along the river's edge,
and their position could only be guessed by the puff of white
smoke from their rifles; while, if the enemy put their heads
above the bare earth-work they were behind, they made fair
marks for our men. After practicing at long range across the
Tennessee for an hour, the Regiment withdrew and returned to
the vicinity pf Poe's Tavern. A scouting party up the river
found a small Rebel steamer concealed in a creek, and burned it.
On Sunday, August twenty-third, the Ninety-Second lay in
camp, listening to the guns of Wilder, Minty, and Wagner, shel-
ling Chattanooga from the north side of the river. On the next
day, the Ninety-Second returned to Harrison's Landing, and
planted two pieces of artillery on the hill; the three cannon of
the enemy in their fort were plainly discernable, the Rebel gun-
ners sitting on the parapet, smoking and whittling, out of the
range of musketry. The enemy had cut hazel brush and
willows, and thickly covered the top of their rifle-pits at the
water-front with them. We could not see their heads when they
fired as we could before, when the earth-work was bare. The
Lieutenant of the artillery was a long time in getting ready, and
when the Colonel urged him to hurry up, and give them a few
shots, the Lieutenant said he was waiting to get the range; he
wanted a man to stand up on the parapet of the Rebel fort, and
let him look at him through a little brass instrument the Lieu-
tenant held in his hand, by which he could tell the distance
within a few feet. An accommodating Rebel soon stood up for a
98 NINETT-SBCOND ILLINOIS.
moment, and the Lieutenant sighted him with his instrument,
took out a paper and figured a while with a pencil, carefully cut
two shells, and loaded his pieces, sighted them, apparently at the
sky, and let them both off at once. The smoke cleared away,
and not a gun or Rebel could be seen again about that fort.
The Colonel tried his hand at sighting artillery. The first shell
he fired went into the Tennessee River ; the second bursted in the
air far beyond the Rebel fort. He gave it up, and the Lieuten-
ant of artillery kept up the firing leisurely for an hour or more,
the enemy not replying. It was not known then what injury our
artillery had done, but a copy of the Daily Chattanooga Rebel,
printed the next day, contained a statement that the first two
shots, fired with so much care by the Lieutenant of artillery,
had dismounted one of the Rebel guns, and killed four Rebel
soldiers. The Regiment moved up to Dallas, and let fly a few
shots from the artillery at a Rebel picket post on the opposite
side of the ferry, and scattered it into the woods out of range,
when the command returned to the Chattanooga road, a few
miles south of Poe's Tavern, and encamped, and lay there,
scouting to the various ferries along the Tennessee River, until
the fourth of September. Men and animals subsisted entirely
upon the country, and the only food procurable was green corn,
unripe sweet potatoes, and green peaches, and as the men were
generally in bad health when leaving Dechard, there was fear
that their diet would soon put the entire Regiment into the hospi-
tal ; but directly the reverse was true ; their vegetable diet agreed
with them, and by the fourth of September the men of the Regi-
ment were in robust health. The enemy at Harrison's Landing
would sometimes send over the ferry boat after daylight, and,
occasionally, a squad of Rebel horsemen, who would come out
to our pickets, fire a shot or two, and hasten back. One morning,
at one o'clock, a detail went to Harrison's with instructions to
dismount, and approach through the woods, dividing in two
parties, one some distance from the Landing, and one near it, and
to keep concealed in the thickets. Soon after sunrise the con-
cealed men heard the Rebels hallooing across, and they were
soon answered by the women in the house, at the Landing, waving
a handkerchief, the signal, that no Yanks were about. Six horse-
men, and a few dismounted men, soon entered the flat-boat and
paddled slowly across the river. The Rebel horsemen mounted
and rode up to the house, conversed with the women, and cau-
tiously kept on up the road, when the party below them stepped
NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 99
into the road behind them, and another party in front of them.
They saw they were trapped, and did not attempt to fight, but
quieth' surrendered. The men then charged for the ferry boat,
but the Rebels in it shoved it from shore, laid down, and paddled
with one hand over the side of the flat-boat ; it floated off down
the river, slowly making for the other shore. The house on the
river bank caught fire and burned down. On the third of Sep-
tember, 1863, company K was on picket duty on the north bank
of the Tennessee River, opposite Harrison's Landing; the enemy,
in their rifle-pits, on the other side of the river, kept up a pro-
miscuous firing. Company K replied with-spirit, wounding, as the
company believed, many of the gray-coats. In the firing, James
Mullarky, a brave and faithfull soldier of Company K, was
wounded, being the second man in the Ninety-Second to be hit
with Rebel lead, and he still carries the 'Rebel musket-ball in his
arm. On the fourth of September, the Ninety-Second reported
to Colonel Wilder, near Chattanooga, and found that it had been
ordered to report to General Thomas, for scouting duty, he hav-
ing no mounted men with him, all being with Wilder and Minty
on the left of the army, or with McCook on the right. The Regi-
ment, with two brass guns, moved immediately to Thurman,
where Major Bohn, with Companies I and H, with wagon train,
joined th,e Regiment. Moved early the next morning, marched
twenty-two miles down the Sequatchie valley. The valley is
usually not more than three or four miles wide, and walled in by
very high and exceedingly abrupt mountain ranges, the bare
rocky walls, in places, rising twenty-five hundred feet above the
valley ; the river is a beautiful mountain stream, and the bottom
lands very fertile. It seems to be the natural home of the
weeping willow, and the most beautiful specimens of that grace-
ful tree were seen, some of them of enormous growth, their long
pendant branches nearlv sweeping the earth. Camped at Jasper.
Marched at daylight next morning, crossed the Tennessee on the
pontoon bridge at Bridgeport, and marching ten miles on the
south side of the river, went into camp at Cave Spring, where
the Rebels had extensive saltpeter works, leaching the earth
gathered from the floors of the huge cave in the mountain. Some
of the men and officers went far into the cave; and the band
played, expecting the cave to give back wonderful echoes, but it
didn't. Marched on the seventh, at daylight, climbed and crossed
Raccoon Mountain, and down into Trenton vallev. Marched
again at daylight, and reported to General Thomas at about ten
loo NINETT-SRCOND ILLINOIS.
o'clock in the morning, in Trenton vallev, and was, by him,
directed to report to Major General Reynolds, who directed the
Colonel to put his Regiment into camp, and shoe his horses.
The animals were in bad condition. At one o'clock, a detail of
fifty men, on picked horses, under Captain Van Buskirk, of
Company E, was sent on a scout to the top of Lookout Mountain.
They climbed the west side of the rugged mountain by an unused
bridle-path, the first blue-coated soldiers ever on Lookout,
pushed the Rebel pickets to Surnmertown, in plain sight of
Chattanooga, and returned about ten o'clock at night, with
authentic information of the evacuation of Chattanooga by
Bragg's army. The Colonel was ordered to report to General
Rosecrans, who gave him written orders to take the advance into
Chattanooga, marching at four o'clock, on the morning of the
ninth, with orders to all infantry commanders to give the Ninety-
Second the road ; and the Colonel was directed to go into the
town of Chattanooga, and send General Rosecrans prompt
information; and then to return with his Regiment and report to
General Rosecrans; and as they parted General Rosecrans said:
"The flag of the Ninety-Second will wave first in Chattanooga."
The Regiment marched promptly, and passed long lines of
infantry that gave the road, until the Colonel came up to the di-
vision of General Wood. The Colonel rode forward and showed
his orders to General Wood, who criticised them and hesitated,
but finally halted his command, and the Ninety-Second passed
through it. The enemy's pickets were struck at the foot of
Lookout, and pushed along up the mountain. Company F was
dismounted, and on foot, from behind the rocks and trees, gave
back shot for shot to the gray-coats sullenly falling back in front
of them, until the mountain top was reached, when Wilder's
artillery, from Moccasan Point, on the north side of the river,
sent its screaming shells into our ranks. The skirmish line
halted, and two volunteers, from the Ninety-Second, good
swimmers, were directed to swim the Tennessee, and inform our
brigade battery that its shells were bursting among the men of
its own brigade ; but a soldier who had served in the signal corps
was along, and, tieing his white handkerchief by the corners to
a couple of straight hazel-sticks, he soon acquainted the troops
over the river with the situation, and the battery ceased firing,
and the. Ninety-Second's skirmish line pushed on. Just at this
juncture, a staff officer of General Wood rode up to the Colonel
and "said: " General Wood directs that you report to him." The
NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 101
Colonel ordered the skirmish line and Regiment to push along,
and then rode back to the head of Wood's division of infantry,
and said to General Wood: " Did you send for me?" Wood re-
plied : " Yes, Colonel ; I wanted to say to you, that if you have
any difficulty I will reinforce you." The Colonel replied : " Oh,
is that all?" and again returned to the head of the Ninety-
Second, and found it just commencing the descent into the
Chattanooga valley. The Regimental colors were sent forward to
the advance, and it was ordered to go at a gallop from the foot
of the mountain into Chattanooga. Soon afterward, General
Wood rode up to the head of the column, accompanied by one of
his Brigade Commanders, with his brigade colors, but without
any troops, who dashed ahead ; but the colors of the Ninety-
Second with Company F were already flying through the valley,
two miles ahead of Wood's Brigade Commander. General
Wood told the Colonel that he must go to Rossville with the
Ninety-Second, and not send any of his troops into the town ; but
was pointed to the column of dust in the valley creeping rapidly
toward Chattanooga, and told that the advance of the Ninety-
Second would be in the town within five minutes. At ten o'clock
A. M. of September gth, 1863, the flag of the Ninety-Second
was waving over the Crutchfield House, the first Union flag to
wave in Chattanooga, as General Rosecrans had predicted, not-
withstanding Wood's efforts to detain the Regiment. The
remainder of the Regiment broke into a gallop at the foot of the
mountain, and was soon in Chattanooga. Scouts were sent out
on all the roads. Two companies went as far as Rossville, skir-
mishing with the Rebels falling back. Negroes and citizens
were brought to the Colonel, and the completest information
gathered regarding the evacuation, and an account of a rumor
among negroes and whites that Bragg was to be reinforced from
the Rebel army in front of Richmond, and give Rosecrans
battle shortlv, sent, by special courier, to General Rosecrans. At
twelve o'clock, General Crittenden arrived in Chattanooga. At
one o'clock, having rested horses and men in the railroad depot
at Chattanooga, the Ninety-Second was preparing, as ordered to
do, to return and report to General Rosecrans in Trenton valley,
when General Crittenden sent for the Colonel, and commanded
him to proceed with his Regiment to the mouth of the Chica-
mauga, north-east of Chattanooga, and drive away the enemy, so
that Colonel Wilder, with the balance of the brigade, could cross
the Tennessee there. The Regiment moved at once, under the
lot NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
orders of General Crittenden, driving the enemy easily, and the
advance reached the mouth of the creek just before dark, and
found Colonel Wilder already crossing. The Regiment camped
nine miles north of Chattanooga, in the Chicamauga valley, on a
grape plantation. Forage was abundant for the animals ; and the
huge wine cellars in the ample barn contained abundance of the
purest and best Catawba wine. There were many temperance
men in the Regiment, who did not try the wine ; but there were
also many men who did try it, and the camp was a jolly one. On
the next morning, the tenth, with forage bags full of forage, and
canteens full of Catawba, the Ninety-Second was preparing to
march back through Chattanooga, and report to General Rose-
crans, when Colonel Wilder ordered the Regiment to march
with the brigade, which it did, on the road to Ringgold, and
camped with Wilder's brigade at Grey ville, where a Rebel mail
was captured, and merry times had at the brigade head-quarters,
reading the letters of the Rebel soldiers to their families and
sweethearts. During the night, Colonel Wilder received orders
to send the Ninety-Second to report to General Rosecrans, at
Lafayette ; and the Regiment pushed out at daylight, in advance
of the brigade, and soon struck the Rebel pickets, and, about a
a mile north of Ringgold, found the enemy in force. The Regi-
ment was dismounted, and formed in line of battle on the edge of
a field, the enemy forming a line mounted, at the same time, on
the opposite side of the field. The Ninety-Second had scarcely
formed, when the enmy's line, about five hundred strong, moved
out at walk, and, entering a depression in the field, were lost
to sight ; they soon came in sight again, and broke into a trot, and
then a charge ; but they were hotly received, the entire Regiment
fighting coolly, and the three Spencer companies greatly aided
in pouring in a fire the enemy could not stand ; and they wavered,
broke, and retreated, leaving thirteen of their dead upon the field.
Only four were wounded in the Ninety-Second, all of Company
F: Sergeant Harvey Ferrin, Corporal Eben C- Winslow, private
George E. Marl, and private Frederick Petermier, whose horse
was killed, his gun-stock shattered into fragments, and he caught
a flattened Rebel bullet in his wallet. In an instant, there was
a yell from a Rebel reinforcing column that had come up from
Ringgold, and the line we had turned back reformed, and, re-
inforced, commenced a second charge. Just at this instant.
Colonel Wilder came up, with Captain Lilly, of the brigade bat-
tery, and two guns, and Lillv unlimbered under the enemy's fire,
NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 103
and sent his shell screaming up the road. Lilly was a dashing
soldier, and a splendid artilleryist, and his shots were always sent
to the right spot. Hardly had the reverberation of his first two
shots died away, when he heard two answering shots, but no
shell came toward us. The charging Rebel column halted.
Lilly worked his guns lively, for five or six rounds, and the
answering shots came regularly, but it was evident that no one
was firing at us. Wilder ordered the Regiment forward, and for-
ward it went, Wilder himself in the middle of the road, on the
skirmish line, revolver in hand, and telling the boys both sides of
the road : " Dress on me, boys." But Wilder and Companies F
and E, in the advance, pushed so rapidly that the Regiment on
foot could not keep up, and it was mounted and pushed after the
advance, but did not come up to it until Ringgold was reached,
where we learned that General Van Cleve, with his division of
infantry, had approached Ringgold, on the Rossville road, and it
was his guns we had heard. Forrest made lively time through
Ringgold Gap, and narrowly escaped capture with one ot his
brigades. Anticipating that the road to Lafayette was held by
the enemy, a scout was sent out, and soon returned with the
information that the road was held by the gray-coats in strong
force. A quantity of corn in bags was captured at the depot in
Ringgold, and with two feeds in forage sacks, the Ninety-Second
again left the brigade, and took the road to Rossville.' When a
few miles from Ringgold, and just as the advance was descending
a wooded hill, considerable commotion was observed in the val-
ley below. With a glass a Union wagon train was seen going
into camp ; and on a road south of the wagon train, running at
right angles with the road the Ninety-Second was marching on,was
observed a considerable column of Rebel cavalry. The citizens
said there were seven hundred Rebels. The artillery was unlim-
bered and placed in position, and the Regiment dismounted;
when the Rebels, with a yell, charged on the camp of the unsus-
pecting Yankee teamsters. The Rebels did not anticipate the
reception the Ninety-Second gave them ; and as our artillery and
musketry opened, they turned about and left, without capturing
a wagon, or firing more than a few pistol shots at the Ninety-
Second. Captain Hawk, with two companies, followed the
Rebels about two miles. The march was resumed ; and along
the road were found, every now and then, a Rebel soldier claim-
ing to be a deserter from Bragg's army; and, bv orders from
General Rosecrans, they were not arrested, but told to go on their
104 NINETT-SBCOND ILLINOIS.
way home. It was apparent to every soldier in the Ninety-
Second that these straggling Rebels were spies, and not deserters ;
they were clean, well clad, in good health, and, in general intelli-
gence, the brightest soldiers of the rank and file of the Rebel
army. Such men are not often deserters; it is the ill-clad, unwell,
down-hearted, home-sick men who desert their colors. But
orders were orders; and these straggling Rebels were left unmo-
lested, to watch the movements of the Union troops on every
road ; and they must have been terribly puzzled to understand the
marching and countermarching of the columns they looked upon.
The infatuation of a Union General, who, by published orders,
invited his enemy to fill his camp with spies, has ever remained
a mystery. The Regiment camped at Rossville after dark. The
Colonel, confident that General Rosecrans was not in Lafayette,
sent an officer, at daybreak the next morning, to learn if Rose-
crans was in Chattanooga, and waited until nine o'clock; and,
receiving no information, the Ninety-Second took the Lafayette
road, from Rossville south, and struck the Rebel picket, which
fell back, without fighting, at Gordon's Mill, about one o'clock
P. M. The advance was halted at the Mill, and horses fed from
a cornfield, and a feed of corn put into forage bags; and as the
Regiment was preparing to move forward, an orderly, from
General Rosecrans, rode up with orders to the Colonel to send
his Regiment to the foot of Lookout Mountain, on the Summer-
town road, and report in person for further orders to General-
Rosecrans, in Chattanooga; it thereby becoming apparent that
the Regiment could not report to him in Lafayette. Before the
Regiment could take the road, it was filled with a division of
infantry marching south, that found its journey southward im
peded by a heavy force of Rebel infantry, just beyond Gordon's
Mill ; so strong, indeed, that no troops under Rosecrans ever
marched any farther south on that road. As soon as the road
was cleared of the infantry division, the Ninety-Second retraced
its march to Rossville, and on to the foot of Lookout Mountain.
The Colonel rapidly rode to Chattanooga, and was ordered bv
General Rosecrans to open communication with General George
H. Thomas, somewhere on the top of Lookout Mountain, south
of Chattanooga. An hour before sundown, the Colonel returned,
and the men dismounted, and, leading their horses, began the
toilsome ascent of Lookout Mountain, the head of the column
reaching the summit near dark. A storm had come up, and !he
rain poured down in torrents. The Regiment on the mountain
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 105
top was enveloped in the clouds, that seemed to sweep the very
ground. A guide was pressed into service, and leaving a squad
of men belonging to Company K, as a courier post at Summer-
town, the Regiment pushed along down the top of the mountain
in the storm and darkness, establishing frequent courier stations
with the men of Company K, until all of that company were on
such duty, and then with the men of Company C, exhausting
that company also. It was a tedious march; the storm, con-
tinuous, and the darkness so thick it could be felt; the animals
and men weary, and many of the men would fall asleep upon
their horses. It was a rough road, and the artillery was contin-
ually falling in rear. The head of the column would halt; and
when the artillery closed up in rear, the Commander of the
Artillery would cry out, " Artillery closed up;" and it would be
taken up by the officers along the line, until the head of the col-
umn was informed, when it would push along, feeling its way in
the darkness. During these halts, many of the exhausted men
laid down by the road-side; and when the column started, their
horses would keep their places in the ranks ; but it was so dark
that their companions could not tell whether the horses had riders
or not, until they found the saddles empty in the morning. At
three A. M., the picket of General Thomas halted the column.
The Regiment went into bivouac: and the Colonel, accompanied
by Major Lawver, proceeded to General Thomas's head-quarters
to deliver his dispatches, which he accomplished at four o'clock
A. M. on September twelfth, and by six o'clock A. M. of that day,
had returned a letter twenty-five miles over the courier line, and
placed it in the hands of General Rosecrans, at Chattanooga. At
nine A. M., the exhausted men were roused; and an hour after-
ward, the Regiment moved down off from Lookout Mountain to
the east, by Cooper's Gap, leaving Companies K and C on cou-
rier duty, and they did not join the Regiment again until long
after the battle of Chicamauga. Details were sent out for forage,
and the Regiment rested at the foot of Cooper's Gap. On the
thirteenth, the Regiment moved farther into the valley, and
camped at Pond Spring. On the fourteenth, the Ninety-Second
moved at daylight, with orders to scout along the north-west side
of the Chicamauga River, and open communication with Gene-
ral Crittenden at Crawfish Springs, and inform General Critten-
den of the position of the Union troops. Every road and
path crossing the Chic miauga was found picketed by the Rebel
pickets; reached Crawfish Springs at eleven o'clock, and came
13
io6 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
very near being fired upon by the Union infantry there encamped,
who insisted that the Rebels had been seen a little while before
on the road by which the Regiment approached; learned that
Crittenden had marched toward Lookout Mountain ; rested half
an hour, and fed our animals. A strong scouting party was sent
back to Pond Spring, by the road just marched over, and the
Regiment followed on the road Crittenden had taken. The
scouting party found the Rebel videttes occupying the same sta-
tions as before, at every crossing and path over the Chicamauga,
and the woods full of Rebel soldiers, claiming to be deserters
from the Rebel army, which they depicted as in full retreat.
Orders were obeyed, and they were not molested. Three roads
were found over which Bragg's forces had moved from Chatta-
nooga, evidencing the fact that he had deployed his army south
and east of the Chicamauga. If in full retreat, with the abundant
leisure at Bragg's disposal, his columns would not move by di-
visions over unfrequented roads, leading nowhere except into the
dense forests south and east of the Chicamauga. Crittenden's
command was found, while it was halting for a rest, at about two
o'clock P. M. The Colonel had been directed to explain to Gene-
ral Crittenden the position of the Union troops, and did so ; and
informed him that everv road and path across the Chicamauga
was held by the enemy. General Crittenden very testily replied
that there was no enemy between him and Lafayette. He found
out for himself afterward, and to his cost. The Regiment re-
turned to Pond Spring, and the result of the scout was officially
reported. During the night, the Colonel was ordered to deliver a
sealed letter to General Crittenden, from General Rosecrans, and
he detailed a Corporal and four men to carry it ; the Corporal
found General Crittenden's head-quarters, at four o'clock A. M.
on the fifteenth, but at first, was refused permission to deliver his
dispatch, as General Crittenden had ordered that his slumbers
must not be disturbed. But the Corporal persisted, and delivered
his letter to the General in person while Crittenden was Iving in
bed; and, by insisting upon it, received from him a written receipt
for the package, which was returned to the Colonel. During the
fifteenth and sixteenth, the Regiment lay in camp at Pond Spring,
sending scouting parties, as ordered, in every direction, except
across the Chicamauga. That was a locality not comfortable to
scout in; and it appeared as if there was no anxiety to learn any-
thing about its topography, or who occupied it. Just at dark, on
the sixteenth, General Rosecrans and staff rode by the camp, and
NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 107
there soon came an order to the Colonel to report to General Rose-
crans, at the head-quarters of General Reynolds, and the Colonel
did so, when General Rosecrans demanded to know why his
dispatch to General Crittenden, on the evening of the fourteenth,
had not been promptly delivered; and he was informed that it was
promptly delivered at Crittenden's head-quarters before daylight
the next morning, and Crittenden's receipt was handed to General
Rosecrans. He then sent for the Corporal who delivered it, and
inquired of him all the particulars, as to where and at what time
his orders to Crittenden were delivered. The Colonel detailed all
the iniormation the Regiment had obtained scouting. Generals
Rosecrans, Thomas, McCook, Reynolds, Baird and others were
present. The Colonel expressed it as his opinion that Bragg was
in force in the immediate front, when McCook, even more testily
than Crittenden had before done, replied that there was no enemy
to amount to anything between them and Lafayette ; that he could
march his command into Lafayette without the loss of five men.
Alas, for McCook! he learned for himself, too, afterward, and not
wholly to the credit of h,is sagacity or generalship. General
Thomas quietly, but very persistently and patiently, inquired about
the topography of the country the Ninety-Second had scouted over,
the roads and bridges across the Chicamauga, and listened
silently and attentively to the detail of all that the Ninety-Second
had learned regarding the country or the enemy. On the morn-
ing of the seventeenth, Company E, Captain Van Buskirk, was
ordered to report to General J. B. Turchin, whose brigade made a
reconnoissance to the foot of Pidgeon Mountain, at Dug Gap,
where he found the enemy in strong force, and fought desperately
all day. The Regiment was ordered out also, and spent the day
in scouting around the flanks of Turchin's command, finding a
considerable body of Rebel cavalry on his right flank. While
Company E was holding the valley road, on Turchin's right, a
heavy column of dust was observed approaching from the south.
McCook was expected from that direction ; and, after barricading
the road, not desiring to fire into our troops, Corporal Henry
Schlosser, of Company E, of Forreston, was sent up the road waiv-
ing his handkerchief. He was taken prisoner, and died in Ander-
sonville grave 2,585. While taking back the horses, private
Charles H. Giles, of Company E, of Baileyville, was instantly
killed. The enemy charged the barricade held by Company E, but
did not take it. John Evans, private Company E, of Polo, was
wounded. At sundown the fighting ceased, and the Regiment
io8 NINBTr-SECOND ILLINOIS.
went into camp on the old ground at Pond Spring. Charles H.
Giles was the first man killed in the Regiment. He was buried
that night near Pond Spring, by the light of fat pine torches, with
appropriate ceremonies by the Chaplain. On the eighteenth, the
Regiment remained in camp most ot the day. The men had noth-
ing to eat except green corn, and the animals nothing at all. A
few scouting parties were sent out. At two P. M., learning that
the brigade train was a few miles up the valley, the Regiment
marched to the train and drew three days' rations and one day's
forage, and returned to camp at Pond Spring. At daylight, on
September nineteenth, the Regiment was in the saddle, and
marched slowly with the infantry columns on the road toward
Gordon's and Chattanooga. At eight o'clock, the artillery and
musketry firing by a portion of Thomas's corps became heavy and
continuous. About ten o'clock A. M. the Ninety-Second was
ordered into line near Widow Glenn's house, where General Rose-
crans made his head-quarters. A soldier writes: " A man came
along and asked, ' What regiment is this in line here?' I answered,
' The Ninety-Second Illinois, Wilder's Brigade.' ' That is good,'
said the man. I turned and looked at him, and saw the buttons
in groups of three on his coat, his shoulder-straps being hidden by
a common cavalry overcoat. When he says, looking at the men
coming out of the woods in front of the Regiment, ' What men
are those coming up there?' I said, 'I am told that is Hazen's
Brigade.' He then inquired rapidly, ' What does it mean? Where
is that fighting? How long has it been going on? What troops
are engaged? How far is that from here? What does that dust
mean? What does it mean?' To these questions I answered as
promptly and definitely as I knew how, for I saw I was in the
presence of the General commanding. He gave directions to his
men to open the road in the rear, and to establish his head-quarters
at the house, and immediately up went a field telegraph line." In
a few minutes General Rosecrans ordered the Regiment to throw
down the fence in its front and on the farther side of the field,
which was done, and the Regiment remained there about an hour,
when orders came from General Reynolds to move farther toward
the left, and the Regiment mounted and galloped up the road a
mile or more, and found General Reynolds, who ordered it into a
thick piece of woods. The men dismounted and held their horses,
and stray bullets from the Rebels rattled over the Regiment, cut-
ting the leaves on the trees. After some time the Regiment was
ordered to cross to the west side of the road, and go beyond a hill,
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS, 109
and hitch the horses in the woods, out of danger, and return dis-
mounted, General Reynolds saying that all his troops were hotly
engaged, and that the Ninety-Second was his only reserve. The
Regiment soon dismounted, hitched their horses to the trees, and
marched back to General Reynolds, who was found on a hill
having himself crossed to the west side of the road, and the Ninety-
Second was directed to reinforce King's brigade of Reynolds' di-
vision, and the Regiment marched down the hill, and just before
crossing the road at the foot of the hill the troops of King's brig-
ade came out of the woods beyond, in disorder and retreating.
General Reynolds ordered the Ninety-Second to return to the top
of the hill and form in line. The order was executed with difficulty
under the straggling fire of the enemy, the men obeying orders
and falling into line while the soldiers of King's broken brigade,
in full retreat, poured through the Regiment and by its flanks, pur-
sued by the gray-coated Rebels. The Ninety-Second poured into
the enemy a heavy fire, which halted the Rebel advance at the
edge of the timber at the farther side of the open field and across
the road : but they kept up a light fire for a little while, from the
timber, and then they came out in a long line of battle, stretching
far beyond both flanks of the Ninety-Second, and again the cool
fire of the Regiment, and a battery of artillery on its left, sent the
enemy in their immediate front back to the cover of the timber
across the road; but the flanks were being enveloped, and the
Ninety-Second could not alone repulse the yelling gray -coats, who
had just broken the line of King's entire brigade, and, flushed with
victory, were pressing forward their steady line of battle, and the
Ninety-Second was ordered to fall back to the horses and mount.
It was but the work of a moment, and the Regiment was soon be-
yond the range of the Rebel infantry. The loss in this engage-
ment was: In Company A, Lieutenant William Cox, wounded;
Sergeant Legrand M. Cox, severely wounded. In Company B,
Sergeant William F.Campbell, wounded; private John D. Mc-
Sherry, killed; private James J. Guthrie, wounded; private Edgar
S. Lent, wounded. Company C, private James T. Halleck, killed.
Company D, private Charles J. Reed, killed; private Jacob M.
Snyder, wounded. Company E, private John Donohue, mortally
wounded; private Coates L. Wilson, mortally wounded ; private
John J. Thompson, severely wounded ; private Jacob Sellers,
killed. Company G, Lieutenant William McCammons, severely
wounded; private James Foreman, wounded; Corporal Joseph B.
Train, wounded ; private Ernest Koller, wounded ; private Nathan
no NINBTT-SBCOND ILLINOIS.
Corning, killed. Company H, Sergeant Roster J. Preston, killed ;
Sergeant John M. Hendricks, severely wounded; private William
S. Harlin, mortally wounded; private Cyrus Eyster, wounded.
Company!, Sergeant William H. Price, wounded ; Corporal James
A. Colehour, wounded ; Corporal James A. Bigger, killed.
There were many horses lost, not by Rebel shot, however, but
taken by the straggling infantry, while the Ninety-Second was
absent from them. The Regiment never dismounted after that,
without leaving a guard with their horses. Once out of range of
the enemy, the query arose of what to do. The Regiment was
without orders, and many troops were streaming off toward Chat-
tanooga; but the Ninety-Second was not demoralized by its effort
to retrieve the disaster to King's brigade, although it was .a fruit-
less effort, and the Regiment had met with loss. The Regi-
ment sought the left flank of the troops of the enemy that had
broken through the Union lines, in the gap left when King's
brigade was pushed back, found it, passed by it, and in its rear,
and found Wilder's brigade, and went into line of battle on Wil-
der's left, filling a part of the very gap made by the Union repulse,
where the Regiment lay in line of battle all night, listening to
the agonizing cries of the wounded calling for water; and, before
daylight, on the twentieth, was stretched out in line of battle on
horseback, to hold Wilder's brigade front, while the balance
of the brigade went back a mile or more, and formed in line on
the right of McCook's corps, on a range of hills. When it grew
light, the enemy was seen along the front, and there was a little
skirmishing, but the firing gradually ceased, and the Rebels ven-
tured out into the open field in _our front, to pick up their
wounded. The men of the Ninety-Second saw them carrying
them back, and had no heart to fire upon them while engaged in
such a work. Wilder had been charged by the gray-coats several
times, over that open field, the day before, and his Spencers had
punished them severely. Wilder's brigade was invincible; it
never failed to repulse a charge, and never was repulsed when
charging. Not long after sunrise, a heavy column of Rebel
troops, in column of regiments, was observed passing by the left
flank of the Ninety-Second, moving very slowly, making not a
sound, unaccompanied by an officer on horseback, and frequently
halting, as the light skirmish line in front of them would halt.
Information was sent to McCook, who irritably denied the truth-
fulness of the information. Little by little, the gray-coated
soldiers of the enemy, and, as silently as darkness, crept along.
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. rn
It was said to be Longstreet's corps. Their skirmish line was
but lightly engaged; but the heavy column of the enemy, some-
times dropping down on the ground, concealed in the corn-field,
or by the thick underbrush, slowly, steadily pushed t9ward Mc-
Cook's left. Lieutenant Colonel Sheets, of the Ninety-Second,
was sent to see McCook in person, and saw him, detailing to him
the information, and was most abruptly and ungraciously received
by McCook. The Ninety-Second could make no impression by
attacking such a dense mass of the enemy; nor could it do so
without positive disobedience to orders, by leaving the position it
was assigned to hold. The Rebel column was far off on its left
flank, and had far passed it, and McCook was again informed of
the coming avalanche, but he would not heed the information, or
do what he might easily have done, push out a few regiments of
his own troops, and demonstrate the truthfulness, or otherwise, of
the information repeatedly sent him. Hours passed by, and then
that quiet, creeping, heavy column of Rebel regiments sprang
upon the left of McCook's corps with a yell, and with irresistible
force. Although McCook had been repeatedly informed of the
approach of that column of the enemy in such overwhelming
power, it was a perfect surprise to him. In less than ten minutes
his left was irretrievably lost, and the amazed and astonished
General looked on helplessly, his corps broken into fragments,
and floating off from the battle-field in detachments and squads,.
like flecks of foam upon a stream. The eight companies of the
Ninety-Second, on horseback, were scattered out in a thin line,
covering a brigade front, the men only in talking distance of each
other, and were the only advanced troops in front of McCook, and
were really in front of the right of his corpse; and the charge of
that column was the signal for the whole Rebel line to advance,
and the Ninety-Second had to fall back rapidly, to avoid being
enveloped, and it joined Wilder's brigade, that was on the right
of McCook. Colonel Wilder, from the hills McCook had occu-
pied, saw the long column of Rebel regiments, and instantly
conceived the bold idea of charging through the very center of
the Rebel column, taking it in flank, and pushing for Thomas, on
the left. He was just the man to have led such a desperate
charge. He had five regiments, and a splendid battery, four
regiments armed with the Spencer Repeating Rifle, and the
Ninety-Second, with three companies of Spencers. He intended
to form two regiments front in line of battle, with opening for the
battery, a regiment on each flank in column, and the Ninety-Second
ii2 NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
in line'of battle in rear of the battery ; and the Ninety-Second was
just moving to take its place in this desperate charging column,
when Charles A. Dana, Assistant Secretary of War, rode up to
Wilder, and ordered him not to make the attempt, and positively
ordered Wilder to withdraw to Chattanooga, on the Dry Valley
road. Wilder was daring and desperate ; Dana, a coward and an
imbecile; and but for Dana's order, the gallant Wilder would
have undertaken that desperate charge, and would have succeeded
in joining Thomas with a portion of his gallant brigade. Gath-
ering up the artillery McCook's corps had abandoned, and, proba-
bly, a hundred ambulances of wounded, Wilder lingered until
nearly night; then sullenly retired, followed by Forrest's cavalry,
and, long after dark on the twentieth, bivouaced a mile south of
the Summertown road, about five miles south of Chattanooga, in
the shadow of Lookout Mountain. It is not the province of the
Publication Committee of the Ninety-Second to write the com-
plete history of that battle; the foregoing is but a fragment for the
use of some future American Macaulay.
Doctor Clinton Helm, Surgeon of the Ninety-Second, re-
mained upon the battle-field, caring for the wounded, until he was
taken prisoner, and, as a prisoner, for two weeks longer attended
to the wounded Union soldiers upon the battle-field of Chica-
mauga, when he was marched, with about fifty other Yankee
Surgeons, to Ringgold. From there he was taken by cars to
Richmond, Virginia, and, on the tenth of October, was confined
in Libby Prison. On the twenty-fourth of November, he was ex-
changed, and returned to the Regimental Pulaski, Tennessee.
At sunrise of the twenty-first, the Regiment was in the saddle,
and, finding the brigade supply train at the foot of the Summer-
town road, drew rations, and marched through Chattanooga,
crossed the pontoons to the north side of the river, marched to a
point opposite the mouth of the Chicamauga, and bivouaced. On
the twenty-second, light fortifications, facing the river, were
thrown up. On the twenty-third, the Regiment marched to Har-
rison's Landing, and went into camp, with orders to picket the
Tennessee as far north as the Hiwassee, as the only dependence
for rations to feed the army at Chattanooga were wagon trains
over the mountains, on the north side of the river from Bridge-
port, and well-grounded fears were entertained that the enemy
would cross parties of light troops to the north side of the river,
and put an embargo on the' Yankee cracker line. They did cross,
and .burned three hundred wagons loaded with rations, in the Se
NINETY -SECOND ILLINOIS. 113
quatchie valley ; but did not cross at any point guarded by the
Ninety-Second Regiment. They crossed farther up the Tennes-
see, where the crossing was better. Our picket line was so long
that, frequently, a Corporal and three men did picket duty for days
in succession, at important river crossings, without being relieved .
It often happened that not a well man was in camp for days to-
gether, except the field officers, the Chaplain, and Assistant Sur-
geon ; and not all of them remained in camp, for some of them
would go galavanting around the country, visiting the secesh las-
sies! The Committee on Publication do not feel inclined to tell
who those galavanting officers were, except that the gay and
festive Major was, probably, not among them, and that Chaplain
Cartright was. The Committee have concluded to give an
account of one of the Chaplain's visits : The Major, out riding
for health one afternoon, passed a Tennessee palace, not far from
camp, where he observed one of the beautiful lassies of that beau-
tiful country engaged in the romantic occupation of coloring
home-made cotton cloth butternut color, a chemical metamor-
phosis which is accomplished by boiling butternut bark in water,
in large kettles, and dipping the cloth into the liquor procured by
such boiling. It may be remarked here, that from time imme-
morial, in all of those countries where cotton is the staple crop,
and butternut, or black-walnut trees are found (and they probably
are found in every climate where cotton will grow), this peculiar
butternut colored cloth is the almost universal dress of male and
female; although the same material, colored by some mysterious
process, indigo-blue is preferred by the female race. It frequently
happened that this outward garment of cotton cloth, colored
butternut or indigo-blue, was the only garment worn by the
mountain nymphs. O ! how divinely it did set off " the female
form divine," tied with a cotton string around the waist! The
Major was an observing officer; and, one afternoon, at Harrison's
Landing, at the Tennessee palace we have mentioned, he ob-
served, in the yard, a mountain sprite engaged in the romantic
occupation of coloring fabrics, in the manner described; and,
riding into camp, he nervously inquired for Doctor Winston, and,
not finding him, sent his Orderly to find the Doctor, and tell him
that a woman was " dying," at he house near the camp. The
Chaplain met the Orderly, and learned the message he was to
deliver; and the Chaplain charged away for the house, hallooing,
as he went, " Doctor Winston, Doctor Winston! there is a woman
'dying' over there!" The Doctor joined the Chaplain one to
14
n 4 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
administer drugs, and the other spiritual advice and they were
soon at the house indicated. They inquired after the woman who
was " dying," and were referred to Sally, in the yard ! The
Chaplain saw the point ; and when he returned to camp, he shook
his head, saving: " Major, Major, you are a hard case." But it
is believed, by all the members of the Regiment, that Doctor
Winston has not yet seen the point! The enemy occupied their
old position, on the opposite bank of the Tennessee; but there
was no picket firing. The men would talk across the river, and
good-naturedly joke each other about the progress of the war.
One day, a soldier known by the knick-name of " Mother" (the
soldiers of the Ninety-Second will remember him) swam the
Tennessee River, and had a combat with the Johnnies, and then
swam back again. On Sunday, the twenty-seventh, the gray-
coats having invjted some of the men across, they went over, and
enjoyed a visit with their enemies, and returned the courtesy by
inviting them to our side of the river; and quite a squad accepted
the invitation, and took a cup of coffee with the Yanks. The
men of both armies, deadly enemies in battle, would lay aside
all feeling, and, with a perfect abandon, spin camp yarns for the
entertainment of each other On the fourth of October, wagons
were sent eighty miles up the Tennessee River, after forage for
the animals. The men were then living on parched corn, and
the horses on the little handfuls of grass the men could pull for
them along the river's edge. On the ninth, a few wagons arrived
from Bridgeport, with a light supply of rations and clothing. On
the thirteenth, the wagons returned from the cornfields of East
Tennessee, with light loads of corn, the most of their loads hav-
ing been consumed by the mules, on the return march. They
were immediately sent back again for more; and, as the mules
went without eating, on their return march to East Tennessee,
the next time they returned to camp, the teamsters provided
themselves for the return march after forage, by hiding corn in
the woods before reaching camp, and only a few bushels of corn
were left to a wagon. Sqme of the horses were dying of starva-
tion, and all like Don Quixote's famous steed. The rain had
poured down in torrents for days together. On the evening of
the eighteenth, Jefferson Davis took his supper at a. house on the
other side of the river, within sight of our camp. He was visit-
ing Bragg's army, to quell dissentions among his troops. On the
twenty-second, a man in Company D accidentally shot himself
through his leg. On the twenty-fourth, Colonel Smith's brigade
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. n$
of infantry arrived. On the twenty-fifth, William Boddy, of
Company A, came near feeding the fishes of the Tennessee with
his body; while out hunting for forage, he crossed to an island in
the river, and, returning in a little skiff, he disrobed, and, on top
of the forage, essayed to guide his frail bark from the island to
the river bank, when the skiff capsized, and Boddy's body, with
forage and clothing, went into the water. Boddy thought more of
his body than he did of the apparel for his body ; and while his
body covering floated down the Tennessee, Boddy brought his
body out all right; and then, like a Modock Chief, with an army
blanket gracefully draping his body, Boddy rode ten miles to
camp. The pouring rains had nearly drowned out the men ; and
on the twenty-sixth, camp was moved to higher ground. The
hills were covered with chestnut trees, and the trees with chest-
nuts; and to gather them, hundreds of trees were cut down.
They helped along the rations, which, being principally parched
corn, needed helping along. On the morning of the twenty-
seventh, the Regiment took up its line of march for Bridgeport,
being relieved of duty at Harrison's Landing by Smith's brigade;
crossed Walden's Ridge at Poe's Tavern, and camped in the Se-
quathie valley, near Dunlap. Marched at daylight down the
Sequatchie valley twenty-two miles; the roads were very much cut
up by trains ; fences all burned ; houses deserted ; the ruins of three
hundred Yankee wagons, burned by Forrest, lining the road; the
contrast, since first marching in the valley, was most wonderful;
in a day's march, nothing but ruin was seen-, either animal or
man, except lazy buzzards; nothing for men or animals to eat;
camped near Jasper. Marched at daylight on the twenty-ninth,
and, seven miles from Bridgeport, passed through the camps of
Hooker's troops from the Potomac, well dressed, all with corps
badges and paper collars, and much style! The horses of the
Ninety-Second could scarcely crawl along empty corn-cribs!
The men were unwell from their lack of rations and hard duty,
and their clothing worn out and ragged. Some thoughtless Po-
tomac soldiers commenced to jibe the men of the Ninety-Second,
and it required an effort on the part of the officers to keep the
boys from replying with their Spencers. Men who are ragged
from hard service, and emaciated for the want of food, do not like
to be jibed. Reached Bridgeport at two o'clock, and drew
forage and rations, and went into camp. On the thirty-first
of October, the Regiment was mustered for pay at Bridgeport.
On November fifth, the Colonel, with a detail, went to Stevenson,
n6 N1NETT-SBCOND ILLINOIS.
to draw Spencers for the seven companies still armed with En-
fields; but was informed, by Captain Horace Porter, Ordinance
Officer, that the Spencers were in Nashville. On the sixth, the
Colonel, by order of General Thomas, took a detail of one hun-
dred and thirty men, and proceeded by cars to Nashville, to
procure horses, mules, and Spencers, leaving the Ninety-Second
in command of Lieutenant Colonel Sheets, the Regiment re-
maining at Bridgeport. A soldier, in an old letter written from
Bridgeport on the eleventh, said : " On the morning of the
twenty-seventh of October, by order of General Thomas, we left
Harrison's Landing for this place, making it in three days, over
the worst roads I have ever seen. This is the third time we have
crossed Walden's Ridge, or mountain ; and if the weather con-
tinues as it has been for the last three' weeks, it will have to be
pontooned before we can cross it again. Our transportation
arrived, after a struggle of ten days through the mud, the distance
being just sixty miles. Our object, or rather the object of Gene-
ral Thomas, in ordering us to this point, is for the purpose of
giving us a more complete outfit; and at present writing, Colonel
Atkins, with one hundred and thirty men and officers, is at Nash-
ville, procuring Spencers, horses, and saddles, and all the traps
pertaining to completeness. The remainder of*the Regiment are
to recruit up the animals on hand, that have of late become mag-
nificently transparent. We have them tied to the trees with
trace-chains and sich, for the reason that they have eaten up all
the picket ropes and halters, and have turned in to eating each
other's manes and tails. The mules have fared some better than
the horses, but not much; not having any tails or manes, they
have lost their ears, ornaments indispensable to a mule's beauty.
There is not a tree within a mile of this camp that the horses
or mules have not gnawed off the bark; they work at it like so
many beavers felling timber. Last night, they all commenced
gnawing the trees at once ; and the Chief of Scouts said : ' The
cars are coming ; don't you hear them ?' ' No,' said I ; ' that is
the horses and mules grinding bark. 1 ' Why,' he said; ' what are
we grinding bark for?' I replied, 'Going to tan the hides of
them animals before spring.' And the Chief of Scouts replied,
'O, O; I see it.'
" If he dies, I'll tan his skin
And if he don't, I'll ride him again."
On November thirteenth, drew soft bread for the first time since
leaving Dechard. The fifteenth, ordered to march at daylight the
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 117
sixteenth, but order was countermanded, and two companies sent
on a scout south of the Tennessee. On the seventeenth, marched
at nine A. M., by command of Major General Stanley, and went
into camp on south side of Tennessee River, two miles from
Bridgeport. On the eighteenth, there were very strict orders for
every one to remain in camp, and two roll-calls daily. On the
next day, fixed up camp for a long stay. On the twentieth, the
detail that went to Nashville returned, with a fresh supply of
horses and mules, the Colonel remaining to draw the Spencers.
On the twenty-second, a lot of Rebel prisoners passed camp, going
to the rear. On the twenty-third, more Rebel prisoners passed
by, ragged, and some actually barefooted, and the weather so cold
that ice strong enough to hold a man up had formed over the
puddles of water. Day by day passed, lying in camp, and doing
scouting duty for General Stanley. On December second, marched
at noon ; crossed the Tennessee on pontoons at Bridgeport, and
camped five miles west on the Stevenson road, at Widow's Creek
rails, for fires, plenty. Marched early, arriving at Caperton's
Ferry at noon, and found fine quarters, log buildings erected by
Colonel Watkins's regiment. On the fourth, Company E, Cap-
tain Van Buskirk, that had been on duty, with General Cruft, re-
turned to the Regiment. The company reported to General Cruft
at Wauhatchie, and acted as body-guard and dispatch-bearers.
On the day of the battle of Lookout Mountain, Company E did
good service in bearing dispatches, and especially in furnishing
the infantry line of battle with ammunition, bringing up the am-
murfition boxes on horseback and distributing it to the infantry.
The company also took part in the battle of Missionary Ridge,
and the night after the battle guarded the Rebel prisoners ; and
marched with General Cruft's command to Ringgold. The con-
duct of Company E won special commendation in the official re-
port of General Cruft.
Companies K and C, that were left on courier duty on Look-
out Mountain, September eleventh, returned to the Regiment at
Caperton's Ferry. A soldier, a member of Company K, has
written his recollections of the services of those two companies,
while absent from the Regiment, as follows: "The sun was just
setting behind Lookout's craggy head as the Regiment com-
menced the ascent. In zigzag course, upward they toiled, men
and officers leading the jaded animals. Stumbling over flinty
points, flanking huge boulders, climbing the splintered sides of
ledges, the Regiment scrambled upward till it reached the lofty
n8 NINETr-SECOND ILLINOIS.
summit. The sun had set; there was no moon, and the night was
very dark ; a guide was necessary. A rap at the door of a house
close by brought the occupant out. The light he held in his hand
showed him to be a stout, vigorous mountaineer, of about sixty
years, with iron-gray hair, and a frank face. He said his name
was Foster; he reported himself a Union man, and such he after-
ward proved to be. Well did the old man, in the pitchy darkness,
guide the Regiment along that rough, winding mountain road.
Companies C, Captain Hawk, and K, Captain Woodcock, under
the command of the latter, were detailed for courier duty. A
Sergeant and ten men from Company K were stationed as a cour-
ier post, at Foster's. At points two miles apart along the road
were stationed a like number' of men, Company K covering ten
miles, and Company C fourteen miles. The first streak of dawn
came when the Regiment had completed its task. Both men and
animals, from sheer exhaustion, sank upon the ground in thepro-
foundest slumber. A courier line was formed above the clouds,
on Lookout's lofty summit, over which were sent all the dis-
patches to the army corps of Generals Thomas and McCook. The
views obtained by those left on the mountain were grand. The
boys from the prairies, unaccustomed to such scenes, looked with
wonder and admiration. They could see, in a clear day, into seven
different States: Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, North
and South Carolina, and the mountains of West Virginia. At
times the clouds would gather below them, and, silvered by the
sun, resembled great banks of snow; then they would lift from
the valley and float away, opening to view a most beautiful pano-
" rama. For miles about, the country, like a great map, seemed to
lie at their feet, a beautiful scene of mountains, valleys and streams.
For miles the silvery flood of the Tennessee River could be seen
in its winding course. The mountaineers were loyal. They had
been hiding away in the caves and fastnesses of the mountains to
avoid conscription into the ranks of the Rebel armies. They and
their families visited us, the first Yanks they had seen. They
vied with each other in bestowing upon the boys their kindness
sweet potatoes, all kinds of vegetables, ducks, chickens, pies,
cakes, honey, and apple-jack brandy were among their gifts. We
feasted upon the good things of the earth. The boys on the cour-
ier post at Foster's house were especially favored. Mrs. Foster,
an intelligent, kind-hearted, motherly, old lady, took them under
her especial care. She called them her boys.
! ' Five days and nights were thus spent on Lookout
NINBTT-SECOND ILLINOIS. ,119
Mountain, and are remembered by the members of Compa-
nies C and K as among the most pleasant of their soldier life. At
two o'clock in the morning of Wednesday, the sixteenth, orders
came to take up the courier line at once, and report to General
Rosecrans, at Crawfish Springs. The order was obeyed ; and on
the evening of that day, Captain Woodcock reported to General
Rosecrans with the two companies. On the seventeenth, by
General Rosecrans's order, Captains Woodcock and Hawk formed
a courier line from Chattanooga to Crawfish Springs, along the
base of Lookout, a distance of sixteen miles, both officers remain-
ing with their reserves at the head-quarters of General Rosecrans,
at Widow Glenn's house. Saturday morning, the nineteenth, the
battle of Chicamauga, one of the bloodiest of the war, commenced.
It raged fiercely all day, the earth fairly quaking beneath the
thunder of the artillery and incessant roll of musketry. Captains
Woodcock and Hawk, with their reserves, were engaged in car-
rying dispatches to different points in the field. Sunday, the
twentieth, the battle again raged fiercely. About ten o'clock in
the forenoon, General Rosecrans directed Captain Woodcock to
take up the line and form it from Chattanooga, via Rossville, to
his head-quarters. General Rosecrans said the southern portion
of the line was uncovered by his army, and was liable to be cap-
tured by the enemy, if not at once taken up. Sending orders to
remove the more northerly posts to the Rossville road, Captain
Woodcock hastened to the post at Crawfish Springs. The enemy
was just charging in. They captured one ot the videttes. Some
of the boys, in the confusion, mingled with the Rebels, but suc-
ceeded in escaping. The posts were rescued and formed on the
Rossville road. The line was completed about two o'clock P. M.
Captain Woodcock, with his reserve, moved in the direction of
Widow Glenn's, to report to General Rosecrans. He marched by
crowds of men that, in disorder, were going to the rear; still he
.kept on, until the pattering of bullets warned him to halt. On
looking back, he saw our troops reforming and in line of battle.
Knowing then that he was between the Rebel and Union forces,
he countermarched. He could learn nothing of General Rose-
crans. Meeting General Garfield, he reported to him, who or-
dered him to report to General Thomas. He found General
Thomas, who, as firm as old rock-ribbed Lookout, confronted the
Rebels and held them at bay. During the entire night of that ter-
rible Sabbath, the tall, noble form of General Thomas stood erect,
watching his line, while his staff officers lay around him on the
120 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
ground, worn out and insensible with fatigue. Captain Hawk,
with his reserve, was, during the entire battle, with Rosecrans.
When the right of the army was crushed, the General, followed
by Captain Hawk and his reserve of Company C, dashed along
the broken lines, regardless of shot and shell, endeavoring to rally
the men. Captain Hawk, by the General's order, deployed his
men in the rear of the broken columns, and endeavored to halt the
retreating mass; but it was like attempting to stay the ocean's
tide by throwing pebbles in its way.
" From the twenty-second of September to the eleventh of
October, Companies C and K were employed in carrying dis-
patches to the army surrounding Chattanooga. On the afternoon
of Sunday, the eleventh, orders came to form a courier line from
Chattanooga, north along the summit of Walden's Ridge, to An-
derson's Cross Roads, a distance of twenty-one miles. Companies
C and K were at once stretched out on this line, Captains Hawk
and Woodcock, with their reserves, still remaining with General
Thomas. A famine was in the city. The men were on one-
fourth rations. The boys out along the line were feasting, while
those in town were starving by slow degrees. They cut down the
shade trees and broused their horses from the tops. The horses
becamfe skeletons, many of them laying down their bones in the
streets of Chattanooga. On the ninth of November, by order of
General Thomas, the courier line was removed from Walden's
Ridge, and formed from Chattanooga to Bridgeport. Captain
Hawk, with his reserve, was stationed at Bridgeport. Captain
Woodcock remained with General Thomas. Lieutenant Walker,
of Company K, with a courier post, was stationed at General
Hooker's head-quarters, in Lookout valley. On the twenty-fourth
of November, Hooker fought his battle above the clouds. A por-
tion of Companv K, as couriers, had the honor to participate in
that battle. On the twenty-fifth, was fought the battle of Mis-
sionary Ridge. The reserve at General Thomas's head-quarters
then came in for their share of glory. On the fourth of Decem-
ber, Captains Woodcock and Hawk were relieved, with their com-
panies, from courier duty, and ordered to report to the Regiment.
They found the Regiment at Caperton's Ferry, Alabama, and
were glad once more to be at home. While on the way to report
to the Regiment, as they were crossing Chattanooga Creek, near
Lookout, they met the old guide, Mr. Foster. The old man's
face lighted up as he recognized the men ot the Ninety-Second.
He told his story. It was a sad one. After the battle of Chica-
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 121
mauga, Lookout Mountain fell into the hands of the Rebels.
Some designing person reported to the Rebels that the old man
had acted as a guide to the Ninety-Second in forming the courier
line. His Union sentiments were also well known. The Rebels
gave him a mock trial, and sentenced him to be hanged ; and, with
a rope around his neck, they were proceeding to string him up,
when an officer of the Rebel army rushed forward, and, by impor-
tunities and threats, saved the old man's life. The officer had be-
fore taken up his quarters at Mr. Foster's house. The shock to
his wife, and her constant fear on account of her husband, aggra-
vated a disease that afflicted her, and caused her death. The old
mountaineer broke down in the middle of his story. Great sobs
choked his utterance, and he wept like a child."
On the fifth, the McClellan army saddles arrived from Nash-
ville; the Regiment, up to this time, had been using citizens'
saddles of every pattern. Long forage was very scarce, and the
men gathered from the cane-brakes along the Tennessee the cane
leaves, which they brought into camp in bundles, and they looked
like freshly -gathered corn blades, and were eaten with great relish
by the animals. On December seventh, the Colonel returned
from Nashville with the new Spencer Rifles, which were issued,
and the remaining Enfields turned over .to the Ordnance De-
partment. The Regiment was now well mounted, cavalry
equipments complete, and all had Spencers. On the ninth, the
animals began to die, and the trouble seemed general. The
Regimental Horse Doctor was unequal to the occasion, and the
Regimental Surgeon was called upon for a post mortem on the
defunct horses, and the result of his inquest was the information
that the animals were dying from the slivers of the hard center
of the cane leaves they were eating in place of hay, the stomachs
of the defunct animals/being stuck full of these slivers,which had
caused inflammation and death. For once the lazy soldiers, too
lazy to gather the cane leaves for forage for their horses, had the
advantage of the more energetic soldiers. It deserves mention,
for it was the only instance in the three years' service where lazi-
ness was rewarded. The Chief of Cavalry was informed by
telegraph of the result of feeding cane leaves to the animals, and
by telegraphic orders he ordered it discontinued throughout the
Department. For several days the animals continued to die:
there was no remedy. Old Blutcher, the faithful war-horse of
the Lieutenant Colonel, doubtless longed for a furlough to the
well filled barns on the borders of his native Pine Creek, in Ogle
122 NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
County, and yielded up the ghost. Major Bohn embalmed
Blutcher's memory in heroic verse, and sang it in a doleful way
to console the Lieutenant Colonel. On Sunday, the thirteenth of
December, the Chaplain dedicated his log chapel, erected by him
and the soldiers who volunteered to assist him. On the evening
of the seventh, the Regimental head-quarters were serenaded,
and there was much speech-making. It was a beautiful evening,
and the music of the band, echoed back by the mountains on the
south side of the Tennessee, was most novel and beautiful. Col-
len Bauden played a few notes of a bugle solo, and alter a while
it would come back, every note clearly and distinctly repeated
over and over again, from the rocky walls of the mountain.
During the night, orders came to march. Our winter quarters,
comfortable log cabins, had to be given up. On December
eighteenth, the Ninety-Second marched to Bridgeport, and re-
ported to Major General Stanley. On Sunday, the twentieth,
the Regiment crossed on the pontoons to the south side of the
Tennessee, marched three miles, and went into camp in a pine
thicket in Hog-Jaw Valley Sus-Maxillary Valley, Lieutenant
Skinner called it. On the twenty-first, Lieutenant William Cox
left for " God's country," on a leave of absence. Captain George
Hicks, of the g6th Illinois, visited the Regiment, and was sere-
naded by the band, and he and many of the officers of the
Ninety-Second were called out for speeches. The men had fixed
themselves up very comfortably with the pine boughs, and chim-
neys to their tents, a la Tennessee, constructed of sticks, plastered
inside and outside with mud. During the night, orders came
for the Ninety-Second to join the brigade at Huntsville, Ala-
bama, and the Regiment marched on the morning of the twentv-
second, camping that night in the old quarters at Caperton's
Ferry. Marched at daylight on the twenty-third, passing through
Stevenson, and making a detour to the north\vard, to avoid the
swollen streams by crossing near their sources, twenty-five miles,
and camped fifteen miles from Stevenson, near Bellefonte
forage for animals in abundance. Marched early, passing through
Scottsboro and Larkinsville. Several of the men were arrested
for shooting hogs, and all the officers of the Regiment were called
up before the Colonel, who lectured them like a Dutch uncle on
their lax discipline. Marched early, and met Colonel Wilder at
Brownsville, Alabama. The men called on the Colonel for a
speech, which was not much in Colonel Wilder 1 s line; but he was
received with great enthusiasm by the Regiment, and expressed
ILLINOIS. 123
his gratification at meeting with the Ninety-Second once more.
Colonel Wilder here received several boxes of Christmas presents
for his regiment, which, not being there, and the eatables liable to
spoil, the Colonel turned them over to the Ninety-Second, and
the boys feasted on the nick-nacks the kind Indiana people had
intended for Colonel Wilder's regiment. Marched twenty-four
miles, camping in a hard rain-storm ; but rails were plenty for
building shelters for the men, and cooking. The Regimental
head-quarters were in a large farm-house, and those at head-
quarters, so inclined, passed the evening in drinking persimmon
beer, a light home-made beverage, prepared from persimmons.
The twenty-sixth of December was cold and stormy. Marched
early, through the beautiful city of Huntsville, and camped on
the south side of the town, a mile from the city limits. The
twenty-seventh was Sabbath, and many attended church in the
citv, and, for the first time in many months, listened to a church
organ, and sacred music with female voices. Forage was abund-
ant. Salt was scarce, and Company K was detailed to forage for
salt. They called at a house where they had been informed they
would find salt, but the owner protested that not an ounce of salt
was in his house. A young lady, with great ado, insisted that
the Yankees should not search her room for salt, but was evi-
dently delighted to have her room searched, and a large quantity
of salt was found in her chamber. She was a Union woman,
and, while out of the presence of the owner of the house, rejoiced
in her ability to aid the Yankees. She was a Northern school-
teacher, who had been compelled, against her wishes, to remain
in the South. A light snow-storm, on the twenty-eighth, re-
minded the North-men of home. On the thirtieth, Company 1
made a scout to the Tennessee River, and captured three prison-
ers and a ferry-boat, which the company burned. On the thirty-
first of December, marched early, and camped at Judge Ham-
mond's, twelve miles west of Huntsville. It was, probably, the
coldest night the Regiment experienced during all its service,
and how the men managed to keep warm is yet a mystery. The
rails were rapidly disappearing, and the Colonel ordered the men
to cut down trees, and get them well ablaze with the dry rails,
before they were exhausted. There was little sleep that night.
Standing around the huge burning piles of logs, roasting one
side, and freezing the other, the night was passed, watching the
old year out, and the new year in. There never was a more
picturesque watch-meeting held. In the sombre pine forest, by
I2 4 N1NBTT-SBCOND ILLINOIS.
their blazing fires, the Methodist members of the Regiment
kneeled in prayer, remembering their families at home, who, at
the same hour, were likely celebrating watch-night in comfortable
churches. It was a noisy camp, and, with all the suffering from
intense cold, it was a jolly crowd that made the woods ring with
their shouts and songs. " Judge" Hammond (probably called
Judge because he was a good judge of a negro,) was . the
great landlord of the region. Originally himself a " poor white
man," a class looked down upon even by the negroes, he had,
by engaging in the profitable employment of raising negroes for
the market, and strict attention to business, with careful economy,
amassed a fortune, and bought up the smaller plantations around
him, until he owned hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of acres.
From his house could be seen many chimney stacks, once the
location of the plantation buildings of separate plantations that
his had swallowed up. He said he had seldom bought a planta-
tion, except when his neighbor had run into debt and died, and
it had been sold by the administrators. He was asked what
became of the families then, and replied that they were crowded
back into the poor lands among the hills, and soon sank into the
mass of "poor white trash." His plantation is in Limestone
County, one of the richest and most productive counties in
Northern Alabama, Huntsville being the Court House town, with
a population of about five thousand, a new city grown up within
a decade; and yet the population of the County, notwithstanding
the growth of Huntsville, which had a remarkable growth for a
Southern town, was actually receding year by year, owing to the
process of the consolidation of small plantations into large ones.
And the poor whites who were driven to the hills by this pro-
cess ! We have no language to describe their unfortunate and
hopeless condition. Even the wealthy, who, by the extravagance
or improvidence of the heads of families, were plunged into this
hopeless state, rapidly sank into a condition lower than the negro
slaves. Without schools, or churches, or a ray of hope in the
future, ambition dead, virtue and intelligence decaying, their
condition was indeed a sad one! And, with prayer and song,
and shout and story, the old year of 1863 went out, and the young
new year of 1864 was welcomed in by the Ninety-Second around
their camp-fires, on the great plantation of Judge Hammond.
During the vear, the Ninety-Second, plodding on foot, or on
horseback, had marched fifteen hundred and fifty-eight miles.
Welcome, New Year ! But, oh, how cold ! How clear the
NINBTT-SBCOND ILLINOIS. 1*5
bugles rang out on the frosty air when " boot and saddle" was
sounded from head-quarters, and was repeated in the companies.
The roads were horrible, exceedingly rough on the hills, and
frozen in the lowlands strong enough to bear a man, but not a
horse ; marching along, the men on foot to keep from freezing,
and the horses breaking the ice as they went, until the horses' fet-
locks were bleeding, cutting the strong new ice! Napoleon's
army, retreating from Moscow, did not march on a colder day.
Late, in the afternoon the Regiment went into camp, the men very
weary, having marched on foot most of the day to keep warm.
The camp was at Elkmont Springs, a summer resort, and the cot-
tages were taken possession of by the men for quarters. They all
had fireplaces, and the men soon made themselves comfortable.
One negro boy, an officer's servant, while bringing forage from a
cornfield, had his arms and legs so badly frozen that both arms
and both legs were amputated. During the day Company B
scouted for horses and mules, and captured seventeen. Marched
on the second, at noon, twelve miles, to Prospect, and camped in
the woods near Elk River. Marched on the third, at noon, in a
sleet and rain storm, and camped five miles south of Pulaski, Ten-
nessee. Marched again at noon, and camped half a mile south of
Pulaski, where the Regiment lay in camp several days. From
the fourth to the ninth the weather remained very cold, the ground
covered with snow, and men and animals suffered greatly. On
the tenth, the weather moderated considerably. N. G. Collins,
Chaplain of the Fifty-Seventh Illinois, delivered an interesting and
amusing lecture, and offered his printed address for sale. Captain
Albert Woodcock, of Company K, was detailed as Provost Mar-
shal of the Second Division of Cavalry. On the twelfth of January,
the Ninety-Second marched thirteen miles on its return to Hunts-
ville, and camped amid plenty. Marched at daylight, on the thir-
teenth, and again camped on Judge Hammond's plantation. On
the fourteenth, marched at daylight; passed through Huntsville,
and camped on the pike two miles north of the city, and went to
fixing up permanent camp. The next day was fine and warm,
and the men fixed up their quarters comfortably for a long stav.
Forage was abundant, and the railroad brought plenty of rations.
On the sixteenth, many of the men having left camp and gone to
the city without permission, a line guard was put around the Reg-
iment for the first time in ten months. The men did not like it,
and did not perform their duty in just the manner that experienced
soldiers ought to have done. One of the guards commanded a
w6 NINETT-SBCOND ILLINOIS.
dog that was passing the lines to halt, and, as the dog didn't, he
blazed away at it. Soldiers returning to camp were permitted to
slip in between the guards unobserved. One of the boys writes
in his diary: "The Colonel got mad, and put just three times
the usual guards on duty. The men concluded it wouldn't pay to
fool around any more, and guard duty was better done after that."
On the nineteenth, the ground was covered with snow; the Regi-
ment was ordered to march, but the order was countermanded.
The twentieth was delightfully warm, and the snow melted off.
On the twenty-third, the Regiment marched with the brigade
early, and camped on Limestone Creek, fifteen miles west of
Huntsville. On the .twenty-fourth, marched at daylight through
Athens, a town burned up by General Turchin. When that fight-
ing Teuton first entered Athens with his brigade, the enemy
fought him in the streets, and the citizens, it was said, fired upon
the Yankees from the windows of the houses. The burly Turchin,
it is reported, said to his men, camped about the town : " Boys, I
shuts mine eyes f9r shust one hour I sees netting." When he
opened his eyes again Athens was in flames and hopelessly ruined.
Camped at Rogersville. On January twenty-fifth, the Ninety-
Second marched at daylight, in the advance, and at ifbon crossed
Shoal Creek, and, when about one mile west of the creek, the ad-
vance was fired upon by a picket on the left of the column, on a
road leading to Bainbridge Ferry, across the Tennessee River, at
the foot of Muscle Shoals. Captain Becker, with fifty men, was
ordered to charge them, and he did it splendidly, charging down
to the river's edge, about a mile. He captured three of the enemy,
and drove the others around the base of the bluff, where they took
to shelter, dismounted among the rocks, leaving their horses on
the river's beach. A ferry-boat, with an ambulance loaded with
the enemy, nearly across the river, returned to the other shore.
The Rebel General Roddy's command was on the opposite bank,
and had rifle pits which commanded the approach to the ferry on
our side of the river. The men among the rocks were commanded
to surrender; but their friends opposite told them to lie still, that
the Yanks could not get at them ; and we could not, without
running the gauntlet of the enemy's fire, and likely losing more
men than we should capture by the effort. There were twenty
horses, and probably twenty men, under the bluff. We could see
the horses, but the men were concealed among the rocks. The
horses were all shot, and, bidding the Johnnies good-bye, the
Ninety-Second was withdrawn, and Captain M. Van Buskirk, of
NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 127
Company E, with four companies, was ordered to march rapidly
to Florence. He started, but only a mile or so away, near the
Sweetwater, ran into the enemy, who had a strong line flanking a
log house, and the house itself was full of the enemy, who used it
as a fort, knocking out the chinking to fire through between the
logs. Captain Van Buskirk charged them on horseback; but,
finding a heavy force, the men slipped off from the horses, and lay
down in the grass and weeds. While lying there, with the open field
surrounding the log house in front of them, Captain Becker told
Company I, " By jingo, boys, we will have to charge over that
field, for I lost my hat out there." He did not wait long for an
opportunity to recover his hat. The" brigade moved up and dis-
mounted two regiments, and the line had just commenced ad-
vancing to the support of the four companies, when Captain Van
Buskirk ordered his four companies to charge on foot. Forward
they went, receiving a hot fire from the log house, and the two
Rebel regiments flanking it; but they routed the Rebels, captur-
ing twenty prisoners, and killing fifteen of the enemy, and prob-
ably wounding twice that number. Our loss, all in the Ninety-
Second, was: Captain Horace J. Smith, Company B, wounded,
musket bal! through his arm; Corporal J. A. Colehour, Company
I, wounded in shoulder the Corporal had been home with a
wound received at Chicamauga, and had just returned to the Reg-
iment; private Andrew Drafferty, Company B, wounded; private
William B. Smith, Company F, wounded; private Jeremiah Lam-
bert, Company F, wounded; private David O'Brien, Company I,
wounded; private Henry K. Hapster, Company F, wounded.
Among the fifteen of the enemy killed, were Lieutenant Colonel
Wynans and Captain Ingraham, of the Fourth Alabama Confed-
erate Cavalry. Lieutenant Colonel Wynans was in command of
the two regiments, and on his body were found marching orders.
He had been directed to make a junction with the forces that had
just commenced crossing the Tennessee River at Bainbridge
Ferry the force that Captain Becker had turned back by his
charge and with them to attack Athens at daylight the next
morning, where he was informed that a column of dismounted
men, with artillery, would aid him; the last-mentioned column to
cross the Tennessee River after dark, immediately south of Athens
the three Rebel columns striking Athens at daylight. By these
marching orders, captured from the dead body of Lieutenant Col-
onel Wynans, commanding one of the Rebel columns, we were
placed in possession of the Rebel plan of the attack on Athens.
128 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
Manifestly, having turned back two of the Rebel columns, the
only thing left for us to do was to make a night march, striking
the Tennessee River south of Athens at daylight, and cut off the
only column left of the Rebel attacking force. Colonel Miller,
commanding the brigade, decided upon that course, and the com-
mand countermarched; and a mile east of Shoal Creek bivouaced
and fed animals, and resumed the march at eleven o'clock P. M.
At four A. M., of the next day, halted to make coffee and feed ani-
mals, when Lieutenant Colonel Phillips, with a portion of the
Eighth Illinois Mounted Infantry, from Athens, came up, and
Colonel Miller, taking his advice, again countermarched upon
Florence. About nine o'clock, a courier came from Athens, with
information that the Rebels had made an attack upon Athens at
daylight; but, not being supported by the cavalry they expected,
and learning that Wilder's brigade and the Eighth Illinois were
out on the Florence road, they feared that they would be cut off
from their retreat to the south side of the Tennessee, as they ought
to have been, and would have been had Colonel Miller acted reso-
lutely upon the information in his possession, taken from the body
of the Confederate Lieutenant Colonel Wynans. The column
was again countermarched, and started for the Tennessee River,
south of Athens; but the opportunity had been lost, and, on reach-
ing a point eight miles west of Athens, a courier came with infor-
mation that the enemy had made safe his retreat across the river.
The command camped in Athens that night. On the twenty-
seventh, marched from Athens toward Huntsville twentv-five
miles, and camped on Limestone Creek. Marched at daylight,
and camped at Huntsville. On the thirtieth, marched at eight A.
M., fourteen miles, to Trianna, on the Tennessee River, south of
Huntsville, at the mouth of Indian Creek, for the purpose of being
near ibrage, and to recruit the animals, where the Regiment re-
mained until the third of April. It was a beautiful camp, but
there is little to record while the Regiment lay at Trianna.
On the first of February, there was a very heavy rain-fall,
and the camp was ditched to carry off the water. On the second,
thirty recruits from Illinois joined the Regiment. On the sev-
enth of February, the Chaplain preached to citizens and soldiers,
in the church at Trianna. On the eighth, the Regiment was
inspected by Brigadier General Elliott, Chief of Cavalry. On
the ninth, the Regiment received two months' pay. On the fif-
teenth, a scouting party of the enemy was found on the north
side of the Tennessee, and four of them captured. On the
NINETY -SECOND ILLINOIS. 129
eighteenth, there was quite a snow-storm. On the twenty-fourth,
five prisoners were captured. On the night of the twenty-fifth,
there was considerable picket firing, and the troops were in line
early on the twenty-sixth. On the twenty-seventh, several pro-
fessed religion, the Chaplain having succeeded in getting up a
revival in the Regiment at Trianna. The month of March came
in with snow and rain, but the snow melted off immediately, and
the trees were beginning to bud. On the fourth of March, the
Regiment commenced playing town-ball, and it had quite a run.
The weather was very fine. On the eighth, a soldier writes in
his diary : " In going through the Regiment to-day, the men
may be seen in their tents; some reading the papers; others, old
books, which they have found in the country ; some writing, and
some playing cards; while out of the tents, wicket ball, base ball,
and pitching quoits are going on. At night, music and dancing
are going on in camp." Fishing for bull-heads, in Indian Creek,
was a part of the passtime. Lieutenant Colonel Sheets sat, one
day, four hours, out on a log, patiently waiting for a bite ; he got
one, just one, and, attempting to pull out the fish, lost his balance
and his fishing pole; scrambling' up, he grabbed his pole 1 , but the
fish had departed! The Lieutenant Colonel was disconsolate,
and never more went fishing in Indian Creek. On the fourteenth
of March, stringent orders came from Department head-quarters
against foraging for food in the country, or burning rails, lor the
reason that it was desirable that the country north of the Tennes-
see should be cultivated, that it might furnish forage for men and
animals another winter. On the twenty-second, there was six
inches of snow in the morning; and on the twenty-third, great
sport was had, four companies against six, snowballing, and
occasionally some one would get a winder in the face with a hard-
packed ball, and then there would be balling of a different nature.
The snow-battle lasted until the snow was gone, and it resulted
in a drawn battle, for the lack of ammunition on both sides the
only instance where the opposing forces exhausted their ammu-
nition simultaneously. On the twenty-ninth, the new Sutler
came with a stock of goods, the first for the Ninety-Second since
leaving Franklin, Tennessee. On the first of April, the entire
Regiment, officers and men, spent the dav in April-fooling each
other. It is only fair to say that the officers suffered most in the
sport. On the second of April, orders came to inarch; and that
evening the camp was tilled with the people from miles around
come to see the last dress-parade, listen for the last time to Collen
ifl
130 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
Bauden's excellent Silver Band, and hear the Glee Club sing its
farewell songs. During the time the Regiment was at Trianna,
Lieutenant Skinner, of Company D, was Chief of Scouts, with
about twenty brave fellows under him. They spent their time
riding around the country, occasionally capturing a Johnny home
on furlough, and interviewing the secesh lassies, which, by the
way, the Lieutenant assumed was a duty to be performed by the
Chief of Scouts in person. One morning, hearing from the
colored people that a Rebel soldier was home, the Lieutenant and
his scouts set out for his house. The ladies declared he was not
there; but the Lieutenant made himself agreeable, and soon had
the confidence of the old lady, who told him her son's name, his
company and regiment, the name of his Captain, his Colonel,
and Brigade Commander; and told him her son had been home,
but had returned, and informed him at what ferry he had crossed
the Tennessee. The Lieutenant, suspicioning that her son was
in the bush that is, hid away in the woods concluded to try a
ruse. He waited until night-fall, then went to the ferry where the
Rebel soldier had crossed the Tennessee, hallooed across, and was
soon answered by the Rebel picket, who inquired who was there
and what was wanted. The Lieutenant answered, giving the
name of the Rebel soldier, his company and regiment, his Colo-
nel's name, and the name of the Brigade Commander, and said
he wanted to come across. It seemed so straight that the Rebel
picket manned the ferry-boat with five men, and came over the
river with it, but found the Lieutenant and his scouts, with a
demand to surrender, at the moment of landing. Of course they
did so; they could not help it. The boat was burned, and the
prisoners brought .to camp. Patrolling the river bank one dav,
the Lieutenant's quick eyes detected a spot on the beach, where a
skiff had been recently landed, and, suspicioning that it might
land again, returned after dark with his scouts, and lay concealed
and quiet for hours, when they heard the snorting of horses swim-
ming in the river. Waiting a while, a dug-out, just large enough to
hold two men, came to the shore, two men in the boat, and two
horses swimming by its side. The men in the boat had no
chance but to surrender, and one of them was John Morgan's
Chief of Scouts, armed with two revolvers. He declared it had
always been his intention never to surrender alive; but, in that
little boat, with twenty men around him, and no chance to fight,
he had no other course. The horses were fine animals, and
both men shrewd and cunning. They were taken to Huntsville,
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 131
and, by the aid of Rebel friends there, and such stories as they
concocted, they were both released, by General Crook, to return
with the very information John Morgan had sent them to obtain.
On the morning of April third, the Regiment marched at day-
light for Madison Station and Huntsville. When crossing the
marsh bordering Limestone Creek, the men scattered out to the
side of the road. The Colonel told them it was better to keep
in the middle of the road, but the men had been over the road
oftener than the Colonel, and probably knew the road better; but
the Colonel kept in the old road. It was so cold that ice had
formed over the pools of water; and his horse breaking the ice,
the Colonel kept on, until he came to a little bridge beyond which
was a pool frozen over. His horse halted, but he gave him the
spurs, and he sprang forward, and went all over under in the
deep hole. The Colonel was in a sorry plight, when he was
pulled out of the mud by his Orderly, and the Regiment had a
good laugh. His Orderly scrubbed him oft" with a horse-brush,
in the swift water of Limestone Creek; and, nearly frozen, the
Colonel dashed ahead, to find a house at which to warm, and get
on a dry suit. The Regiment went into camp four miles south of
Huntsville, when orders came detaching the Regiment from
Wilder's Brigade, and assigning it to the Third Brigade, Third
Cavalry Division, Army of the Cumberland, with orders to report
to General Thomas, at Ringgold, Georgia. " Boot and saddle"
was at once sounded, and the Regiment marched through Hunts-
ville in column of sections, % the band, mounted on white horses,
leading, and received from General Gerrard, the then Commander
of the Cavalry Division at Huntsville, the compliment of his
saying that the Ninety-Second was the finest Regiment in his
command; but it was not in his command; it was already march-
ing to report to General Thomas. The Regiment camped two
miles north of Huntsville, and drew rations for its march to
Ringgold.
i 3 2 N1NBTT-SBCOND ILLINOIS.
CHAPTER V.
FROM HUNTSVILLE TO RlNGGOLD BEAUTIFUL CAMP AT RlNG-
GOLD THE MASSACRE AT NICKOJACK RECONNOISSANCES
UNDER KILPATRICK NlCKOJACK AVENGED LIEUTENANT
COLONEL SHEETS AND MAJOR BOHN COMPLIMENTED IN
RESOLUTIONS GENERAL MOVEMENT OF SHERMAN'S ARMY
AGAINST Jo JOHNSTON KILPATRICK WOUNDED RESECA
GUARDING THE RAILROAD KILPATRICK RETURNS OUT-
POST DUTY ON THE CHATTAHOOCHEE DAVE BOYLE'S CAP-
TURE AND ESCAPE BAND HORSES GOBBLED LAYING PON-
TOONS AT SANDTOWN CUTTING RAILROADS AT WEST
POINT RAIDING AROUND THE REBEL ARMY AT ATLANTA
NIGHT FIGHTING AT JONESBORO-- KILPATRICK, SURROUNDED,
CUTS HIS WAY OUT SWIMMING COTTON RIVER SAVING
THE BRIDGE ACROSS FLINT RIVER BRILLIANT DIVERSION
ON THE RIGHT OF THE ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE GLASS'S
BRIDGE FALL OF ATLANTA THE SUMMER'S CAMPAIGN
ENDED.
On the morning of April fourth, 1864, the Ninety-Second took
up its line of march from Huntsville eastward, in a driving rain
storm, which continued all day. - The Regiment marched thirty-
three miles. Marched at daylight, and camped at Bellefonte.
Marched at daylight, and, owing to high water, had to seek the
sources of the streams, and, after marching thirty miles, camped
ten miles from Bellefonte. Reached Bridgeport on the seventh,
at noon, and camped on old ground, awaiting wagon-trains, and
shoeing animals. The Regiment left Bridgeport at davlight, on
April tenth, crossing the Tennessee on pontoons for the eleventh
and last time; and marched over the winding, rough, mountain
road, traveled by the army trains until it was almost impassable,
some points being literally corduroyed with the carcasses of dead
animals. It is said that, in the climate of South America, the
atmosphere is so dry and pure that beef will cure perfectly in the
open air without salt, and that the roads are there mended with
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 133
sides of fresh beef. The steamboat landing, at Pittsburg
Landing, Tennessee, was paved with sides of bacon ; but the only
road, probably, ever seen in North America corduroyed with the
carcasses of mules and horses, was passed over in this day's
march. Passed Shellmound and Nickojack Cave, where General
Andrew Jackson fought a battle with the Cherokee Indians.
Marched at daylight roads horrible wound around over the
rocky, brow of Lookout Mountain for the last time, and camped
at Rossville, Georgia. The Colonel reported in person to the
Chief of Cavalry, Army of the Cumberland, Brigadier General
Elliott, in Chattanooga: and, on the Colonel's representing that
many men in the Regiment were without horses, he was in-
formed, by General Elliott, that mounted infantry regiments
must not expect to get horses until after all the cavalry were
mounted; and that all the cavalry never would be mounted.
The Colonel protested against such treatment of his Regiment,
and, in a stormy intervieAv, insisted that, as long-as his Regiment
was serving, by proper orders, with the cavalry, it should receive
the same treatment as the cavalry. Elliott, like all the Regular
Army officers, had a dislike for mounted infantry. They all
insisted on the European idea of cavalry, armed with short-range
carbines, pistols and sabres ; until that notion was taken out of them,
the cavalry in the Western Army was alwavs a nuisance. They
had to meet Forrest and Wheeler, in a rough, wooded, mountain-
ous country, with no chance for cavalry charges, except in column
of fours, on roads always barricaded at frequent intervals, and
the enemy fighting, dismounted, from behind barricades, fences,
ditches, in the thick woods, and armed with long-range Missis-
sippi rifles. It is an old saying that you must fight fire with
fire ; and it is true that, if you fight an enemy successfully, you
must fight as he fights, and with weapons such as he uses. If
his men are dismounted, and armed with long-range rifles, and
take advantage of stumps, ditches, trees, woods, barricades and
houses, you must fight him dismounted, with long-range
weapons, and take like advantage of stumps, ditches, trees,
woods, barricades, and houses. You might as well charge a
scattered band of Comanche Indians with a squadron of heavy
European cavalry, as to have attempted to fight Forrest or
Wheeler after the manner of European cavalry movements.
The cavalry was always getting into a tight place, and calling on
the Ninety-Second, with their long-range Spencer Repeating
Rifles, and fighting on foot, to help them out; and the Ninety-
134 NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
Second always did it; and here was the Chief of Cavalry, of the
Department of the Cumberland, insulting the Regiment openly
by declaring that the men might go on foot until all the cavalry
were mounted, and that the cavalry never would be mounted.
The Colonel resented, with hot words, the insult put upon his
men, and won the enmity of the West Pointer.
At Rossville, a large number of recruits joined the Regiment,
all dismounted, and armed with old Burnside carbines no better
for actual service with the Ninety-Second than potato pop-guns.
Marched early on April twelfth, eighteen miles, to Ringgold,
Georgia, and went into camp. The Colonel reported to General
Thomas, and protested hotly against the treatment his Regiment
was receiving from General Elliott, and insisted that his rights in
the cavalry were precisely on a par with the cavalry regiments.
On the thirteenth, the Regiment camped on ground that had
been long occupied by a mule train, the muddiest, filthiest spot
to be found, but also the highest, being on the brow of a hill. All
hands went to work cleaning up camp, grading and leveling, and
laying it out in regular order. The pickets of the Ninety-Second
were attacked, but the attack was repulsed without loss on our
side, and with a loss of one Rebel killed, and two captured.
The fourteenth was spent in planting evergreens throughout the
camp, and by two days' labor, the filthies spot the Regiment ever
camped upon was converted into the cleanest and handsomest
camp the Regiment ever occupied. Lieutenant Colonel B. F.
Sheets tendered his resignation, on account of business reasons,
and Major John H. Bohn tendered his resignation, on Surgeon's
certificate of disability. On the fifteenth, Colonel R. G. Minty
relieved the Colonel of the Ninetv-Second of the command of
the brigade. On April sixteenth, was held the first dress-parade
since leaving Trianna. On the seventeenth, Brigadier General
Judson Kilpatrick assumed command of the Cavalry Divison.
The Colonel had an interview with General Kilpatrick, and de-
tailed the conversation of General Elliott, at Chattanooga, and
insisted that it was simply right and just that the Ninety-Second
should not be made the tail end of the cavalry, but should be
placed upon a par with the cavalry in drawing horses, and in all
other particulars. General Kilpatrick promised that the Regi-
ment should be supplied with horses, and be treated in the future
just the same, in regard to all things, as cavalry regiments of his
division. It is but just to sav that General Kilpatrick kept his
promise, and never afterward did the Ninety-Second make com-
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 135
plaint ot" not receiving horses, clothing, and rations, in precisely
the same quantities that the cavalry received them. There was
only one point of difference between General Kilpatrick and the
Colonel in this interview : the General insisted that the Colonel
should turn over his long-range Spencer Rifles, and draw carbines
and sabres, the General saying that he always fought at short
range, and wanted every man to have a sabre. But the Colonel
explained the manner in which Forrest and 'Wheeler fought, the
rough and wooded nature of the country, and begged the General
to wait until he had at least one skirmish with the enemy, and
saw the Ninety-Second in action, before he took from them their
long-range Spencer Repeating Rifles. To that General Kilpatrick
consented ; and he never afterward desired to take away from the
Ninety-Second their Spencer Rifles.
It was thought necessary to keep a picket post eight miles
away from camp at Nickojack. It was a dangerous place. Its
danger was represented bv the Colonel to the commanding officers,
in a written communication sent to the Department head-
quarters through regular channels; but no attention was paid to
it. The brigade was made up of three regiments of Kentucky
cavalry and the Ninety-Second ; and the influence of the Colonel
of the Ninety-Second never amounted to anything in that
brigade. They were all Kentuckians; and while many Ken-
tuckians disliked traitors, it was only a feeble feeling in compari-
son to the bitter hatred with which nearly all Kentuckians looked
upon an Abolitionist.
On the twenty-second of April, the Regiment was received
and inspected by Brigadier General Elliott, in company with
Major General Thomas, and General Elliott was pleased to
boast considerably to General Thomas, in the presence of the
members of the Regiment, claiming that the Ninety-Second had
the cleanest and handsomest camp of any regiment, infantry or
cavalry, in the Army of the Cumberland; and General Thomas
admitted that no regiment in his Department had a cleaner or
handsomer camp. The men of the Regiment appreciated the
compliment. During the whole service, the Ninety-Second
always stood among the first for cleanliness of camps, care of
equipments, and soldierly discipline. Sometimes the men com-
plained of the drills, dress-parades, and strict discipline, but they
were always proud of the compliments earned from command-
ing officers and Inspector Generals.
April twenty-third, 1864, was a sorrowful morning in the
136 NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
Ninety-Second; the picket post, eight miles from camp, at Nicko-
jack Trace, was surrounded, and attacked in overwhelming force,
just at daylight. There were sixty-two men at that post, under
command of Lieutenant Horace C. Scoville, of Company K,
divided into squads, picketing several roads. A regiment of dis-
mounted Rebels crossed Taylor's Ridge during the night, and
placed themselves upon the road in rear of the pickets, and, at day-
light, a regiment of mounted Rebels charged simultaneously every
post, driving the men back onto the reserve, and the reserve back
onto the regiment of dismounted Rebels, who had barricaded the
road. Thirty-three, out of the sixty-two, were killed, wounded, or
captured. Lieutenant Scoville, a gallant and faithful officer, was
among the captured. But the horrible part of the transaction was
the brutal treatment our men received, after their capture, at the
hands of the cowardly fiends ! Our wounded men were picked up
by us, and lived long enough to tell the story of their cowardlv
murder by Lieutenant Pointer, of Wheeler's staff, and his cut-
throat crew. It was demonstrated to a mathematical certainty
that many of our men were cruelly, brutally, inhumanly, unsol-
dierly and cowardly murdered, after they were disarmed and
wholly powerless to defend themselves. Lieutenant Pointer him-
self shot William Catnach, of Company B, after he was disarmed
and a prisoner; and, Catnach not falling at the first fire., and while
Catnach was pleading for his life, the cowardly villain shot him
again, the last shot passing through his lungs, and being a mortal
wound. Catnach was brought back to the hospital, and told his
story under oath, and lived until the seventh of May, when he
died of his two wounds. William A. Hills, of Company K, famil-
iarly known in the Regiment as Willie Hills, met the same fate.
A soldier writes in his diary under this date: "When overpow-
ered, Willie delivered up his gun, as ordered. A Rebel then
stepped up to him, after he was disarmed, cursed him, and then
placed his gun to Willie's breast and fired. Willie fell dead. This
statement is made by a woman living near, and who saw it." Ten
dead bodies of our men were gathered up, and the wounded ten-
derly borne back to camp. Little squads of officers and men
throughout the Regiment discussed the butchery of the morning,
and it was that day very generally believed in the Regiment that
the Ninety-Second would never take another prisoner. There
was no dismay, but a very general and firm resolve that the butch-
ery should be avenged! On the twenty-fourth, three of the
wounded men died. In the afternoon, the Regiment held a solemn
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 137
funeral, and placed in one grave seven of the ten men killed at
Nickojack; three were sent home for burial. Lieutenant Colonel
B. F. Sheets and Major John H. Bohn, their resignations having
been accepted, bade good-bye to the Regiment, and started for
" God's country." They were excellent officers, and the Regi-
ment parted with them with much regret. On the twenty-ninth
of April, the Regiment moved at two A. M., with the Division,
through Ringgold Gap, to the south side of Taylor's Ridge, on a
reconnoissance. The cavalry, leading,, came to a stand, at the
first Rebel picket post; and the Ninety-Second, with their Spen-
cers, was called upon to clear the road of the enemy, and did so.
The Rebel papers reported twenty of the enemy killed. The
Ninety-Second lost three; one killed, and two mortally wounded.
On the thirtieth, the Regiment was mustered for pay, and re-
ceived a special order from General Kilpatrick, complimenting
the Regiment for its gallant conduct on the day before.
On the second of May, the Regiment again marched through
Ringgo'.d Gap, on a reconnoissance, to Tunnel Hill, with the
Division, the Ninety-Second leading, General Baird's division of
infantry moving out through the Gap, in support of the cavalry.
Kilpatrick wanted to dash onto the first picket post, and follow
them right into their camps on a run, a nice thing to have done;
but it was utterly impossible where the roads passed through
mountain gorges, and were barricaded every twenty rods. Just
before daylight, the first shot was fired by the enemy at the
Ninety-Second advance; and, with a yell, the men put spurs to
their horses, and dashed forward. The enemy fled; but the
Ninety-Second was soon halted by an impassable barricade that
required some time to remove. The Ninety-Second kept on, and
drove the enemy from three separate barricades, charging each one
in front. The enemy made the next .stand at a log house, with a
long stretch of open field and road in front. The Colonel halted
the advance, and sent a squad, dismounted, through the woods, to
(lank the house and come up in the rear of it. It required a little
time; and Kilpatrick, impatient, and as reckless of the lives of
his men as he was of his own, came up to the advance, and found
the Colonel seated on the ground, quietly smoking his meer-
schaum pipe. He demanded the reason why the advance was
halted, and the reason was explained to him. He waited a minute
or two, and then said: "Well, we can't wait, fooling around
here ; forward the advance." The Colonel replied: "All right:
forward it is, then." But the Spencer Rifles of the flanking party
17
138 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
opened at that instant; and, with the advance, the General dashed
up to the log house, without receiving a shot from the enemy,
whom the flanking party had routed ; and five of the enemy were
left dead to tell the effectiveness of our Spencers. Then the
cavalry took the advance, and, a mile farther on, found the enemy
occupying a wooded hill, with an open field in their front; and, of
course, the Ninety-Second was sent for; and the order was to dis-
mount, and come forward on the double-quick. The Regiment
was dismounted, and went -forward. The Colonel was directed,
by General Kilpatrick, to take the hill ; he rode forward, and
reconnoitered the position, and .saw that, by moving through the
woods a short distance, he could flank it, and avoid the approach
over the open field under the enemy's fire, and therefore turned
the head of the Regiment into the woods. The enemy saw the
Regiment filing into the woods, and sent a straggling fire of
musketry, at random, where the Regiment was marching; and
Captain Preston, of Company D, as brave an officer as there was
in -the Regiment, but not the coolest, ordered the Regiment to
charge, and away it went over the open field. The Colonel
knew that the men could not double-quick over that field, and
then charge up the steep, wooded hill occupied by the enemy ;
and, with Adjutant Lawver, Captain Hawk, and perhaps other
mounted officers, rode out in front of the Regiment, and ordered
the men to go at a walk, and dress their line on the colors, so that
they would have breath and strength to make the final charge up
the hill; but, before the Regiment was at the foot of the hill, the
enemy retreated. The mounted officers dashed to the top, and
put in a few pistol shots at the retreating foe. We had now nearly
reached the camps of the enemy; their long wagon train was
winding over Tunnel Hill; their cavalry drawn up in line of
battle, five or eight thousand of them in plain sight. A battery
of artillery tossed shell at them; and, to make the enemy think
that Sherman's whole army was after them, the Ninety-Second
marched round and round in a circle, passing, everv few minutes,
over the bold brow of the hill, and back through the woods out
of sight of the enemy, so that it must have appeared to the enemy
like regiment after regiment of infantry, filing into the woods,
as' the stream of men over the brow of the hill was continuous,
and the regimental colors repeatedly passing, always in the same
direction. Having demonstrated that the enemy had no infantrv
north of Tunnel Hill, the object of the reconnoissance wasaccoiriT
plishd, and the command returned to camp, the Ninety-Second
NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 139
holding the rear. When within a mile or two of Ringgold Gap,
the enemy grew very bold, and attacked the rear with considera-
ble force t and with great energy- The entire Regiment faced
about in line of battle, mounted, in an orchard, with an open field
in front. The enemy had a line of battle, on a hill beyond the
field, and a squad of the enemy occupied a wooded hill, on our
, left flank, and annoyed us with their sharp shooting. General
Kilpatrick led a charge of cavalry against the enemy in front, but
the cavalry he was leading didn't charge as fast as the General,
and, Kilpatrick having his horse shot, the cavalry retreated.
General Kilpatrick inquired if the Ninety-Second could charge
on horseback and take that hill, and was told that it could try, and
it did try ; and it took the hill, and held it. A considerable force
of the enemy had passed into a corn field, through a gap in the
line of hills; it looked like a column of two or three hundred,
and two companies of the Ninety-Second were sent to cut them
off from returning. After a while, there was considerable music
made by the Spencers in that corn-field, but the Ninety-Second
took no prisoners that day. Few of the enemy that went into
that corn-field ever came out of it again. " Boys, remember
Nickojack," was the battle-cry, but it never was afterward. The
massacre at Nickojack was terribly avenged ! The Regiment
was satisfied, and never afterward was Nickojack revengefully
mentioned in the Ninety-Second, but always sadly and sorrow-
fully. The hill was held until General Kilpatrick ordered the
Regiment to withdraw, and it passed on through Ringgold Gap,
and into camp, without another shot being fired by the enemy.
The camps about Ringgold were rapidly filling up; and, from the
top of Taylor's Ridge, it looked at night, when the camp-fires
were lighted, like a great city, the bright lights gleaming for
miles and miles. On the fifth, heavy columns of troops moved
through Ringgold Gap. On this day, a meeting of the officers
of the Regiment was held, which is explained in the following:
" RINGGOLD, GA., May 5th, 1864.
" At a meeting of the officers of the Ninety-Second Illinois
Volunteer Infantry, held on the fourth instant, Captain J. M.
Schermerhorn, of Company G, being called to the Chair, and
Adjutant I. C. Lawver elected Secretary, on motion of Captain
Van Buskirk, a committee, consisting of Captains E. T. E. Becker,
of Company I, H. J. Smith, of Company B, and Lieutenant G.
R. Skinner, of Company D, was appointed to draft resolutions
I 4 o N1NBTT-SBCOND ILLINOIS.
expressive of the universal regret experienced at parting with
our late Lieutenant Colonel and Major, and of the high esteem
in which their memory is cherished by the Regiment. The fol-
lowing are the resolutions as reported and unanimously adopted :
" WHEREAS, Circumstances over which they had no control
have made it necessary for our much esteemed Lieutenant Colo-
nel, B. F. Sheets, and Major, John H. Bohn, to sever their con-
nection with our Regiment; and
" WHEREAS, It seems to us not improper to express our
regret in this public manner; therefore
" Resolved, That in taking final leave of us, thev carry with
them the best wishes of all, both officers and men, who have, for
over twenty months, served under their gallant leadership.
" Resolved, That bv uniform kindness, wholesome discipline,
and soldierly bearing, they have endeared themselves to everv -
officer and man in their command, and bound us together with
ties of friendship which cannot be broken while memory shall
last.
" Resolved, That the Secretary be instructed to request the
papers of Carroll, Ogle, and Stephenson Counties, Illinois, to
publish the above resolutions.
" J. M. SCHERMERHORN, President.
" I. C. LAWYER, Secretary."
On the sixth of May, orders came to be ready to march in a
movement of the whole army, on the morning of the seventh of
May, 1864. The movement on the morrow was to be a move-
ment of all of Sherman's troops in that immediate vicinity; that
is, a general advance, and in exact harmony with the whole
forces of the United States; Banks moving, at the same time, in
the Department of the Gulf, and Grant on Richmond. Sher-
man had the Army of the Cumberland, Major General Thomas :
Infantry, 54, 568; artillery, 2,377; cavalry, including the Ninety-
Second, of course, 3,828 total, 60,773; guns, 130. Army of the
Tennessee, Major General McPherson: Infantry, 22,437; artillery,
1,404; cavalry, 624 total, 24,465 ; guns, 96. Army of the Ohio,
Major General J. M. Schofield, of Freeport, Illinois: Infantry,
11,183; cavalry, 1,697; artillery, 679; guns, 28 total, 13,559-
Grand total: Infantry, 88,188; cavalry, 6,149; artillery, 4,460:
guns, 254; men of ail arms, 98,779. Marched, at three A. M., with
the Division, and crossed Taylor's Ridge, at Nickojack. Skir-
mished with the enemv all dav, after crossing Taylor's Ridge.
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 141
(
Companies K and C drove the enemy, after a brisk little fight,
across a creek, on the left of Hooker's corps. Camped at
Gordon's Gap.
Sunday, May eighth, marched to Vilanow, and drove in a
Rebel picket. McPherson's corps passed Vilanow for Snake
Creek Gap and Reseca, General Dodge's division leading; and
if that division, on striking Reseca, had have pushed into the
town instead of Dodging back to the mouth of Snake Creek Gap
and fortifying, Jo Johnston's Rebel army would have been bagged.
Mav tenth, marched at noon to Snake Creek Gap, five miles, and
camped behind the infantry. There were heavy earthworks
thrown up by Dodge's troops across the Gap, facing toward Res-
eca. It rained terribly during the night. On the eleventh, the
Ninety-Second lay in camp, sending detachments to scout to Lay's
Ferry and Calhoun Ferry over the Oostanaula. On the twelfth,
a. portion of the Division, under command of General Kilpatrick,
the Ninety-Second leading, made a reconnoissance toward Dai-
ton, and, with some fighting, drove the enemy about three miles,
and held them until McPherson's corps had advanced two miles
and thrown up breastworks. On the thirteenth, the Division
marched at daylight, with orders to take and hold^the cross-roads
west of Reseca, to enable the infantry to deploy on the roads.
The Tenth Ohio Cavalry charged the picket of the enemy at the
cross-roads, and drove them back. In this charge the brave and
dashing commander of the Division, General Judson Kilpatrick,
was. wounded, and the command of the Division fell to Colonel
Eli H. Murray, a brave soldier, and the command of the Brigade
devolved upon the Colonel of the Ninetv-Second. The Ninety-
Second was dismounted and formed in line, and pushed consider-
ably beyond the cross-roads, taking position behind a fence, with
a field in their front ; the enemy, dismounted, attempted to charge
over the field and drive the Regiment back, but they were scarcely
out of the woods and in the open field, when the fire of the Ninety-
Second Spencers drove them back. Rebel soldiers, tied in trees,
were sharpshooting, and one, immediately in front of the Ninety-
Second, was discovered and killed by a Spencer ball, and his gun
dropped out of his hand, and his body fell to the ground. Many
of the enemy, at Reseca, were so securely fastened in the trees
that their dead bodies remained there for days after the bat-
tle was over, and until cut down and buried by our troops. The
Regiment lay in the position described, holding the road to Res-
eca, a mile and a half distant, until the infantry deployed; and the
142 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
long line of infantry pushed forward and took the hill commanded
by the guns at Reseca, immediately in front of the Ninety-Second.
The Regiment was then withdrawn, and mounted and marched
again to Lay's Ferry and Calhoun Ferry, on the Oostanaula, and
exchanged shots with the enemy guarding those points, and re-
turned to the cross-roads and bivouaced. On the fourteenth,
marched to Lay's Ferry, sending Companies H and A to Cal-
houn Ferry. A division of infantry, under the command of Brig-
adier General Sweeney, of the Regular Army, made a crossing
at Lay's Ferry, and, being heavily attacked, repulsed the attack of
the enemv, but most unaccountably failed to lay the pontoons.
The failure to lay the pontoons at Lay's Ferry, on this day, must
have been a great disappointment to General Sherman; for, had
they been laid, and a corps crossed and placed at Calhoun, on the
road south of Reseca, it would have been very difficult for Johns-
ton to have retreated from Reseca. We wonder that the General
ot a great army can provide against little failures of this kind (nec-
essary steps in the plan of the general campaign), which, failing,
entail most troublesome results. Of course, it will be understood
by the reader that the Ninety-Second Committee on Publication
do not profess to know that General Sherman intended to place a
corps at Calhoun; we only know that if he had have d.one so,
Johnston, if he escaped at all, must have escaped without a cannon,
animal or wheel ; in fact, his army would have been broken up
and scattered beyond recall, if not in a body captured. In the
night, of the fifteenth of May, the pickets at Calhoun Ferry being
attacked, the Brigade moved out at eleven o'clock P. M., and the
Regiment, of course, moved with the Brigade, and, at the Ferry,
could distinctly hear the low, rumbling sound of Johnston's artil-
lery and trains moving southward it being made plain thereby
that Reseca was being evacuated by the enemy. Information was
sent to General Sherman, and a battery of artillery planted that
opened fire at random toward the Calhoun road, leading south
from Reseca. The firing of the batterv was kept up for a long
time, but no response from the enemy was elicited. The artillery
and musketrv firing in front of Reseca was continuous and ter-
rific. The morning of the sixteenth of May found Reseca de-
serted by Johnston, and his army intact in full retreat south of the
Oostanaula. The Ninety-Second escorted General Force to the
head-quarters of Colonel Wilder, near Rome, Georgia, and re-
turned to the Brigade; crossed the Oostanaula on the poontons at
Lay's Ferrv with the Brigade. While Iving in the woods south of
NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 143
the Ferry the infantry advance was severely attacked by the enemy,
but they were repulsed. Marched several miles, and camped for
the night, the Regiment having marched forty miles during the
day. Sherman's whole army was in motion in pursuit of John-
ston. On the seventeenth, the Regiment did not march until two
o'clock P. M., and marched only five miles. On the eighteenth,
moved early, seven miles to railroad south of Calhoun, and waited
for the Armies of the Cumberland and Ohio to pass through
Adairsville; passed Adairsville a few miles, and bivouaced after
dark. On the nineteenth, marched early, on a roundabout road,
Hanking the infantry columns on the right; passed through Kings-,
ton and camped, after dark, in rear of the infantry skirmish line,
a few miles south of Kingston. On the twenty-first, the Regi-
ment retraced its march to Reseca, to guard the railroad from at-
tacks of the Rebel cavalry. On the twenty-second, the Regiment
was divided, one portion marching east and one west of the rail-
road, and camping together at night at Adairsville. Lay in camp
at Adairsville, sending out scouting parties in all directions. On
the twenty-fourth, reports came to camp of a Rebel cavalry col-
umn at Cassville. The Regiment marched at five P. M., five
miles toward Cassville, and sent the advance into the town. The
Rebel cavalry had been there, and gone again, capturing a few
wagons and straggling soldiers. The Regiment remained saddled
all night; and, at ten A. M., next morning, returned to Adairs-
ville, where the Regiment lay until the sixth of June.
On the fourth of June, George W. Marshall, Regimental
Quartermaster, was promoted to Captain and Assistant Quarter-
master of Volunteers, and Philip Sweeley, Quartermaster's Ser-
geant, was promoted to Lieutenant and Regimental Quartermas-
ter. Marshall was an efficient Regimental Quartermaster, and
had earned his promotion. Sweeley was always faithful as a
Quartermaster's Sergeant, and filled, with satisfaction to the Reg-
iment, the position of Regimental Quartermaster.
On the sixth of June, leaving Company G at Adairsville, the
Regiment marched through Kingston, and camped three miles
south-west of the town, to do scouting dutv along the Etowa
River. On the eighth, Company I was sent, on a two days'
scout, towards Rome. The weather was very warm. The Regi-
ment lay in camp, scouting and patrolling the Etowa, until the
thirteenth, living on the fat of the land. Cherries were ripe, and
the woods full of huckleberries. On the eleventh, two of Arm-
strong's cavalry were captured. On the thirteenth, the Regiment
144 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
marched early to Reseca, sending scouting parties in all di-
rections. On the fourteenth, sent scouting parties to Vilanow
and Rome, and the Regiment marched on a roundabout road to
Calhoun and on to Adairsville. On the fifteenth, the Regiment
returned to its old camp near Kingston. On the sixteenth, Major
Charles W. Newcomer paid the Regiment four months' pay. On
the twentieth, Captain Albert Woodcock, of Company K, was
promoted to Major, vice John H. Bohn, resigned, and Lieutenant
Horace C. Scoville, who was taken prisoner by the Rebels at
Nickojack, and was still a prisoner, was promoted to the Cap-
taincy of Company K. On the twenty-eighth, Lieutenant I. C.
Lawver, Regimental Adjutant, left the Regiment, being detailed
as A. A. D. C. on the staff of Brigadier General A. Baird. The
entire Regiment parted with Lieutenant Lawver with great re-
gret; he was an educated soldier and gentleman, and had won the
respect and affection of the entire command. On the third of
July, the Regiment marched to Adairsville, and camped on the
old camp ground. On the fourth of July, marched early, to Res-
eca, and lay there in camp until the twenty-fifth, sending out
heavy scouting parties, and patrolling the railroad to guard U from
being torn up by small bodies of Rebel cavalry. On the twenty-first,'
General Kilpatrick, having recovered from his wound, returned
to the army, and took command of his old Division, to the great
joy of officers and men, who were weary of guarding railroads,
and they knew that when Kilpatrick returned it meant active work.
On the twenty-fifth, the Regiment marched to Calhoun. On the
twenty-sixth, the Regiment adopted commendatory resolutions in
compliment to Doctor Winston, who had resigned. On the
twenty-ninth, Captain J. M. Schermerhorn, of Company G, was
presented with a beautiful sword by his admiring friends in the
Regiment. The Smith D. Atkins Lodge of Free and Accepled
Masons was organized in the Regiment, under a Dispensation
from the Grand Lodge of Illinois. On August second, the Regi-
ment 'marched at daylight, through Adairsville and Kingston, to
Cartersville. On the third, the Ninety-Second marched at nine-
o'clock A. M., through Altoona Pass, and bivouaced a few miles
southeast of Altoona. On the fourth of August, the Regiment
was thrown in advance of the Division about three and a half
miles, the Division being on the right of Sherman's army in front
of Atlanta, where, near the banks of the Chattahoochee, it went
into camp, and did outpost duty. The Rebels were constantly
prowling about the picket posts of the encampment. While here.
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 145
Nat. Davis, of Company K, Regimental Postmaster, was cap-
tured, with the mail, while on his way to the Regiment from Di-
vision head-quarters. On Sunday, the seventh of August, Orderly .
David Boyle, of Company H, was sent, with a report of the fight-
ing strength of the Regiment, to General Kilpatrick. When on
the road, a mile from camp, five armed Rebels stepped out from
the bushes, and, with guns pointed at his breast, ordered him to
surrender. David obeyed. The Rebels marched David three or
four miles to the edge of a swamp, and there they lay concealed
until about midnight, when four of them started to the Ninety-
Second camp to gobble horses, leaving the fifth man in charge of
David. David, playing possum, went to sleep, snoring lustily, but
kept open his ears and one eye. After a while, the Rebel guard
dropped away into slumber, and snored in concert with his pris-
oner. Dave then silently rose to his feet, and, with the spring of
a panther, leaped upon the guard, seized the guard's gun, and with
it dashed out his brains. Dave then secured his trustv Spencer.
j
untied and mounted his own horse, and started for camp. When
about half way to camp, whom should he meet but those five
identical Rebels, returning to where they had left Dave in charge
of one of their number, as a guard, and each Rebel having a
milk-white horse, captured from the musical command of Collen
Bauden ! B} 7 the light of the moon, Dave recognized the band
horses of the Ninety-Second, and the Rebels recognized Dave.
A race and a fight ensued. David abandoned his horse, and took
to the swamp, and succeeded in eluding his pursuers. The next,
day, David came into camp, minus hat, coat, shoes, and shirt, the
very picture of hard times.
The Ninety-Second Band was made up of the very best
musical talent in the Regiment. Collen Bauden, the leader, was
modest, almost to bashfulness; and his soft hazel eye told of a
heart as kind as a woman's: there was music in his walk, look,
and gesture. No discordant note, but silver melody alone,
breathed from his horn. All the Band boys were fine fellows,
morally and physically, and, under Collen's instruction, thev
became experts, and, as a Band, second to none in Sherman's
Army. Their horns were German silver, and their horses milk-
white steeds. Like all musical people, the Band regarded them-
selves a degree above the common crowd. They did not belong
to the plebians of the rank and file of the Regiment; hence,
when the Regiment went into camp, the Band was accustomed
to pitch their tents a little way out; and the Band, in its whims,
18
146 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
was humored, as all musical people are. On the night of the
day that Orderly David Boyle was captured, four of David's
capturers crept into Collen Bauden's command, and led away four
of his milk-white steeds! The next morning, the Band boys,
chagrined that the Rebels had stepped over them while asleep,
and led away their best horses, repaired to Major Woodcock, the
Regimental Commander, and, with woe-begone faces, related
their grievances. They asked for more horses at once. The
reply was, "A fighting man cannot be dismounted for the pur-
pose of mounting a non-combatant; the Band must go on foot."
Before nightfall of that day, it was amusing to see the Band boys,
like wayward but -repentant children, come creeping under the
wings of the Regiment for protection. A heavy camp guard was
thrown around the camp ; and, about two o'clock the next morn-
ing, the Rebels were seen approaching the Regiment, probably
in quest of more white Band horses; but the hawks missed
their game: the chickens were nestled snugly in the breast-
feathers, close to the Regimental heart. The guards fired upon
the Rebels. In about five minutes after the volley, the Regiment
was in line, ready for fight. From indications seen 'the next
morning, two or three of the Johnnies must have been wounded.
A day or two afterward, the dismounted Band bovs were on
mules. Where they got them was a query. It was generally
understood that no Ninety-Second man went on foot longer than
two days; that is, not if he understood himself, and he generally
did. A charger, in the form of a horse, mule, or donkey, was
pretty sure to fill the vacancy within that time.
On Monday, the fifteenth of August, 1864, at one o'clock in
the morning, reveille was sounded in the camp of the Ninety-
Second, in compliance with orders from Division head-quarters.
After grooming and feeding the horses, and making a breakfast
of fried " hard-tack and sow-belly," and coffee, the Regiment
moved into line, and awaited the coming of the rest of the Di-
vision. At four o'clock A. M., they came up. The Division, the
Ninety-Second leading, marched to a point within half a mile ot
the Chattahoochee, opposite Sandtown. The town was held by
a small force of the enemy, on picket duty. The immediate
object of the movement of the Cavalry Division was to lay a pon-
toon across the Chattahoochee, opposite Sandtown. The Ninety-
Second was ordered to deploy on foot, and to charge to the
water's edge, under the cover of a battery, on an eminence in
rear- of the Regiment, which was to shell the town during the
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 147
forward movement of the Ninety-Second ; but, while charging to
the river, the shell from the battery fell short, bursting, and tear-
ing up the earth in rear and front of the Regiment, scattering the
dirt over the men. The idea of being killed by friends was terri-
ble; it reminded the boys of the time when the Ninety-Second
drove the Rebels over and off from Lookout Mountain, and our
own Brigade battery recklessly tossed its shell into the advance;
only there the boys knew it was a want of information, for Wil-
der's battery was always ably managed; and now it was a want
of sense in the gunners in not elevating their pieces: there was
no glory in such a death. The men of the Ninety-Second stood
even such a fire, withovit a break or curve in their battle-line. A
little cursing from Kilpatrick caused the artillerymen to elevate
their pieces, and fire with more care. Luckily, none were in-
jured. The Regiment moved to the water's edge, throwing
several volleys across ; the shell from the battery dropping nicely
into the town. The Rebels, panic-stricken, fled like frightened
deer. A pontoon boat conveyed some of the Regiment over the
river; all went to work with a will, and, by noon, the bridge of
boats was completed, and the whole command crossed. The day
had been beautiful, the sun shining brightly. A thunder-storm
now rolled up, and poured its waters copiously on the command,
which moved on in the direction of the Montgomery and West
Point Railroad. When near Fairburn, the Rebels made a stand;
but a charge, in which the Ninety-3econd participated, swept
them away. The Yankees then burned the depot and Rebel
stores, cut the telegraph, and tore up some track, and fell back
some three or four miles. It was night. The Regiment, wet
from the drenching rain, without tents or blankets, lay down on
their arms, in line of battle, and slept until the break of day, on
the morning of the sixteenth. The Division moved back to
within three or four miles of the river, and struck a road leading
toward Atlanta. The Ninety-Second brought up the rear. As
the command crossed Camp Creek, the horses were watered, thus
consuming an hour in crossing. Corporal C. O. Trask, with a
detail of men, was stationed in the road, on an eminence south of
the creek. A force of Rebel cavalry, ten times the number of
the Corporal's squad, noticing the little band acting as rear guard,
dashed their horses into a charge. For a moment, the boys were
bewildered, and about to retreat; the Corporal sprang forward,
shouting to his men, " We must stand; we belong to the Ninety-
Second; we can whip them." The boys did stand. Bravely they
148 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
volleyed the charging column, broke it into confusion, and the
Rebels went back faster than they came. After crossing the
creek, the Division moved, on a road, eastward, until within four
and a half miles of the railroad, between East Point, and Atlanta,
where, running against the Rebel army behind their earthworks,
the Division backed out, and returned to Sandtown, crossed the
river, and went into their old camps, both men and horses suffer-
ing from fatigue. On Wednesday, the seventeenth, the men and
horses were allowed to rest.
About two weeks previously, General Sherman ordered
General Stoneman, with five thousand cavalry, and McCook,
with four thousand cavalry, to march the one from the left flank
of his army, the other from the right flank and unite at Love-
joy's Station, and there destroy the railroad. Stoneman did not
reach the road, but was captured, with about a thousand of his
command. McCook reached Lovejoy,*but was heavily attacked,
and obliged to retrace his steps, losing about five hundred of his
men captured, among whom was Colonel Harrison, of the Eighth
Indiana Cavalry, well known in the Ninety-Second. General
Sherman then told Kilpatrick that he might try his hand.
Monday and Tuesday of this week, the Regiment had been
constantly in the saddle, with but little sleep at night. Thursdav
they were ordered to put themselves into first-rate fighting
condition; to provide themselves with all the Spencer cartridges
they could possibly carry, with several days' rations, without
tents, blankets, or other incumbrances, to be ready for the march.
On Thursday, at six o'clock in the afternoon, the command
formed. It consisted of Kilpatrick's Division, and also the bri-
gades of Colonels Long and Minty, and the Chicago Board of
Trade and Tenth Wisconsin batteries, numbering in all about five
thousand horsemen. The Ninety-Second, under the command of
Major Woodcock, was given the place of honor, the advance.
After crossing the Chattahoochee, and getting well under march,
night spread her mantle of darkness upon the land. After cross-
ing a creek, the advancing Ninety-Second descried the camp-fires
of the Rebels in and near the road. "Attention trot march!"
and " charge! " were the commands. On the keen run, the Reg-
iment went in ; the shouts of the men, as they madly dashed for-
ward in that reckless charge through the darkness, echoed and
re-echoed among the hills. They swept over the advance pick-
ets and guards of the enemy, dashed through their camp, driving
the-flying Rebels before them like autumn leaves before the wind.
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 149
Onward they rode, sweeping the enemy before them, until they
drove them beyond the Montgomery and West Point Railroad.
The men of the Ninety-Second then halted on the iron track, and
awaited the arrival of the command. Along the road where the
Regiment charged the Rebel dead were scattered. Among their
killed was a Lieutenant. He, with some men, was stationed at
an advanced post. The charge of the Regiment in the darkness
fell upon them like a thunderbolt. The Rebel Lieutenant had
just written a letter to his wife. One of the boys snatched it up.
It was crimson with the Lieutenant's blood. Among his ex-
pressions were the following: "The Yankees are encamped not
far from here. We are liable to have a fight at any moment. I
may never see you again. I commend you, my dear wife, and
our little ones, to heaven's protection." Tears blinded the eyes of
the Ninety-Second boy as he read to his comrades the letter. In
the charge the Ninety-Second had several men wounded, and
many horses killed. The Division fell upon the West Point and
Montgomery Railroad track like a devouring cloud of locusts upon
a grain field. The men, standing as thick as they could stand
along one side of the track, took hold ot the rails and ends of the
ties, and, by main force, lifted the track up bodily and turned it
bottom side up. They built fires, and, heating the rails in the
center, twisted and bent them. They toiled until the rosy light in
the east told of approaching morn. The bugles then sounded "to
horse." Kilpatrick said to the men: "This is not the road that
we are after; we want the one that runs southward from Atlanta."
The bold riders mounted and were away, the Ninety-Second still
leading.
As the sun was rising in golden glory above the eastern hills,
a roll of musketry in the rear of the column announced an attack
in that direction. The shells from the Rebel artiller}' came richo-
cheting along and bursting near the Regiment. Kilpatrick, who
at that time was sitting on the fence in front of a log house ques-
tioning a woman about the roads, looked up, and addressed Major
Woodcock, in command of the Ninety-Second, saying: "That
means fight. Move your men rapidly to the rear, and assist in
the engagement." General Kilpatrick's order was obeyed. In a
few minutes the Rebels were driven in disorder and put to flight.
The Regiment was then ordered to march by file upon the left
flank of the marching column, a space of four or five rods to be
maintained between each file. The enemy, save what had been
routed in the rear, were upon the left, between the command and
150 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
Atlanta. The road wound along through the woods, and it was
thought the enemy might lie in ambush. The Ninety-Second
flankers were to draw the fire and engage the attention of the en-
emy, while the command got ready for action. Stumbling over
logs, scratched and torn by briars, often entangled in the wild
vines, the Regiment struggled along; but the toil and fatigue to
both men and horses was very great. They were obliged to keep
up with the column marching rapidly on a smooth road. In that
toilsome manner the Regiment marched until it neared Flint
River. Here the Rebels were massed to dispute the further
march of the command. Our artillery was placed in position.
The Chicago Board of Trade and the Tenth Wisconsin batteries
for a while threw their shells lively. A shell storm rained upon
the Rebels, while the command charged them in front. This was
more than they could endure. They broke and fled in wild dis-
order. The command then crossed the river, and moved into
Jonesboro. The road they were after was reached.
It was Friday evening. The sun had set. The torch had been
applied to the' depot, and all public buildings, and verv soon the
little town was a sea of fire, and the heavens lurid with the flames
of the burning buildings. No time to wait no time to eat no
time to rest the whole command fell to work. No railroad track
was ever more effectually torn up, or faster. The railroad ties
were piled up and set on fire, soon becoming burning log heaps;
the iron rails were then laid on them, and when they showed a
white heat in the center, the rails were twisted like an auger.
Sometimes the men would seize the iron rails by the ends, after
they were red-hot in the center, and bend them around the trees
in ox-bow shape. The destruction of the railway track M'ent con-
tinuously and rapidly forward until about eleven o'clock at night,
when a Rebel brigade of infantry made a bold attack from the
south. The Ninety-Second was ordered to leave their work of
destroying railroad, and double-quick to the point of action. The
men had not time to don their blue jackets, which they had thrown
off in the hot, fiery work of destroying the track; but, seizing
their trusty Spencers, and leaving their horses, they dashed for-
ward on foot to the point of attack. The cavalry were giving
way under the heavy fire. The Ninety-Second rushed in, stum-
bling over the dead cavalrymen that lay along the line, and, in
obedience to orders, the Ninety-Second laid down. The darkness
of the night showed sheets of flame rolling toward them from the
guns of the enemy. The men of the Ninety-Second gave them
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 151
better than they sent. They pumped fire at the enemy in volleyed
thunder from their repeating rifles. The Ninety-Second alone
against a brigade of four or five thousand Rebel infantry ! The
Ninety-Second checked the advance of the enemy, and held them
at bay for nearly three hours. The balance of the command
worked faithfully, destroying the track, while the enemy were be-
ing thus held. Lieutenant G. R. Skinner, of Company D, a
Brigade staff officer, came up to Major Woodcock, in command
of the Ninety-Second, with orders for the Regiment to fall back a
few rods to a rail barricade, built for them by the cavalry. He
remarked, " I do not see how men can live any length of time
under such a fire." The Regiment noiselessly fell back to the
barricade, as ordered. After a while, the enemy slackened up
their fire; but a broken sputtering of shots showed them still in
front, but afraid to advance. To the north of the town, the loud
scream of locomotives and the heavy rumbling of trains could be
heard. Kilpatrick's men knew that regiments of Rebel infantry
from Atlanta were being hurried toward them as fast as possible.
The men of the Ninety-Second were so overcome with fatigue,
that it was almost impossible for them to keep awake. The officers
moved up and down the line, shaking the men, charging them
that their own lives, and the lives of the men of the command,
depended upon their keeping awake. About three o'clock A. M.,
on Saturday morning, the twentieth, orders came to Major Wood-
cock to keep his men in position fifteen minutes longer, when,
without noise, the men were to fall rapidly back to their horses,
mount, and follow after the command. The Regiment saw the rest
of the command mount and move away. For fifteen minutes longer
they held the Rebels; then, as ordered, the Regiment moved
noiselessly back, mounted, and rode rapidly until they overtook
the rear of the column. Many cavalrymen lay upon the ground
insensible with fatigue and sound asleep. The Ninety-Second
men tried to rouse them, told them of their danger, and tried to
get them to move with the command; but they were as immov-
able as statues, and, in a few minutes afterward, were picked up
by the Rebels. Alycrah W. Latham, of Company K, was shot
through the heart; several of the boys were wounded. The com-
mand moved rapidly east of the railroad until it struck a road
leading to Lovejoy Station ; into it the command filed, and toward
Lovejoy they marched. When near an extensive cornfield, the
command halted for half an hour, and the jaded animals were
given a feed of green corn. Then the command mounted and
152 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
moved on to Lovejoy, where it commenced tearing up the rail-
road track, but a swarm of Rebel infantry drove the men from the
work. The command retraced its steps, but, after inarching four
or five miles, masses of Rebel infantry were found in its front.
The Rebels had been run down from Atlanta in the cars during
the night. The road led through a very large open field. In the
field the command was hemmed in; dense columns of Rebel in-
fantry and cavalry surrounded the Yankees. In this situation,
the command fought until three o'clock P. M. The Ninety-Sec-
ond had been frequently double-quicked on foot from point to
point of the field. The enemy's fire began to converge from all
directions. The^Rebels thought they could bag Kilpatrick, as
they had done Stoneman. In front, the Rebel artillery played
upon the men. To the right, to the left, and in rear of their artil-
lery, gray lines of Rebel infantry were stationed, with bristling
bayonets. " Surrender to. the Rebs? Never!" was the exclama-
tion of the men, uttered between their grinding teeth. Kilpatrick
formed his men for the charge in several columns, four horsemen
abreast in each column. The bugles sounded the charge. Men's
faces became rigid with determination ; thousands of sabres glit-
tered in the sunlight. The flashing sabres were a magnificent
sight. The sky resounded with the cheers of the men; the horses
caught the spirit of their riders, and were wild with excitement;
and away the columns flew toward the enemy. They ran over
the Rebel artillery, sabering the gunners, who gallantly stood by
their guns. They rode down the Rebel infantry, their lines van-
ishing like magic. Some of them rallied, and charged for the
Tenth Wisconsin Battery, and the captured Rebel batten', which
were in the care of the Ninety-Second. The Ninety-Second men
wheeled into line, and volleyed the charging Rebels with their
Spencers. The Rebels broke in confusion, and fled in consterna-
tion. In the charge, (Captain William B. Mayer, of Company F,
was wounded; several of the men were hit, but none had mortal
wounds.
Having captured the Rebel artillery, three battle flags, and
many prisoners, the command moved east about three miles, and
halted. Kilpatrick ordered a detail, to be made from each com-
pany of the command, to go to the adjacent fields for corn for
the animals. A regiment was thrown on the road, in the rear of
the command, as a picket guard. The detailed men had not
reached the corn-fields, before a heavy volley was fired into the
rear guard. The Rebel infantrv had rallied, and were in pursuit.
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS: 153
The bugles sounded recall. The men hastened back to their
horses; the command mounted, and were away, on the McDon-
ough Road. They reached McDonough, the county-seat of
Henry County, about five o'clock P. M. The heavens grew sud-
denly dark with clouds. It commenced to rain. The rain soon
poured in torrents. It seemed as if the very flood-gates of
the heavens had broken loose. The command moved through
the town, taking the road northward toward Covington. Captain
M. Van Buskirk, of Company E, and Captain Harvey M. Timms,
of Company A, and Captain Horace J. Smith, of Company B,
with their companies; were ordered to move rapidly, in advance
of the whole command, to South River, a branch of the Ocmul-
gee, seize the bridge, and hold it until the command crossed.
On reaching the bridge, they found it in possession of a detach-
ment of Rebel cavalry. The boys charged them, and drove them
from the bridge, as they were attempting to burn it. It was
already on fire, but the boys soon extinguished the flames. The
darkness had become intense. The column crossed a small
stream, and halted. An Orderly, from head-quarters, came
along and said to the Ninety-Second : " You will go in there to
the left, and await further orders." The Regiment did as di-
rected; they tound themselves in a plowed field, flooded with
water by the rain tempest; mud and water were nearly knee deep.
Some- of the men, through sheer exhaustion, sank down in the
mud and water, and were soon asleep, and oblivious to suffering;
others stood up, and held their horses that dark, chilly night
through. Next morning, no sooner had faint streaks of light in
the East indicated the approach of day, than the command rc-
su-med its march. After crossing South River, on the bridge
saved by the boys of companies E, A, and B, the bridge was
effectually destroved. The column moved on, until it reached
another branch of the Ocnuilgee, called Cotton River. There
was no bridge. The heavy rains had swollen the stream, so that
it overflowed its banks, and its angry flood whirled madly along
its channel. The ford was dangerous; and, for some eighty feet,
the horses must swim. Kilpatrick, on the opposite bank, stood
shouting to the men, ordering them to " let go the bridle rein?,
and let the horses guide themselves." The horses, snorting, and
breasting the flood, swam admirably. A frightened rider would
seize the bridle, and attempt to guide his horse; the horse would
turn up on his side, and away horse and rider would go, whirled
along by the angry flood. The command was a long time in
154 'NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
crossing. In the swollen stream were lost the ammunition train,
one piece of artillery, and several ambulances, and a number of
horses were drowned. The ambulance in which Captain William
B. Mayer, of Company F, was riding, after he had been wounded,
was lost in Cotton River; and the Captain came near losing his
life in the water, but caught hold of a limb of a tree, and kept his
head above water until rescued. Every man and horse had a
cold bath. They were as wet as drowned rats, from the rain,
when they went in; but the bath washed away the mud.
The column moved in the direction of Lithonia, a station on
the Georgia Railroad, east of Atlanta. About three o'clock i#
the afternoon, it being the Sabbath, a lot of carriages and buggies
were met, leaded with ladies and gentlemen, returning from
church. They were halted; and the horses instantly entered the
service of Uncle Sam. Ladies and old men, clad in their Sun-
day suits, sat in their horseless carriages, in the center of the
road, demurely inspecting the Yankees as they passed. As the
Ninetv- Second moved by, the utmost courtesy was manifested
toward the unfortunates. Only one boy addressed them. To a
dark-haired young lady, of about eighteen, he said : " Sissy, are
you in favor of our Union?" She responded only by a shake of
her curls, and a flash of her black eyes. Lithonia Station was
reached at dark. The Ninety-Second was ordered into line east
of the railroad, and directed to act as a picket. It commenced to
rain again, and poured down the entire night through.
On Monday morning early, the command resumed its march,
moving along the railroad in the direction of Atlanta. The
heavens had cleared lip, and the 'blue sky was once more
visible. The sun shone brightly. About noon, the column
halted near a large corn-field; the horses were fed. No Rebels
were in sight. Large fires were made of cedar rails, and the
boys doffed their clothes, wrung out the water, and hung them up
by the fires to dry. Some of the boys, who were not Free Ma-
sons, having a great respect for the Order (as they said\ had taken
some of the masonic clothing from the burning Masonic Hall at
Jonesboro, consisting of little aprons highly ornamented with gold
and silver bullion, which they tied on, and marched around in a
circle, saying it was in commemoration of old father Adam, who
was partial to that, kind of a dress, except that his apron was made
of fig-leaves instead of rich cloth, adorned with the precious
metals.
After a little rest, the command moved, passing Stone Moun-
NINBTT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 155
tain on their right, a rocky peak that rises, solitary and grand,
above the surrounding plain. On reaching Decatur, the advance
struck a body of Rebel cavalry. A few volleys sent them flying
toward Atlanta. After marching to a point midway between
Decatur and Atlanta, the column moved on a road northward,
and soon reached the picket line on the left of Sherman's army.
The Ninety-Second was warmly welcomed by Wilder's brigade, to
which it had formerly belonged. It was about five o'clock P. M.
Worn out, and burning with fever, from loss of sleep, the men
sank upon the ground in heavy slumber, and were not disturbed
until nine o'clock the next morning. Kilpa '.rick's Division then
inarched to its old encampment, on the right of Sherman's army,
on the banks of the Chattahoochfee, having made a complete cir-
cuit around both the Confederate and United States Armies.
On August twenty-fifth, with three days' rations, the Ninety-
Second marched, at sundown, six miles, toward West Point, and
lay in line of battle all night. At noon, on the twenty-sixth, the
Regiment marched back to camp at Sandtown. At eleven
o'clock at night, orders came to march at twelve o'clock ; drew
rations, and marched, at midnight, to same point occupied the
night previous. At noon next day, crossed the creek, and marched
six miles, skirmishing with the enemy, and threw up barricades.
The country was poor, and forage for animals scarce, but sweet
potatoes were plenty, to go with and save the hard-tack and
bacon- The firing was continuous all night. The morning of
the twenty-eight broke in perfect calm, neither party attacking.
The Regiment moved at seven A. M., traveling down the Mont-
gomery Railroad, and soon found the enemy in force. The
Ninety-Second was dismounted, and advanced one mile up the
railroad track, toward Atlanta, getting an occasional shell from
the Rebel artillery, the enemy retreating. After a while, the
Yankee artillery was brought into requisition, and silenced the
Rebel guns. The line of battle of the Regiment extended across
the railroad track, and rail barricades had been thrown up, when
the infantry relieved the Ninety-Second. Four of the Ninety-
Second men were wounded by the Rebel artillery. The Regi-
ment mounted, and moved down the railroad. The Regiment
was again dismounted, and moved farther down the railroad, to
hold the front in that direction, until the other regiments built
barricades. Here the Regiment remained until ten o'clock P. M.,
constantly under fire, but they gave the enemy so careful atten-
tion that they dared not advance; moved back to the barricades,
t$6 N1NRTT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
and held them until two hours after daylight the next morning,
when the Ninety-Second was again relieved by the infantry, and
ordered back to the horses ; and to remain ready to march at the
bugle call, and remained saddled all day. Eight miles of the rail-
road was utterly destroyed, rails burned and twisted around
trees and telegraph poles, in fantastic shapes, and the ties
burned up. At night, the Ninety-Second was ordered on
picket duty, holding the skirmish line all night. The cavalry did
good service in building barricades, but their carbines, pistols, and
sabres were not worth a cent for fighting; and, of course, the
Ninety-Second, with their long-range repeating rifles, did the
fighting and dangerous duty for the Division. The post of danger
was the post of honor, and the Ninety-Second always held it.
At seven o'clock, on the morning of August thirtieth, 1864, the
Ninety-Second moved on the road toward Jonesboro, having the
advance of the Armv of the Tennessee. General Howard was in
command of that army, General Logan commanding the fif-
teenth corps. The Ninety-Second skirmished with the enemv
constantly, driving them easily until it reached Bethsaida Church,
where, beyond an open field, the enemy were massed behind a
long line of works. Generals Logan and Kilpatrick reconnoi-
tered the 'position. Kilpatrick said: "Logan, throw forward
some of vour infantry, an-:! charge them out." Logan said : " Kil-
patrick, you are a charging man ; charge yourself." The order
then came to the Ninety-Second : " With the Regiment on
horseback, you will charge those works, and drive out the Rebs."
The question was asked : " May we not charge on foot, as we
are accustomed to?" The reply was: "You will charge on
horseback." Kilpatrick wished to show his cavalry. The Ninety-
Second men will remember how hard it was to wheel the horses
into line in that tangled wild wood, beneath a galling fire, the
bullets rattling like hail against the trees. Some of the men
shouted: "Let us charge on foot." The reply was: " No, we
are ordered to charge on horse." The command was given
" forward." Like wild mad-caps, the Ninetv-Second dashed over
that field, and threw their horses against the works; they brought
their Spencers down, and pumped fire into that living mass;
stricken with fear, the enemy fled. The ground along the works
was strown with Rebel dead and dying. Some prisoners were
taken. One boy, of Company I, in his excitement, sprung from
his horse upon the hack of a big Johnny, and, grabbing him by
the collar, dragged him over the works, and, leading him up to
NINETr-SECOND ILLINOIS. 157
Captain Becker, said: "Cap, here's a prisoner; what shall I
do with him ?" Captain Becker said : " Take him back to the
rear." Boy said : " I have not time, Cap ; you take him
back; I want to go for another!" This charge cost the Ninety-
Second valuable lives, although the Rebels lost ten to our one.
Here Lieutenant Dawson, of Company H, was mortally wounded,
than whom a better, braver soldier never lived. His loss to Com-
pany H, and to the Regiment, was irreparable. His body sleeps
bv the Chattahoochee; but his noble, daring spirit finds rest in the
soldier's paradise.
The Regiment moved forward again on the Jonesboro Road,
until it reached a valley, where it was ordered to halt. Here the
Regiment witnessed a splendid artillery duel. On the range of
hills east of the Regiment was Rebel artillery; on a western sum-
mit our batteries were in position. We were midway between
the two. It was a grand scene to witness. White wreaths of
smoke curled upward from the guns, white wreaths from the
bursting shells; Rebel shot howled over us; our shells went
screaming over us back again. Thunder answered to thunder,
peai to peal, crash to crash ! Earth fairly shook. Our boys beat.
The Rebel gunners limbered up, and rumbled away. Onward
we moved, still toward Jonesboro. We marched until we reached
Flint River Valley, about two miles from town. As we looked
down from the hill we saw the river, a bridge spanning it; Rebel
ranks were guarding the bridge, and about to destroy it. " For-
ward, the Ninety-Second!" was the order. "Charge the Rebs,
save the bridge ! " At our request, we charged on foot. On the
run the Ninety-Second went in, cheer upon cheer uttered as the
men dashed upon the Rebs. They could not stand the blaze of
the Ninety-Second Spencers; they fled. The bridge was saved.
As the Ninety-Second was returning to their horses, they met
Generals Howard and Osterhaus. General Howard said : " Boys,
that was a splendid charge ; you are a noble Regiment." Oster-
haus said: "Das ist ein goot Regiment; dey trills de infantry
irill." Each man in the Ninety-Second, after those compliments,
felt as big as a full-fledged Major General ; and thev had a right
to feel thus, for they were good, brave, noble boys. Had they
been ordered to charge into the very jaws of death, they would
have done it. As soon as mounted, Kilpatrick said: "Captain
Estes will accompany you, and give you my orders." The Ninety-
Second moved down the hill, and as it was crossing the bridge,
Estes said to an infantry Colonel who stood bv : " Colonel, the
158 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
cavalry will beat the infantry. We are going right into Jones-
boro." We made a right turn as we crossed the bridge, and
marched down the left bank of the river. The shades of night
were falling. The Ninety -Second had marched and fought the
blessed day through no rest, no dinner, no coffee or little hard-
tack. After moving about a mile and a half down the river, the
Regiment came to a swale; it was getting quite dark. Some of
the men said: "Yonder are the Rebels ! I see their line; there
are hundreds and hundreds of them." Estes replied : " It's a
d d lie ; there's not a Rebel between us and Jonesboro." As the
Regiment crossed the swale, and reached the foot of a hill, a roll-
ing volley of musketry greeted it. Estes said : " The General
directs that you dismount your command, charge the hill, take it,
and hold it." He then moved rapidly to the rear. In advance of
the rest of our Division, we knew not how far, the line of the
Rebel army running -across the top of that hill, the Ninety-Sec-
ond alone was ordered to charge the hill, take and hold it. Great
God, what a task ! " Prepare to fight on foot," was the order.
" Was there a man dismayed?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Some one had blundered;
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why ;
Theirs but to do and die.
Into the Valley of Death
Rode the Six Hundred."
" Forward ! " was the command. How like demons the Ninety-
Second fought its wav up that hill. Terrible was the roll of its
Spencers. The incessant, unbroken fire of the Ninety-Second
guns the Rebs, though ten to one, could not withstand. Dis-
mayed, they recoiled and fled back to the foot of the hill. " Lie
down!" was the order. The Ninety-Second obeved. How
closely, how lovingly the men hugged old mother earth ; had they
not done it, there would probably have been but one reunion of
the Ninety-Second, and that beyond the skies for fire to the
right of them, fire in front of them, fire to the left of them, volleyed
and flamed ! Should the men of the Ninety-Second live until
they are wrinkled and gray, they will never forget the terrible
hissing, whistling, and whizzing of bullets above them. It seemed
as if ten thousand colonies of bees were let loose in the trees about
them. One, two and three different messengers were sent back
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 159
with the word, " We hold the hill, send us reinforcements or fur-
ther orders." The Division had come up. The balance of the
Brigade tried to form on the left of the Ninety-Second, but could
not; had the balance of the Brigade succeeded, a general engage-
ment of the two armies would have ensued. Orders came " Fall
back."
" Stormed at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro' the jaws of Death,
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them."
One-fifth of the number engaged were killed or wounded, and
nearly all while lying flat upon the ground. In this fight Lieu-
tenant Sam mis was twice wounded, one wound crippling him for
life. It was midnight before the Ninety-Second sank to rest on
the ground. Thus ended an eventful day in the history of the
Ninetj'-Second Regiment. A day or two after, General Howard
issued an order to Kilpatrick, complimenting him for the brilliant
diversion made by the cavalry on his right, which enabled him to
get his men into line without firing a gun. The brilliant diver-
sion referred to was made by the Ninety-Second Illinois Regi-
ment, and by that Regiment alone.
The following is the list of killed and wounded : In Company
D, Lieutenant Oscar F. Sammis, twice severely wounded. In
Company B, Lieutenant H. C. Cooling, wounded. In Company
H, Lieutenant William H. Dawson, mortally wounded. In Com-
pany D, private John Reed, severely wounded in side ; private
Stephen B. Lowe, slightly wounded in foot; private Augustus
Johnson, severely wounded; private Walter Scott, killed. In
Company G, Corporal James M. Phillips, wounded; Corpo-
ral William Backe, wounded ; private John J. Smith, se-
verely wounded ; private David Grossman, severely wound-
ed ; private Christopher Houser, wounded ; Corporal John
F. Spalding, wounded; Corporal William Dougherty, wound-
ed. In Company C, Corporal William Johnson, severely
wounded ; private Thomas D. Oakley, wounded and taken pris-
oner. In Company H, private Squire Diamond, killed; private
James W. Burton, severely wounded; private Harvey Schermer-
horn, severely wounded. In Company A, private John Deniouis,
severely wounded; private Allen Rand, wounded ; private Michael
i6o NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
Wcndling, wounded. In Company E, private Edward Crawford,
severely wounded, arm amputated; private Joseph McElhiney,
wounded. In Company K, private Augustus Stalhout, killed.
At three o'clock, on the morning of the thirty-first of August,
the Ninety-Second was ordered to cross to the other side of Flint
River, which it did, and rested until ten o'clock A. M., when the
Regiment mounted and moved south four or five miles, and then
moved eastwardly, toward Harris's Bridge. Before reaching the
bridge, the Regiment was halted, and horses were fed from a corn-
field. The Regiment, with the Cavalry Division, was then on
the right of General Howard's army corps. About two o'clock
P. M., the corps of the Confederate Generals Stephen D. Lee and
Hardee moved out of their works at Jonesboro, and attacked Gen-
era! Howard fiercely ; but Howard was prepared for them, and in the
contest that ensued the slaughter of the enemy was fearful. The
battle lasted for two hours. The thunder of artillery and roar of
musketry reminded the Ninety-Second of Chicamauga. A por-
tion of the cavalry of Kilpatrick's Division were beyond the field
in which the Ninety-Second was resting and feeding their horses,
and, when the Rebel infantry charged, the cavalry broke and re-
treated in confusion. As a matter of course, when our cavalry
came skedaddling back, the Ninety-Second was ordered forward
on foot, on the double-quick. The Regiment deployed in the
edge of open oak woods, under a galling fire, arid met the gray-
coated Confederate infantry charging across an open field in their
front The Ninety-Second- opened upon them with their Spencer
Repeating Rifles, and with terrible effect. The enemy could not
stand the unremitting, and cool and steady fire from the Spencers
of the Ninety-Second; they faltered in their charge; they broke;
in confusion the gray-coats fell back to some scattering timber,
and there kept up a desultory fire upon the Ninety-Second. The
Regiment had soon thrown up a barricade: but the enemy did
not again venture a charge. In their first charge and retreat, sev-
eral hundred Rebels had fallen before the Spencer Rifles of the
Ninety-Second. Several of the Ninety-Second were wounded,
among whom were Charles Ames, of Company B, making him a
cripple for life. George Walters, one of the Color Guard, was
wounded, but would not leave the Old Flag until after the fight
was over. A bullet struck the gun of Albert Bissel, of Company
K, passed between the stock and barrel of his gun, then struck
him on the forehead, and traversed the upper part of the cranium,
laying open the scalp. " Bert," after picking himself up, coolly
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 161
tied up his bleeding head with his handkerchief, and continued to
fight.
After Howard's corps had given the enemy a general repulse,
the Ninety-Second moved back three miles with the Cavalry
Division, and camped. On the morning of the first of Septem-
ber, the Ninety-Second moved out, at seven o'clock A. M., taking
a road that had been cut through the woods, and which led to the
river. On reaching the river, at Anthony's Bridge, the Regi-
ment halted. The enemy was in heavy force on the other side.
The Ninety-Second dismounted, and soon threw up breastworks,
behind which the Regiment lay, skirmishing with the gray-coats.
The battery of the Cavalry Division did some splendid firing,
dropping their shell into the midst of the enemy. Griffin, one of
Kilpatrick's dare-devil scouts, mounted into a tree above the
Regiment, where he could get a fair sight. Whenever a shell
from our battery did fine execution, Griffin would sing out, " That
whoops 'em; hit 'em again." Just as the shades of evening
began to fall, the Seventeenth army corps, led by Major General
Frank P. Blair, moved up, relieving the Ninety-Second, and the
balance of the Cavalry Division. The Regiment then moved
back about two miles, and bivouaced, for the night, in a peach
orchard. During the night, while the Ninety-Second lay bivou*
acing there in the peach orchard, heavy explosions of magazines
were heard in the direction of Atlanta, and it was rightly con-
jectured that the enemy were evacuating that Rebel stronghold.
On the second of September, the Ninety-Second was in the
saddle early, and moved still farther to the right of Sherman's
army, skirmishing constantly with the enemy. *At ten o'clock
A. M., the Colonel rode up to the head of the Ninety-Second, and
assumed command. He was greeted with cheers by the men.
Soon afterward, General Kilpatrick, at a house by the road-side,
called to the Colonel, and said: " The Ninety-Second is tempo-
rarily detached from Colonel Murray's brigade, and you wil!^
report directly to, and receive your orders directly from, Division
head-quarters. Glass's Bridge is about two miles ahead, and I
want you to take it; don't let. the enemy burn it; now go for it,
Atkins." The Ninety-Second moved out in advance of the
Division; Company F, under the command of Captain William
B. Mayer, and Company C, under the command of Lieutenant
George P. Sutton two as gallant and brave officers as ever drew
sabres, with companies as gallant were in advance, with orders
from the Colonel to charge, on the dead rvin, Glass's Bridge, and
20
162 NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
take it, if it was possible. The advance moved on. Silently the
Regiment followed. Soon there was a volley, then a shout ; the
two companies dashed gallantly forward. The enemy were not
prepared for so sudden and brave an attack, and, although they
had partially destroyed the bridge, it was saved. The flooring
had been removed, and preparations for firing the balance made;
but the fire was extinguished. The Regiment soon came up.
Plunging into Flint River, it crossed. A detail to repair the
bridge set to work. Company B, a gallant company, under com-
mand of as gallant an officer as ever mounted, Captain Horace
J. Smith, was sent toward Lovejoy's Station, on a road to the left,
and the balance of the Regiment moved forward on the direct
road, and, after marching about two miles, the Regiment halted
to feed animals; but the men had scarcely dismounted, when
word came that Captain Smith had struck the enemy in heavy
force; in fact, he had run into the camps of the Rebel cavalry
guarding that flank of the Rebel army ; he was hotly pushed back,
the enemy being in overwhelming force; and the Ninety-Second
must rapidly return, to be able to keep from being cut off from
Glass's Bridge. " Boot and saddle" was sounded from Regiment
head-quarters; the Ninety-Second men vaulted into their saddles,
and it was n. dead race to get back to Glass's Bridge and cross
before the enemy held the road. Company B fought like Tro-
jans; they apparently appreciated the stake they were fighting for;
and falling back, inch by inch, from barricade to barricade, they
held the overwhelming forces opposing them. The bridge had
been repaired, and Companies A and E, as soon as over the bridge,
were dismounted, and sent on the road towards Lovejoy's, to
relieve Company B, that had so gallantly held the road for the
Regiment to make good its escape by recrossing Flint River.
As soon as across the Flint, the Regiment dismounted, and sent
its horses to the rear. Company B, under the command of Cap-
tain Smith, passed through Companies A and E, and dismounted,
and, sending their horses to the rear, joined the line of battle of
the Regiment. The bridge was at an elbow in Flint River. The
Regiment threw up a barricade, or breastwork, of rails, old logs,
anything to stop a rifle-ball ; and the Regiment, in elbow shape,
laid down behind their temporary breastworks in line of battle.
The enemy came up in strong force, and attempted to dislodge
the Regiment with musketry ; they brought up their artillery.
Two Yankee batteries fired over the Regiment, and the shell.
iron? Yankee and Rebel artillery, screaming over-therh, made the
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 163
men hug the ground. The Rebel artillery was silenced. An
attempt by the Rebels was made to cross the river, on the left of
the Ninety-Second, but it was repulsed. Five horses were killed
by the Rebel artillery. After dark, leaving a company on duty
at the bridge, the Regiment moved back beyond the hill, and
bivouaced for the night. Lieutenant Frost, of Company A, a
faithful and brave officer, was wounded. The next day, the Di-
vision lay still, listening to the infantry firing, which was con-
tinuous and heavy. At ten P. M., the Division marched, the
Ninety-Second covering the rear. It crossed the bridge, and
silently moved along the sandy road, skirting the left of the Rebel
infantry, and joined the blue-coats on the right of Sherman's
army. After the command had crossed, the Ninety-Second
destroyed the bridge, and followed the command. It was a dan-
gerous march. Had the Rebel infantry discovered the movement,
it could not have been made. It was so quietly accomplished, in
the middle of the night, that it was not discovered, and the whole
Cavalry Division was placed on the east side of Flint River, and
safely in rear of Sherman's right. The next day, the Regiment
lay all day saddled up, and expecting orders, but none came.
The rain poured down. On the night of September first, the
enemy abandoned Atlanta, and, on the morning of the second,
General Slocum, commanding the Twentieth corps, entered that
city. On the fifth, General Sherman directed his army to cease
the pursuit of the Confederate army, and return to Atlanta, to
recuperate and rest, after its incessant campaign of four months.
The object of the summer's campaign had been attained. At
night, fires were kindled as usual ; but as soon as darkness had
settled down, the infantry silently withdrew, and took the road to
Atlanta, the cavalry remaining some hours afterward, when it
also withdrew, the Ninety-Second bringing up the rear. The
night was pitchy dark. After marching a few miles, it was found
that about half the Regiment had become separated from the
advance, and was marching alone, on a road leading to Flint
River. It was overtaken, came to an about face, pushed back to
the cross-roads, where it had taken the wrong direction. The
enemv had now discovered the movement, and his skirmishers
had just reached the road. A few volleys held him until the
Ninety-Second passed, and joined the advance. About three A.
M., of September sixth, the Regiment crossed Flint River, two
miles west of Jonesboro, where it bivouaced, guarding -the bridge
all dav. The Rebel infantry showed themselves in light force, but
164 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
made no attempt to take the bridge. On the morning of the
seventh, a few shells were tossed towards Jonesboro, occupied by
the Rebels. The bridge across Flint River was destroyed, and
the Division marched to a point, 'on the Montgomery and West
Point Railroad, south-west of Atlanta, the enemy following,
lightly skirmishing, with the Ninety-Second holding the rear.
Camped at night, with no rations for the men, and no forage for
the animals. Marched, early on the eighth, to Mt. Gilead
Church, ten miles south-west of Atlanta, and camped. One day's
rations were issued. A soldier, in his diary, writes : " We were
all very hungry ; some of us have not had a mouthful of food for
the last three days." The next day, the ninth of September,
three days' rations were issued; the Regimental wagon-train
came up; permanent camp was established ; the summer's cam-
paign was ended, and the army was at rest.
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
CHAPTER VI.
No REST OFF AGAIN, AFTER HOOD POWDER SPRINGS-
DRAWING THE ENEMY'S FIRE PICKING OUT A FARM
VAN WERT-^WASHING FOR GOLD IN THE GOLD MINES
MARIETTA GETTING READY FOR THE GREAT MARCH
THE START BEAR CREEK PONTOONS DESCRIBED FEINT-
ING ON FORSYTH AND MACON CREWS'S REBEL BRIGADE
SCATTERED REPULSING THE ENEMY NEAR MACON SHER-
MAN'S BUMMERS MILLEDGEVILLE ' BLOWED UP" HOLD-
ING THE REAR AGAINST WHEELER AND HAMPTON RE-
PULSING THE REBEL CAVALRY NEAR BUCKHEAD CREEK
RESTING AT LOUISVILLE, GEORGIA DESTROYING RAIL-
ROADS THE BATTLE OF WAYNESBORO CAPTURING A
REBEL MAJOR A NEGRO BOY'S GRAVE COVERING THE
REAR OF THE I4TH A. C. OUR FRIENDS CRUELLY LEFT
BEHIND COVERING THE REAR OF THE iyTH A. C. FALL
OF FORT MCALLISTER MIDWAY CHURCH DOWN TO THE
OCEAN'S EDGE LOCKRIDGE'S CAPTURE AND ESCAPE FALL
OF SAVANNAH SHERMAN'S LETTER TO KILPATRICK.
The rest that the cavalry expected to enjoy was immediately
broken. Seven men belonging to the Cavalry Division were
captured on the tenth of September, 1864, by the enemy, who
commenced feeling our lines. Foraging parties were compelled
to go several miles for corn for the animals, and to fight for it
when found. A few wagon loads of corn sometimes cost the
lives of many men. On Sunday, the eleventh, the bodies of the
seven Union soldiers were found, lying together, shot by the
Rebels, after they had surrendered ! Their bodies were brought
to camp and buried. On the thirteenth, a foraging party, with
eighty wagons and four hundred men, went ten miles south-west
after corn, skirmishing all the way out and back. On the four-
teenth, the Ninety-Second once more turned out for dress-parade.
On the sixteenth, there was light picket firing; at night, the Smith
D. Atkins Lodge of Free Masons met in an unoccupied house,
i66 N1NETT-SBCOND ILLINOIS.
and worked on the first, second and third degrees. On the nine-
teenth, the Rebels showed themselves in considerable force on the
Montgomery and West Point Railroad, near Fairburn's Station,
and also on the Chattahoochee, below Sandtown and Campbell-
town. On the fourteenth, there was a Brigade Review and In-
spection on horseback : at twelve o'clock P. M., the pickets were
smartly attacked, and the bugles blew " boot and saddle," but the
enemy did not push the attack. At one P. M., on the twenty-
first, the Regiment was ordered to send wagon trains, sick men,
and debris to Marietta, and march light, at three P. M. ; but the
enemy were farther and farther oft", apparently moving around our
right flank on Rome. On the twenty-third, a soldier writes in
his diary : " Nothing stirring in camp to-dav until evening, when
we gathered around Colonel Atkins's quarters and called for a
speech. He responded, and the best of feeling prevailed, and loud
cheers the result. His speech was divided into two parts the re-
lation and standing of the Ninety-Second Regiment, and politics
generally. The latter, as well as the former, was handled in a
patriotic manner." On the twentv-sixth, there was Brigade In-
spection and Review. The two ways of drilling, cavalry on
horseback, and infantry on loot, was bothersome, and Colonel
Atkins decided to drill the same on horseback and on foot, and
this evening, for the first time, dress-parade was held in a single
line. The boys did all they could to make the time pass cheer-
fully; one writes in his diary: " It has been cheerful in Company
B to-night. Frank Crowell is a natural clown, and his presence
is always welcome. He soon makes everything merry in a com-
pany." On the twenty-seventh, there was Regimental drill on
horseback; the pickets were driven in, and one man in Company
A was captured. The twenty-eighth was spent in horse-racing,
at Division head-quarters. On the twenty-ninth, the Colonel was
detailed as President of a Court Martial, at Division head-quar-
ters, and Major Woodcock commanded the Regiment. On the
thirtieth, a soldier writes in his diary : A beautiful day but no
mail. The Rebels are superintending the railroad north of At-
lanta, and it begins to looks as if we must soon pull out after the
gray -coats again." At one o'clock, in the morning of October first,
1864, the tents were struck, the sick and baggage moved to Mari-
etta, and at three A. M., the Regiment moved out, under command .
of Captain Lyman Preston, Major Woodcock being ill, and Colo-
nel Atkins in command of the Brigade. The Division crossed the
Chattahoochee, on pontoons, at Sandtown, and marched thirty
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 167
miles north-west, to Sweetwater. Charles T. Freeguard, of Com-
pany G, was transferred to Regimental Adjutant, vice Lawver, re-
signed, and Harry G. Fowler, First Sergeant Company G, was
promoted to First Lieutenant.
The next day, the command struck the trail of Hood's army,
moving northward. It was evident that he was moving in force,
and had protected his army the night previous, by heavy lines of
rifle pits. At noon, the Second Brigade, commanded by Colonel
Atkins, struck the enemy at a small creek; and the Ninety-
Second, dismounting, crossed the creek on fallen trees, and drove
a regiment of Rebel cavalry out oi its camp, and captured one
Rebel infantryman, a straggler, but furnishing positive proof that
the Rebel infantry was on the march northward. At noon, a ford
over a creek was found heavily guarded, and the stream swollen.
A bridge was constructed, by felling trees in the stream from both
banks, lodging the tops on an old fish rack in the middle of the
stream, and staking them fast, and piling on rails for a floor-
ing. The Third Kentucky and Third Indiana crossed with
horses, and the Ninety-Second crossed dismounted. When the
hill bevond the stream was reached, a heavy volley greeted the
Third Kentucky, which was ordered to charge, and it did it
splendidly, driving the Rebels about two miles, where they were
found behind strong barricades. The Ninety-Second was held in
reserve. The Third Kentucky and Third Indiana were dis-
mounted, and the enemy driven from the barricades. Several
dead infantrymen were found. Two of the Rebel infantry were
captured. Finding the enemy in force, that portion of the Bri-
gade which had crossed the stream recrossed, the movement
being covered by the Ninety-Second, and the enemy following in
strong force. The bridge became insecure, and the skirmishers of
the Ninety-Second barely crossed it before it gave way, and the
rails floated oft* down the stream. The Division marched three
miles towards Marietta, and bivouaced. Moved at daylight,
Atkins' Brigade leading, and the Ninety-Second in the advance,
and ran into the enemy at Knowles' Creek, a branch of the
Sweetwater; drove them, and pushed on to Powder River, near
the village of Powder Springs. The bridge was gone, and the
Rebels opposite were stubborn. The Ninety-Second men, with their
Spencer Rifle';, deployed along the river, and moved to its edge,
giving the enemy as good as he sent; and it was not long until
the men of the Ninetv-Second had crossed above and below the.
bridge, and drove the gray-coats. away. A bridge -was ha.stily con-.
i68 NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
structed, and the Ninety-Second, with two cavalry regiments and
two pieces of rifled artillery, were crossed. The enemy was
pushed from the brow of the hill beyond the stream, when the
terrific rain, that fell in sheets, absolutely put a stop to fighting.
Beyond an open field, in plain sight, in the edge of a timber belt,
was the Rebel line ; but both parties quietly waited for a slack in
the torrent of rain. The Ninety-Second, dismounted, was or-
dered to wait until two shots from the artillery were fired, then
charge across the field. Colonel Atkins put the artillery into
position near a house, and again tried his hand at sighting the
guns. The Lieutenant of artillery told him that the shot would
hit the ground in front of the enemy, and the Colonel replied :
" That is just what I wish to do." Around this house, a squad of
Rebels had been stationed, firing at our men on the other side of
the stream, and Kilpatrick ordered Lieutenant Stetson to let off
his guns at the house. Stetson had done so, and his shell went
through and through it. The enemy retreated. When Stetson
came up to the house with his guns, he went in, and there sat a
woman, wounded in the head with a splinter, and in her lap her
little child, wounded in the head, also with a piece of a shell; the
poor woman was so frightened that she was speechless. The
brave Lieutenant was unnerved, and declared that never again
should a shell from his section be aimed at a house, unless he
first knew that there were no women or children in the house.
After a while, the rain slackened the guns flashed, and .the
Ninety-Second sprang forward to the charge; the enemy fled.
By the barricade lay several of the enemy, badly wounded by the
artillery, the shots having struck the ground, richocheted, and
crashed through the rails of which the barricade was constructed,
spreading death in their path. On the Regiment pushed, the
enemy falling back, but keeping up a continuous fire. The Rebel
artillery sent its shell screaming down the road. The cavalry
regiments were ordered up. Close up to the town the Ninety-
Second pushed, when word came back that they were close onto
long lines of earthworks, filled with gray-coats. The Colonel or-
dered the Regiment to halt, and himself dismounted, and advanced
to the skirmish line, where he could see the Rebel line of earth-
works around the town, stretching far off on both flanks. Private
Edward S. Rowe, of Company K, being on the skirmish line,
dashed forward, calling out, " Come on, Ninety-Second boys, we
can whip them." But the brave fellow was killed a few rods in
front of the enemy's line. The Regiment was ordered to main-
NINETY -SECOND ILLINOIS. 169
tain a strong line, and steadily fall back. The troops slowly re-
tired to the crossing over Powder River, but the flood had carried
the bridge away. A dozen pieces of Rebel artillery were drop-
ping their shell where the bridge had been. The Ninety-Second,
holding the rear, was skirmishing heavily with the enemy. The
little command could not cross, and it could not whip all of Hood's
army, and it could not long remain near that bridge, for the enemy
had practiced on it before, and knew the range, and were dropping
their shell in the midst of the command at every fire. Above the
noise of the bursting shell, the screeching voice of Kilpatrick, on
a hill on the other side of the stream, was heard, as he shouted:
" Atkins, oh Atkins! put your guns on the hill beyond your right
flank, and draw their fire." It was a shrewd Yankee trick, and
proved successful. Stetson was ordered to take up position on a
hill beyond the right flank of the command, and throw shell at
the enemy as fast as he could work his guns. He did so; and
soon the enemy, as Kilpatrick expected and hoped they would,
turned their guns upon Stetson, and there the brave fellow kept
up his fire, drawing the enemy's fire, while the bridge was rebuilt,
and the command recrossed Powder River. We had demon-
strated in such strong force the Ninety-Second, on foot, which
the enemy undoubtedly took for a portion of Sherman's infantry,
two regiments of cavalry, and a section of artillery that it is
likely that the enemy had no thought that we were recrossing
Powder River, but presumed we werfe still deploying our troops
to attack them ; Stetson moving out beyond our right flank, and
keeping up his artillery fire, was an evidence of it to them. It was
fortunate for us, for had the enemy moved out in force from Pow-
der Springs before the bridge was rebuilt, they must have crushed
all on that side of the stream. Eight men in the Ninety-Second
were killed, and many wounded. Among the killed in the Nine-
ty-Second were: William F. Campbell, Company B; George
Austin, Company D; Thomas J. Aurand, Companv F; James P.
Bloss and Edward S. Rowe, of Company K. A large house was
occupied for a Brigade hospital, and a detail made to bury the
dead. As was the custom, the Doctor examined the dead before
burial, and found that private Haggart, of Company G, who had
been shot in the head by a musket ball, that went in on one side
of his head and out on the other, was still alive. There was no
room for him in the hospital, and he was taken into the Colonel's
head-quarters, in one of the negro cabins, and a handkerchiei
drawn through the wound, under the skull. His limbs were
21
tfo MHfETT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
rubbed, and, shortly, he opened his eyes. Brandy was adminis-
tered, and in an hour he talked. Within a month he was again
on duty with his company. But the wound cost him his life long
after the close of the war. His brain became inactive, and he
gradually sank into the grave. Marched at nine A. M., the Nine-
ty-Second in rear of the Division, on the Marietta Road; when
within a mile of Marietta, the command turned west, and
marched beyond Stone Mountain and toward Altoona Pass; at
three P. M., countermarched, and camped south of Marietta.
Marched early, eight or ten miles to a cross-road, west of Kenesaw
Mountain, and found Ross's brigade of Confederate cavalry had
just passed; the command scouted the roads in all directions.
Marched toward Powder Springs, and bivouaced, the enemy near
us. Lay in camp on the sixth of October. Marched at daylight,
next day, and found the Rebel rear guard at Powder Springs vil-
lage; skirmished all day, and bivouaced twenty-two miles south-
west of Marietta. Marched at midnight, toward Lost Mountain,
eighteen miles. October ninth, drew three days' rations, turned
out weak animals, and sent them, with all dismounted men, back
to the wagon trains. On the tenth, marched at daylight, for Van
Wert, and ten miles out ran into Rebel cavalry, and easily drove
them to Van Wert, Atkins's Brigade leading. At the edge of the
village of Van Wert, the enemy had taken up a strong position,
with a long stretch of open, level country in their front. As the
leading regiment debouched from the hills, the enemy opened
with artillery. Our battery, stationed on a knoll, replied. The
Ninety-Second was dismounted, and placed in line of battle on
foot. A regiment of cavalry, mounted, was on the right flank,
and another on the left. At a walk, the three regiments in line,
moved out; then the cavalry regiments began to trot, and soon
the charge was sounded, and away the regiments of cavalry went,
the Ninety-Second moving forward on foot, in line of battle, at
quick time. The enemy limbered up his artillery and fled. Ten
prisoners were captured, and several of the cavalrymen killed and
wounded, but the Ninety-Second lost none.
We learned that the town ot Van Wert had been full of Rebel
infantry all day, Hood's troops passing through. At dusk, while
the Ninety-Second Band was playing, a Rebel band struck up
" Dixie," and it sounded as if not half a mile distant. It was in
the Rebel infantry camp, west of Van Wert, on the Cedartown
Road. From the hill near Van Wert, the camp-fires of the
enemy, .stretching miles away, could be seen. Our troops set up
NINBTT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 171
a cheer, and it was promptly answered in the Rebel camps.
During the night, the enemy were feeling our pickets, on all
the roads, and it was rumored that we were surrounded, and an
attack was expected at daylight. At three A. M., of the eleventh,
the whole Division was in line behind barricades, but no attack
was made on us. About noon, Companies A, E, and I, dis-
mounted, charged the Rebel picket, about a mile west of Van
Wert, at Raccoon Creek, and drove them easily, and mounted
men followed them several miles, on the Cedartown Road.
Marched at eleven A. M., on the twelfth, on the road toward
Rome. There was some skirmishing by the Division, but the
Ninety-Second was not engaged, being in the advance, and the
skirmishing taking place in rear and on the left of the column.
It is more disagreeable to march and hear occasional skirmishing,
and not be near enough to see and know what is going on, than
to be right under the enemy's fire. Marched twelve miles.
Company A, on picket, was ordered to send a squad of men
around the Rebel picket post, and two miles in its rear, to the
house of an old man whom General Kilpatrick wished to talk
with, to obtain information of the enemy's movements. The
boys of Company A moved around the Rebel picket, and on to
the house; found the old man at home, and brought him around
the Rebel picket, and took him to Kilpatrick's head-quarters.
Marched at daylight, on the thirteenth, toward Rome. Soon
struck the Rebel picket; and the Eighth Indiana, under command
of Colonel Jones, a dashing officer, and he had a dashing regi-
ment, charged them, and drove them handsomely, capturing
several prisoners, and many carbines that the enemy had thrown
away in their flight. Halted two miles south of Rome, Georgia,
on Silver Creek, and fed ; had horses inspected, and weak ones
sent to Rome ; when the Ninety-Second returned to the Alabama
Road, and followed the enemy, over the range of hills, to the
Cave Spring Road, where Sherman's infantry was found in con-
siderable force, when the Ninety-Second returned to Silver
Creek, and camped. Forage in abundance. The country imme-
diately south of Rome is very beautiful. A large mansion stood
by the road-side, near the creek; and a Yankee wag, who man-
aged to get into conversation with the Southern ladies living
there, complimented the country highly, and especially that par-
ticular farm ; inquired how many acres there were in it, and had
them point out the corners, and where the lines ran around
the farm ; then the Yankee sedately drove a stake into the g-round.
I7 N2NETT-SBCOND ILLINOIS.
Of course, the ladies inquired what he was doing that for, when
the Yankee said : " Every Yankee soldier is to have a farm in
the South after the war is over, and can pick it out himself; and I
have concluded to take this one for mine, and am driving my
stake as the evidence of my having decided to take it." The
lively manner in which those ladies went for that sedate Yankee
with their sharp tongues, was amusing, and was just what the
Yankee enjoyed hearing. The boys would stir up the female
Rebels, just to hear them talk, like the boys at the menagerie stir
up the lions to hear them roar. Marched early on the fourteenth,
turning our taces back toward Atlanta. We did not know what
it meant to let Hood go marching north, and ourselves turn around
and march away from him; but we had confidence that Sherman
knew what it meant, and we cheerfully obeyed orders. The Regi-
ment passed for miles through the finest pine timber seen in the
South, and camped on the Euharlie Creek, a clear, sparkling,
swift, rocky-bottom stream, where the Regiment lay in camp the
next day, sending scouting parties to Van Wert and Villa Rica.
At one P. M., of the sixteenth, the command marched to
Burnt Hickory, and camped after dark; the enemy on all the
roads, forage scarce, and not safe for less than twenty or thirty to
go out foraging. Burnt Hickory is like most of the towns in the
South, found on the map a cross-roads post-office, only one
old log house. Many years before, considerable gold had been
found in the vicinity. Captain Schermerhorn, of Company G,
on the morning of the seventeenth, took a wash-pan, and went
down to the spring, and, washing out a single pan of earth, he
procured several beautiful specimens of gold, one specimen as
large as a bird shot. Schermerhorn was an old California miner,
and said it would prove rich diggings, if every pan of earth would
turn out as well. Moved at one P. M., and camped on Raccoon
Creek, near Stitesboro. Forage was plenty along the creek. On
the eighteenth, Major Woodcock returned, and assumed com-
mand of the Regiment. Lay in camp all day. Sent a detail to
Van Wert in the night, with orders to go into the town rapidly at
daylight, and capture any Rebels they might find there; and the
detail captured two Rebel infantrymen, and brought them to
camp. Marched, at eleven A. M., through Burnt Hickory, and
camped at Dallas, marching thirty miles. Marched early, Ninety-
Second in advance, and skirmished lightly with the enemy. Sent
scouting parties in all directions; a scouting party, from Company
B, captured three Rebels, on the Villa Rica Road. A party, from
NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 173
Company A, went to Flint Hill Church, and learned that Ross's
Rebel brigade had crossed there the night previous. On the twon-
ty-first, the Regiment marched early, through Dallas and near to
Stitesboro, and camped on the Van Wert Road. Captain Scher-
merhorn, of Company G, with a detail of thirty men, went to
Van Wert, but found only a few scouts of the Rebel cavalry.
Lay in camp, on Widow Folk's plantation, until the twenty-
seventh, no organized force of the Rebels near us, but the woods
full of scouting parties, familiar with ever by-path, and all the
citizens ready to give them any information; concealed in the
woods, within gun-shot of the road, they would fire a volley, and
then scatter and elude us. On the twenty-fifth, the boys cornered
a squad, and captured them, and also their horses. On the twenty-
sixth, a Rebel crawled close up to Adam Countryman, of Com-
pany 'F, and killed him at the first fire, while acting as a vidette
picket within a short distance of Brigade head-quarters. Two
other posts were attacked. Command saddled up, but not a
Rebel could be seen. Marched, early on the twenty-seventh,
through Burnt Hickory, and across the Pumpkinvine Creek, and
bivouaced. Marched early to Marietta, and went into camp, with
transportation and tents. Forage was scarce, and heavy details,
with wagons, went twenty miles for corn, and skirmished with
the Rebel scouting parties. On the thirtieth of October, Captain
Matthew Van Buskirk, of Company E, having been promoted to
Lieutenant Colonel, took command of the Ninety-Second.
Forage and rations were received by rail, and hundreds of horses
were turned over to Kilpatrick's cavalry, which was all the
mounted force that was to accompany Sherman, on his March to
the Sea. The horses were very poor, sore-backed, and scarcely
able to carry an empty saddle; but Kilpatrick said: "Take them,
boys, and you'll have a chance to trade horses with some rich old
planter in a few days." The time was spent in fitting up the
command for a long campaign.
On November fourth, the Division was reorganized, the Nine-
ty-Second being in the Second Brigade of Kilpatrick's cavalry,
Lieutenant Colonel Van Buskirk commanding the Regiment, and
Colonel Atkins the Brigade. The following officers, belonging to
the Ninety-Second, were detailed for staff duty on the staff of
Colonel Atkins, the Brigade Commander: Captain Horace J.
Smith, of Company B, Acting Assistant Adjutant General of the
Brigade; Captain J. L. Spear, of Company E, Acting Commis-
sary of Subsistence of the Brigade; Lieutenant C. B. Bowles, of
174 NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
Company H, Acting Quartermaster of the Brigade ; Lieutenant
George R. Skinner, of Company D, Acting Inspector General ot
the Brigade. They were brave, faithful and competent officers,
and Colonel Atkins frequently expressed himself as greatly in-
debted to them for the harmony and efficiency of his command.
Lieutenant Norman Lewis, of Company C, was detailed for staff"
duty on the staff of General Kilpatrick, and acted as Division
Ordnance Officer; and he never failed to have the Division prop-
erly supplied with arms and ammunition. On the fifth, the Reg-
iment was inspected and paid. A vote in the Regiment showed
the Ninety-Second almost unanimous for the re-election of Lin-
coln ; it was useless Illinois soldiers at the front had no voice in
the election of the President. Captain Taggart, of the Ninety-
Third Illinois, visited his acquaintances in the Ninety-Second.
On the sixth, it was cold and rainy, and the Chaplain held service
in the large house used as Regimental and Brigade head-quarters-
On the tenth, the men were told to write letters home, for that
night would leave the last mail northward ; the troops were al-
ready tearing up and utterly destroying the railroad south of Mari-
etta. On the eleventh, eight bushwhackers, or Rebel scouts, were
cornered and captured. In the evening, General Kilpatrick gave
a party to the officers of his Division. On the twelfth, the last
train of cars left Marietta, for the North, at noon, and the railroad
was at once torn up, and the rails heated in the center and twisted
around the telegraph poles and shade trees. The Military Insti-
tute, just south of Marietta, was burned up. It was expected the
command would march on the morning of the thirteenth, and the
boys, bound to burn up everything, burned their bunks and camp
trumpery; but the order was countermanded, and the men again
pitched tents. At eleven A. M., the Cavalry Division of General
Kilpatrick was reviewed in the open fields north of Marietta, by
General Sherman. Black clouds of smoke rolled upward from the
burning town, and General Sherman, looking at it, said: " Kil-
patrick, somebody is burning up that town." Kilpatrick gazed at
the rising columns of smoke, and replied : " Oh, no, General,
there are only a fev.' fires." Long columns of infantry were
streaming southward all the afternoon. On the morning of the
fourteenth of November, 1864, began the grand march from the
mountains to the sea. The Ninety-Second was in the saddle
promptly, and moved out at seven A. M., on the Sandtown Road,
the town of Marietta still burning at once the commencement
and- the symbol of the destruction the army was destined to leave
NINETT-SECOPTD ILLINOIS. 175
in its track on its long march. The Regiment crossed the Ghat-
tahoochee, on the pontoons, five miles below Vinings, and biv-
ouaced three miles south-west of Atlanta. There was some
amusement in Company A over a stubborn donkey that Lieuten-
ant Cox was attempting to make a pack animal of. Cox became
disgusted, and court-martialed the contrary donkey, and dismissed
him from the service in disgrace. Marched at seven A. M., mak-
ing twenty miles, and camping three miles north-west of Jones-
boro. The Colonel sent two companies into Jonesboro, that cap-
tured a squad of prisoners, several horses, considerable corn, and
camp equipage of the enemy. Marched at sunrise, through Jones-
boro, and all of the town not before destroyed by fire was burned
up, except a house at the south part of the town, where several
ladies sat upon the porch, looking at the troops march by. Against
the side of the house they had pinned up a Free Mason's apron,
and its talismanic power protected the house and the property
surrounding it. At Lovejoy's, the First Brigade, which was lead-
ing, charged the Rebels behind the old Rebel earthworks erected
by Hood's anmy, just previous to the fall of Atlanta, making a
brilliant charge, and capturing two pieces of artillery. The Sec-
ond Brigade then took the advance, and five miles below Love-
joy's ran into the Rebels again, and the Tenth Ohio charged
them, capturing thirty privates and three Rebel officers. . The
command moved a few miles eastward, and camped. Marched at
seven A. M., through a beautiful country ; the citizens said that a
brigade of Rebel cavalry was ahead of us, but they did not contest
the road with us. The enemy was said to be concentrating at
Macon. Many horses and mules were brought in by the scouting
parties. Marched at seven A. M.; fed at Newmarket at noon,
and took two hours' rest. Marched to Ocmulgee Mills, and
camped at nine P. M. On the nineteenth of October, marched at
one A. M.; raining hard, and as dark as a pocket; crossed the Oc-
mulgee on the pontoons, at Planters' Factory, where two hun-
dred girls were employed making cotton cloth for the Rebel army.
Great fires were kept blazing on both banks of the river to light
up the bridge. The light was so bright that it reflected the fac-
tory, and trees upon the banks, and the crossing columns of troops
in the water as clearly and distinctly as if the river had been a
mirror.
Possibly some of our readers would like to know what a
pontoon is. Imagine a frame-work of a little boat, made very
lightly, with narrow strips of well seasoned .timber, the boat about
176 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
three feet deep, twelve feet long, and four feet wide ; under and
over the sides and ends of this light frame-work is stretched
heavy duck canvas, or sail cloth, forming the bottom and sides of
the boat. That is a pontoon boat. Placed in a line across a
river side by side, the boats held in their places by an anchor for
each boat cast in the river some distance above the line of boats,
and along from boat to boat placed stringers of light timber, and
over them a floor of light pine boards, and that is a pontoon
bridge. Ready workmen will lay one in an hour across a river
hundreds of feet wide. The cavalrj' cross two by two, each
trooper dismounted and leading his horse. The artillery, eight
horses to a gun, sink the boats to within a few inches of the top,
the bridge rising behind the gun as it goes from boat to boat.
Those not familiar with them might think the frail little boats of
cloth not strong enough ; but all of Sherman's army crossed, upon
them, all the great rivers on the long march. As soon as the
troops are over, the bridge is taken up, the boards and wood-work
carefully packed on wagons, the canvas cloth dried by huge fires,
rolled up, and transported to the next river.
Ocmulgee Mills and Planters' Factory were, of course, con-
sumed by fire. Sherman had no use for the factory or mills, and
did not wish the one to continue making cloth to clothe the Reb-
els, or the other to grind grain to feed them. After crossing the
Ocmulgee, the command marched ten miles, passing to the ad-
vance of the infantry, fed animals and cooked breakfast. Kilpat-
rick, with the First Brigade, moved to Clinton, by the river road;
Atkins's Brigade marched on a circle, passing through Monte-
cello and Hillsboro, making forty miles, over very bad roads, and
reached Clinton after dark, where six Rebels were captured, and
a quantity of Rebel stores, and plenty of forage for the animals,
already in sacks for shipment to the Rebel army. About eleven
A. M., on the twentieth, moved toward Macon, Atkins's Brigade
leading, the Ninety-Second holding the advance. The Rebel
pickets were soon struck, and, about three miles out, the enemy
was found in considerable force, being Crews's brigade of Rebel
cavalry. Captain Becker, of Company J, with a battalion, dis-
mounted, passed through the woods to within a short distance of
the enemy. The Rebels were preparing to charge, and a cavalry
regiment galloped " forward into line" to meet it; but the charg-
ing column of Rebels did not come far. Starting with a yell, the
Rebels rushed out of their rail barricade, and came toward Cap-
tain Becker, with his battalion of Spencers concealed in the brush.
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 177
when the Captain ordered the boys to fire, and the head of the
Rebel column was surprised and halted; and it was now our turn
to charge, and the Tenth Ohio Cavalry started for the enemy with
a shout and flashing sabres; and then (he entire brigade of gray-
coats, like frightened birds, scattered, in confusion, through the
woods and fields, in terror and dismay. Five dead Confederates,
and six wounded ones, were the effect of Captain Becker's Spen-
cer Rifles. The command did not scatter out to follow after
Crews's brigade, which had separated like a flushed covy of par-
tridges, ever}' one for himself, but kept on down the road toward
Macon, no enemy impeding, until the railroad and Walnut Creek
were reached, two miles east of Macon, where a Rebel picket was
found. The Ninety-Second was dismounted, and drove the
enemy from the creek, and crossed over, and up the hill, driving
the enemy from the hill beyond. Our artillery opened, and the
Rebel artillery immediately responded. The Tenth Ohio Cavalry
was ordered to charge again, and did so, and drove Howell Cobb's
division of Georgia militia from their line of earthen breastworks,
and, for a few moments, the Tenth Ohio held the Rebel line, and
nine pieces of artillery the enemy had abandoned; but, behind
the Georgia militia, protected by another line of earthworks, were
older and steadier troops, who advanced on the Tenth Ohio, and
that regiment fell back and crossed the creek, the Ninety-Second
covering the movement. The balance of the Divison was on the
railroad, tearing up the track, and the Ninety-Second held the
enemy until dark, and until the Division had withdrawn on the
Clinton Road, when the Regiment also fell back two miles, and
bivouaced, still holding the front. The cavalry had demonstrated
so strongly upon Macon, that the enemy was effectually deceived,
and massed all his cavalry and available forces, to guard that
point, and the cutting of the railroad east of Macon gave Sher-
man's columns an open road, uninterrupted by any of the enemy's
troops, as Sherman's army swung off to the south-east, toward
Louisville, Georgia. Many of our troops were wounded, espe-
cially by the Rebel shell, for their nine pieces of artillery kept up
an incessant fire until dark, our guns replying. The poor
wounded men were loaded into the ambulances.
In this march we had no hospitals, in the rear, where our
wounded might bo sent; no supplies and nurses from the Sani-
tary Commission were available ; no furloughs could be granted
to the wounded to return home for treatment they had to remain
with us, and day by day the heavily-loaded ambulances wound
23
178 NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
along the rough roads as the column marched. A large house
was taken as a hospital for the night, where the surgeons per-
formed many amputations. It had rained hard all the afternoon,
and the rain continued all night. During the night, the Brigade
was ordered to fall back to the Clinton and Macon and Milledge-
ville and Macon cross-roads, and barricade and hold that point,
while the army made the turn and the infantry wagon trains
passed. The Ninety-Second was ordered to erect strong barri-
cades, and hold the enemy until the other regiments and battery
had reached the new point, and were ready for attack. After the
Brigade was in position, orders were sent to Lieutenant Colonel
Van Buskirk, commanding the Ninety-Second, to withdraw. He
was a vigilant and gallant soldier, and knew when to act- upon his
own responsibility, and he replied that the enemy had been feel-
ing his position very strongly, and he thought they would soon
attack him in force, and he wished to give the enemy a repulse
before he withdrew. In a short time, the enemy came on in
force, charging the Ninety-Second. Captain Lyman Preston, of
Company D, and Captain William B.Mayer, of Company F, with
their companies, were out in front of the barricade on picket, and
so sudden and determined was the attack of the enemy, tb,at the
officers and men of those companies had not time to get inside of
the barricade, but threw themselves down close to it on the
outside, while the Regiment fired over them from behind the
barricade. The overcoat capes of many of the boys on the out-
side of the barricade showed marks of the enemy's sabres. It is
worthy of remark, that this was the first time that the Ninety-
Second pickets were ever driven in. The enemy charged in three
columns, at the sound of the bugle; one regiment of the enemy
dismounted, swung around the left flank of the Ninety-Second, so
as to give a fire from the rear; and two heavy cavalry columns,
one down the main road directlv in front of the barricade, and
one down an old road, on the right flank of the Regiment. Lieu-
tenant Colonel Van Buskirk, a cool, brave officer, urged the men
to keep quiet, and let the enemy come on. And on they came,
until the Ninety-Second had their two mounted columns in good
range, when the Regiment opened a cool, steady and terrible fire
with their Spencer decimating Repeating Rifles. No enemy ever
did live long within range of those guns, in the hands of the
Ninety-Second men ; and that enemy, although he had carefully
prepared his plans, and felt sure of his game, could not, and
did not, long withstand the quickly successive volleys poured
NlNEfT-SECOND ILLIXOI&. 179
into him by the Regiment. With heavy loss, after bravely fight-
ing, and coming close up to the barricade, the two columns of
Rebel cavalry fell back in confusion; and then the Ninety-Second
gave its attention to the regiment of dismounted Rebels, who had
passed into the rear, expecting to gobble up the Ninety-Second
when their cavalry columns had put it to flight. But the Rebel
programme did not work; it was not the Ninety-Second, but the
Rebel cavalry, which had been put to flight, and the dismounted
Rebels were themselves in danger of being gobbled up; but they
made double-quick time out of the range of those terrible repeat-
ing rifles, so coolly and bravely handled by the Ninety-Second
men. A Rebel prisoner, afterward captured, reported the Rebel
loss in this repulse to be sixty-five killed and wounded. And
then the Regiment slowly and leisurely fell back to the Brigade ;
but so complete had been the repulse of the enemy, that he did
not follow. All day and all night, while the infantry and wagon
trains went by, Atkins's Brigade lay guarding the "elbow," as the
army swung around, and not a wheel of all the vast transporta-
tion trains of Sherman's army was injured. The enemy felt
lightly the picket lines, but made no attack; the repulse the
Ninety-Second had given them made them exceedingly careful
and cautious. The Brigade moved early next day, and lay in rear
of the infantry, while Wolcott repulsed a severe attack of Howell
Cobb's troops, who had come out ot Macon and attacked Wolcott
desperately in his entrenchments. Marched three miles, on No-
vember twenty-third, and camped amidst plenty of forage.
During this march, Sherman's troops lived almost entirely
upon the country, subsisting both animals and men upon the
forage and provisions gathered up as the army marched. Heavy
details were made daily, to gather provisions, who would gene-
rally return at night, well loaded down with ducks, geese, hams,
bacon, sweet potatoes, turkeys, chickens, eggs, and everything
the country afforded. Some of the men so detailed, loved the
adventure, and, not returning to camp, kept along in advance of
the columns, and they soon became to be known as " Sherman's
bummers." Bummers they were, brave to recklessness; and,
while insensible to discipline, they were by no means wholly bad.
Thev were constantly furnishing valuable information, and, like
all the army, burned up everything they could iind that fire would
consume. The twenty-third was very cold, so cold that ice was
formed on the pools of water. A soldier, in his diary under this
date, writes : " Cold to-day ; but, with all the exposure, the men
i8o NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
do not take cold; you will scarcely hear a man in the Division
cough, although they sleep in the open air, with no shelter at all,
unless it rains, and then their shelters are rudely and imperfectly
constructed, and the soldiers nearly always get wet."
On the morning of November twenty-fourth, 1864, the Cav-
alry Division marched early, crossing from the right to the left
flank of the army. The danger was now to be apprehended from
the left flank, and it might be possible that troops from Rich-
mond would make some demonstration against Sherman's
columns. The cavalry had deceived the enemy, by demonstrat-
ing strongly against Forsyth and Macon on the right flank, and
it must now deceive him again, by demonstrating strongly on
Augusta, on the left flank. There was also another object in
view to rescue, if possible, the Union soldiers confined in the
Rebel prison pen at Millen. The head of the Division reached
Milledgeville at noon. Kilpatrick had supposed that he would be
first into the capital of Georgia; but the irrepressible "bummers"
had occupied the capital for two days. When the " bummers"
approached Milledgeville, the Legislature was in session, and
such a skedaddling was never before seen. The members left on
French leave, leaving their books, papers, and documents lying
on the tables in the halls of the House and Senate, and the "bum-
mers" entered, passed a resolution declaring themselves members
of the Legislature of Georgia, organized by electing a Speaker
and Clerk for both branches of the Legislature, and then they
passed a bill repealing the Ordinance of Secession, and bringing
Georgia back again into the Union ! A jolly crowd were the
"bummers." The command passed through Milledgeville, a
dilapidated old town, like nearly all of the towns in the South,
with every sign of dry rot and decay, and with no signs of life or
energy. It looked as if it had been in a Rip Van Winkle sleep
for a century. Five miles east of Milledgeville, the command
crossed the Oconee River, and bivouaced at twelve o'clock at
night.
On the twenty-fifth, marched at sunrise. The men of the
Ninety-Second declared that, after getting into camp at twelve
o'clock at night, being " blowed up" by those noisy bugles, an
hour before daylight next morning, was worse than being
" blowed up" by the " old man" at home. But the bugles rang
out beautifully, clear as bells, first from Division head-quarters,
quickly repeated at Brigade head-quarters, and quickly again at
the head-quarters of the regiments, and still again at the head-
NINBTT'SRCOND ILLINOIS. t8t
quarters of the companies, until all was ringing merrily with the
bugle notes; and then the fires began to gleam everywhere, like
the gas-lights of a great city ah! there was much of the beauti-
ful in the life of a soldier, but the soldiers themselves had but
little time to enjoy it. It was a beautiful day, and, with no enemy
in front or rear, the command marched rapidly. Heavy details
were made to hunt for horses. Hundreds of the finest animals
had been taken to the swamps and hid. The negroes, always our
faithful allies and friends among the faithless always faithful
gave our parties the minutest information of the hiding-places of
the horses, and hundreds of animals were found. The men
would find them hitched in the woods, far away from any house;
locked up in the smoke-houses; carefully hid away in the cellars;
and, in more than one instance, the favorite family nags and valua-
ble saddle horses had been led into the parlors, and matron and
maiden would tearfully beg that their houses might not be ran-
sacked. But a Ninety-Second man could scent a fine horse a
long way off, especially if he could have a conversation with
Uncle Bob in the yard, or Dinah in the kitchen, and locks on sta-
ble, smoke-house, cellar or parlor door, did not long keep him
from the coveted prize. The only trouble was that the captured
animals were soft from the want of service, and without shoes,
and could not well endure the fatigue of the march. The com-
mand traveled about thirty-five miles, and camped amidst plenty.
Marched early on the twenty-sixth. Captain Day, of the Tenth
Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, serving on General Kilpatrick's staff,
with a special detail, moved before daylight, and, by a brilliant
dash, completely surprised the Rebels guarding the large bridge
over the Ogeechee, at Ogeechee Shoals, and saved the bridge. It
was most gallantly done, and Captain Day deserved great credit.
The mills and factory at Ogeechee Shoals were consumed by fire.
No enemy, to amount to anything, during the day. Marched
thirty-five miles, and camped at dark. During the night, the
First brigade, in rear, was desperately attacked ; but it had barri-
cades, and held the enemy, until daylight of the twenty-seventh
of November.
The command was badly incumbered with the hundreds of
captured horses ; and, with an enemy pressing our rear, they were
too great a nuisance to be endured. Orders were received to turn
over to the Brigade Quartermaster all led animals. The Ninety-
Second turned over many horses under this order, and, before
daylight, they were slaughtered at Brigade head-quarters; four
IS; tfTXETT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
hundred splendid horses were knocked in the head with axes. We
could not use them, and we did not desire to have the enemy use
them. At daylight, the First brigade moved to take the advance,
and Atkins's Brigade held the rear, and the Ninety-Second, under
the command of Lieutenant Colonel Van Buskirk, held the rear
of the Brigade, with one piece of artillery and the Ninth Michi-
gan Cavalry in support of the Ninety-Second. As soon as the
First brigade passed through, the Rebels came on. The Ninety-
Second lay concealed by willows that grew along a creek, with an
open field in front; and, when the rear-guard of the First brigade
came across the field, and kept on over the creek and up the road,
the enemy, in strong force, set up a yell, and came charging over
the open field. The Ninety-Second, concealed by the willows,
waited for them to come close up, and then, with their trusty
Spencers, sent them flying back again across the open field.
Mounting quickly, after repulsing the enemy, the Regimen', fol-
lowed the command, always presenting a company front in rear,
ready to punish the audacious Rebels if they ventured too close.
Lieutenant Colonel Van Buskirk handled the Ninety-Second with
consummate coolness and courage, successfully beating off each
desperate assault of the enemy. He revolved his companies, one
around another, like a revolving horse-rake, always presenting an
unbroken front to the enemy. About ten o'clock, A. M., the
head of the Ninety-Second turned squarely to the right, and soon
found the road obstructed by the column, that was slowly crossing
by twos over a rickety old bridge, below a flouring mill; the Reb-
els were pressing desperately, and, crossing the angle, were at-
tacking the column in flank. By order of the Brigade Command-
er, a battalion of the Ninety-Second was deployed on foot to pro-
tect the flank, while the troops slowly crossed. The rifled gun,
and a company with Spencer Rifles, were stationed on the hill be-
yond the mill and stream, concealed by a growth of thorn-brush
and crab-apple trees. When the column was over, the mill and
bridge were fired, and the mounted rear-guard of the Ninety-Sec-
ond disappeared over the hill. The mill and bridge soon burned
down, also destroying the mill-dam, and the water from the mill-
pond rushed through so that the enemy could not cross. The
Rebels gathered in the open space around the mill, in crowds, on
the farther side of the creek, when the gun from the crab-apple
knoll, and the Spencers opened. The gray-coats hunted cover
lively. The Rebel column sought a crossing farther up the
stream, and the Regiment had not marched many miles, when
NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 1%
the gray-coats were again charging the rear with desperate cour-
age. Their style of fighting was more dashing and desperate than
usual, and it was pretty certain that other troops than Wheeler's
cavalry were on our trail. Colonel Atkins, desiring positive in-
formation as to who was following him, sent two half-breed In-
dians, soldiers in the Ninth Michigan Cavalry, of his Brigade,
dressed in the butternut clothing worn by the citizens generally,
and by very many of the Rebel soldiers, to a house half a mile
from the road, with orders to remain until the Rebel column came
up, then mingle with the Rebel foragers, and ride through the
Rebel column. They did it successfully ; riding with Wheeler's
escort, they found all of Wheeler's command, with two fresh
brigades from the Rebel army at Richmond, under the command
of Lieutenant General Wade Hampton; when, starting out to the
side of the road with the foraging parties of the Rebels, they hur-
ried along through the woods and fields to return to the head of
their own Brigade with the information. The reckless, dashing
courage of the enemy in his persistent attack, was now explained
the Rebel soldiers from Richmond, under Hampton, were show-
ing the Western Rebels, under Wheeler, how to fight. Informa-
tion was sent to General Kilpatrick, at the head of the Division,
that Wheeler and Hampton were both after us, and it was sug-
gested that the Division had better turn around and give them &
square fight; but Kilpatrick replied: "Hold them steady, and
keep well closed up. lam going to Millen, and don't want to
fight, and shall not stop to fight if all of Lee's army is after me."
Desperately and continually the gray-coats kept charging the
Ninety-Second. Various were the devices for decoying the enemy
on close to those Spencers, and then punishing them severely. A
company of fifty men would form at some point in the thick
brush, with open fields in rear; in the road a squad of six or eight
mounted men would halt, fire at the enemy at long range, then
turn and retreat on the column; and on would come their Confi-
dent pursuers at a gallop. When close up, the fifty concealed
horsemen, cool and quiet from much similar practice, would'vblley
them with their repeating rifles. Then the enemy would imagine
a long line of Yankees concealed there, and while the fifty
mounted men were leisurely closing up on the column, the enemy
would deploy his skirmishers, and carefully feel his way, and find-
ing no one, he would come on again more desperately than ever.
Selecting points with good range to the rear, a company of cav-
alry would be turned out at the head of the Brigade, to build a
184 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
barricade and such barricades were built frequently all along the
road the companies building them, as soon as done their work,
trotting through the fields, or by the sides of the road, to the head
of the column, and taking their places again. The Ninety-Second
would come along, and, concealed by the barricade, would give
the too confident enemy a repulse. And then the Ninety-Second
would pass the barricades, leaving them empty, and the enemy
would, for a while, imagine them full of Yankees, and would de-
ploy his troops, feeling his way carefully, or flanking them, and
finding many barricades empty, he would grow reckless again, and
would again run onto a nest of those death-dealing Spencer Rifles.
Companies D, Captain Lyman Preston, and C, Captain R. M. A.
Hawk, and I, Captain Egbert T. E. Becker, acted nearly all day as
the rear-guard of the Regiment. The advance of the Division
captured a train of cars at Waynesboro, tore up the railroad, and
burned up the town. The Ninety-Second passed through the
burning town of Waynesboro at dark, the enemy hotly pursuing,
and about a mile south of Waynesboro found the First brigade
encamped, with strong barricades facing north. The weary 'Regi-
ment passed through the First brigade, procured forage for ani-
mals, cooked supper, helped to tear up the railroad track, and sank
wearily to rest. The gray -coats skirmished around the barricades
of the First brigade all night long, but made no attack in force.
The cavalry had demonstrated strongly on Augusta. General
Kilpatrick learned, during the night, that the Union prisoners had
all been removed from Millen ; and on the morning of the twenty-
eighth, the Division took up its line of march for Louisville,
Georgia, where the infantry columns were to rendezvous., Kil-
patrick complimented the Ninety-Second highly for the splendid
manner in which the Regiment had held at bay the Rebel cav-
alry, under Wheeler and Hampton, the day previous, and desired
the Ninety-Second to hold the rear again on the twenty-eighth;
but the Colonel commanding the Brigade protested against put-
ting all the work on a single Regiment, and offered to hold the
rear with the Ninth Michigan Cavalry, ot his Brigade, a splendid
regiment, armed with Spencer carbines. General Kilpatrick de-
cided to take the Ninth Michigan and the Eighth Indiana, and
hold the rear himself, and did so. Not many miles out, the Gene-
ral, forgetting to " keep well closed up," as he had ordered Atkins
to do the day previous, formed the two regiments in a good posi-
tion, and resolved to give the enemy a charge with both regi-
ments ; but, while waiting for the enemy to attack, a portion of
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 185
the Rebel cavalry reached the road in Kilpatrick's rear, and cut off
the Ninth Michigan and Eighth Indiana, and the General had to
about face, and charge through the Rebels to join his own Divis-
ion. Just after crossing Buckhead Creek, an Orderly came riding
up to Colonel Atkins, telling him that the Ninth Michigan and
Eighth Indiana had been cut off, and those regiments, with Gen-
eral Kilpatrick, had been captured. Covering the crossing of the
creek with two pieces of artillery and the Fifth Ohio Cavalry, At-
kins's Brigade took up position, and waited for the First brigade
to pass through, and with the rear came General Kilpatrick and
the two regiments all right. The General said that the enemy
had surrounded him and those regiments, but that they cut their
way through to the command again. The artillery, and the car-
bines of the Fifth Ohio Cavalry, swept the bridge and corduroy
road at Buckhead Creek, as the enemy attempted to take the
bridge by a charge. The enemy was handsomely repulsed, and
the bridge completely destroyed. The command passed on about
two miles, to a large plantation, where General Kilpatrick re-,
solved to make a stand with the two brigades constituting his
Division, and give the enemy a repulse. The ground was admi-
rably selected for it. By the side of the road stood a large house,
and around the house, in circular shape, were constructed rail bar-
ricades, Murray's brigade on the left, and Atkins's Brigade on the
right of the road, dismounted. In front, on the right of the road,
was an open field, and the ground was, for twenty steps, rising, so
that the Yankee barricades could not be seen any distance off.
The barricade was constructed in the usual method, that is, of
rails, by first building a rail fence immediately in front of the
line of battle, and then laying on the fence other rails, one end on
the ground toward the enemy, and the other end on the fence,
and piling them on thicklv. It furnished an excellent protection
against musketry, and a complete barrier to a cavalry charge, as
no horse could leap it, or throw it down by impact from the out-
side. Eight pieces of artillery were stationed on the road, and
behind the barricade, and, flanking the artillery on the right, was
the Ninety-Second, and beyond, stretching to the right, were
other regiments of the Brigade. The enemy was delayed, in
crossing Buckhead Creek, a sufficient time to enable General
Kilpatrick to complete his arrangements, and get his two brigades
in position behind the barricades, when the enemy came on. One
battalion of the Fifth Ohio Cavalry, of Atkins's Brigade, was left
on the road, some distance in front, with instructions to stubbornly
23
i86 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
resist the enemy, and compel him to deploy. Just before the
enemy made the attack upon Atkins's Brigade in force, and while
the one battalion of the Fifth Ohio, on picket, was stubbornly
holding the road, in order to compel the enemy to deploy, a Rebel
horseman showed himself on our extreme right. He halted
his horse beneath a large tree, and there, remaining mounted,
coolly surveyed us. This was too much for Colonel Van Bus-
kirk; his equilibrium .was disturbed by it. Said the Colonel to
William Black, of Company K, who stood near the Colonel :
" Will, hand me your gun, and I will shoot that fellow." Will
handed his gun to the Colonel; the Colonel took deliberate aim,
and fired. The Confederate soldier and his horse never stirred.
The Colonel blazed away again, but the Rebel remained as im-
movable as an equestrian statue. Said Will : " Colonel, you are
disgracing my gun; give it to me." Will took his gun one
quick glance along the barrel from his dark eye, and the rifle
cracked; the Rebel fell, and away went the horse, riderless. At
.about five P. M., the Rebels made the attack ; they deployed in
an open field, in front of Atkins's Brigade, on the right of the
road, in heavy force, and came on in splendid style; when the field
was filled with them, and their advance was within seventy paces
of the barricades, the eight guns, double shotted, opened on them ;
the Ninety-Second and Ninth Michigan volleyed them with their
Spencers, and the Fifth, Ninth, and Tenth Ohio Cavalry, with
their carbines. The field was so full that they could not well re-
treat, and, for a few moments, they, with courage, pressed on.
The artillery was fired as rapidly as the gunners could work their
guns, and the Spencers and carbines volleyed in steady succes-
sion, the roll of small arms being as unbroken and continuous as
the thunder of a waterfall. Men and horses were moved down
in front. One of the Confederate officers appeared determined
to find out just what was in front of him, and, mounted on a
beautiful white horse, with reckless courage, rode up to within
twenty paces of the barricade, glanced from right to left over out-
line; when, turning to retreat, horse and rider were killed; and
many a soldier wearing the army blue almost regretted to see so
brave an officer fall. The enemy retreated, and abandoned his
fruitless effort to run over Kilpatrick's two brigades, leaving the
field in front of the barricades covered with his dead and wounded.
A light attack was afterwards made on the First brigade, on the
left of the road, which was easily repulsed. A Rebel prisoner
reported the enemy's loss, in killed and wounded, at about three
NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 187
hundred ; but a Major, in General Howard's corps, who after-
wards marched by that plantation, reported that the Rebel cavalry
buried two hundred of their dead there; and if that was true, their
killed and wounded must have been near five hundred. After
repulsing the enemy, the command withdrew. The rear guard
reported that, long after they had retired, they heard the enemy
firing upon the empty barricades. The Rebel cavalry had dogged
us most persistently for two days, and probably concluded, be-
cause Kilpatrick did not choose to fight them, that he was afraid
to fight, but this repulse undeceived them. The two brigades
from Lee's army, under Hampton, learned that the Western
Yankee cavalrv was not afraid to sit down in the road, and let the
enemy try to run over them. The Rebel cavalry did not follow us
any farther that night, and Kilpatrick bivouaced after dark, several
miles east of Louisville, Georgia.
On the twenty-ninth of November, 1864, the Ninety-Second
moved early, with the Division, to Louisville, where the infantry
columns lay resting for a day or two, and waiting for " Uncle
Billy," as the men familiarly called General Sherman, to tell them
when to go again and where to. It is not likely that any one,
aside from General Sherman, unless very high in rank, knew
where General Sherman was " coming out." Some wisely shook
their heads, and " guessed " he would go to Augusta, and through
the Carolinas; some thought it would be Savannah; and others,
with maps before them, demonstrated very clearlv that he in-
tended to break off to the right, and " come out " somewhere on
the Gulf of Mexico. A soldier, in his diary, writes : " If the
Rebels don't know Sherman's plans better than we do, they must
be sorely puzzled." General Sherman is chatty and talkative, but
nothing escapes his lips that he desires should remain unknown.
The country was very fine, the weather beautiful ; cattle, horses,
hogs, sheep, geese, chickens, turkeys, hams and sweet potatoes
were found in the greatest abundance. The camps were scattered
in the groves along the streams, and Sherman's soldiers, in the
heart of an enemy's country, were like a vast concourse of jolly
nicnicers, lolling around in the shade of the trees, telling stories,
wrestling, pitching quoits, playing ball or leap-frog, and anything
for sport and fun, they leisurely whiled away a day or two that had
been given them for rest. Sherman's soldiers, like Sherman's
bummers, were a jolly set. They would joke each other, and play
all dav on the march, and play at night when they went into biv-
i88 N1NETT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
ouac. The soldiers under Sherman will remember their campaign
through Georgia as the long holiday of their soldier life.
On the thirtieth of November, the Ninety-Second lay in camp,
washing their clothing, shoeing animals, visiting the infantry
camps to see their friends and relatives in other regiments, and
getting ready for a fresh start. A soldier writes in his diary under
this date : " We are now in a country where some sugar-cane is
produced; figs, apples, peaches, and all kinds of fruits, and horses
and mules, and .lots of niggers, of all colors, are also produced
here." That soldier's head was level negroes, of all shades of
color, were a regular " production " of that country. Some of the
female quadroons were really very pretty ; they always had large,
lustrous eyes, and pearly white teeth. They knew the Yankees
were their friends, and they warmly welcomed their deliverers
from slavery.
On the first of December, at about ten A. M., the Ninety-Sec-
ond marched with the Division. The enemy, apparently, still re-
garded Augusta as Sherman's objective point, and Wheeler and
Hampton's cavalry were north of Louisville, on the Augusta
Road. Their pickets were struck as soon as the command moved
out. General Baird's division of infantry marched in the road,
maintaining a line of battle with two regiments, Atkins's Brigade
of Cavalry marching through the woods and fields on Baird's right
flank, and Murray's brigade in the same manner on his left flank.
It was only a feint, and it was desired that the enemy should
especially see the infantry ; and for two days this manner of march-
ing slowly, the infantry always with a line of battle at the front,
was maintained, the cavalry on the flanks, with flags and guidons
unfurled, and bands of music playing. It was a magnificent
sight; and the enemy had frequent opportunities of observing the
heavv column of infantry, flanked by cavalry, slowly approaching
them, and marching on Augusta. It was eminently successful;
and the enemy gathered up all his forces to protect Augusta,
leaving an open and uninterrupted road for Sherman to Savannah.
On the third, the column marched near the place where the cav-
alry had repulsed Wheeler and Hampton, on November twenty-
eighth, after crossing Buckhead Creek, and the citizens, living in
that vicinity, put the enemy's loss at four hundred killed and
wounded. That night the column bivouaced at Thomas's Sta-
tion, on the railroad, between Augusta and Millen. The infantry
had orders to tear up and burn the railroad ties and twist the rails,
as" soon as supper was over. The Ninety-Second was sent to
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 189
picket the road beyond the infantry, toward Waynesboro. A sol-
dier writes: " I watched, with great interest, Baird's division of
infantry tear up and burn this railroad. Just at twilight, after
supper, the division turned out, all at once, at the tap of the drum,
and for four miles the track was one busy line of living blue.
They would stand in line, close together, on one side of the track,
and, taking hold of the ties and rails, they would, by main
strength, lift up that side of the railroad track and ties as high as
their heads, and then let it fall back. The first effort would al-
ways loosen a few of the iron rails, when a dozen men would pick
them up, handling the long iron rails as easily as a farmer handles
his pitchfork, and with them they would pry off other rails ; other
men would pick them up, and, in like manner, pry off other rails,
and, in an incredibly short space of time, without any tools so
many men were at work they would have the rails all loosened.
Then the railroad ties were piled up, like the boys build corn-cob
houses, crossing them regularly, in piles about three feet high, in
the middle of the old railroad track ; and then the iron rails were
carefully laid upon them, with the ends extending over. The
pitch-pine and red cedar rail fences at the sides of the road were
added as fuel to make the railroad ties burn well, and, in half an
hour, for four miles, those burning piles of railroad ties made a
magnificent sight. The work was so equally distributed that the
men all seemed to finish it at the same time, and the fires all
along were lighted at once. In half an hour more the iron rails
were red-hot in the center, and for four miles those piles of burn-
ing railroad ties, the rails heated red-hot in the center, made a
sight not soon to be forgotten. The men would take the iron
rails by the ends, when red-hot in the center, and wrap them
around the trees and telegraph poles ; or, twisting them into knots
and interlacing them, the ends sticking every way, would leave
them to cool in huge piles. In destroying those rails, the blue-
coated soldiers were putting their hands directly into the haver-
sacks of General Lee's soldiers at Richmond and Petersburg, and
taking from them their rations. No car loaded with food would
again pass over that railroad to Lee's army ; no long trains loaded
with troops would again pass over it, as Longstreet had done to
reinforce Bragg at Chicamauga." In the middle of the night, the
Ninety-Second, while on picket, heard the enemy bringing up
artillery, and soon the sharp report of their guns was heard.
What did it mean? Was the Rebel infantry before us? The
Rebel newspapers were representing Sherman as wandering about
190 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
in Central Georgia, not knowing where to go, and obscurely
hinted that a terrible fate awaited his army. Camp rumors were
flying about that Richmond was evacuated, and Lee's army com-
ing to meet Sherman. But the Rebels fired only two shots, and
run their guns to the rear again, and the Ninety-Second men
knew that they did not intend to make a general attack. But
these two shots killed two men in the Regiment : Corporal
William Erb and Emmet A. Merrill, both of Company A.
Early on December fourth, 1864, the Division moved out, to
attack the Rebel cavalry under Wheeler and Wade Hampton, At-
kins's- Brigade in advance, and, as the column came by the
Ninety-Second, on picket duty, the Regiment, that had been up
all night, without a chance to cook a cup of coffee for breakfast,
and they had no supper the night previous, was ordered to advance
on foot, and forward it went. The Tenth Ohio Cavalry was lead-
ing the Brigade, and soon found the enemv, and charged in col-
umn down the road, and close up to the enemy's barricade, which
was erected around a house ; and there the Tenth Ohio halted
within pistol shot of the enemy, but the Rebels had carefully se-
lected their ground, and built strong lines of barricades, one back
of another, and felt so certain of repulsing our attack, that thev
did not care to punish, as they might have done, the Tenth Ohio
Cavalry; and, by direction of the Rebel General Wheeler, who
could be seen and heard distinctly by us, the Rebels held their
fire. The Ninety-Second was ordered to come forward on the
double-quick; but the weary men, who had not slept the night
previous, and had gone without supper, and had not a chance to
cook breakfast, were not in condition to double-quick far. Lieu-
tenant Colonel Van Buskirk, with the Ninety-Second, was or-
dered to move upon the enemy's first barricade, directly in front,
and charge him out. The Fifth Ohio Cavalry was ordered to
move in column on the right flank, and the Ninth Ohio Cavalry,
Colonel William D. Hamilton, commanding, a gallant soldier,
whose eagles should have been stars, on the left flank, in column.
The Ninety-Second came up, and formed in line within plain
sight and easv range of the Rebel barricade, but the enemy did
not fire. The Ninety-Second moved down to the fence in the
hollow, in front of the enemy, and crossed it, and again dressed in
line, and then coolly and deliberately started over the open field
and up the hill in front, and within ten rods, of the barricaded
Rebels. Now the enemy had the Ninety-Second, as they thought,
at their mercy, and up the enemv rose behind their breastwork of
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 191
rails, and blazed their carbines into the faces of the Ninety-Second
men ; but the storm of bullets from the repeating rifles of the
Ninety-Second that went hissing back at them was too much for
the gray-coated soldiers, and they sank back again behind their
barricade, while the Ninety-Second leaped forward with a shout,
and onto and over the Rebel barricade, and pumped their Spen-
cers at the backs of the retreating Rebel soldiers. Eighty-seven
prisoners were captured by the Ninety-Second, behind the barri-
cade from which they had driven the enemy. The Tenth Ohio
was pushed forward, and, just beyond the barricade taken by the
Ninety-Second, it was charged by the Rebels, and was broken into
confusion ; but the Ninety-Second, with cool courage, moved for-
ward in line, and repulsed the charging Rebels. Another line of
barricades was found full of the gray-coats, who, while fighting
hard, did not wait as long as the first line had done, but retreated
before the Ninety-Second. The artillery was brought up, and
commenced shelling the town of Waynesboro. The Fifth Ohio
was pressing in hard on the Rebel left, and the Ninth Ohio had
already passed the Rebel right flank, and the enemy was leaving
his third line of barricades. The Ninth Michigan and Tenth Ohio
were ready to charge in the center, as soon as Colonel Hamilton,
of the Ninth Ohio, opened the fight on the Rebels beyond the
creek and near the town, when Kilpatrick ordered a halt! Twenty
minutes more would, probably, have given us five hundred pris-
oners. As it was, the Rebel cavalry, under Wheeler and Hamp-
ton, that had tried to run over Kilpatrick at Buckhead Creek on
the twenty-eighth of November, and had been so handsomely re-
pulsed, had here chosen its own ground, erected three separate
lines of barricades, each back of the other, and had hoped to re-
pulse us; but the Ninety-Second alone had routed them from
their first and strongest barricade, with great loss to the Rebel
cavalry, including eighty-seven prisoners; and a single brigade
had put the Rebel cavalry, commanded by Generals Wheeler and
Hampton, to flight!
A soldier, on the evening of that day, writing to his wife, in
his letter, said : " I will give you a description of the fight of
Waynesboro, and how our line of battle was formed. The Sec-
ond Brigade, commanded by Colonel Atkins, of our Regiment,
did all the lighting, until after we drove the enemy, Wheeler's
and Wade Hampton's cavalry, into the town of Waynesboro.
The Ninety-Second took the center on foot, and the other four
regiments of our Brigade were on the right and left flanks, the
192 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
battery of rifled guns with the Ninety-Second, and our horses fol-
lowing in rear; the First brigade of our Cavalry Division still
farther in rear, in column on the road, and then came General
Baird's division of infantry in column. The cavalry command
was nearly all in sight at one time ; it was a splendid sight to see
both armies drawn up in sight of each other in battle array, ten
thousand mounted men. I have read of such sights, but never
saw one before." The Ninety-Second, after Kilpatrick had com-
manded the Brigade to halt, was permitted to rest, and cook
breakfast. The First brigade followed the enemy out beyond
Waynesboro, on the Augusta Road, skirmishing lightly with the
Rebels, but the enemy made no stand in force. Our burial par-
ties, it was said, buried one hundred and eighteen of the enemy.
The Ninety-Second lost seventeen, killed and wounded. George
W. Downs, of Company I, and Jesse Robinson, of Company K,
were instantly killed while bravely fighting. In the very com-
mencement of the engagement, Captain J. M. Schermerhorn, of
Company G, was knocked down by a musket ball, but his life was
saved by the handle of his pistol in his breast coat pocket; the pis-
tol handle was broken completely off. Corporal David Scott, of
Company D, familiarly known as " Gedee," color-bearer for the
Brigade Commander, while waving the Brigade colors, and
cheering on the men, a brave, good soldier, was struck in the fore-
head by a Rebel musket ball, and instantly killed. It was close
up to the second barricade of the Rebels, and the Brigade Order-
lies dismounted to save the colors, when the Brigade color-bearer
fell dead from his horse; but a Rebel Major had come out of the
barricade, and seized the flag-staff, when Hiram F. Hayward, of
Company I, one of the Brigade Orderlies, seized the other end of
the flag-staff; the Rebel Major was in front of his own line of
battle, and his men could not lire at Hayward without danger of
killing their own Major. Hayward had his navy revolver in his
hand, and the Rebel Major only his sword ; and Hayward drew
bead with his revolver on the Major, and demanded his surrender,
and not only saved the Brigade colors, but brought in the Rebel
Major as a prisoner.
We had now feinted sufficiently on Augusta, and Sherman's
army, stretching from the Ogecchee to the Savannah River, and
with both flanks protected by those streams, less than twenty
miles apart at Savannah, swept onward toward that doomed citv.
The Brigade took up its line of march, the Ninety-Second in ad-
vance, toward Savannah, and camped that night at Alexander, on
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 193
the plantation of Mr. Sapp. Details from the Ninety-Second were
sent to all the bridges over Briar Creek, on our left flank, and
the bridges were burned. Old Mr. Sapp was sick, but young Mr.
Sapp was exceedingly polite, talkative and affable. The Brigade
head-quarters wagon was not yet up, and young Mr. Sapp volun-
teered to get up supper for the Brigade Commander and staff, and
they soon sat down to a smoking hot supper of sweet potatoes,
corn bread and ham. He had no knifes and forks; he said the
Yankee soldiers had taken them all but pocket-knives and fingers
served in lieu of his missing cutlery. After supper, one of the
Rebel prisoners asked Mr. Sapp to give him a pair of pantaloons,
in exchange for the blue ones the Rebel prisoner had on, as the
prisoner was afraid the Yankee soldiers might kill him on ac-
count of his wearing the United States uniform. He said he was
an acquaintance of Mr. Sapp, one of his poor neighbors, a private
in Wheeler's cavalry; but Mr. Sapp would not make the exchange.
Some of the Yankea soldiers, sympathizing with the Johnny in
blue pantaloons, took the responsibility of helping him to the
pantaloons and hat worn by Mr. Sapp. The Yankee soldiers
made quick work with the homes of rich Rebel planters, but, to
their everlasting honor be it said, they were always kind to their
prisoners and to the poor. Many a time might have been seen
some poor old lady, weeping by the roadside, made happy by the
hams and sweet potatoes the Yankee soldiers would give her, or
by an apronful of Confederate money. Mr. Sapp pretended to be
mourning the death of one of his favorite little negro boys, Jack,
by name, and any one could see his freshly-made grave in the
garden, with its little wooden head-board, marked "Jack." The
grief of Mr. Sapp was quite inconsolable. But the Yankee sol-
diers did not think Mr. Sapp would bury a little darkey in his
garden, among the graves of his family and ancestors, and, thrust-
ing their sabres into the newly-made grave, they discovered that
it was very shallow; and, opening the grave, they found it con-
tained a barrel of sugar, his missing knives and forks, silverware,
and even diamond rings. Poor little Jack proved to be a valuable
little darkey, and the Southern newspapers had an opportunity to
publish that Sherman's vandals did not respect even the burial
places of he dead.
The Regiment marched early, on the fifth of December. The
day was beautiful like June, in Illinois the birds Dinging in the
trees and the cattle grazing in the fields. The bridges over the
streams were all destroyed, and the roads barricaded by fallen
24
194 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
timber. A soldier, in his diary, writes : "The enemy evidently
intends to dispute our passage and give us a fight; but if we do not
march along over this road there will be some heavy fighting
done, for our Generals do not propose that the enemy shall dic-
tate what roads we shall march on in the dominions rightly be-
longing to our venerable Uncle Samuel." During the day can-
nonading was heard at regular intervals, of about fifteen minutes,
like the low rumble of distant thunder. The citizens said it was
the heavy cannon at Fort Sumter, in Charleston harbor, more
than a hundred miles away on an air line. Marched early on the
sixth, through a flat, sandy and swampy country, the principal
productions of which were rice, alligators and negroes. The ne-
groes being the most profitable, the whites had .devoted their prin-
cipal attention to that production. On the plantation on which
the Regiment encamped at night was a negro overseer, and the
negroes said that he was more severe upon them than any white
man they had ever had for a driver. We were covering the
Fourteenth Army Corps; the other brigade, with Kilpatrick, had
gone to cover the right flank of the army. The Rebel cavalry
were following us up, but thev did not dash into us very hard;
still, the cavalrymen were being shot every day on that long
march, and the ambulances were loaded down with the wounded
men. Marched early on the seventh. It had rained during
the night, and it rained all day, and the swamps became almost
impassable. We were marching south, along the right bank of
the Savannah River, the infantry in advance, our Brigade follow-
ing, and the Rebel cavalry following us. On the river, the enemy
had a little steamer, with a heavy piece of artillery on it, prob-
ably a 32-pounder, with which he occasionally shelled the Yan-
kees; it made a terrific noise, but did little or no damage. ,A
soldier, this day, in his diary, writes : "We are now marching
close to the Savannah River, the boundary line between Georgia
and South Carolina, the State that was the hot-bed of treason, the
author of all the Nation's troubles. It would please us bovs to
travel in that State, and, undoubtedly, we shall pay them a visit
some day in the future. ' Uncle Billy' is ' on the rampage,' and
if he don't ' go through' South Carolina, it will be because the war
shall end before he ' gets a good ready.' "
On the eighth of December, the command marched, at twc
o'clock in the morning. The Ninth Ohio Cavalry held the rear 1 ,
and soon after daylight, the enemv showed considerable spirit and
dash, attacking constantly the rear guard. The country was
NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 195
generally level and sandy, with little streams crossing the road
frequently, and emptying into the Savannah River. These
streams always had a swamp on both sides of them, filled
with a dense growth of black gum, and other trees that grow in
swampy places, covered with parasites. Neither animals nor
wheels could get through the swamps, except upon the corduroy
roads. The pioneers would cut large trees nearly off, and, when
our rear guard had passed, they were felled into the road, upon
the narrow corduroy, to impede the enemv following. About
noon, the command crossed one of these swamps, and found the
infantry bivouacing, waiting for the building of the bridge over
Ebenezer Creek. An officer of the Ninety-Second writes in an
old manuscript: "The enemy were pressing the Ninth Ohio
hard, and at this swamp we must stop them. The cavalry bri-
gade was deploved on the right of the road, facing the rear, and
covering the swamp, while a brigade of General Baird's infantry
was deployed on the other side of the road. The entrance to the
swamp was more abrupt than usual, giving us a good opportunity
to barricade the road. The Ninth Ohio held them finely, while
the brigade deployed and made preparations. I was with the
Ninth Ohio, riding with Colonel Hamilton ; and, hearing a yell
like the Johnnies alwavs set up when they charge, I looked and
saw a long column coming in on a road to our left, so as to cut
off about half of the Ninth Ohio, including Colonel Hamilton
and myself; but, fortunately, a Corpora! and six Ninety-Second
men, with their repeating rifles, were picketing that road. The
enemy was charging in column of fours; I could see the column
plainly, and could hear the Rebel officers urging on their men.
But the Corporal, with his six men, pumped bullets into the
head of that column so rapidly that they halted it, and held the
road until the Ninth Ohio had passed the swamp, and the road
over the corduroy had been barricaded with fallen trees. The
enemy dismounted, and with a long line attempted to cross the
swamp on our right, but were repulsed by Atkins's Brigade;
they then made a like attempt on our left, but were repulsed by
one of Baird's brigades of infantry. They then held a steady line
on one side of the swamp, and we on the other. After dark, we
pushed our skirmish line out into the swamp, and the enemy did
the same; and while relieving our skirmish line during the night,
great caution had to be observed, to avoid relieving the Rebel
skirmishers instead of our own. It was verv dark, and the skir-
mishers were behind trees, not more than twenty or thirty paces
196 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
apart, and they avoided the tedium of watching on the skirmish
line by chaffering each other. The Rebels said they would drown
the whole pack of Sherman's thieves in the swamps about Savan-
nah, and our men replied that Savannah would be in our posses-
sion within three days. I sat down by a fire, under a tree in the
middle of the road, a little distance in rear of our line of battle;
and it was all quiet during the evening, except occasional skir-
mish firing. About twelve o'clock at night, General Baird's
division of infantry withdrew, to cross Ebenezer Creek ; and, as
the head of an infantry brigade came into the road where, by the
fire, I was sitting, a couple of rifled shell went screaming and
richocheting up the road, close by the fire. Two more shots were
fired, and then the Rebels ran their artillery to the rear. The
boys called to them to keep their guns there a little while, and
thev would come over and get them ; and the Rebels replied, ' Go
to .' But we did not want to go." Another officer, in his
diary, wrote on the evening of this day: "I am sitting by a
camp-fire, writing on my knees, and the boys are spinning their
varns, and telling each other their big lies. The negroes come
into our lines by hundreds, but we cannot do anything for them.
They are of all sizes, all ages, all sexes, and all colors, from the
whitest white to coal black; women of all ages, and little children,
all barefooted, and with scarcely clothing enough to cover them.
We ask them, ' Where are you going?' and they answer, ' With
you all.' They are objects of pity. All have their ideas of free-
dom. They say they knew we would come, and that their
masters had told them that we would kill them, but that 'Old
Massa and Missus couldn't fool us in dat way.' " At three
o'clock, on the morning of December ninth, the cavalry brigade
followed the infantry over the creek, the Ninety-Second covering
the rear. Four companies of the Regiment were detailed to
guard the pioneers while they were destroying the bridge, and
barricading the road through the swamp. An officer with the
detail writes in his diary: "No sleep last night. We have
crossed Ebenezer Creek. Three companies besides ours are
here, guarding the pioneers while they destroy the bridge, and
obstruct the road through the swamp. (I fell asleep while writing
the above, and took a nap.) Last night, about twelve o'clock, the
Rebels opened their artillery on us; it created quite a commotion.
Their shell fell among us, but did no damage. The Rebel gun-
boats threw shell yesterday into the road, near where we are now.
I ha-ve no prospect of any breakfast yet, but I am not very nun-
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 197
gry. What this day will bring forth I cannot tell, but I do not
think we will be troubled with the enemy to-day. We have de-
stroyed the bridge, and obstructed the road through the swamp.
Nine o'clock A. M. Two of Company I men have just been
shot near the bridge ; one man, of Company A, was wounded, the
same ball killing a soldier back of him. I have been watching a
sight that will never pass from my memory. There have been
hundreds of negroes, men, women, and children, following our
army. Last night, on the other side of the bridge, at the edge of
the swamp, thev were all turned out by the guards, and not per-
mitted to pass, by the order of General Jeff. C. Davis, command-
ing the Fourteenth Army Corps, and the command crossed, and
the bridge was destroyed, leaving all the negroes on the other side.
At this present writing, the negroes are crossing; some swim-
ming, and some crossing on rafts. The Rebels came up and fired
into them ; and such another time I never want to witness. They
are as afraid of the Rebels as they would be of wild beasts, for
the negroes know that it will be death, or worse, for them to fall
into the hands of the Rebels, after leaving with the Yankees.
Some of them jumped into the water, and others crawled under
the bank on the other side, the women and children screaming
piteously at the top of their voices. Some of the children were
drowned. They are getting across as fast as possible, and I think
most of them will succeed ; but thev are most pitiable looking
objects, when they get over, and out of range of the Rebels.
Most of them have on very little clothing, and every thread of
that wet; and here they stand around the fires, shivering with the
cold, and the poor women and children crying as if their hearts
would break. And what is all this for? It is for freedom; they
are periling their lives for freedom, and it seems to me that any
people who run such risks are entitled to freedom. For my part,
I never believed it policy to let them follow our army at all; for
an army on the march has enough to do to take care of itself,
without being encumbered with such a helpless lot of non-
combatants. I do not believe there is any one in this army to
blame for their leaving their homes ; but, as they have been al-
lowed to come along part of the way, unmolested, I believe it is
a burning shame and disgrace, and inhuman to leave them to
struggle in thirty feet of water for their lives; for they prefer
sinking in the water to returning to slavery."
About ten o'clock A. M., the Brigade was ordered to join Kil-
patrick, and marched immediately to the Georgia Central Rail-
198 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
way, and encamped. The same officer of the Ninety-Second
again writes in his diary : " Since writing the foregoing, we have
marched in a south-easterly direction; what the distance is I do
not know-. I must say a little more about the negroes I spoke of
this morning. When the Rebels fired and killed the men at the
bridge, they made the negroes all go back that had not got over
Ebenezer Creek. One negro woman fell in with us three days
ago. She said she would go with us or perish. She had then a
small child. I saw her this morning, on this side of the creek ;
she had lost her child, but how, I do not know. She herself
crossed the creek by swimming. I saw a negro man and woman
on this side of the creek, who had crossed by swimming, and their
little boy was drowned, and the mother was crying as though her
heart would break. I believe her boy was as dear to her moth-
er's heart as if she and her child had been white. The sights I
this morning witnessed I cannot get out of my mind. Supper is
ready ; it is eleven o'clock, and I will close for this day." An-
other officer of the Ninety-Second writes : " All the way through
Georgia we found the negroes our friends, ready to give us any
information or assistance in their power. It was useless for old
master to hide his horses and mules, for Sambo would tell us at
once where they were. It did no good to empty the smoke-house
and bury the me.at, for the slave that did the work was always
ready to point out the exact spot of its burial. If the corn was
carried away into the swamps and hid, as, indeed, it often was, it
did no good, for some slave was ready to tell us where it was.
Stopping at a house, one day, while the men of the Ninety-Sec-
ond were getting the corn from the well-filled crib close by, I
heard one of the men asking the women 'where their meal was.
The white women said they had none, but an old negro woman,
pointing to a swamp, said : ' Ole Massa out dar, wid all de meat
and meal dar is.' The men went to find it. I heard the report of
a Spencer rifle, and by and bv the men came back, loaded down
with hams and corn-meal. One of the men rode up to me and
said: ' I found the old man in the swamp, with lots of hams and
meal, on a pile of loose cotton, and when we came in sight he set
the cotton on fire and ran but my Spencer halted him.' The
young ladies, who had just informed me that they had no
father, listened to the soldier, and, in concert and in tears, cried
out: 'Father is killed.' At the sight of their grief I could not
repress my own tears, and regretted that the soldier had not let
the old man escape. While the white people were so intensely
NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 199
bitter in their feelings toward the hated Yankees that they would
burn up their food rather than permit it to fall into our hands a
thing proper enough to be done by the regular troops of the Rebel
army, but not proper for citizens and women the negroes, on the
contrary, hailed our coming with great joy, as if the promised day
of jubilee had arrived. Many a time I have seen the negro men
and women standing by the roadside, weeping and laughing al-
ternately, and shouting: ' Bress de Lord, you all's come atlas.
I'se always knowed de good Lord would heah my prayah, and
send de Yankees down heah.' It may be that the Lord of Heaven
did hear the prayers of the humble black people of the South, and
sent the victorious Stars and Stripes, emblem of liberty in deed
and in truth to them, the faithful friends of the Yankees, waiting
patiently and praying fervently for their coming. Did one of the
Union prisoners escape from the horrible prison pen at Ander-
sonville, and, fixing his eye on the North star, which had filled the
hopes of many a fugitive slave flying from bondage, traveling by
night and bv stealth through that hostile country, tracked by
bloodhounds, as the fugitive slave had been tracked, wish for a
friend, or for food, or for shelter, the flying Union soldier knew
that the humble cabin of the black slave would safely furnish it
all to him. During the long march through Georgia, the negroes
had everywhere been our faithful friends and allies, and, literally
in thousands, were following our armies out of bondage; and,
had the Union Generals been heartily in favor of negro troops,
they might have organized whole brigades and divisions on this
inarch. Before daylight, this morning, the ninth of December,
the Fourteenth Army Corps, commanded by General JefF. C.
Davis, crossed Ebenezer Creek ; and, by the order of General
Davis, a guard was stationed at the bridge that would not permit
a negro man, woman or child to cross. Poor, simple people, thev
thought it was because the whites must cross first, and they quietly
and patientlv waited by the roadside, filling the woods at daylight
as far as the eye could see, never dreaming that they were to be
entirely debarred the privilege of crossing, nor did they know it
until the pioneers were tearing away the bridge after the last
white soldier had crossed. Lett, cruelly left, to the bitter mercies
of the infuriated enemy following us! And the negroes were the
only class of people we had found on our long march who were
our faithful, fast friends; a simple-minded, God-fearing people,
who had wrestled in secret prayer, beseeching the God of battles
that victory might be with our army, and now they are cut oft"
200 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
and left behind. And then such a wild panic as seized them ;
such bitter, heartrending cries of despair; such pitiful, beseeching
entreaties to be permitted (o cross, I never before witnessed or list-
ened to. They ran wildly up and down the stream ; many plunged
in and struggled through, and many sank beneath the dark waters
to rise no more. And those people our friends. Let the ' iron
pen of history' write the comment on this action of a Union Gen-
eral." During the ninth of December, we marched through a
country settled long before the Revolutionary war. We passed
one old church erected in 1769, that had been used as a hospital
by the soldiers of the Revolution.
Marched early, on the tenth of December, and camped at three
P. M., nine miles from Savannah, covering the Seventeenth Ar-
my Corps, commanded by General Frank P. Blair. It rained
during the night, and the weather grew cold. Marched at eight
A. M., on the eleventh of December, and camped within six
miles of Savannah, the infantry cannonading the Rebel works.
There was no forage for animals, and the cattle that had been
driven along with the army, and killed for beef, were so poor and
weak that they had to be held up to be knocked down ; and the
meat was so dry the men could not fry or broil it; and when boiled,
it was as tough and almost as innutritions as leather. A soldier, in
his diary, writes: " I have just divided my last hara-tack with
some starving little children." On the tenth, lav all day in rear
of the Seventeenth Army Corps. On the eighteenth, the Brigade
marched at nine A. M., and, at one point, ran the gauntlet of the
Rebel artillery and riflemen in a Rebel fort. Marched twenty
miles, crossing the Ogeechee, at King's Bridge, and camping
after dark, on Clay's plantation, .near Fort McAllister. Hazen's
division of infantry had taken Fort McAllister during the after-
noon. The negroes said that Clay had, in his rice plantation,
nine thousand nine hundred and twenty acres of land ; he had two
hundred able-bodied slaves, and his negro quarters made quite a
village. Near the house was an extensive rice mill, which
Clay instructed his slaves to burn, if the Yankees came near; they
did so, and the Yankees burned up everything else that would
burn.' By the fall of Fort McAllister, communication was opened
with the Yankee fleet lying in Ossabaw Sound, and General Kil-
patrick visited one of the Yankee gun-boats. Rice in the straw
was all the forage the animals had, and the men had little or
nothing. One of the Brigade Orderlies had captured a turkey,
and the Colonel commanding the Brigade was calculating on a
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 201
feast for supper; but when his cook turned his back a moment to
tell the Colonel that supper was ready, some hungry soldier gob-
bled the roasted gobbler, and the Brigade Commander went
supperless to bed. By daylight next morning, the Yankee fleet,
loaded with rations, was at King's Bridge.
While Sherman was taking steps to reduce Savannah, the cav-
alry had to be subsisted upon the country ; and the Division
marched early, on the fourteenth of December, to Midway
Church, nine miles from Sunbury, and camped amidst abund-
ance of forage for animals, and plenty of hams, sweet potatoes,
turkeys, chickens, etc., for the men. Midway Church was
guarded from spoliation, as was also the grave-yard close by,
which was walled in with a heavy brick fence, built before the
Revolutionary War, the brick having been brought from
England. It was a sombre place. Great live oak trees, covered
with long hanging Spanish moss, stood, like mourning sentinels,
above the tombs. Graves were found with inscriptions a hundred
and fifty years old. A soldier of the Ninetv-Second, in his diarv,
writes: "Our Commander has placed a guard over the church
and grounds, to see that nothing is injured. The people here pay
a great deal of attention to their dead, and to their religion.
Their slaves get one pint of salt, and four pecks of corn, in a
month, to eat, and nothing else. Who says they are not a Chris-
tian people?" On the fifteenth, the command lay in camp. A
soldier writes in his diary : " To-day we obtained permission,
and organized a party, to go to the Atlantic coast. Sunbury, at
the head of St. Catharine's Sound, is where we went, and, for the
first time in my life, I saw the salt water. I rode my horse into
it, but he did not drink it. I bathed in the salt water; gathered
and ate oysters; and s;i\v, in the distance, a United States man-of-
war, and a gun-boat of our blockading squadron. Sunbury is one
of the oldest settled towns in the State of Georgia. During the
Revolution, the British captured and destroyed it, and marched
from Sunbury to Savannah. At that time, this country was all
settled up: many of the lands that were tilled then are now fine
forests, with trees from ten to sixteen inches in diameter. We
visited old Fort Sunbury : it was once a strong fort. There was
one 64-pounder, and one 12-pound gun, lying in the fort." The
Division marched at six P. M., the Ninety-Second in rear of
e\*rvlhing. The roads were badly cut up. Camped late.
Marched at ten A. M., on the sixteenth, to King's Bridge, and went
into permanent camp, in the pine woods bordering the Ogeechee,
202 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
not far from the ship-landing, from which Sherman's troops about
Savannah were to get supplies of hard-tack, sow-belly, and am-
munition. At two P. M., the Division, under command of Colo-
nel Atkins, marched again toward Midway, in rear of General
Mower's division of infantry, on an expedition to Altamaha
River, to destroy the railroad and railroad bridges on the Savan-
nah and Gulf Railroad. The infantry wagon trains were fast in
the mud. Long after dark, the command bivouaced, having
inarched but six miles. Only five companies of the Ninety-
Second accompanied the command. At daylight, marched to
Midway, ted animals, and cooked breakfast. Marched at nine
A. M., passed the infantry, and took the advance, and halted for
dinner at Hinesville, a very pretty little town, quite a resort in
summer for the rice planters. The country was full of forage
and provisions.
Len Lockridge, of Company D, was picking up provisions for
General Kilpatrick, and, after the command had marched through
Hinesville, Len returned with a wagon load of such eatables as he
had gathered. Riding ahead of the wagon intoj Hinesville, he
ran into a squad of Rebel cavalrv belonging to Hawkins's brigade.
They had on blue overcoats, and, supposing them to be our own
men, Len rode right in among them. There were seven of the
Rebels. They stripped Lockridge of all his clothing, except pants
and shirt, and took him to Hawkins's head-quarters, and, after be-
ing examined by Hawkins, he was ordered to be taken to the
head-quarters of General Iverson, at two o'clock in the morning.
It was twelve o'clock at night, and, until the party were ready to
start with him, they put Lockridge into an old church, under
guard. Lying down near the pulpit, as if to sleep, he saw that he
might crawl under the seats to the door. His guards were nap-
ping, and he crawled carefully under the seats back to the church
door, determined to escape if possible. As he approached the
door, once through which and into the woods, he felt he would
be safe from the pursuit of his too careless guards, he saw, bv
the fire outside, two bloodhounds. His heart, panting to escape,
sank at the sight; to spring from that door was to be seized by
tltose bloodhounds, and he might as well face a Rebel prison-pen.
He quietly crawled back again. At two o'clock A. M., a Rebel
Captain and five men started with him to Iverson's head-quarters;
at the end of eleven miles, one man was relieved, and at the end
of the next ten miles, two men were relieved, and not long after
that the Captain and one man stopped at a house, leaving Lock-
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 203
ridge in charge of but one guard, who was told to shoot him if he
attempted to get away. A little farther on, they came to a house
where a woman stood at the door, and Lockridge requested his
guard to get him a drink of water. The woman handed a cala-
bash of water to the guard, and he handed it to Lockridge ; after
drinking, he returned the calabash to the guard, who was sitting
on his horse, with his guri across the pommel of his saddle, and
just as the guard was reaching the calabash back to the woman,
Lockridge struck the guard with his fist, knocking him from his
horse, and, grabbing the guard's gun, he beat him over the head
with it; then, mounted on the guard's horse, he dashed up the
road, and as soon as out of sight of the house he took to the woods.
He rode rapidly four or five miles, when his horse gave out and
mired in a swamp, and Lockridge kept on on foot. At sundown,
he could hear the hounds baying on his track. The Rebel gun
he held in his hand would not do for a pack of bloodhounds. To
climb into a tree, safe from their pursuit, would only be to wait
until the hounds came up, accompanied by his pursuers. To
escape the hounds and the pursuing Rebels, he swam the Alta-
maha River, and learning its course by its current, he kept down
the river on the other side. He had gone about five miles, when
he heard the hounds again, and he again crossed the river, and
kept on down the stream, and again hearing the hounds, he again
swam the river. Lockridge traveled on day and night, for sev-
enty hours, through swamps and woods, shunning the road, along
which the Rebel courier line ran. He grew hungry, and would
craAvl up back of the houses until he would see men about, and
then skulk back into the woods again. At length he found a
house with no men about it, and entered it and helped himself to
cold victuals from the cupboard, and hastened to the woods to eat,
the first he had tasted for seventy-two hours. And so he kept on,
through swamp and cane-brake, for four days and nights. Dur-
ing the fourth night he saw a fire in the woods, and, fearing it
might be a Rebel picket, he cautiously crawled up to it, and found
a single old negro asleep by the fire. Stalking up to him, with
his gun, he pretended to be a Rebel soldier, and endeavored to
learn his surroundings; but the old negro was so dumb he could
get no information from him. Lockridge changed his tactics,
and told the old black man that he was a Yankee soldier, trying
to escape .from the Rebels, and then the old negro was intelligent
and chatty. The old negro became his guide, and procured an
axe, with which they made a raft and crossed the Altamuha River,
i04 N1NETT-SECOKD ILLINOIS.
At daylight he hid in the woods, and the old negro brought him
his breakfast; he lay in the woods all day, and in the evening the
old negro brought him his supper, and was again his guide; and
they traveled all night, making about twenty miles, when the old
negro again brought him his breakfast, and turned him over to a
friend, another negro, who was his guide the next night. And
thus guided and helped on his way by the negroes, he reached the
Yankee lines eight days after his capture.
The Cavalry Division camped after dark, on December eight-
eenth, at Johnston's Station. A lady residing there, said that
when the Union prisoners were taken South, she went to the
train with a basket of food, but that the guard would not let her
give it to the Yankees. She saw one Yankee prisoner pick up a
kernel of corn, and the guard made him throw it away again.
The command marched early on the nineteenth, crossed Jones's
Creek, and marched to the Altamaha River, opposite Doctor-
town, the intention being to burn the railroad bridge crossing the
river; but the Rebels had a fort protecting the bridge. The
Ninety-Second marched out into the swamps, dismounted, to flank
the fort, but was ordered back, and the command withdrew. The
Rebels ran an engine with a flat car ahead of it, from Doctortown
to the fort; on the flat car was a cannon, and the Rebels blazed
away with it, until a section of our jo-pound rifled Rodmans
opened in replv, when they ran their railroad artillerv to the rear.
A long, high trestle was destroyed. The command returned to
Johnston's Station, and camped, after dark. In fording Jones's
Creek, a large number of horses were drowned. Marched at
seven A. M., on the twentieth, to Jonesville, and camped amidst
plenty of forage for animals and plenty for the men to 'eat.
Marched next day, to Riceboro. The people had seen nothing of
the war, and were all at home. On the twenty-second, the com-
mand returned to King's Bridge, and went into old camps, after
dark. On the twenty-third of December, we heard of the capture
of the city of Savannah, with two hundred pieces of artillery, one
hundred railroad locomotives and many cars, thirty thousand
bales of cotton, and nine hundred Rebel prisoners. It was a
happy day in camp. Colonel Atkins, in closing his official report
of the march through Georgia, said : " During the campaign, my
Brigade has marched five hundred and twenty miles; been fre-
quently in action, and always successful; has captured eleven
hundred and fifty-nine mules and horses; men and animals were
subsisted principally upon the country : my Brigade burned five
NINBTT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 205
thousand, eight hundred and forty bales of cotton, one hundred
and twenty-nine cotton gins and cotton houses, and eleven flour-
ing mills." General Kilpatrick's official report of the campaign
from Atlanta to Savannah, contains the following : " Before
closing my remarks, I desire to make favorable mention of my
Brigade Commanders, Colonels Murray and Atkins; both have
at all times faithfully and ably performed the responsible duties
which have devolved upon them; always on duty, attentive to
orders, energetic, skillful and brave. Both are educated, gentle-
manly and accomplished cavalry officers. Both merit promotion."
And further on in his official report, General Kilpatrick, in men-
tioning the various regiments in his Division, says: " The Nine-
ty-Second Illinois Mounted Infantry, Lieutenant Colonel Van
Buskirk, have, at all the various places mentioned, behaved most
handsomely, and attracted my especial attention." After receiv-
ing General Kilpatrick's official report, General Sherman ad-
dressed the following letter to General Kilpatrick :
" HEAD-QUARTERS MIL. Div. Miss. [
" In the Field, Savannah, Ga., Dec. 29th, 1864. )
" Brig. Gen'l Judso/i Kilpatrick, Comd'g Cavalry Division, Army
of Georgia:
" GKXF.RAT. : I have read, with pleasure, your report, just
received, as well as those of your Brigade Commanders. I beg
to assure you that the operations of the cavalry under your com-
mand have been skillful and eminently successful. As you cor-
rectly state in your report, you handsomely feinted on Forsythe
and Macon; afterwards did all that was possible toward the rescue
of our prisoners at Millen, which failed simply because the pris-
oners were not there. And I will here state, that you may have
it on my signature, that you acted wisely and well, in drawing
back from Wheeler to Louisville, as I had instructed you not to
risk your cavalry command. And subsequently, at Thomas's
Station, Waynesboro, and Brier Creek, you whipped a superior
cavalry force, and took from Wheeler all chance of boasting over
you. But the fact, that to you, in a great measure, we owe the
march of four strong infantry columns, with heavy train and
wagons, over three hundred miles, through an enemy's country,
without the loss of a single wagon, and without the annoyance of
cavalry dashes on our flanks, is honor enough for any Cavalry
Commander.
" I will retain vour report for a few days, that I may, in my
own report, use some of your statistics, and then will forward it
306 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
to the War Department, when I will endorse your recommenda-
tions, and make such others as I may consider necessary and
proper. I am truly your friend,
" W. T. SHERMAN,
" Maj. Gen'l Comd'g."
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 207
CHAPTER VII.
CAMPING AND FORAGING ABOUT SAVANNAH STARTING ON THE
MARCH AGAIN A TORCH-LIGHT BATTLE INTO SOUTH
CAROLINA BARNW^LL THE REBEL TRAP AT AIKEN THE
NINETY-SECOND, COMPLETELY SURROUNDED BY THE ENE-
MY, GALLANTLY CUTS ITS WAY OUT EXCHANGING PRIS-
ONERS WITH WHEELER SENDING UP SKY-ROCKETS
RUNNING INTO THE REBEL CAMPS AT NIGHT AVERYS-
BORO BENTONSVILLE NEWS OF LEE'S SURRENDER
FIGHTING NEAR RALEIGH ENTERING RALEIGH CHAPEL
HILL MARCHING ALONG, GRAY-COATS AND BLUE-COATS
TOGETHER CONCORD MUSTERED OUT HOMEWARD BOUND
THE THREfe YEARS' SOLDIERING ENDED.
Sherman presented to President Lincoln the captured city of
Savannah, as a Christmas present, December 25th, 1864. It was
Sabbath. The Ninety-Second lay in camp, in the pine woods
bordering the Ogeechee River, near King's Bridge, enjoying a
Christmas least of oysters in the shell, fresh from the Atlantic
brine, all the Regiment feeling very happy at the glorious ending
of the long campaign. Captain J. M. Schermerhorn, of Com-
pany G, the informal Commissary General of the Ninety-Second,
had provided the oysters; with a detail of men, Captain Scher-
merhorn had gone to the coast, and returned with several six-
mule wagon loads of oysters in the shell. When Atlanta was
taken, the Regiment had anticipated a rest; but the capture of
Savannah created no such anticipations. Hood's army had gone
to Nashville, and we were too far from Lee's armv, which was
properly our objective; it must come toward us, or we must go
toward it. Preparations for a march through the Carolinas began
immediately, but it required weeks to put the large army in con-
dition to resume the march. On the twenty-sixth of December,
the Ninety-Second moved, at seven A. M., with the Brigade and
Division, and went into camp eight miles south of Savannah,
208 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
where it remained until the second of January, 1865. It was ex-
pected that rations and forage would be plenty at Savannah ; but
rations were short, and forage so scarce that Sherman had not
enough for the animals belonging to the artillery, ambulances,
and trains of the infantry. The cavalry were without forage, and '
the men dug the rice straw out of the Rebel fortifications, where
it had been used, as the ancients used straw to make bricks, to
hold together the soft swamp soil of which the fortifications were
constructed, carefully washed it in the swamp water, and fed it to
the starving horses. Sometimes, on the rice plantations about
Savannah, the men would find rice in the straw, and it was fed to
the horses, as the farmers feed oats in the sheaf; but the hard rice
was indigestible, and made the animals sick.
On the thirty-first of December, 1864, at midnight, the Ninety-
Second Silver Cornet Band played the old year out, with sad music,
and the New Year in, with gay music, and the men of the Regi-
ment joined in the chorus with gleeful shouts. Sweetly the music
of the silver horns rang out on the stillness of the midnight air.
Those who would have kept watch-night at home, kept it in the
camp. One year before, they had kept it by their great fires on
Judge Hammond's plantation, in Northern Alabama: and now,
beneath the long-leaved pines on the Atlantic coast, in Southern
Georgia, they watched the old year out, and welcomed the New
Year in. It was not so cold as the year before; roses, and many
other flowers, were in bloom in the gardens about the deserted
dwellings. The animals were in a starving condition, and, on the
second of January, 1865, the Brigade moved across King's Bridge,
and marched twenty miles, to Taylor's Creek, to be in a country
where food for men and animals was procurable. The horses
were so weak and poor that most of the command walked, and led
their faithful and hungry horses. Taylor's Creek was reached
after dark, and plentv of forage and provisions were found. On
the third, the Ninety-Second was sent out to forage for the Brig-
ade, and about five miles from camp found plentv of corn, hams
and sweet potatoes, and loaded the wagons, and returned to camp
with abundance for the entire Brigade. A soldier, in his diary,
wrote: " This is what is called living on the enemy, for the Lord
knows we have nothing else." But nothing else was needed
corn for the animals, and sweet potatoes and meat for the men,
were all that was required. On the fourth, one-half the Ninety-
Second went foraging. The following characteristic communica-
tion was received from General Kilpatrick, the jolly little Briga-
NINETY -SECOND ILLINOIS. 209
dier, who commanded Sherman's cavalry. We give it as a
specimen :
" Colonel ATKINS, Commanding Cavalry, Taylor's Creek, Ga. :
" Colonel: I have heard from Colonel Jordan. He is doing
well. Has been directed to push in to-morrow and form a junc-
tion with you on, or beyond Taylor's Creek. I wish you to
thoroughly scout the country, capturing all the horses and mules
possible. Be bold. Times have wonderfully changed. One
Yankee can run sixteen lousy Rebs. Isn't it funny? Keep your
tailors, shoemakers, blacksmiths, and farmers, poor cowardly
devils from the North, constantly at work, and don't give the brave,
chivalric, and magnanimous sons of the sunny South a chance to
steal, cook, and eat ary tater. I desire you to remain until Satur-
day morning. No news of importance.
" Very respectfully yours,
"J. KlLPATRICK,
" Brig. Gen'l."
Many of the wealthy people living in Savannah had gone to
the plantations on Taylor's Creek, to escape Sherman's troops,
taking their elegant city furniture with them. The Ninety-
Second boys made saddle cloths of their beautiful Brussels and
Turkey carpets. On the sixth, the command started on the
return, every trooper loaded down with corn for his horse, and
eatables for himself a funny cavalcade. Many of the men
loaded their horses so heavily with corn, hams, chickens, turkeys,
and sweet potatoes, that the horses could scarcely stagger along
under their loads, the men leading them. Every old wagon, cart,
buggy, sulky, and family carriage that could be found in that
country, was loaded down ; and the soldiers had hitched to them
all kinds of animals. One silver mounted family carriage was
loaded inside and out, and drawn by a little, old jackass and a
cow hitched together! A handsome one-horse carriage was
drawn by a little burly bull! One aristocratic Yankee, seated on
a well loaded ox cart, drove a handsome tandum team a poor,
old, blind mule, led by a stubborn little jackass! To stop by the
roadside and see the cavalcade go by, was better than going to a
circus; and the wit of the men, when some soldier's team would
get to kicking, or his vehicle break down, was more pointed than
the old saws of the circus clowns. The column moved slowly,
and bivouaced that night at King's Bridge, and reached the old
camp, eight miles south of Savannah, at noon, on the seventh,
26
2io NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
with many days' forage and rations, for men and animals. One
soldier wrote in his diary, in the evening: " Here we are in camp
again, as quiet as vou please. There was a rumor afloat, that we
will leave to-morrow. I fixed up my traps, and spun around
generally." Sunday, the eighth, was very warm. Many men in
the Regiment were permitted to go to Savannah. One soldier,
in his diary, wrote: "I to-day visited Savannah, with Captain
Hawk and others. The buildings are old, tumble-down things;
the streets, beds of loose sand ; I should call the city third-class.
The troops are constructing lines of earthworks around the city,
so that a small force can hold it. I think it very singular that
this place yielded up so soon. One good c'orps of Yankee troops
would have held it for weeks against the whole of the Rebel
armies."
On the twelfth of January, 1865, the Cavalry Division of Gen-
eral Kilpatrick was reviewed in the streets of Savannah, by Major
General Sherman, in the presence of Hon. Edwin M. Stanton,
Secretary of War. Mr. Stanton rode bv the line in an open car-
riage, and sat in his carriage while the column passed him in re-
view. On the fourteenth of January, orders were received to pre-
pare for a six weeks' campaign through the Carolinas. Colonel
Atkins received, from the Secretary of War, his commission of
Brigadier General U. S. Volunteers, by brevet, with a special
order of the President of the United States assigning him to duty
with his brevet rank. He was serenaded by the Ninety Second
Silver Cornet Band, and was congratulated, in the evening, bv
the officers of his Brigade, in a body. On Sunday, the fifteenth,
Chaplain Clark, of the Tenth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, who was
taken prisoner at Lovejoy's Station, when the Division was making
the raid around Atlanta, August twentieth, 1864, preached an elo-
quent sermon, detailing his prison experience, which was listened
to by nearly the entire Brigade. The troops lay in camp, with
nothing to do; the officers drawing supplies of all kinds, and get-
ting ready for the march. A soldier, on the nineteenth, in his
diary, wrote : " Running horses seems to occupy the attention of
the sporting men of the command just now. I went out to the
race course and let my mare run through once, just to ascertain
her speed, but found she had none." It rained several days in
succession, and the horses were knee-deep in the soft soil. The
roads became so bad that it required three days for the teams to
get to Savannah, eight miles, and return, and, in consequence, the
merr were short of rations, and the animals again without forage
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 21 1
The swamps were almost impassable, and full of alligators, many
being killed by the men. Alligator steak is regarded by some
people as a luxury, but the hungry soldiers would not eat alli-
gator meat. On the twenty-third, supplies began to come from
Savannah by rail, and the Ninety-Second moved camp to be nearer
the railroad. On the evening of the twenty-seventh, General Kil-
patrick gave a party to the officers of his command, and, in his
speech, said : " In after years, when travelers passing through
South Carolina shall see chimney stacks without houses, and the
country desolate, and shall ask, 'Who did this?' some Yankee
will answer, ' Kilpatrick's Cavalry.' " On the morning of January
twenty-eighth, 1865, the march through the Carolinas began, the
Ninety-Second in advance. The roads were almost impassable.
Marched eight miles, and camped on the Springfield Road.
Marched at sunrise on the twenty-ninth, twenty miles, through
the swamps, and bivouaced at dark, with plenty of rails for fires.
Marched at daylight, passing through Springfield, a town thaUwas
nearly all burned up when Sherman marched to Savannah, and
camped at Sisters' Ferry, on the Savannah River, where there
was a large camp of infantry. Pontoons were being laid across
the Savannah River. At three o'clock P. M., a fleet of steamers
arrived from Savannah, with supplies and the mails. On the
thirty-first, the Regiment received orders to be ready to march at
a moment's notice, with five davs' rations, and all the ammunition
each man could carry. The road opposite Sisters' Ferry was filled
with buried torpedoes by the Rebels. One man was killed on the
thirty-first by the explosion of a buried torpedo. To fill country
roads with buried torpedoes was a new style of warfare, but about
equal to South Carolina valor. The Regiment lay in camp in the
pine woods, and, at night, the fat pine knots lighted made flaming
torches, and the men, full of fun, fought a battle with the fat pine
torches as weapons. It was a curious sight, beneath the sombre
pine trees, and the men enjoyed the sport hugely, although some
of them were severely burned; one man in Company B had an
.eye nearly punched out by a burning brand. At two P. M., on
February third, General Atkins's Brigade took the lead, crossed
the pontoons over the Savannah River, and floundered through
the swamps, caring little for buried torpedoes, and, by ten P. M.,
had made six miles, reaching the first dry land, where the Brigade
bivouaced. A soldier, in his diary, wrote: " Crossed the Savan-
'nah River, and trod on the 'sacred' soil of South Carolina. I
rather expected that the earth would open and swallow up the
212 NINRTr-SECOKD ILLINOIS.
grand army of 'mudsills;' but it didn't, and we got over the long
swamp, and found good bottom for man and beast. I saw the
place where once a noble, aristocratic South Carolina mansion
had stood ; and I looked, and lo, only ashes, charred timbers, and
a chimney stack of rough stone were left of that grand mansion,
and its chivalric owner, the noble South Carolina gentleman, had
fled from our advance, not waiting to whip three of the detested
Yankees." Marched at ten A. M., and passed through Roberts-
ville, and camped at Lawtonville, amidst plenty for horses and
men to eat. At night, the South Carolina skies gave back a blood-
red reflection from South Carolina's burning homes. Started
early next morning, and marched twenty miles, to Allendale;
forage and rations plenty, and the town, of course, burned up.
Marched early on the sixth of February, General Atkins's
Brigade leading; and when within two miles of Barnwell, the
enemy was found in strong position, on the opposite side of
SallSiatchie River and Swamp, occupying earthen rifle pits. The
Ninety-Second Illinois was dismounted, and two companies of
the Ninth Ohio Cavalry were also dismounted; and, pushing out
into the swamp, they waded the Salkhatchie, and flanked the
enemy out of his line of earthworks. We here learned that the
main force of the Rebel cavalry had been awaiting our advance,
at Barnwell ; but our cavalry not showing itself, the Rebel cavalry
had, the day previous, marched from Barnwell toward Branch-
ville, and the right of Sherman's army, leaving their heavy
earthworks at the Salkhatchie to be held by about one hundred
men. The squad of Rebels, when they found they were flanked,
retreated on the Augusta Road, leaving one killed and three
wounded. No one hurt in the Ninety-Second. After repairing
the road over the swamp, and rebuilding the bridge, the command
marched into Barnwell, and camped. All the cotton found had
been burned up; but the people of Barnwell hit upon a novel plan
to save their cotton. There had been thousands of bales stored
in the town; it was removed from the buildings, and scattered, a
bale in a place, in the woods and fields all around the town ; and it
had been soaked by the rains, and would not burn. The town
was burned up. Kilpatrick had his head-quarters at a hotel.
Nero fiddled while Rome was burning ; and the jolly Kilpatrick
gave a grand ball in Barnwell, while the dwellings of the inhabi-
tants were lighting up the sky with their flames. He sent out his
invitations, and the receivers, doubtless regarding them as impera-
tive orders, put in an appearance, and, like sad ghosts, went
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 213
through the whirling mazes of the dance. Kilpatrick's head-
quarters were frequently set on fire while the dance was in
progress. It was the bitterest satire on social pleasure ever
witnessed.
The command marched early, on February seventh, to Black-
ville, a small station on the railroad, between Charleston and
Augusta, driving the enemy, and destroying miles of the railroad.
Marched at noon, on the eighth of February, toward Augusta, ten
miles, and bivouaced at Williston Station, and destroyed the rail-
road and several cars found at the station. A small force of
Rebel cavalry fell back as we advanced, giving an occasional
'shot, but not fighting hard. Marched at seven A. M., on the
ninth, still toward Augusta, and camped at Windsor. A soldier,
in his diary, writes: " Goddard and Pulver, of the Ninety-
Second, out foraging, on returning, found themselves between
the Rebel picket and Rebel camp, and put spurs to their horses,
killed one of the Rebel vedettes, and captured the other; but,
being hotly pursued, they dropped their prisoner, and reached
camp all right, minus their forage." Captain E. T. E. Becker, of
Company I, reported to Division head-quarters, with fifty men,
and was ordered, by General Kilpatrick, to proceed to and destroy
the cotton mills near Augusta, on the Savannah River, provided
he could get by the enemy without being discovered. The Cap-
tain marched first south about four miles; then turned west, on a
road running parallel with the railroad. When near Aiken, and
the men were congratulating themselves on their success in evad-
ing the enemy, they suddenly ran upon one of his picket posts,
and gave the Rebels a most lively run into the town of Aiken,
which was found full of Rebels, in most disorderly disorder.
The detail returned to Pole Cat Pond, marching thirty miles in
going and returning. There were no casualties, except that
Lyman Gray's mule was shot through the nose. At half past
twelve at night, Captain H. M. Timms, of Company A, with his
company, and Companies C, B, and D, dismounted, accompanied
by Captain D. L. Cockley, A. A. D., on General Atkins's staff,
moved out through the woods and fields, from our reserve
picket post, two miles, and came on the road in rear of the Rebel
pickets, killing one, capturing one, and capturing six or eight
horses, and scattering the Rebel picket, without loss to us. At
daylight, on February eleventh, 1865, General Atkins's Brigade,
leaving the Division at Pole Cat Pond, marched toward Aiken,
eight miles distant. Two miles from our picket, we struck the
214 NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
Rebel picket post, and, at a house by the roadside, just behind the
Rebel picket, a woman informed General Kilpatrick, who accom-
panied the Brigade, that the Rebel Generals Wheeler and Cheat-
ham had just left her house. It was thereby made evident that
Wheeler and Hampton's cavalry was again in our front, with
Cheatham's division of infantry. The Ninetv-Second was in
advance, and moved cautiously, driving the Rebel picket ahead
of it. Flanking parties were marching through the woods
and fields on both sides of the road. The head of the column
came within plain view of the town of Aiken. Lieutenant
Henry C. Cooling, of Company B, as cool and brave an officer as
there was in the Regiment, reported to General Atkins that he
had discovered long lines of Rebel cavalry on the right of the
road in the woods and fields, dismounted, and holding their
horses by the bridle reins. The column was halted. It was evi-
dent that a trap had been laid; and into the jaws of that carefully
planned Rebel trap the Brigade Commander did not care to go.
The firing on the left of the road told plainly that our flankers
had struck the enemy, also, on the left. But there was no enemy
on the road between the head of the Ninety-Second and the town
of Aiken. Kilpatrick came dashing up to the head of the col-
umn, and desired to know the reason of the halt, and it was
explained to him. Just then a railroad locomotive ran out in
plain view near Aiken, and whistled and whistled. Kilpatrick
stationed a section of artillery on the road, and sent rifled shell
screaming toward the locomotive, and into the town of Aiken.
Kilpatrick wanted to capture that locomotive ; he was assured
that its whistling was only a part of the trap the enemy had set,
and that they would swing in from both flanks, and surround any
force sent into Aiken ; but Kilpatrick ordered the Ninetv-Second,
only about two hundred and twenty-five men in line, as part were
left on picket, and others engaged on various details and flanking
parties, to charge into the town. Forward it went, and met no
resistance in reaching the town ; the screaming locomotive
ran to the rear; the Ninety-Second was seen plainly entering
the town. There was no firing, and General Kilpatrick himself
rode forward toward Aiken.
General Atkins ordered the Ninth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry,
Colonel William D. Hamilton, into line of battle on the right ot
the road, flanking the section of artillery ; and the Ninth Michi-
gan Cavalry, Colonel George S. Acker, in line of battle, flanking
the artillery on the left of the road, holding the Tenth Ohio Cavalry
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 215
reserve. Colonel William D. Hamilton, of the Ninth Ohio, and
the Major commanding one battalion of the Ninth Michigan,
were ordered to be ready to charge into Aiken at the sound of the
Brigade bugle ; and, on reaching Aiken, and relieving any of the
Ninety-Second still there, to immediately fall back to the position
then held by them. These dispositions had not been completed,
when the enemy's cavalry swung in from both flanks, and the
little Brigadier, who commanded the Division, was seen coming
to the rear as fast as his horse could run, and hotly pursued by
forty or fifty Rebels. As he came within sight of the line of bat-
tle of the Ninth Ohio and Ninth Michigan, the Rebels were actu-
allv grabbing for him, as he hugged his horse's neck, and roweled
his horse's flanks with his spurs. It was laughable in the extreme ;
but the Ninth Ohio and Ninth Michigan could not fire a gun at
the enemy, so mixed up were the General and his staff officers and
orderlies with the pursuing Rebels. Let no one think that this
reflects upon Kilpatrick's courage; it does not; he was the bravest
man in all his brave Division. He made a mistake when he sent
the Ninety-Second into Aiken, and another mistake when he
himself rode toward the town, but he made no mistake when he
rode so rapidly back to the Brigade. Kilpatrick had now seen for
himself the heavy forces of the enemy ten times the force of the
Brigade and he ordered the artillery to the rear, and it went; and
he ordered General Atkins to withdraw with the balance of his
Brigade; but Atkins held his line^pf battle steadily, resolved to
aid the Ninety-Second, if an opportunity offered. The officers
and men of the Ninety-Second had heard the shots on the flanks,
and felt, when the\' went forward into the town, that they were
going into a trap. They found no enemy in the edge of the town.
The Secesh ladies waved their handkerchiefs in welcome, and
smilingly invited the officers and men into their houses; but that
kind of a welcome was unusual in South Carolina, and not an
officer or soldier accepted the seductive invitation it was an addi-
tional evidence of danger to the Ninety-Second. In the farther
edge of the town of Aiken the enemy's line of skirmishers was
found, and, at the same instant, the Rebels swung in from both
flanks, and formed a perfect line of battle in rear of the Ninety-
Second. Lieutenant Colonel Van Buskirk, commanding the
Regiment, quiet, cool and brave, took in the situation at a glance,
and, without the least excitement, or confusion, or haste, issued
his orders to the Ninety-Second as cool, quiet, and brave as their
competent and gallant Lieutenant Colonel, and leaving Compa-
2i6 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
nies K and A engaged with the Rebel skirmish line on the farther
side of the town, to hold them, he formed his Regiment for a
charge upon and through the Rebel line of battle that had been
formed in his rear. Every man in the Regiment appeared to be
conscious that the only way to escape was to desperately assault
the Rebel line, and cut a hole in it. Coolly the Regiment rode
forward to the charge ! The Rebel line of battle stretched far oft"
to the right and left, and the Rebels, confident of bagging the
Regiment, very coolly awaited the approach of the comparatively
little squad of the Ninety-Second, until.within close range, when
the Rebels demanded a halt and surrender, and were answered by
every man in the Regiment pumping into them the eight Spencer
bullets in his trusty repeating rifle; and then, clubbing their guns,
with a wild shout the heroic Regiment dashed onto the Rebels,
the men wielding theii* heavy rifles, as stalwart Indians wield
their battle-clubs, knocking down and killing the gray-coats in
their way. It was 'a desperate charge, and desperately the Ninety-
Second men fought, face to face, and hand to hand.
" Was there man dismayed ?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Some one had blundered ;
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why;
Theirs but to do and die.
Into the Vley of Death
Rode the two hundred."
The men had read the story of the horrible sufferings of the
Union prisoners in the Andersonville prison pens; they had seen
the men of the Ninety-Second, who, surrounded and overwhelmed
bv the Rebels at Nickojack, had surrendered, and had been inhu-
manly murdered by their inhuman captors; they knew that our
men captured by Wade Hampton's troops had been stripped of
clothing, and had their throats cut by the roadside; and, while die
they might, and some of them must, yet; the Ninety-Second,
while there were three men left to stand by one another, would
not surrender. Enveloped by the huge mass of Rebel cavalry
surrounding them, and Tiiixed up helter-skelter, gray-coats and
blue-coats, in a confused and jumbled crowd, they pressed on to
the Brigade, and soon saw the Stars and Stripes floating over the
immovable line of battle formed by the Ninth Ohio and Ninth
Michigan Cavalry, that gave new courage to the Ninety-Second
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 217
men ; but those regiments could not fire a shot, so mixed up were
the soldiers of the Ninety-Second and the Rebels each claiming
the other prisoner ; and on they pressed, close up to the Brigade
line of battle, when the Rebels began halting and retreating;
then the Brigade bugle rang out clearly, and, with a yell, the
Ninth Ohio and one battalion of the Ninth Michigan gallantly
began the charge, the men of the Ninety-Second wheeling and
charging with them back again toward the town of Aiken. The
charge of the Ninth Ohio and Ninth Michigan, with the Ninety-
Second, was so quick and prompt when the Ninety-Second broke
through the Rebel line, that the Rebels were taken by surprise,
and, in confusion and disorder, rapidly gave the road to the steady
line that went forward toward and into the town of Aiken, reliev-
ing the two companies of the Ninety-Second, Companies A and
K, left on picket; and, before the Rebel cavalry could reform, the
three regiments had again withdrawn from the town, as they had
been ordered to do, bringing out the wounded. Twenty-six were
killed and wounded in the Ninety-Second, the loss not being so
heavy in any one of the other regiments of the Brigade. The
enemy buried eighty of his slain in Aiken. The Rebels had seven
divisions of cavalry, and were supported by Cheatham's division
of Rebel infantry, had laid a well-planned trap, and the Ninety-
Second had been sent into it; but with courage born of many vic-
torious battles, the Regiment extricated itself from the toils of the
enemy, and turned into glorious victory what would have been an
honorable surrender, had the Regiment been willing to have sur-
rendered upon any terms. But the Brigade was yet nearly eight
miles from camp, where the balance of the Division lay behind
their rail barricades, and seven divisions of Rebel cavalry, baffled
and defeated at Aiken, came thundering down upon the four little
regiments, the Ninety-Second, the Ninth and Tenth Ohio, and
Ninth Michigan, and the eight miles back to camp was a battle-
field all the way. The Tenth Ohio, a regiment that had long
belonged to General Atkins's Brigade, and that made so handsome
a charge at Bear Creek Station, in the very commencement of
the march from Atlanta to Savannah, and the gallant Ninth Ohio,
commanded by the brave and competent Hamilton, were sent to
the rear in column, on the road, building barricades at suitable
points as they inarched ; while the Ninety-Second, under Lieu-
tenant Colonel Van Buskirk, who ought to have been promoted
to Brigadier General for his gallant and cool management of his
little command at Aiken, moved back in line of battle on the right
27
218 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
of the road, and the Ninth Michigan Cavalry, armed with Spen-
cer Repeating Carbines, commanded by Colonel George S. Acker,
a cool, confident and brave cavalry soldier, moved back in line of
battle on the left of the road. Time and time again, the Rebels,
in overwhelming force, charged the two regiments, who always
met them coolly, with murderous volleys from their Spencer
Rifles and Carbines, the two regiments together, many times, not
only repulsing the enemy's charge, but charging and routing them
in turn. And so the little Brigade fell back, repulsing every
assault of the enemy, and giving him no time to envelop the
flanks, or reach the road in rear. When Pole Cat Pond was
reached, the Brigade was dismounted, and took up position behind
the rail barricades. The enemvfelt the lines with his dismounted
skirmishers, but, even with his overwhelming numbers, made no
assault. While the Brigade lay resting, with arms stacked, behind
the barricades, Kilpatrick rode out to the line of battle, and wanted
to know why the men were not in line, and was told there was no
need of it; they lay resting close by their arms, and if an assault
was made, could spring to arms instantly ; but that Wheeler never
would assault a rail barricade after his repulse, near Buckhead
Creek, on the Georgia campaign. True it is, that neither Wheeler
nor Hampton ever assaulted a rail barricade after that memorable
defeat; and they did not assault that, after they had once seen it.
Wheeler and Hampton had seven divisions, but they dared not
assault Kilpatrick in his own chosen position, behind barricades.
Kilpatrick, a brave and dashing cavalry soldier, was as generous
as he was brave and dashing, and personally complimented and
thanked General Atkins for his disobedience to his order in hold-
ing his line of battle with his Brigade, near Aiken, and aiding the
Ninety-Second, and was profuse in his praises of the gallantry of
the Regiment.
During the twelfth of February, the Ninety-Second lay behind
the barricades, with the Division, at Pole Cat Pond, sending out
scouting parties toward Aiken, and finding the enemy's picket a
half mile beyond our own. The infantry came up to within five
miles of the cavalry, and spent the day in effectually destroying
the railroad. On the thirteenth, the infantrv marched toward the
South Edisto; and at noon, Kilpatrick's Cavalry Division pulled
out, and camped at night, close bv the infantry, at Davis's Mills,
on the South Edisto River, the enemy not following. The
Ninety-Second men were disappointed, in not visiting Aiken
again. They would have liked to have occupied that town for a
NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS. ug
few hours ; they would have gone into the houses without any
smiling invitations from the Secesh ladies; and when they had
marched out of the town, no houses would have been left.
Marched at daylight, on the fourteenth, twenty miles, to the
South Edisto River. Reveille sounded, at two o'clock, on the
morning of February fifteenth; but the enemy had cut a dam
above the place where the cavalry was to cross the river, flooding
the whole country ; and the Division did not march until seven
A. M., burning everything in the country as it inarched along.
A brigade of Wheeler's Rebel cavalrv was reported to be march-
ing on the same road ahead of us, and the balance of the Rebel
cavalry on a parallel road to our left, while the Fourteenth Army
Corps was marching in the same direction, on the first par-
allel road to our right. Camped that night within twenty mile-s
of Columbia. The country was a dense pine forest, and forage
for animals and rations for men very hard to obtain. Marched at
seven A. M., on the sixteenth, to Lexington, South Carolina,
twelve miles, and camped early ; drew one day's rations from the
wagon train, the first since leaving Sisters' Ferry. During the
night, our picket was attacked, and the Division was in line of
battle at daylight, but no attack came in force. Marched at nine
A. M., leaving the town of Lexington in flames, and crossed the
Saluda River, on the infantry pontoons, at Saluda Factory; drew
two days' rations from the wagon train. Marched at eight A. M.,
on the eighteenth, to Alston, and attempted to save the large
covered bridge across Broad River; but the enemy had satu-
rated the bridge with turpentine, and fired it on our approach.
The countrv was poor, and had been passed over the day previous
by Cheatham's division of infantry from Aiken, and Wheeler and
Hampton's cavalry. Marched at sundown, on February nine-
teenth; but the roads were so filled with the infantry wagon trains
that onlv four miles had been made at four A. M., when the com-
mand bivouaced for two hours' rest. Started again, at six A. M.,
and was three hours in marching three miles, to the pontoons
over Broad River; crossed on the pontoons, and inarched five
miles, and halted one hour to feed animals; and then inarched
through Montecello, already on fire when the Ninety-Second
passed through the town, and camped at White Oak Station, on
the railroad. The country was full of provisions and forage, and
many excellent horses and mules were found. George Fox, of
Company I, was missing at roll call. Nine of the soldiers belong-
ing to General Kilpatrick's Division were captured by Wade
220 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
Hampton's men; and the fiends cut the throats of the Yankee
prisoners, and pinned upon them papers marked, " No quarter
for foragers." South Carolina valor was equal to the task of
burying torpedoes in the country roads; and South Carolina valor
was equal to the cool and deliberate butchery of prisoners, dis-
armed and helpless in their hands. General Kilpatrick threatened
retaliation, in a communication to General Wheeler, of the Rebel
cavalry; and Wheeler replied, denying all knowledge of it, and
promising to investigate it, and have the guilty punished but no
one has ever heard of any investigation or punishment. The
Division marched at sunrise, on the twenty-second, the Ninety-
Second leading, to Blackstock Station, fed animals, and erected
barricades. The infantry came up and completely destroyed the
railroad. Countermarched two miles, and turned square east, and
marched seven miles, and camped for night. Marched at day-
light, on the twenty-third, to Gladden's Grove, through a con-
tinuous rain-storm, and, at dark, started for the pontoons over the
Catawba River, at Rocky Mount. The roads were so bad, and
the night so intensely dark, the rain pouring in torrents, that
the crossing of the river was not effected until after daylight:
inarched out into the country in advance of the infantry, and the
weary soldiers, up all night in the pouring rain, lay down in the
mud and water to rest. Men and animals were completely ex-
hausted. Two Union officers, almost naked, and gaunt with
hunger, who had escaped, after having been twenty-two months
in a Rebel prison pen, hailed our advance from the bushes by the
roadside, and were warmly welcomed by our troops. The prison-
ers were wild with joy, at feeling themselves safe within the lines
of the Union army once more. Marched at noon, on the twenty-
fourth, eight miles, toward Lancaster, the roads almost impassa-
ble, and the rain still pouring down. Plenty of forage was found,
and the command camped at dark. At daylight, on the twenty-fifth,
marched five miles to Lancaster, without breakfast, the rain being
so heavy and continuous that fires could not be built to cook by.
At Lancaster, the command went into camp. Again all the extra
horses in the command were killed. Camped at Lancaster, the
rain continuing. On Sunday, February twenty-sixth, lay in
camp at Lancaster, picketing Camp Creek, five miles out, on the
Charlotte Road, the enemy picketing the other side of the creek.
Many animals were captured by our scouting parties. General
Atkins had his head-quarters at the residence of Dr. Wylie, and,
learning that the Doctor contemplated a visit to the Union pris-
NINBTT-SBCOND ILLINOIS. 221
oners held bv the Rebels, he gathered up a quantity of Confede-
rate monev, from the Union soldiers who had escaped from the
Rebel prisons, and. sent it, by Dr. Wylie, to the Union soldiers still
remaining in the hands of the enemy, taking the following
receipt from Dr. Wylie:
" HEAD-QUARTERS 3D BRIG. CAV. COM'D, )
Lancaster, S. C., Feb. 26th, 1865. \
" Rec'd of Bvt. Brig. Gen'l Smith D. Atkins, U. S. Vols.,
Eleven Thousand Two Hundred and Eighty-Two Dollars,
($11,282) in Confederate Currency, which I agree to use my
efforts to have conveyed to the U. S. prisoners of war at Char-
lotte, N. C., or wherever they may be, it being money sent to
them by prisoners of the U. S. A., who have escaped from con-
finement, and are now within the lines of Sherman's army.
" R. E. WYLIE, M. D."
Lay in camp all day the twenty-seventh, at Lancaster, the
cold rain pouring down steadily. General Kilpatrick sent a flag
of truce to Wheeler, at Camp Creek, and he and Wheeler met,
and made an informal arrangement to exchange prisoners that
each might capture. The next morning, Kilpatrick sent a squad
of the gray-coats to Wheeler, with all their clothing and private
properly, and Wheeler returned twenty-two of our men, who had
been stripped bare of everything. It was a sad sight to see them
marching into Lancaster, in the cold February storm, barefooted,
hatless, coatless, pantless, and many with nothing but under-
shirt and drawers. They did not remain naked long. Kilpatrick
ordered them clothed by the citizens, and they were so clothed ;
and then they were a funny looking lot of soldiers, in citizens'
clothing; some with black broadcloth spike-tailed coats and plug
hats! At two P. M., the command left Lancaster, and camped
after dark in the woods, at Gill's Creek Church, where the Regi-
ment remained on picket the next day. The command moved
early, on the second of March, crossed Lynche's Creek, and
camped near the infantry.
Marched at daylight, on the third of March; roads very bad;
skirmishing in front and rear of the Division; marched eighteen
miles, and camped eight miles from Wadesboro. Ordered to
inarch at daylight, on the fourth, but order was countermanded
after the command was saddled up. A strong scouting party of
the Ninth Michigan Cavalry was sent toward Wadesboro, taking
with them sky-rockets, to be used as signals at night. News was
222 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
received of the capture of Cheraw by the Yanks. At noon the
enemy made a furious attack, very suddenly, upon the Tenth
Ohio Cavalry, and drove that regiment out of its camp. The
Ninth Michigan and Ninety-Second, with their Spencer Carbines
and Rifles, repulsed the enemy, and held the cross-roads until the
First brigade, that had camped several miles in the rear, had come
up and passed through Atkins's Brigade, when the column con-
tinued its march, the Ninety-Second covering the rear, and fight-
ing all the way with the Rebel cavalry under Wheeler and Hamp-
ton. Camped at dark, the Division of Kilpatrick's Cavalry build-
ing circular barricades all around the Division. The enemy drove
in our pickets before dark, and by ten o'clock at night were encir
cling the entire Division, being in front of our barricades on all
sides. The Rebel artillery was brought up, and opened on the
house in which Kilpatrick had his head-quarters; but the Yankee
artillery soon silenced the Rebel battery. Wheeler and Hampton
had a very much larger force than Kilpatrick; and, with our pick-
ets driven in before dark, and the enemy encircling our barri-
caded position, it looked like a battle at daylight, or before, and
the men lay behind the barricade resting on their arms. Kil-
patrick was furnished with sky-rockets, that, when high in air,
would burst, giving different colored lights. Had the infantry
columns been near enough, they might have been signaled with
the rockets; but they were not near. Kilpatrick commanded the
officer in charge of his fireworks to send up a lot of rockets; and,
when the officer desired to know what information or message he
wished to communicate, Kilpatrick told him he wanted to scare
the Rebel cavalry; to just send up lots of rockets of all colors, and
have a regular Fourth of July display. Up the rockets went, a
white one, then a blue one, then a red one, then two blue ones,
and so on, until an answer came to them from the rear ot the
Rebel cavalry. We knew what it meant; it was the scouting
party from the Ninth Michigan Cavalry, of Atkins's Brigade, that
had been sent toward Wadesboro, and whom we had supposed to
be cut off. But the enemy didn't know what it meant. Rockets
in front of them, and rockets behind them it might mean a trap
for them. In a little while we could distinctly hear them with-
drawing their troops who encircled our position. The fertile gen-
ius of Kilpatrick had helped him to avoid a battle, by his regular
Fourth of July display of fireworks, so luckily and opportunely
answered by the Ninth Michigan scouting party. Marched at
daylight, three miles, when the Ninth Michigan scouting party
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 223
came in, and the Division waited an hour, but the Rebel cavalry
did not come up; marched seven miles, toward the Great Pedee
River, and camped, with plenty.of forage and provisions in the
country for the animals and troops. Marched at nine P. M.,
March fifth, seven miles, to Great Pedee River, and stood all
night in column waiting for an opportunity to cross the pontoons,
and until ten o'clock in the forenoon of March sixth, when an
order came to unsaddle and groom horses and saddle up again ;
and there the column stood until dark, when it commenced cross-
ing the pontoons. The river was broad and swift, and there not
being pontoon boats sufficient to reach across the river, the army
wagon boxes were covered under the bottom and sides with the
cotton cloth wagon covers, and used as pontoon boats, there being
in the bridge across the Great Pedee forty-two wagon-box pon-
toons. The column camped late at night, seven miles from the
Great Pedee. Marched at daylight, on the seventh of March, and,
at noon, drove a squad of Rebel cavalry out of Rockingham, and
camped. Marched at seven A. M., on the eighth, in a northerly
direction from Rockingham, and was soon floundering in a laby-
rinth of swamps. The artillery was dragged along by the men
with ropes, sometimes arm -pit deep in the mud and water. Dur-
ing the day the advance and rear were skirmishing with the Rebel
cavalry, and frequent attacks were made by the enemy on our
flanks. The enemy was not in heavy force; but, scattered out as
the command was, floundering through the mud, the enemy had
a good chance to annoy the column, and did so; but was always
met with as good as he sent. The column camped after dark,
and skirmished all night with the enemy, who appeared to be all
around the command. The Ninety-Second men slept on their
arms, ready for instant action. ,
Marched at eight A. M., on the ninth of March, Spencer's
brigade leading, Atkins next, and Jordan in rear. The roads were
in an almost impassable condition. Just before dark, General
Kilpatrick, waiting at a cross-roads until Atkins came up, directed
Atkins's Brigade to camp at a cross-roads farther on, while Spen-
cer's bYigade camped at another cross-roads to the right, and
Jordan's at another cross-roads in rear, the three brigades en-
camped forming a triangle, General Kilpatrick camping with
Spencer, on the Fayetteville road. Before the head of Atkins'*
Brigade reached the designated camping ground, long lines of
fires were observed in the woods. The Ninety-Second was in the
advance; the column was halted, and the position silently recon-
324 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
noitered. A squad on foot approached the house Atkins had
been directed to occupy as his head-quarters, at the cross-roads,
and found the Rebel cavalry surrounding it. To be perfectly
certain, Sergeant Bashaw and two men went inside of the Rebel
lines, and learned that General Hampton had his head-quarters at
the house, and the Rebel cavalry was going into camp all around
it. The r^ad on which the Ninety-Second approached the Rebel
camp had not yet been picketed by the enemy ; but the Rebel
picket was preparing to come out and picket that road. The
Ninety-Second men were ordered to hold their fire, and let the
Rebel picket pass up the road unmolested ; but the Rebels dis-
covered the Regiment, and fired, and the Ninety-Second sent a
volley from their Spencers into the Rebel picket, which quicklv
retreated. The Rebel bugles, blowing " boot and saddle," made
the woods echo, and ring with their bugle notes. Leaving the
Ninety-Second to hold the road, the Brigade turned around, with
its trains and ambulances, and marched back to the cross-roads
where General Kilpalrick had left it, and gone to join Spencer's
brigade, toward Fayetteville. The Rebels made a strong attack
upon the Ninety-Second, but were repulsed.
The Brigade then followed after Kilpatrick, hoping to make a
junction with him. The flankers on the left found that the Rebel
cavalry was marching toward Fayetteville on a parallel road, not
more than half a mile distant, and the Brigade pushed on rapid! v
to reach the cross-roads ahead of the Rebel column, if possible.
The cross-roads were reached, where it was expected Spencer
would be found encamped, but his brigade had gone on beyond
the cross-roads, toward Favetteville. Atkins's Brigade pushed on
toward Fayetteville, and, when a mile farther advanced on that
road, a Rebel officer qime riding back, cursing the column for not
hurrying up he was taken prisoner, and proved to be a start"
officer on the Rebel General Wheeler's start". Three divisions of
Rebel cavalry were already on the road ahead of Atkins's Brig-
ade, and between it and Spencer's; and, following on the same
road, were four divisions more of Rebel cavalry, and to hurry them
up the captured Rebel officer was riding to the rear, and; in the
darkness, had mistaken Atkins's column for a column of Rebels.
We had just filled the gap in the Rebel column. Wheeler, with
three divisions of Rebel cavalry, was just ahead of us, on that
same road, and Hampton, with four divisions "of Rebel cavalrv,
was closing up in the rear of us. A section of artillery was planted
at 'the cross-roads, and the Ninth Michigan Cavalry was dis-
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 225
mounted, with orders to hold the road; and the column again
turned around. The Ninety-Second, left holding the rear, was
attacked, but held the enemy at bay. The Brigade, pressing in a
frightened lady as a guide, withdrew from the road, on a blind
road running to another Fayetteville road farther south. The
artillery and Ninth Michigan were withdrawn ; and the Ninety-
Second, still acting as rear guard, the Brigade pushed hard,
hoping to pass around the Rebels, and join Kilpatrick before day-
light. Just before daylight, a stream was reached that had to be
bridged; and a bridge was constructed of pine trees and rails, so
long as to require the length of several pine trees as stringers. A
report came that the enemy, in strong force, was following; and
the Ninety-Second built barricades, on the hill near the creek, to
hold the rear. The building of the bridge went rapidly forward.
An old road led through the swamp and stream, that had, at one
time, been corduroyed with pine poles, covered with sand, to
keep them upon the bottom ; but the road had been many years
unused, and, in many places, the corduroy had been washed out.
Not a wheel could be taken across without a bridge. Forty pio-
neers, with axes, were set at wdrk, cutting down the tall pine
trees that grew close by. Five hundred men were sent to bring
rails for flooring. One hundred men were sent to an old straw
stack, to bring straw to cover over the loose rails, so that they
would not roll and break as the animals trod upon them. Some
of the trees were immediately cut into eight foot lengths, and
split, and with them two hundred men waded into the stream,
and built six piers, corn-cob-house fashion, the men holding
the timbers down under the water, as placed, until the piers
rose above the water, and, the men still holding them, the
heavy pine trees for stringers, notched so that they would not
roll, were placed upon the piers the men still holding and steady-
ing the piers, the loose rails were laid thickly upon the stringers,
forming the floor, and over the rails spread thickly the loose straw.
In less 'than an hour, the long bridge was completed ; and the
cavalry, ambulances loaded with wounded men, wagon trains,
ammunition trains, and artillery were safely over; and then the
men holding the piers and steadying the bridge, leaped into the
water on the upper side, and pushed the bridge over, and floating
oft" down stream went the dry rails, and straw, and cob-house
piers; and just as the first streaks of light appeared, as the bridge
floated oft" down stream, the roar of artillery and musketry on
our left told us that the Rebel cavalry had struck Spencer' s
28
226 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
brigade. Atkins's Brigade pushed on through labyrinths of
swamps, almost impassable, and, at last, reached the other Fay-
etteville road, where the result of the Rebel attack on Spencer's
brigade was learned, and the fact that the fight was over, and the
Rebels repulsed, authenticated, whan the Brigade halted and fed
animals. Near noon, Jordan's brigade came up. Spencer's
brigade, in the afternoon, also withdrew to the road Atkins's
Brigade was then on, and the Division was all together again.
The following is General Kilpatrick's official report:
" HEAD-QUARTERS, CAVALRY COMMAND, \
In the Field, March u, 1865. |"
" MAJOR DAYTON :
''Major: You will remember that I stated in mv last com-
munication, from Solemn Grove, that Hardee was marching
rapidly for Fayetteville, but that Hampton and Wheeler were still
in the rear, and that I would endeavor to cut them off. The
information was correct. Hampton, however, was found moving
upon two roads the Morgan town Road, and a road three miles
farther to the north, and parallel to it, just south and east of Sol-
emn Grove. I posted upon each road a brigade of cavalry, and,
learning that there was a road still farther north, upon which some
of the enemy's troops might move, I made a rapid night's march,
with Colonel Spencer's little brigade of three regiments, and four
hundred dismounted men, and one section of artillery, and took
post at the point where the road last mentioned intersects the
Morgantown Road. During the forepart of the evening, I left
General Atkins, and joined Colonel Spencer with my staff, and
actually rode through one of General Hampton's divisions of cav-
alry, which, by eleven P. M., had flanked General Atkins, and
was then encamped within three miles of Colonel Spencer. Mv
escort, of fifteen men, and one officer were captured, but I escaped
with my staff.
" General Atkins and Colonel Jordan discovered, about nine
P. M., that while the enemy was amusing them in front, Hampton
was posting with his main torce on a road to Atkins's right.
These officers at once pulled out, and made every effort to join
me before daylight, but failed to do so, owing to bad roads and the
almost incessant skirmishing with the enemy, who was marching,
and, at some points, not a mile distant. Hampton had marched
all day, and rested his men about three miles from Colonel Jor-
dan's position, at two A. M., and just before daylight charged my
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 227
position with three divisions of cavalry Hume's, Allen's and
Butler's.
" Hampton led the center division, Butler's, and in less than a
minute had driven back my men, taken possession of my head-
quarters, captured my Aids, and the whole command was flying
before the most formidable cavalry charge I ever have witnessed;
Colonel Spencer, and a large portion of my staff", were virtually
taken prisoners. On foot, I succeeded in gaining the cavalry
command, a few hundred yards in the rear, and found the men
fighting with the Rebels for their camp and animals, and they
were soon finally forced back some five hundred yards farther, to a
swamp, impassable to friend or foe.
" The enemy, eager for plunder, failed to promptly follow us
up. We rallied, and at once advanced on the foe. We retook the
cavalry camp, and, encouraged by our success, charged the enem v,
who were endeavoring to harness up my battery horses, and
plundering my head-quarters. We retook the artillery, turned it
upon the forces about my head-quarters, not twenty steps distant,
and finally forced him out of my camp, with great slaughter."
To this official report of General Kilpatrick, we can add that,
Dr. Clinton Helm, of the Ninety-Second, Acting Medical Director
of the Cavalry, was one among several Union officers who were
sleeping in the second story of the house occupied by General
Kilpatrick as his head-quarters; and, after the enemv had captured
the camp of Spencer's brigade, and were swarming around
the house, they were about to descend and surrender, when thev
heard a Rebel soldier, who had been stationed as a guard at the
house, order another Rebel soldier, who came into the house, and
had to go up stairs to go out of the house, the guard saving that
General Hampton had taken that house as his head-quarters, and
had ordered that nothing in it be disturbed. The Union officers
kept still, and waited for something to turn up. From the win-
dows, they could plainly see the Rebels plundering the camps. .
At Savannah, four hundred dismounted men had turned over
their carbines, and drawn Springfield muskets, with bavonets,
and, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Stough, of the
Ninth Ohio Cavalry, of Atkins's Brigade, were marching with
the cavalry wagon trains. Lieutenant Colonel Stough was :i brave
and cool officer; he had camped his dismounted men beyond the
swamp mentioned by Kilpatrick in his report; and when the-
Rebels made the attack, Colonel Stough formed his men, and
marched them toward the house occupied by Kilpatrick as head-
228 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
quarters; and when the Rebels saw that column of dismounted
men, under Colonel Stough, with their long Springfield muskets
and bright bayonets gleaming in the morning sunlight, they
mistook it for the Fourteenth corps of infantry, and, setting up
the cry, plainly heard by the Union officers in the second story of
the house, " The Fourteenth corps ! the Fourteenth corps!!" the
Rebels hastily beat a retreat. The Rebels knew that the Four-
teenth corps of Sherman's army was marching on a road to the
right, and supposed that Colonel Stough's advancing column of
dismounted men was a portion of the Fourteenth corps that was
approaching. Colonel Stough deserves great praise for his cool-
ness and good sense, in displaying his little command so oppor-
tunely, and the cavalry under Kilpatrick deserve high praise, for
taking advantage of the panic among the Rebels, occasioned by
Colonel Stough, and joining with him, and retaking their camps.
Colonel Spencer was among the officers in the second story of
the house, and saw the soldiers of his little brigade scattered, and
saw them again rally and retake their camps, and release from
his singular position their Brigade Commander. Sergeant T. M.
Hawk, of Company C, who was Division Ordnance Sergeant,
assisted the gallant Stetson in firing the first shot at the enemy
from the retaken Union artillery. It was said that the enemy's
loss was severe, he having left upon the field one General officer,
two Colonels, and over one hundred men killed, and a large num-
ber of his wounded. Near sundown, on the tenth of March, the
Cavalry Division under Kilpatrick marched toward Favette-
ville, the Rebels attacking the left flank frequently during the
night's march; they appeared to be small parties of the enemy,
who would approach the road the column was marching on, and
fire into it, and retreat. The column bivouaced about midnight,
and marched early, on the eleventh, to within one mile of Fay-
etteville, and then marched out on the Raleigh Road, and camped.
The enemy had burned the bridge across the Cape Fear River, at
Fayetteville, and pontoons had to be laid by the infantry columns.
The Ninety-Second lay in camp near Fayetteville, on the twelfth;
the country was poor, and forage for animals scarce. A tug-boat
came up from Wilmington, bringing the mails. Drew one day's
rations, on the thirteenth, and the Regiment lay in camp, most of
the men writing letters to send home, by the tug-boat, down the
Cape Fear River to Wilmington. Beautiful day on the fourteenth
of March ; lay in camp, and drew two days' rations of hard-tack.
On March fifteenth, 1865, the Ninety-Second broke camp, at
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 229
half past twelve in the morning, and moved out with the Brigade
and Division, and marched down through Fayetteville, reaching
Cape Fear River, and crossing the pontoon just after daylight.
The Division, Atkins's Brigade leading, pushed rapidly up the
Cape Fear River toward Raleigh. When within a few miles of
Averysboro, the advance struck the enemy in considerable force.
Colonel Acker, of the Ninth Michigan Cavalry, in the advance,
dismounted his regiment, and drove the enemy over a swamp,
and reported that he was fighting infantry, whose skirmish line
was much longer than his regiment. General Atkins sent scouts
out to the Cape Fear River, to learn if the enemy's line of battle
rested on the river. The scouts found that the enemy's line did
not extend to the river ; the scouts passed around the Rebel line of
battle, and behind it; and, seeing an officer on horseback, some
distance in rear of the enemy's line, the scouts, dressed in butter-
nut clothing, rode up to the officer, who mistook them for some
of his own mounted troops, and began cursing because the Rebel
cavalry did not hurry up and pass the point he was guarding,
when the scouts quietly informed him that they belonged to Kil-
patrick's cavalry, and that, if he wished to save his life, he must
quietly move along with them ; and they brought him around the
flank of his own skirmish line to General Atkins. The Rebel
officer proved to be Colonel Barnwell Rhett, of the First South
Carolina heavy artillery, who, with his regiment, had garrisoned
Fort Sumter, in Charleston Harbor, until Sherman's movements
had dictated its evacuation. It was his regiment of heavy artillery,
armed with muskets, that Acker was fighting. In our immediate
front was the Rebel infantry. Information was sent at once to
General Kilpatrick, in rear of the column, and he was soon at the
head of his Division. We quote the following from a book
published in New York, by W. J. Widdleton, in 1865 :
" The Ninth Michigan soon became hotly engaged with the
enemy, and, by splendid fighting, held him in check until Kil-
patrick had taken up a strong position, dismounted, with his
flanks resting upon the ravine, and his front fortified with rails,
brush and timber. Meanwhile, Aide after Aide had been dis-
patched to General Sherman, six miles in the rear, for infantry
reinforcements. The enemy, having deployed his lines, finally
advanced, driving the Ninth Michigan Cavalry back into the
woods. But now, the rapid and destructive fire from Captain
Bebee's artillery, soon forced him to halt, and, finally, to fall back
under cover of a ravine a thousand vards distant. It was now
330 NINBTT-SBCOND ILLINOIS.
dark, and our troops rested upon their arms. During the night, a
brigade of infantry came up, and, with his cavalry and this force,
General Kilpatrick moved forward in line of battle at daylight,
the infantry having the centre, a strong force of cavalry, under
Colonels Jones and Spencer, moving upon either flank, while the
artillery, and a majority of the cavalry, under General Atkins,
held the rear. Kilpatrick had not moved a mile from out his
works, when the pickets of the enemy were encountered, and
driven in, and in a few minutes his whole skirmish line became
engaged, telling him that he had met the enemy in force. He
extended his lines upon the right and left, and soon forced the
enemy in upon his line of battle, and drawing the fire of his
artillery.
" The enemy, believing that cavalry alone was making the at-
tack, took the offensive, and moved from right to left, and rapidly
bore down upon the cavalry under Colonel Jones, who held the
right. This movement was discovered in sufficient time to re-
inforce the right, and Colonel Jordan, with his cavalrv brigade,
reached the point threatened before the attack was made, and, with
Colonel Jones, and his command, dismounted, handsomely re-
pulsed three determined charges, and finally forced the enemy
back and into his line of works.
" In the meantime, Kilpatrick had thoroughly reconnoitered
the entire position, and had sent for, and received, a second
brigade of infantry, which was pushed in upon our left, with in-
structions to carry the enemy's works upon his right. While
this was being done, the enemy again moved out of his works,
and furiously attacked the cavalry on the right. General Atkins
was now brought up, and pushed in to the assistance of Colonel
Jordan. At this moment the shout of the infantry, upon the
left, as they rushed forward to storm the enemy's works, was
heard. A general advance was at once ordered, and the emeny was
driven back at all points, over and out of his first line of works,
with the loss of three pieces of artillery, and many prisoners.
The Twentieth corps, under General Williams, had, in the mean-
time, came up, as well as a portion of the Fourteenth, General
Davis, and under the personal direction of Major General
Slocum, commanding the left wing, was sent forward into posi-
tion, and steadily pressed the enemy back, until late in the night,
when, under cover of the darkness, he retreated toward Raleigh.
"In this engagement (i6th of March) the cavalry fought side
by side with our infantry, mounted and^lismounted, and behaved
NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 231
most gallantly. Charge after charge of the enemy's infantry
was repulsed, and Colonel Jones, of the Eighth Indiana Cavalry,
actually rode over the enemy's works, losing one-third of his
entire command. Our cavalry, on this day, won the admiration
of the entire army.
" During the night Kilpatrick withdrew his command, crossed
Black River, and moved off upon the Smithfield Road, to the left
and front of the main army, now moving on Goldsboro. The
following day, Lieutenant General Johnston evacuated Goldsboro,
and massed his forces at the little town of Bentonsville, on Mill
Creek, midway between Raleigh and Goldsboro, and there, be-
hind strong intrenchments, resolved to dispute the further ad-
vance of Sherman's victorious columns."
It was GeneralSherman's order that the cavalry should not in-
terfere with the inarch of the infantry columns, the infantry always
having the right to the road; on the evening of the seventeenth,
Atkins's Brigade, having to cross a road filled with a corps of
infantry marching, the Brigade was closed up in mass in column of
regiments, and, throwing down the fences on both sides of the
road, the Brigade awaited a break in the infantry column, when,
taking advantage of such a break, the Brigade moved, in mass,
across the road, without interrupting the march of the infantry
column. The command camped near a mill filled with corn,
from which the Rebels were driven, and the corn used as forage
for the animals. The command marched at seven A. M., on the
eighteenth. About noon one regiment passed over a difficult
swamp, and was followed by a section of artillery, that was con-
siderably behind the regiment after crossing the swamp, and the
enemy made a dash from the flank, and temporarily captured the
artillery. It was immediately retaken, and the enemy driven
off. After the command had camped, a,t night, two men were
shot while foraging, and the enemy appeared to be all around the
command. Marched early, on the morning of the nineteenth, in
rear of the infantry. The Fourteenth Army Corps was attacked
furiously near Bentonsville, by troops under Johnston, and the
army was deployed, the Ninety-Second, with the Division and
Brigade, closing up on the left of Slocum's army, being on the
left of Williams's corps, heavily barricaded. Lay in camp on the
twentieth, in fortified position, on the left of Williams's corps.
There was considerable fighting, by the infantry, Johnston attack-
ing. On the twenty-first, the Brigade changed position a little,
erecting new barricades, st| holding the extreme left of the army.
232 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
During the night, the Twentieth Army Corps was moved to the
right of the army, General Atkins's Brigade holding the Corps
front. All of the Ninety-Second Illinois and Ninth Michigan
Cavalry were dismounted, and deployed as skirmishers in front of
the empty rifle pits of Williams's corps. At daylight, the skir-
mishers pushed out, and soon discovered that there was no enemy
in front of the Brigade, and it mounted and pushed rapidly to-
ward Bentonsville, capturing nearly all of the First Regiment
South Carolina Heavy Artillery, that had been left on picket near
Bentonsville, and, instead of fighting, stacked arms and surrendered.
The Tenth Ohio Cavalry, of General Atkins's Brigade, went
into, and beyond, the town, of Bentonsville, to Mill Creek; the
enemy having destroyed the bridge across the creek, the pursuit
here ended. The enemy had withdrawn in great haste, leaving
his dead unburied, and his wounded uncared for. The day was
spent in caring for the wounded and burying the dead. Marched
at sunrise, on the twenty-third, and camped within one mile of
the village of Clinton, forage plenty, and plenty for the men to
eat. Lay in camp near Clinton on the twenty-fourth, sending
out heavy scouting parties, and details for forage and provisions.
On this day the following orders were received and read to the
men:
" MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI, )
In the Field, March 22, 1865. f
" SPECIAL FIELD ORDERS, )
No. 35. )
" The General commanding announces to this army, that it
beat, on its chosen ground, the concentrated armies of our enemy,
who has fled in disorder, leaving his dead, wounded, and prisoners
in our hands, and burning his bridges on his retreat.
" On the same day, Major General Schofield, from Newburn,
entered and occupied Goldsboro, and Major General Terry, from
Wilmington, secured ^Cox's Bridge crossing, and laid a pontoon
bridge, so that our campaign has resulted in a. glorious success,
after a march of the most extraordinary character, near five him
dred miles, over swamps and rivers deemed impassable to others,
at the most inclement season of the year, and drawing our chief
supplies from a poor and wasted country.
" I thank the army, and assure it that our Government and
people honor them for this new display ot physical and moral
qualities, which reflect honor upon th^whole nation.
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 233
" You shall now have rest, and the supplies that can be
brought from the rich granaries and storehouses of our mag-
nificent country, before again embarking on new and untried
dangers. W. T. SHERMAN,
" Major General Commanding.
" Brevet Major General J. KILPATRICK."
The following congratulatory circular letter was received from
General Kilpatrick :
" HEAD-QUARTERS CAVALRY COMMAND, \
In the Field, March 22, 1865. f
" (CIRCULAR) :
" The campaign is over, and we are promised rest. Our depot
will be at Mount Olive, and a railroad shall be at the disposal of
officers and men. Every liberty shall be granted consistent with
the best interests of our cause, for which I feel in my heart the
invincible soldiers of my command have done so much. This
day I met our great Chief on the field of battle, amid the dead
and dying of our enemy, who has again fled before our proud,
advancing banners, and my ears were made to tingle with the
grateful words of praise, spoken in admiration of the cavalry.
" Soldiers, be proud! Of all the brave men of this army, you
have a right to be. You have won the admiration of our infantry,
fighting on foot, and mounted, and you will receive the outspoken
words of praise from the great Sherman himself.
" He appreciates and will reward your patient endurance of
hardships, gallant deeds, and valuable services.
" With the old laurels of Georgia, entwine those won in the
Carolinas, and proudlv wear them!
" General Sherman is satisfied with his cavalry.
" By command of Brevet Major General KILPATRICK.
" (Signed) L. G. ESTES,
" Major and A. A. G."
We again quote from the book published by Widdleton : " The
wounded and sick in this famous campaign were attended with
all the surgical and medical skill necessary ; and it may be truly
said that the Medical Director, Dr. Helm, (Ninety-Second Illinois
Volunteers) and all the medical officers, promptly, and in the face
of dangers, responded to every call of duty. But, in a long and
wearisome march, ambulances, broken down or stuck in the
mud, often had to be abandoned. Of all the officers in this cam-
paign, the medical officers were not the least painfully taxed ; and
29
234 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
the skill, humanity, and promptness with which their duties were
executed, are worthy of the highest praise.
" These men, in toil, danger and battle, did their duty. To
have been of, and with them, is the writer's pride. A grateful
nation will never forget them. Their ranks are thinned; many
rest in the quiet of the grave. But the services rendered the
Nation are worthy of imitation by all posterity; and, long as the
Republic lasts, their memories will continue to exist. How freelv'
they offered their lives a sacrifice at the altar of their country !
How gladly, on the most sanguinary fields of the Rebellion, they
met the enemy, will be told in terms of eulogy by historians and
poets in future generations."
On the twenty-sixth of March, the Brigade moved to Faison's,
and camped, still living upon the country. On the twenty-
seventh, large mails were received from home. On the twenty-
eighth, just as the command was nicely fixed in camp, at two
P. M., "boot and saddle" was sounded, and the Brigade moved ten
miles toward Mount Olive, leaving huge piles of accumulated
forage and rations at Faison's. Lieutenant Sutton, of Company
C, returned from a scout, with some fine horses, and a lot of jolly
darkies. On the twenty-ninth, marched to Mount Olive, and
camped, and drew clothing. The command remained at Mount
Olive until April tenth. On the third of April, General Atkins
was serenaded, and called on for a speech, and he predicted that
the war would end within ninety days. On April ninth, the fol-
lowing dispatch, from General Grant to General Sherman, was
read at dress parade :
" BURKESVILLE JUNCTION, VA., )
April 6, 1865. C
" To Major General SHERMAN :
" SIR : I am pressing Lee, and his men are deserting by
thousands, and going to their homes. Press Johnston hard, and
let us end the war at once. By order of
* LIEUTENANT GENERAL GRANT.
" J. A. RAWLINGS,
" Adjt. Gen. and Chief of StaJ}'."
At daylight, on the morning of April tenth, 1865, the Ninety-
Second was again in the saddle, the whole armv in motion, and
all anxious to "press Johnston hard and end the war at 'once."
It was the object of the cavalry, by rapid marching, to reach the
road between Smithfield and Raleigh, and cut oft" some portion of
NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 235
Johnston's army, which, it was predicted, would not give battle,
but retreat toward Raleigh. The Cavalry Division marched
about thirty miles, over the same roads the army had marched
on before, and camped after dark, near Bentonsville. The coun-
try was desolate, the inhabitants nearly all gone from home, and
hardly a sign of life was seen. Marched at seven A. M., on the
eleventh, toward Smithfield, and camped about eight miles south-
west of that town. There was a light force of Rebel cavalry in
front all dav, but not sufficient to impede the march. Moved at
daylight, on April twelfth, General Atkins's Brigade in advance,
and the Ninety-Second leading, and driving the enemy before
them. About ten o'clock A. M., Swift Creek was reached. The
enemy had destroyed the bridge, and held the opposite side of the
stream, but was dislodged by the Ninetv-Second; and the advance,
under Captain Schermerhorn, wading the stream, the opposite
side was held, and the bridge repaired. Just as the balance of
the Regiment began crossing the repaired bridge, Major Nichols,
of General Sherman's staff, rode up from the rear, bringing the
joyful intelligence of the surrender of Lee's army to General
Grant. The cavalry column was wild with joy, and made the
woods echo again and again with shouts; the Band played " Hail
Columbia;' 1 the Ninety-Second crossed over the bridge; the
Regiment had scarcely crossed the creek, when the still stubborn
brigade of Rebels, holding an earthwork on the hills opposite,
and who had been waiting for a part of the column to cross to
make an attack while no support could be rendered by the Union
cavalry, not yet across the creek, deemed this their favorable oppor-
tunity ; and, with a yell, the Rebel brigade furiously charged the
Ninety-Second, hoping to force it back into the creek ; the gray-
coats had not heard of Lee's surrender, and evidently did not
know that the war was, in fact, over. On the Rebels came ; and
the Ninety-Second, the men still shouting and laughing, with the
glad news they had just heard, received the charge of the Rebel
brigade with murderous volleys from their ever faithful repeating
rifles; halted it; turned it back; and, like wild mad-caps, dashed
upon the retreating foe, captured their line of rifle pits, and put
the Rebel brigade to flight, and pushed on, without another halt,
to the wagon road and railroad, seven miles east of Raleigh. A
soldier who was with the command wrote: " Brilliant victory !
But, oh, the price we paid. I never felt so sad in battle before,
as I did then, when I looked upon the poor boys who there, after
the great war was in fact over, and victory was with our eagles,
236 NINETr-SZCOXD ILLINOIS.
received marching orders to report in Heaven." It was in this
brilliant charge of the Ninety-Second, headlong against that
Rebel brigade, that Captain R. M. A. Hawk, of Company C,
received his terrible wound, supposed at the time to be mortal;
and more than one soldiers' eyes filled with tears as they saw him,
pale and bleeding, by the roadside. His life was spared; but he
gave his good right leg to his country that day. Lieutentant
Peleg R. Walker, of Company K, was also wounded. Alexander
Jackson, of Company C, was killed. The Brigade and Division
hastened on after the flying Ninety-Second, and was soon upon
the Sfrtithfield Road, seven miles east of Raleigh. The advance
of the Ninety-Second had caught a glimpse of a railroad engine
and passenger coach, bearing white flags, going toward Smith-
field, and rightly conjectured that it meant the surrender of
Raleigh. By command of General Atkins, a regiment and sec-
tion of artillery were placed in line of battle, facing Raleigh, to
hold the road against the Rebel brigade that had been flying
before the Ninety-Second, and a line of battle quickly lormed,
facing toward Smithfield ; and the first two regiments, the Ninety.
Second Illinois and Ninth Michigan, armed with Spencer Rifles
and Spencer Carbines, had barely formed in line of battle, when
Wade Hampton's cavalry made a spirited charge upon those two
regiments; but the Rebels could not stand the volleys from their
Spencers, and fell back. The locomotive and passenger coach
that had gone toward Smithfield returned, and was halted; and
on the train were found Hon. David L. Swain, and Hon. William
A. Graham, two of the Ex-Governors of North Carolina, who
had been sent, by the Hon. Zebulon B. Vance, the then Governor
of North Carolina, to General Sherman, with an offer of the sur-
render of Raleigh, and bearing a petition to save the public
property, and the dwellings of the citizens. They had attempted
to reach Sherman, but Wade Hampton had refused them per-
mission to pass his lines, and turned them back.
The following account of their capture is taken from a book
written by Mrs. Cornelia Spencer, a Southern lady, and published
in 1866: " General Hampton retired, and the train had proceeded
slowly about a mile or so, in the direction of Raleigh, when it
was again halted, and this time by a detachment of a hundred
Spencer rifles, a portion of Kilpatrick's cavalry, under the com-
mand of General Atkins. Th6 Commissioners were informed
that they must proceed to the head-quarters of General Kilpat-
rick, distant a mile or more. While waiting for a conveyance,
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 237
they were courteously treated, and a band of music ordered up
for their entertainment. After a brief interval, General Kil-
patrick's carriage arrived for them, and they proceeded in it, under
escort, to the residence of Mr. Fort, where the General then was.
He received them politely, examined the safe conduct of General
Hardee, and the dispatches for General Sherman, and then
remarked that the circumstances in which they were placed,
according to the laws of war, gave him the right, which, however,
he had not the smallest intention of exercising, to consider them
as prisoners of war.
" ' It is true, gentlemen,' said he, ' that you came under the
protection of a flag of truce, and are bearers of important dis-
patches from your Governor to my Commanding General, but
that gave you no right to cross my skirmish line while a fight was
going on.'
" Governor Graham remarked that the circumstances under
which they came explained themselves, and were their own
justification. That, in a special train, with open windows, pro-
ceeding with the deliberation proper to a flag of truce, with only
five persons in a single car, they had little temptation to proceed
if they had known, in time to stop, that they were to be exposed
to a cross-fire from the skirmish lines of the two armies.
" General Kilpatrick replied that all that was very true, but
that it was proper, nevertheless, that he should require them to
proceed to General Sherman's head-quarters. He then remarked
that the war was virtually at an end, and that every man who
voluntarily shed blood, from that time forth, would be a murderer;
and read a General Order from General Sherman, congratulating
the army on the surrender of General Lee, intelligence of which
had just reached him by telegraph. This was the first intelligence
our Commissioners had received of this final blow to the Southern
Cause. It was, indeed, not unexpected, but no anticipation of
such tidings can equal the moment of realization ; and to receive
it under such circumstances, where extreme caution and self-
command were an imperative duty, and where no expression can
-be allowed to the natural feeling of anguish and dismay with
which it filled their breasts, gave an additional pang."
By direction of General Kilpatrick, the Cavalry Division was
placed in line of battle by General Atkins, as the Regiment came
up, facing Smithfield, and, in stronger force, Hampton again
charged our line, hoping to break through and reach Raleigh.
His charge was handsomely repulsed by the Spencer Rifles,
238 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
carbines, and artillery. And again Hampton's men, mounted
and on foot, charged the line, but met with no better success,
the Spencers and artillery halting his dispirited troops, who, of
course, knew that Sherman's infantry was following them in
rear, while Kilpatrick held the road to Raleigh in their front.
Darkness came on. Had there been two hours more of daylight,
Hampton could not have escaped: but, under cover of the dark-
ness, the wily Rebel cavalryman slipped out of the trap, on a
road to the Northward, and passed into Raleigh ahead of Kilpat-
rick. As soon as Hampton had withdrawn, our troops opened
communication with General Sherman, and General Kilpatrick
sent the locomotive and car, and the distinguished gentlemen
named, to General Sherman's head-quarters, and they succeeded
in procuring from General Sherman orders for the protection of
Raleigh, and the college buildings and libraries at Chapel Hill.
To those gentlemen, in a great measure, the citizens of Raleigh
and Chapel Hill are indebted for the protection afforded them by
General Sherman's orders. On the thirteenth of April, the com-
mand marched early. A soldier, in his diary, wrote: "As it was
known that there would be no fighting before the command
passed through Raleigh, the Ninety-Second could not have the
advance to-day; but the cavalry borrowed our Band, and cut a
great dash, marching down through the streets of Raleigh."
The Mayor and distinguished citizens met General Kilpatrick on
the outskirts of Raleigh, and surrendered the town, and assured
General Kilpatrick that the citv had been entirelv evacuated by
the Rebel soldiery. No advance guard was needed, and with
banners and guidons unfurled, and music playing, General Kil-
patrick rode into the city, at the head of his Division. In passing
up Fayetteville street, from the Governor's house to the Capitol,
with nc thought of an enemy near, General Kilpatrick was
suddenly fired upon by one of Wheeler's men. Mrs. Spencer
told the story of this shooting, in her book, published in 1866, and
we copy it, as follows:
" When walking from the railroad station to the city, the
Commissioners had passed through the lines of General Wheeler's
cavalry, pressing in the direction of Chapel Hill. Half an hour
after reaching the State House, a dozen men, the debris of our
army, were observed, at the head of Fayetteville street, breaking
open and plundering the stores. Governor Swain, who had
remained at the State House, approached them, and stated that he
was immediately from General Sherman's head-quarters, and had
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 239
assurance from him that if no resistance was offered to his
advance guard, the town should be protected from plunder and
violence, and urged the soldiers to leave at once and join their
retreating comrades. They replied, ' D n Sherman, and the
town, too; they cared for neither.' Robert G. Lewis, Esq., the
first citizen of Raleigh who had yet been seen, came up just then,
and joined his entreaties with earnestness. More and more
vehement remonstrances were used without effect, till the head
of Kilpatrick's column appeared in sight advancing up the street,
when they all, with a single exception, sprang to their horses and
started off in full gallop. Their leader, a lieutenant, whose name
and previous history are yet unknown, mounted his horse, and
took his station midway between the old New-Berne bank and
the bookstore, drew his revolver, and waited till Kilpatrick's
advance was within a hundred yards, when he discharged it six
times in rapid succession in the direction of the officer [General
Kilpatrick] at the head of the troops. He then wheeled, put
spurs to his horse, and galloped up Morgan street, followed by a
dozen fleet horsemen in hot pursuit. Turning a corner his horse
fell. He remounted, and dashed around the corner at Pleasant's
store on Hillsboro street. A few yards farther on, near the
bridge over the railroad, he was overtaken, and brought back to
the Capitol Square, where General Kilpatrick ordered his imme-
diate execution. It is said that he asked for rive minutes' time to
write to his wife, which was refused. He was hung in the grove
just back of Mr. Lovejoy's, and was buried there. He died
bravely a vile marauder, who justly expiated his crimes, or a
bold patriot, whose gallantry deserves a more generous sentence,
as friend or foe shall tell his story."
Mrs. Spencer is a Southern lady, who mav be regarded as his
friend, and the story she has told leaves no room for a more gen-
erous sentence. An officer in the Rebel army, straggling in rear
of his command, joining other straggling soldiers in pillaging his
own friends, non-combatants, in a city that had been evacuated
and surrendered, attempting the assassination of a Union General
who came with orders to protect the surrendered city ! We
desire to add no harsh word, but friend or foe can add no generous
sentence.
Sherman's infantrv was following the cavalry. The Cavalry
Division marched rapidly through Raleigh, and on toward Mor-
risvillc. A few miles from Raleigh, General Jordan's brigade,
which was leading, struck the enemy, Wheeler's cavalrv, en-
2 4 o NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
camped, not -expecting the Yankees to march beyond Raleigh
that day, and Jordan's brigade rattled them out of their camps
lively. At the first station west of Raleigh, Carey, a quantity of
corn was captured at the depot. At Morrisville, twelve miles
west of Raleigh, an engine attempted to take cars loaded with
corn from the station, but a few shots from the artillery frightened
the engine off, and the cars and corn were captured. The Di
vision camped at Morrisville. Here the roads divided, the road
to- Chapel Hill leading to the left, and the road to Hillsboro fol-
lowing the railroad. General Wade Hampton, with his cavalry,
had gone toward Hillsboro, along the railroad, and General
Wheeler's cavalry had gone toward Chapel Hill. General Kil-
patrick, with Jordan's brigade, had followed Hampton ; and
General Atkins, with his Brigade, was ordered to follow Wheeler.
Atkins's Brigade moved early, on April fourteenth, 1865, and had
not gone a mile beyond the picket, when the enemy was found,
and he stubbornly disputed the road. The Tenth Ohio Cavalry
charged splendidly, driving the enemy, and following them nearly
four miles on a run; but the regiment was halted, and the entire
Brigade went into camp, General Atkins having received an order
from General Kilpatrick, comprised in a single word " halt."
There the Brigade lay halted all day and all night, and until nearly
noon of the next day, when General Atkins received another
order from General Kilpatrick "Go ahead" and, of course,
ahead the Brigade went. A terrible rain-storm was prevailing,
and the streams were rendered almost impassable by the flood.
When the Brigade reached Atkins's plantation, near the New
Hope River, General Atkins received another order from General
Kilpatrick, only one word " Halt." The Brigade halted, built
barricades, and went into camp again. The bridge across the
river had been destroved; but the Ninth Ohio Cavah^y, the lead-
ing regiment of the Brigade, crossed a hundred dismounted men
over the river, on one stringer of the bridge that was left, and
were scarcely over, when thev were furiously charged by
Wheeler's cavalry. That regiment had been armed with tin-
Spencer Carbines, at Goldsboro, and had not yet had a chance to
try their new Spencer Carbines. Mrs. Spencer gives the following
account of what happened :
" The Federal cavalry were in close pursuit, and several
skirmishes had taken place on the road from Raleigh. A Bri-
gade, under General Atkins, followed General Wheeler, while
Kilpatrick, with the balance of the Division, followed Hampton
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 241
toward Hillsboro, along the Central Railroad line. The last skir-
mish occurred, and perhaps the last blood of the war was shed,
on Friday evening, fourteenth, at the Atkins plantation, eight
miles from Chapel Hill, near the New Hope River, which was
much swollen by heavy rains, and the bridge over which, as well
as all others on the road, was destroyed by Wheeler's men.
They attacked the enemy, endeavoring to cross on fallen trees
and driftwood, and several were killed on both sides."
Mrs. Spencer was mistaken in the date it was Saturday eve-
ning, the fifteenth, not the fourteenth, and none were killed on
the Union side. The Ninth Ohio met and repulsed four distinct
charges of Wheeler's men, and killed and wounded several of
them, but did not lose a man in the Ninth Ohio. A bridge was
built over the river, but the rains raised the stream, and the bridge
was carried off during the night. On Sunday morning, General
Atkins was apprised of the truce between Generals Sherman and
Johnston, and was directed to go with his Brigade to Chapel Hill,
protect the University of North Carolina, with its libraries and
grounds, and remain there until the truce was ended. A new
bridge was constructed, and the command moved out, the Ninety-
Second in the advance. A few miles farther on was found another
river, with the bridge destroyed, and the Brigade went into camp,
rebuilt the bridge, and Captain J. M. Schermerhorn, of Company
G, of the Ninety-Second, was sent forward into Chapel Hill. We
again quote from Mrs. Spencer's book :
" On Sunday, at two P. M., General Wheeler called in his
pickets, and once more, and for l.he last time, we saw the gallant
sight of our gray-clad Confederate soldiers, and waved our last
farewell to our army. A few hours of absolute and Sabbath still-
ness and silence ensued. The groves stood thick and solemn, the
bright sun shining through the great boles and down the grassy
slopes, while a pleasant Irayrance was wafted from the purple pin-
nacles of the paullonia. All that nature can do was still done with
order and beauty, while men's hearts was failing them for fear,
and for looking after those things which were coming on the
earth.
" We sat in our pleasant piazzas, and awaited events with a
quiet resignation. The silver had all been buried some of it in
springs, some of it under rocks in the streams, some of it in fence
corners, which, after the fences had been burned down, was prettv
hard to find again; some of it in the woods, some of it in the cel-
30
242 NINBTT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
lars. There was not much provision to be carried off that was
one comfort. The sight of our empty store-rooms and smoke-
houses would be likely to move our invaders to laughter. Our
wardrobes were hardly worth hiding homespun and jeans hung
placidly in their accustomed places. But the libraries, public and
private, the buildings of the University all minor selfish consid-
erations were merged in a generous anxiety for these. So we
talked and speculated, while the very peace and profound quiet of
the place sustained and soothed our minds. Just at sunset, a
sedate and soldierly-looking man, at the head of a dozen, dressed
in blue, rode quietly in by the Raleigh Road. Governor Swain,
accompanied by a few of the principal citi/ens, met them at the
entrance, and stated that he had General Sherman's promise that
the town and University should be saved from pillage. The sol-
dier replied that such were his orders, and they should be observed.
They then rode in, galloped up and down the streets inquiring
for Rebels; and being told that there ivere none in town, thev
withdrew for the night to their camp ; and the next morning, being
Easter Monday, General Atkins, at the head of a detachment of
four thousand cavalry, entered about eight A. M., and we were
captured.
" That was surely a day to be remembered by us all. For the
first time in four years we saw the old flag the ' Stars and
Stripes,' in whose defense we would once have been willing to die,
but which certainly excited very little enthusiasm now. Never
before had we realized how entirely our hearts had been turned
away from what was once our whole country, till we felt the bit-
terness aroused by the sight of that flag shaking out its red and
white folds over us. The utmost quiet and good order prevailed.
Guards were placed at every house immediately, and with a
promptness that was needful ; for one residence, standing a little
apart, was entered by a squad of bummers in advance of the
guards, and in less than ten minutes the lower rooms, store-rooms
and bed-rooms were overhauled and plundered with a swift and
busi-ness-like thoroughness only attainable by long and extensive
practice. A guard arriving, they left; but their plunder was not
restored. The village guards, belonging to the Ninth Michigan
Cavalry, deserve especial mention as being a decent set of men,
who, while they were here, behaved with civility and propriety."
The Brigade commanded by General Atkins went into camp
around the little village of Chapel Hill, one of the prettiest, most
lovely spots found in all the campaigning of the Ninety-Second
KlNtiTT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 343
during its three years service. The enemy had destroyed all the
railroad bridges, and, so far as he could, the railroad track, and
while there were plenty of army rations at New-Berne and Golds-
boro, General Atkins's Brigade was compelled, per force, to " live
upon the country." A soldier, in his diarv, wrote : " Strict orders
from Brigade head-quarters, instead of rations, to-day." Genera!
Atkins could issue " strict orders " to his command, but he could
not furnish them army rations until the destroyed railroad bridges
and track were repaired. Who was to blame for that? Certainly
the Confederate army, that destroyed the railroads and bridges in
a country they were abandoning and not attempting to hold
Mrs. Spencer, in speaking of Wheeler's cavalry, was right when
she said, " There were rough riders among these troopers men
who, if plunder was the object, would have cared little whether it
was got from friend or foe." Just so ! And much of the pillaging
charged to Atkins's men was really committed by the " rough
riders" with Wheeler, a gallant Confederate .soldier, but never a
disciplinarian. Atkins's Brigade was well disciplined ; the Ninety -
Second, and, also, each Brigade successively that Atkins com-
manded, complained of his strict discipline. On the day that his
Brigade reached Chapel Hill there were no rations to issue, but
there were " strict orders " from Brigade head-quarters. Never-
theless, his command was compelled to "live upon the country."
Thousands of men and horses are not easily fed, and with all his
" strict orders," it is reasonable to suppose that many plantations
were stripped of everything eatable. And, again, of course, all
animals were taken that were fit for Uncle Sam's service. Conse-
quently it happened that some families were left, first, without a
morsel of food, and, again, with many mouths, colored and white,
to provide for, without an animal to make a crop of corn with,
the coming season. There was no help for it. "Such is war,"
and there is no use in attempting to refine it. Useless cruelty in
war, and to the defenseless inhabitants of a country occupied by
an army, is, of course, indefensible; but " war is cruelty," and the
cruelty that ensued from an army subsisting upon the country
was not useless. It was an absolute necessity. But Wheeler's
cavalry had "lived upon the country" before Atkins's Brigade
reached there, and there was but little left to live upon.
Ex-Governor Swain, President of the University of North Caro-
lina, a few days after Chapel Hill was occupied by the Federals,
addressed the following: communication to General Sherman :
244 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
" CHAPEL HILL, April 19, 1865.
"Major General W. T. Sherman,
"Commanding United States Forces :
"GENERAL: . . . On my return to this village on Saturday
morning, fifteenth instant, I found that General Wheeler, with his
division of cavalry, had been encamped here for two days. He
resumed his march on Sunday morning, leaving the country
denuded to a considerable extent of forage, and taking with him a
number of horses and mules. General Atkins arrived with his
Brigade on Monday morning, and is in camp here now. I have
had several interviews with General Atkins, and have pleasure in
stating that he manifests a disposition to execute his orders with
as much forbearance as he deems compatible with a proper dis-
charge ot his duty. Nevertheless, many worthy families have
been stripped by his soldiers of the necessary means of subsist-
ence. A Baptist clergyman a most estimable citizen, and the
most extensive farmer within a circle of three miles is almost
entirely destitute of provision for man and beast; and with a fam-
ily of more than fifty persons (white and colored), has not a single
horse or mule. Other instances, not less striking, exist, of fami-
lies in less affluent circumstances; but I refer particular!}' to Mr.
Purefoy, because he has been mv near neighbor for about thirty
years, and I hold him in the highest estimation. He, like many
others, is not merely without the present means of subsistence,
but unless his horses and mules are restored or replaced, can make
no provision for the future. The delay of a few days even may
render it impossible to plant corn within the proper time.
" I am satisfied from the impression made upon me in our
recent interview, that, personally, you have no disposition to add
to the unavoidable horrors of war, by availing yourself of the
utmost license which writers on the subject deem admissable, but
that, on the contrary, you would prefer to treat the peaceful tillers
of the soil with no unnecessary harshness. I venture to hope,
therefore, that the present state of negotiations between the con-
tending armies will enable you to relax the severity of the orders
under which General Atkins is acting, and I am satisfied that if
you shall feel yourself justified by the course of events in doing
so, an intimation of your purpose will be welcome intelligence to
him. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
"D. L. SWAIN."
Tp which letter General Sherman replied as follows :
NINBTT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 245
" HEAD-QUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI, )
" IN THE FIELD, RALEIGH, N. C., April 23, 1865. J
" Hon. D. L. Sivain, Chapel Hill, N. C.:
" MY DEAR SIR: Yours of April nineteenth was laid before
me yesterday, and I am pleased that you recognize in General
Atkins a tair representative of our army.
" The moment war ceases, and I think that time is at hand, all
seizures of horses and private property will cease on our part.
And it may be that we will be able to spare some animals for the
use of the farmers of your neighborhood. There now exists a
species of truce, but we must stand prepared for action; but I
believe that in a very few days a definite and general peace will
be arranged, when I will make orders that will be in accordance
with the new state of affairs.
" I do believe that I fairly represent the feelings of my coun-
trymen that we prefer peace to war; but, if war is forced upon
us, we must meet it: but, if peace be possible, we will accept it,
and be the friends of the farmers and working classes of North
Carolina, as well as actual patrons of churches, colleges, asylums,
and all institutions of learning and charity. Accept the assur-
ances of my respect and high esteem.
" I am, truly yours,
" W. T. SHERMAN,
"Major General Commanding-."
Until the railroad which the enemy had destroyed had been
repaired, and rations for the army brought up from the rear, the
severity of the orders under which General Atkins was acting
could not be relaxed ; but, when rations could be drawn through
the Commissary Department, General Atkins ordered his Brigade
Commissary, Captain J. L. Spear, of the Ninety-Second, to issue
rations, not only to his troops, but to all the citizens, white and
colored, who applied for them ; and rations were issued to the in-
habitants for miles around. On the nineteenth of April, was
received intelligence that a truce had been arranged for fifteen
days, and that the first agreement for the surrender of Johnston's
army had been forwarded to Washington, for the approval of the
President, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armies and Navies of
the United States. The terms of surrender granted to General
Johnston, by General Sherman, were deemed too lenient by the
President, or by Hon. E. M. Stanton, then Secretary of War, and
were disapproved. The writers ot this book thought, at the time,
246 N1NBTT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
that it was most unfortunate that the Government did not approve
of the terms of surrender at first arranged between Generals Sher-
man and Johnston ; and, even noAv, they think it was unfortunate
Sherman, in war, was severe; but the war was over, and severity
in time of peace was not required, either as punishment, or as secu-
rity for the future. He who conquers can afford to be generous ;
and, especially, when the conquered and conquerors are members
of the same family. In war, the entire inhabitants of the rebel-
lious States, those who voluntarily aided the Rebellion, and those,
also, who gave the Rebellion no aid, or only that which they were
forced to give, were enemies to the United States; but, when
peace came, they all became a part and portion of the Republic,
no longer enemies, but friends ; and not only friends, but brothers
and equals.
The Ninety-Second, with the Brigade, remained in camp
nearly three weeks, at Chapel Hill, waiting for Johnston's sur-
render, which finally transpired. The interview between Gener-
als Sherman and Johnston, in which terms for the surrender of
the Confederate army were agreed upon, took place near Dur-
ham's Station, between the picket lines of Hampton and Kilpat-
rick, Doctor Clinton Helm, Surgeon of the Ninety-Second, and
Chief Medical Director of the Cavalry Division, being present.
There is little to record in regard to the Ninety-Second, during
its stay at Chapel Hill. On the evening of the twenty-second of
April, 1865, the Ninety-Second boys, with the Band, proceeded to
the head-quarters of General Atkins, to serenade him ; and, find-
ing him absent, they proceeded to the residence of ex-Governor
Swain, where the General was visiting, and serenaded him there.
After several pieces of music had been played by the Band, they
called on the General for a speech, when he appeared upon the
front porch of Governor Swain's residence, and said :
" Soldiers, I am making a speech to a young lady here to-
night, and I have no eloquence to waste she requires it all. The
war, as I told you it would, at Mount Olive, has played out, and in
less than the ninety days I then named. I think speech-making
has played out also, except to the young ladies. You must go to
your quarters."
The boys went to their quarters very sullenly. It was the
most unpopular speech the General ever made. Never before,
when serenaded by the men of the Ninety-Second and it had
often happened had he failed to appreciate the compliment, and
had always responded cheerfully to their calls for a speech.' But
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 247
the General was cross in those days to every one, except the girl
he was making love to. He went all through the war without
being a prisoner, and was captured at last, after the war was oven
by the youngest daughter of ex-Governor Swain, and he has been
her happy and contented prisoner ever since.
On the twenty-fourth of April, the Ninety-Second received
orders to be ready to resume hostilities in forty-eight hours, the
terms of the surrender of Johnston's army, first agreed upon, hav-
ing been disapproved at Washington'. The men of the Regiment
were very willing to resume hostilities, if it was necessary to do
so, and to do, as Grant had written to Sherman, " press Johnston
hard, and end the war at once." But there was not a soldier in
the Regiment but that felt that it would be cruelty to fight another
battle. Every man was conscious of the fact that the war was
really over; but orders were orders, and they were ready to
resume hostilities.
On the twenty-sixth, the Regiment received orders to be ready
to march at daylight; but the orders were countermanded, and
news of Johnston's surrender received. The men of the Ninety-
Second were not soldiers by profession, and clamorously demanded
an immediate muster-out, when news of Johnston's surrender
reached them. Certainly, infantry regiments had been ordered
to be mustered out and discharged, but the order did not include
the Ninety-Second, and, on the twenty-eighth of April, Lieutenant-
Colonel VanBuskirk, commanding the Regiment, was called out
for a speech, the men desiring to know why certain regiments of
infantry were mustered out, and the Ninety-Second retained. Col-
onel VanBuskirk explained the order to the general satisfaction of
the Regiment. On the twenty-ninth, Major General Kilpatrick
came over to Chapel Hill, from Durham's Station, and reviewed
the Brigade. At ten o'clock A. M., on May third, the Ninety-
Second, with the Brigade, bid adieu to Chapel Hill, and marched
twelve miles, to Hillsboro. The Confederate cavalry had been
paroled, and were marching home, the men permitted to retain
their horses and side-arms, and, together, the Ninety-Second and
their late enemies, enemies no longer, filled the road, and together
they marched along. The Confederate soldiers were somewhat
downcast and dispirited; but the Ninety-Second men, who had
frequently met them in battle, had no jibes for them ; they had
learned, on many a hard-fought field, how brave the Confederate
soldiers under Wheeler and Hampton were; they respected their
bravery ; indeed, gray-coat and blue-coat, mingling together in
248 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
their march that day through Hillsboro, were friends, enemies no
longer, but friends and equals, all citizens of the Republic saved.
Had the terms of the surrender of the Confederates, and all
questions of re-construction and future Union, been left that day
to the soldiers alone, of both armies, there would have been no
disagreement; the blue-coats would not have imposed harsh
terms upon the gray-coats, and the generosity of the brave con-
querors would have been met by the generosity of the brave men
conquered.
On the fourth of May, the command continued its march from
Hillsboro to Company Shops, and camped, and on the next day,
marched to Greensboro, reaching there at four P. M. Two hun-
dred Confederate cannon were parked at Greensboro, surrendered
by the Confederate army under the command of Johnston. The
Brigade lay several days at Greensboro, waiting for horse-shoes.
In the sandy coast country it made but little difference whether
the horses were shod or not; but on the rocky and gravelly roads
of the higher country the barefooted animals were becoming
lame. The war was ended the Cavalry Division had no other
duty than to occupy the country, and maintain quiet and peace,
until the civil authorities had re-established government. The
discipline of the troops was very strict. No foraging was per-
mitted; the troops were supplied with army rations; the railroad
was in running order, and all kinds of supplies were regularly
received, and in abundance. On the eighth of May, the com-
mand moved to Lexington. On the eleventh of May, the Ninety-
Second marched to Salisbury, as an escort for the wagon trains
of the Twenty-Third army corps.
On the twelfth of May, 1865, the Ninety-Second made its last
march on horseback, to Concord, and, as one of the soldiers wrote
in his diary, that day : " Camped, to put on style." It was a styl-
ish camp the Ninety-Second had at Concord, in a grove of young
pine trees. Lieutenant Horace C. Scoville, of Company K, cap-
tured at Nickojack, in Northern Georgia, returned to the Regi-
ment, and was warmly welcomed. He had been promoted to the
Captaincy of his company during his absence in the Confederate
prisons. First Sergeant James D. White, of Company K. was
promoted to Second Lieutenant. On Saturday, the thirteenth of
May, the Regiment put its camping grounds in fine order. On
Sunday, the fourteenth, the Chaplain held services in a church in
Concord. The Regiment lay at Concord, day after day, with
nothing to do, except to grumble and grumble about not being
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 249
mustered out and sent home. The disaffection was general,
among officers and soldiers all wished to return at once to those
peaceful pursuits they had reluctantly left when they volunteered
to help maintain the life of the nation. The glorious end had
come the life of the nation was no longer in danger, and it
required some effort to keep the men from going home, orders or
no orders. There was considerable excitement in camp on the
twenty-first of May. The War Department had ordered all
infantry regiments, the term of enlistment of which would expire
within four months, to be mustered out immediately. The
Ninety-Second was an infantry Regiment, although mounted
and serving with the cavalry, and it came fairly under the orders
of the War Department for immediate muster out. But General
Kilpatrick sent a written communication to the Ninety-Second,
saying that, in his opinion, the Ninety-Second was not an infantry
Regiment, but a Regiment of cavalry; it was mounted and
equipped throughout precisely as the cavalry ; was then, and has
long been, serving with the cavalry ; and that he had ordered his
mustering officer to regard the Ninety-Second as cavalry, and
not to muster out the Regiment under the orders of the Wai-
Department, referring to infantry regiments. At Chattanooga,
Brigadier General Elliott, commanding the Cavalry of the De-
partment of the Cumberland, had chosen to sneeringlv regard
the Regiment as an infantry Regiment, and refused to give the
Ninety-Second its quota of horses to mount the men, until the
cavalry had first been mounted. The Regiment had then wished
to be regarded as cavalry, and have received the same treatment as
the cavalry. Now the Regiment wished to be regarded as infantrv,
and be mustered out and sent home; but Kilpatrick chose to regard
it as a Regiment of cavalry. There was considerable harsh
language used; but reasonable counsels prevailed; for a time
Kilpatrick's orders were submitted to; but an appeal from his
ruling was taken to General Schofield, commanding the Depart-
ment, and before General Schofield had decided the matter, an
order came from the War Department to muster out cavalry
regiments, whose terms of enlistment would expire within four
months; and there being no possible way to longer avoid it, for,
cavalry or infantry, no matter which, the orders were to muster
the Regiment out, and the mustering officer leisurely proceeded
to prepare the muster out rolls. The recruits of the Regiment
were transferred to the Sixty-Fifth Illinois Veteran Infantry, and
Captain H. M. Tynms, of Company A, one of the officers de-
31
250 NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
tailed to accompany the recruits, was promoted to Major of
that regiment. The transfer to the Sixty-Fifth Illinois was made
under the following order :
" HEAD-QUARTERS TWENTY-THIRD ARMY CORPS, )
Greensboro, N. C., June 21, 1865. J
" Special Orders, )
No. 61. f
" III. The following named officers of the Ninety-Second
Illinois Infantry are hereby transferred, with two hundred and
twenty-five (225) enlisted men of that Regiment, to the Sixty-
Fifth Illinois Infantry, and will report to Lieutenant Colonel
Stewart, commanding, for duty.
"Captain John F. Nelson, Captain Harvey M. Timms, First
Lieutenant Norman Lewis, Second Lieutenant James D. White.
" By command of Brevet Major General Ruger.
" HENRY A. HALL,
" Captain and A. A. G."
On the seventh of June, 1865, blanks having been received
from the mustering officer, the very cheerful work of preparing
the muster out rolls began in the various companies of the
Ninety-Second. Everybody in the Regiment was very happy at
the thought of soon going home cheerfulness and gayety took
the place of the grumbling discontent. On the eighth of June,
Company G procured a fiddler, and gave a stag-dance to the
Regiment, and " all hands around" made everything gay and
lively. On the fourteenth of June, the Regiment turned over its
horses and horse equipments. On the fifteenth, the Regiment
was without horses, no drilling, nothing to do in camp, and again
Company G enlivened the time by giving another stag-dance party
to the other companies of the Regiment. On Sunday, June
eighteenth, 1865, good, old Chaplain Cartwright, who had been
preaching to the Freedmen regularly, since the arrival of the
Ninety-Second at Concord, preached his farewell sermon to the
colored people, and gave them sensible advice, urging them to
remember that they were now free, 'but that they must depend
upon themselves entirely in the future, and could only expect
happiness and comfort in life by being sober, honest, and indus-
trious citizens. When the Chaplain had concluded, an old, col-
ored man rose up in the large audience that had assembled in the
grove to hear his last sermon, and proposed to take up a collection
for the benefit of Chaplain Cartwright. The hat was passed, and,
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 251
full of greenbacks, it was handed to the Chaplain ; he took the
hat, and thanked them for their great kindness, and then told them
that he could not accept the money from a poor people just out of
years of bondage, but would add to it the last dollar he had in the
world, and then the money should be expended by them for books
to educate their children. Chaplain Cartwright was a poor man,
but he was too rich in sensible Christian charity to take a gift
from the Freedmen to whom he had preached ; to their charitable
donation he added his last dollar, and left it to purchase books for
the children of the black people there assembled. Chaplain Cart-
wright was a genuine Christian minister, and the best Chaplain
that served with any regiment in the army. On the twenty-first
of June, the Ninety-Second was ordered to be ready to leave for
the North-land and home on the morrow never was there an
order more joyfully welcomed. Early on the morning of June
twenty-second, the Regiment marched to the depot in Concord? .
but did not get away on the train until half past one P. M. The
train arrived in Lexington just after dark, where General Atkins,
in the absence of General Kilpatrick, was then stationed in com-
mand of the Cavalry Division ; he came to the cars, and, with the
Ninety-Second, proceeded homeward. The train reached Greens-
boro before daylight of the twenty-third of June, and the Regi-
ment left the cars and cooked breakfast, and remained until eight
A. M. of the twenty-fourth, when the Regiment again embarked
on a train of cars for Danville, reaching there at three P. M. On
the morning of the twenty-fifth of June, the Ninety-Second again
embarked on the cars, an\d reached Burkeville Junction after dark.
At the first station south of Burkeville Junction, the officers of
the Regiment had gone in advance on a passenger train, leaving
the men without officers, and the only thing that mars the fair
fame of the Ninetv-Second then took place. Let one of the
soldiers who saw it tell the story ; he writes in his diary : " The
officers got on a passenger train, and went ahead at the last station
on the road up, and while we were lying over for a down train to
pass, the boys made a rush for the Sutler's chebang, and, in a very
unjust manner, completely robbed the Sutler of all his stores, and
then tried to upset the building. There were no officers along to
put a stop to it. It seems to me that the officers ought to be with
us." The soldier was right, and the blame of this one disgraceful
act must rest upon the thoughtless officers; had they been pres-
ent, it would not have occurred. At nine P. M., on June twenty-
sixth, the Regiment reached City Point, on the James River, and,
252 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
on the next morning, embarked on the Philadelphia, an old, leaky
ferry-boat, that was unfit to transport troops upon. The Captain
of the boat thought it would surely go to the bottom ; but, bv
pumping hard, and hugging the shore, she reached Baltimore
safely the next day about three o'clock P. M., and the Ninety-
Second, after taking supper at the Soldiers' Home, marched
through the city of Baltimore and embarked in box cars for Har-
risburg, at about eleven P. M. Daylight, on the twenty-ninth of
June, tound the Regiment at York, Pennsylvania. There were
two trains, and no stops were made, except for wood and water.
The Regiment was greeted at all the towns, as the trains rolled
through them, with waving of handkerchiefs in token of welcome.
Breakfasted at Altoona, and was sixty miles east of Pittsburgh
the next morning, detained by a jam of trains in advance of the
Regiment. At eleven A. M., of the thirtieth, arrived at Pitts-
burgh, and dined at the Soldiers' Home. Left Pittsburgh about
three P. M., and at noon, on the first of July, the train halted near
Camp Douglas, in Chicago, and the Regiment disembarked and
marched into that camp, and was put under a regiment of the
Veteran Reserve Corps, on duty there. Many of the men, as soon
it was known that the Regiment would not be immediately paid
and discharged, were granted informal furloughs to go to their
homes, and return by the seventh of July. On the eighth of July,
1865, the men received their pay and final discharge papers; and
on Sunday, July ninth, 1865, the officers were paid, received also
their final discharges, and the three vears' soldiering was done.
The Committee who have jointly had in charge the preparation
of these pages painfully appreciate how poor and tame is the
story they have told of those eventful three years. But they trust
it will revive many a pleasant memory, as the surviving members
of the Ninety .-Second peruse it; while life lasts, those memories
will be cherished with pride ; and thej- ought to be. It is some-
thing to have been a soldier in the great war that saved the
Republic that Washington founded, struck off the shackles from
the limbs of four millions of human beings, and kept " the
jewel of freedom in the family of nations." In that great struggle,
the Ninety-Second did, everywhere and always, its entire duty
bravely and well ; on lonely outposts, serving as " the eyes ot
the army," building bridges, mending roads, throwing up fortifica-
tions, as infantry, as cavalry, on foot, on horseback, repulsing the
charge of the enemy, or charging the enemy with shout and
cheer and the terrible music of the rattling Spencers, in camp
>
NINBTT'SECOND ILLINOIS. 253
and campaign, in bivouac and battle, the Ninety-Second was
always obedient to orders, guarded with jealous solicitude the
honor of the " Stars and Stripes" given into its keeping, and
always received the praises of Brigade, Division, Corps, and
Department Commanders, and the admiration of the regiments
with which it was associated. The members of the Ninety-
Second have good reason for the pride they feel in having their
names associated with the honorable record the Regiment made,
and their children after them will tell with pride, " My father was
a soldier in the Ninety-Second."
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
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Remarks
( Promoted from Eleventh 111. Inft'y
Vols., Sept. 4, 1862. Promoted to
Brigadier General II 8. V., by bre-
-{ vet, at Savannah, Ga , Jan. J2,'65.
Promoted to Major General U. S.
V., by brevet, to date from March
i. 13, '65. Mustered out June 21, '65.
j Resigned April 21, 1864. Promoted
I to Brev. Brig. Gen.
Declined Commission
Mustered out June 21,1865
Resigned April 21, '61..... ....
(Mustered out June 21, 1865. Pro-
1 moted Brevet Lieut. Colonel
* Resigned Oct. 1, '64. Promoted to
1 Major, Reserve Corps .....
Mustered out June 21, 1865
j Promoted by President, Capt. and
1 A. Q. M .
Mustered out June 21, 1865
Pres. Resid'ce
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> Promoted Second Lieutenant
Dis. Jan. 27, '65, dis., gun shot wound
Died at Lexington, Ky., Nov. 7, 1862...
Mustered out June 21, 1865
Mustered out June 21, 1865
Mustered out June 21, 1865
Discharged April 12, '63, disability
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ed, Danville, Ky.. March 3, '61
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Warren C (ioddard..
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Ledyard B Hakes ...
CORPORALS.
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Abraham H. Dusenb
Roswell Kldridge
Daniel Denure
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Remarks.
Mustered out June 21, 1865
Absent, sick, at m. o. of Regiment
Mustered out June 21, 1865, as Corp'l..
Mustered out June 21, 1865
Absent, sick, at in. o. of Regiment
Died at Nashville, Tenn. May, 5, '63.
Absent, sick, at m. o of Regiment....
Discharged May 24, 1863
Mustered out August 23 1865
Died at Danville, Ky.,Feb. 4, 1863
Died, Mt Sterling, Ky., Nov. 7, l!-62.
i Dis. July 31, '61, to accept commis-
"| sion in U. S. C.T
Mustered out June 21, 1865, as Sergt...
Mustered out June 21, 1865, .as Corp'l..
Diseliarged March 18, 1864 ; wounds...
Transferred to Co. G., 65th 111. Inf
Mustered out June 21. 1865
Discharged September 9, 1863
Mustered out June 21, 180ft
Mustered out June 21, 1865
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Remarks.
Deserted Oct. 17, 1862
Transferred to Company K
Mustired out June 21, '65, as Corp'l...
Musti red out June 21, 1865
Dis. March 23, 1863, as Corporal
Music red out June 2l,l,S65
Music red out June 21, 1805
.Musti red out June 21, 1865
niur-li inri-il Aiiril 80 ISfi3 ....
Died, Lexington, Ky., Mar. 12, 1863....
Musi. 'red out June 21, 1865
Killed, Cllickamauga, Sept. 19, 1863...
Mustered out June 21, 1865
Mustered out June 21, 18C5
Wounded, trans, to I. C., Mar. 21, '64..
Mus. out June *1 ,'65; was prisoner..
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Discharged Jan. 17, 1863
Mustered out June21,lS63
Died, Nashville, Tenn., Feb. 13, '63
Transferred to Company K
Mustered out June 21,1865
Died, May !>, 18'i4. wounds
i Promoted Com Serg't ; reduced.
"I Dis. Nov. 25. '63, pro. U. S, C. T
Mustered out Jnne 21, 1865, as Corp'l...
Mustered out June 21,1865
Mus. out July 22, 1865 ; was prisoner...
Mustered out June 21, 1865, as Serg't,.
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Promoted First Lieutenant
Promoted Sergeant Major
Prom. 1st Serg't, then 1st Lieutenant.
Promoted Second Lieutenant
Mustered out June 21, '65, as 1st Serg't
Died, Nashville, Tenn., April 22, '63...
Mustered out June 21, 1865, as Serg't.
Mustered out June 21, '65, as Sergt...
Died at Sand Lowe, Ga., Aug. 30, '64.
Ti-ans. to Inv. Corps, June 17, 1864
Missing in action, Feb. H, 1865
Mustered out June 21, 1865, as private
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Transferred to Co. H,96th 111. Inf
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moted Major ; pro. Lieut. Col.
ustered out June 21, '65. Ta
prisoner at Nickojack, Apr. 23
romoted Capt. Co. B. Woun
in arm, near Florence, Ala.....
moted
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Prom. 1st Serg't, then 2d Lieutenant...
Absent, wounded, at m. o. of Reg't....
Discharged Feb. 2, 1863
Mustered out June 21, '65, as 1st Serg't
Discharged May 12, 1863 .'.......!
Mustered out June 21, 1865, as Serg't.
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FJHST SEBGKAN'J
(ietirfre AV. Marshall..
SK<;KA>TS.
Pt-leg R Walker
Edwin \V Newton
Alexander M. Norris..
X:ird:is Jewell
COHI'ORALS.
I OHIO (-.^...U,.!-
Samuel M. Benedict..
E. H. Mlddlekaufl'
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NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
305
tf
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Rowland, William F
Robinson, Benjamin D
Rand, Comodore R
Rahn, Jacob O
Tagney, Joh
Tuller, Oliver
306 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
CHAPTER IX.
STATEMENT OF CHARLES W. REYNOLDS, WHO WAS TAKEN
PRISONER AT NICKOJACK STATEMENT OF NATHAN C. TYLER
STATEMENT OF DON R. FRAZER CARRYING A DISPATCH
A CHAT WITH A SOUTHERN LADY FORAGING IN SOUTH
CAROLINA VENISON STEAK, AND How THE BOYS GOT IT
CAPTAIN SMITH'S NEW BOOTS SERENADING A DEAF AND
DUMB ASYLUM.
Charles W. Reynolds, of Company I, Ninety-Second, was one
of the soldiers on picket at Nickojack Gap, Georgia, on April
twenty-third, 1864, and he thus narrates what he saw at the time
of the capture, and what he experienced at Andersonville, and
other Rebel prisons:
Lieutenant Horace C. Scoville, of Company K, was in com-
mand of the outpost, with about sixteen men, I being among the
number. We were on the main road that runs south parallel
with Taylor's Ridge, and where the road crosses the Ridge and
runs to Tunnel Hill. At that time the Union army lay west of,
and the Rebel army east of, Taylor's Ridge; the Union troops
being encamped about Ringgold,'and the Confederate army south
of Tunnel Hill. Taylor's Ridge separated the two armies. Our
post was near the Gap, just where the mountain road crosses the
Ridge, our reserve being a little way in rear at some old log
buildings. We had several vedettes out, some at the Gap, and
some along the top of the Ridge. In rear of our post, about
three-quarters of a mile, was another post of about thirty men.
We had been on duty nearly forty-eight hours, and no enemy had
been seen along our lines. In the night, under cover of the
darkness, a regiment or more of Rebel infantry had crossed Tay-
lor's Ridge in our rear, and barricaded the road. I was at the
head-quarters of the picket, having been on duty during the night.
My brother William was on guard at the head-quarters of the
picket. Just at daybreak we heard firing up the road, at the top
of the Ridge, and, instantly, the reserve was mounted, and await-
MlNETT-SECONfr ILLINOIS. 307
ing orders. Lieutenant Scoville, observing that the boys on the
Ridge were having a lively time, ordered some of us to go and
assist them, and five of us immediately started. We soon met the
boys coming down, saying: " Fall back to the head-quarters of the
picket, for the Rebels are as thick as bees." The bullets were
whistling around us we fell back rapidly, but before we reached
the picket post the Rebels were charging down the main road
from the Gap, and driving everything before them. Lieutenant
Scoville ordered the pickets back onto the reserve, hoping to stop
the Rebel charge there ; but, instead of reaching the reserve, he
ran into the trap prepared in our rear by the Rebel infantry, and
he and all with him were immediately captured or killed. The
little squad I was with, seeing that we were cut off from our main
reserve, took back again through the fields, the enemy on both
sides of us and in our rear, and popping it to us with their rifles,
which, in the morning dawn, was not a pleasant sight to us, as
the flames leaped from the muzzles of their guns. We were
making good time, and we hoped to reach the next post, when we
saw that the Rebels were heading us off. They had already cap-
tured Lieutenant Scoville and the men with him, and were after
us. They were well mounted, and dashed forward, and cut off
our only hope of escape. Up to this time I had done more run-
ning than fighting I changed tactics, and, halting my horse, I
played my Spencer Rifle on them until a Rebel, with twenty
more closely following, came upon me, the Rebel shouting:
" Surrender, you Yankee son-of-a ." I didn't object to
his abrupt way of speaking, but, as quietly and gracefully as I
could, I informed him that I was ,at his service. He told me to
dismount, and give up my arms; then, taking my horse by the
halter-strap, said : " Yank, if you will behave yourself, you can
ride back over the Ridge to our lines." I mounted, and he led
my horse. He questioned me closely, but I was not very com-
municative. He showed his generosity by giving me two crack-
ers, and told me I had better take them, for it would be a long
time before I would get anything to eat. I took them, and voted
my captor the most gentlemanly Reb I was acquainted with.
Would to God that my comrades had fallen into as good hands.
We soon passed our captured boys; they had been dismounted,
and were double-quicked to keep up with the Rebel cavalry, now
rapidly falling back to Tunnel Hill, evidently fearful that the
Yanks would follow. But our camps were eight miles from Nick-
ojack, and they need not have been in such a hurry. They shot
308 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
down many of the boys who gave out in double-quicking. My
brother William was shot, after his capture, because he hesitated
to pull off his boots! Lieutenant Pointer, of Wheeler's staff, was
the wretch who murdered my brother. When Lieutenant
Pointer had shot away, at his defenseless prisoners, all the shots
in his revolver, he beat the disarmed boys, his prisoners, over the
head with his heavy navy revolver; he knocked Lieutenant Sco-
ville over the head with his revolver, with no warning to Scoville,
from pure maliciousness, and nearly knocked the Lieutenant
senseless. Lieutenant Pointer was a contemptible wretch s I
never had a " confidence game" played on me until then. A
Rebel rode up to me, and, with tears in his eyes, said that if I had
any valuables about me I had better give them to him until we
reached Tunnel Hill, when he would return them to me. I
thought it very kind in him, and gave him all my little keepsakes,
love letters from " the girl I left behind me," etc., but it was the
last I ever saw of that kind-hearted Johnny. When we were
safely inside of the Rebel lines, I was dismounted, to await the
coming of the balance of the Yankee prisoners. While waiting,
I was frequently invited to " shell out " all the valuables I had,
but all I could do was to inform them that I had already "shelled."
One Reb proposed to trade boots with me ; and trade it was, with-
out ceremony or delay ; but I think I got the best of the bargain,
for I got a pair of number nines old enough to vote, for a pair of
number fives. Another Johnny unceremoniously traded hats
with me. I soon found myself with nothing left that a Rebel
thought it worth while to trade for. Everything valuable, or sup-
posed to be valuable, was taken from every Yankee prisoner; but
that was nothing compared to the cool manner in which the infa-
mous Lieutenant Pointer coolly murdered our poor boys. At
last, all that were captured were gathered together, and marched
to Tunnel Hill, and placed in the railroad station house. One by
one they were taken out, and questioned and cross-questioned by
the Rebel officers, in order to learn the strength and situation of
our army ; but I think they obtained but little information useful
to them from the Ninety-Second boys. When we came to have
roll-call, we found twenty-one of the Ninety-Second boys answer-
ing to their names, as follows: Lieutenant Horace C. Scoville,
Company K ; Wallace Revelle, Company K ; James M. Merritt,
Company K; Benjamin F. Heistand, Company D; E.D.Har-
rington, Company K; William Snyder, Company D; David
Shoemaker, Company D; William P. Me Worthy, Company I:
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 309
Charles W. Reynolds, Company I; Alexander Baysinger, Com-
pany G; Abraham Houser, Company G; Corporal James W.
Starkey, Company H ; Benjamin Noe, Company H ; Mahler D.
Kooker, Company H; Henry Miller, Company F; William
Guyer, Company E; Coston Z. Best, Company E; Francis M.
Chase, Company C; Edwin W. Elliott, Company B; Morris R.
Miller, Company A; and Nathan C. Tyler, Company A.
We were captured, and were bound to see something of prison
life in the liebel prison pens; but, had we known at that time
what per cent, of our little band would never see the Union lines
again, sad and sorrowful as our future was, it would have been
worse. But, at that time, we did not fear them we were soldiers
under the " Stars and Stripes," and let come what fortune might
bring to us, we* would accept it uncomplainingly, as was becoming
to soldiers. We had abiding confidence that the Ninety-Second
would pay the Rebels, with fearful interest, for what they had
done that day. At three P. M., we were put on board of the cars
and sent to Dalton, where we were placed in a jail with a hundred
or more prisoners, including negroes, Rebel deserters, and Union
spies. Some of the spies were to be tried in a few days, and they
said they expected to be shot. Among the prisoners were a num-
ber of Union men, arrested for their loyalty to the United States;
they were true men, and preferred imprisonment and death rather
than service in the Rebel army. Soon after we reached Dalton,
we were taken to General Hill's head-quarters, where the General
and his ladies appeared quite delighted to see us. We were again
searched, but little of value was found. At five P. M., we were
placed on the cars again and started for Atlanta, where we arrived
at eleven P. M., and were immediately marched to the military
prison and locked up. At four P. M., of the twenty-fourth, we
were furnished with some rations, consisting of corn-meal and
salt, the first food since our capture. We went to work to cook
our corn-meal but our boys longed for some of Uncle Sam's
hard-tack, even if it was branded " B. C." On the twenty-fifth,
we were again placed on the cars, guarded by the Thirty-Fourth
Tennessee Confederates, a regiment that had laid at Harrison's
Landing while the Ninety-Second did picket duty there. They
wished to know how " Mother" was getting along, referring to a
member of Company H, of the Ninety-Second, who had crossed
the Tennessee by swimming it, at Harrison's Landing, and had a
chat with some of the Thirty-Fourth Tennessee soldiers. We
arrived at Macon the same day, and were placed in the city prison,
310 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
with a checker-board iron grating to look through, all in a room
i ox 1 2 ; it was a dismal cell, and we were glad when ordered aboard
of the cars again. The guards told us we were bound for Ander-
sonville ! They told us it was a fine, healthy place ; that the pris-
oners were well cared for, and had good shelter and plenty of
food. We found that it was a healthy country, full of pure water,
fuel and food ; but Rebel diabolism denied to us poor Yanks the
boon of fresh air, cold water, or any shelter, and, in a country full
-of fuel within sight of our prison pen, they denied us wood enough
to cook our scanty rations with. We reached Andersonville
about two o'clock P. M., on the twenty-sixth. We got off from
the cars in a timbered country, with a dry, sandy soil. About
three-quarters of a mile away we could see a large enclosure, com-
posed of timbers set in the ground on end, close together, about
fifteen feet high, with sentry boxes along the top and that was
the Andersonville prison pen. The " old Dutchman," as he was
called, Captain Wirz, riding a white horse, came along, and es-
corted us to the prison gate. Here he left us with the guards, and
himself went inside to learn what part of the prison to assign us
to. While we were waiting outside of the prison gate, a squad of
Yankee prisoners came from the woods with armsful of fagots
that they had been gathering for fuel. At first we thought it was.
a squad of negroes ; but, as they came nearer, we saw that they
were Yankee prisoners ! They were black as negroes, and such
downcast, hopeless, haggard, woe-begone looking human beings
I never saw before. They said they were glad to see us, but
would to God that it was under better circumstances. After
awhile the prison gate was opened for us to pass through. As we
entered, a sight of horror met our eyes that almost froze our
blood, and made our hearts stop beating. Before us were skele-
ton forms that once had been stalwart men covered with rags,
and filth, and vermin with hollow cheeks and glaring eyes!
Some of the Ninety-Second boys, in the heat and intensity of
their emotions, exclaimed: " Is this hell? Great God, protect
us." Well might Wirz, the incarnate fiend who presided over
that Rebel inferno, have written over its gate: " Let him who
enters here leave hope behind." The prisoners were divided into
squads of nineties and we fresh-comers were distributed around
to fill up some of the nineties where others had died; seven of us
were placed in the same part of the prison, and we formed a little
family of ourselves, for each other's comfort and mutual encour-
agement. I will never forget my first night in that horrible place.
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 311
There was a heavy, cold dew falling. We lay down in the sand,
without a thing Under or over us, and already nearly stripped of
clothing by our captors ; and there we lay, seven of us, spoon-
fashion. For many days we remained so exposed to the cold dews
at night, and the scorching sun by day, until we managed to save
some of our scanty rations and trade them with our starving com-
panions for an old blanket and the half of another one. Then two
of the boys and myself went to the prison gate, cut the buttons off
our coats, and bought our way out to the woods, and each brought
back an armful of poles and wood the poles to make us a shel-
ter by stretching our old blanket and a half over them, and the
wood to cook our coarse corn-meal, which, without the wcjpd to
cook it, we would have h.ad to eat raw. When we had fixed up
with these scanty materials as best we could, we thought ourselves
quite comfortable, in comparison with the thousands around us
who had no shelter of any kind. And this in a country filled with
timber out of which we could have constructed shelters, if our
inhuman and fiendish captors had only have permitted it! I
shall never forget the unfortunate predicament we were in when
we drew our raw corn meal, cob and kernel ground up together,
and we without a dish to cook in, or a splinter of fuel to cook
with. Had it not been for the generosity of one of the old pris-
oners, we would have had to eat it raw he loaned us a scanty bit
of fuel to cook it by, and his chip to cook it on. As soon as we
saw what constituted cooking utensils in Andersonville, and were
able to do so, we procured a chip of our own, and were as happy
aye, as we could be! At this time there were about seven
thousand Yankee prisoners crowded and huddled into the stock-
ade at Andersonville. Nearly all of them had wintered at Belle
Isle or Danville. They were almost destitute of clothing, and
were living skeletons. All were eager to find out the prospects of
an exchange, and the least encouragement they could get they
would catch at as drowning men do at straws. Every day we all
had to fall in by nineties, and if one man was missing that could
not be accounted for, the whole ninety starving skeletons were
kept absolutely without food that day. The poor fellows tried
hard to keep up good spirits, and outlive the Confederacy. About
the middle of May, as the Union armies began to advance, Yan-
kee prisoners would be brought in every day, and from them we
obtained our only news from the United States. The Rebels
would never let us know what was going on at the front only
312 NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
when they gained some slight victory, we would hear them boast
of it.
It would be remarkable if, among so many men in horrible
confinement, there should not be methods of escape devised and
attempted. The work of tunneling out was silently going on, and
we hoped that it would be successful ; but, in some way, the Rebels
discovered it, and the fiendish Wirz swore that not another morsel
of food should be issued to any one of his thousands of starving
prisoners until the partly-constructed tunnel was again filled up.
Wirz was the commander of the interior of the prison, and was a
wretch of the lowest type, insolent, overbearing, heartless, and,
of course, a coward, for no one with a spark of manly courage
about him would come among helpless prisoners, famishing for
the want of food, and draw a revolver, as he did. I formed the
acquaintance, in Andersonville, of a man by the name of Henshaw,
from Lee county, Illinois. He had made his escape several times,
but was always caught by the bloodhounds (nigger-dogs), which
the Rebels kept for the purpose of pursuing prisoners, and which
rendered it almost hopeless for any one to attempt to escape. In
the latter part of May, the prisoners arranged to make an attempt
at an escape on a grand scale. It was to be done by undermining
the stockade, and, at a given signal, in broad daylight, a rush was
to be made by the prisoners against the stockade, and topple it
over, and seize the Rebel artillery and all the arms and ammuni-
tion and provisions possible, and make a grand attempt to reach
the lines of the Union armies. But just before the time for action
had arrived, we found the whole plot had been disclosed to the
Rebels some traitor or spy had given the minutest details of the
plan to Wirz. Soon after the following was posted near the prison
gate:
" NOTICE. Not wishing to shed the blood of hundreds not
connected with those who concocted a mad plan to force the
stockade, and make, in this way, their escape, I hereby warn the
leaders, and those who formed themselves into a band to carry out
this, that I am in possession of all the facts, and have made my
dispositions accordingly, so as to frustrate them. No choice
would be left me but to open with grape and canister on the
stockade, and what effect that would have in this denselv crowded
place need not be told. May 25, 1864. H. WIRZ."
The only consolation left us was that we had badlv frightened
our Rebel guards. About this time Henry Miller, of Company
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 313
F, of the Ninety-Second, died, the first among the Ninety-Second
prisoners captured at Nickojack to fall a victim to Rebel cruelty.
The prisoners in Andersonville were dying off at a fearful rate;
especially those who had been longest in Rebel hands. The Rebel
authorities had deliberately planned the murder of the prisoners
in their hands by the slow process of starvation and disease it
was, at first, slow but sure, and then it was sure and rapid. I
have counted one hundred and thirty lifeless skeletons of our boys
that had died in one day. You might walk around the prison any
hour in the day and see men closing their eyes in death. Diar-
rhea and scurvy appeared to be the most fatal diseases. None can
know the horrors of scurvy except those who have beheld them.
Sometimes the cords of the victim would be contracted, and the
limbs drawn up so that the patient could neither walk, stand, nor
lie still; sometimes it would be confined to the bones, and not
make any appearance on the outside ; sometimes it would be con-
fined to the mouth, and the gums would separate from the teeth,
and the teeth drop out. There were hundreds of cases of this
disease in Andersonville. I have seen many of our prisoners
suffering with scurvy actually starve to death because they could
not eat the coarse corn meal furnished by the Rebels to the Yan-
kee prisoners. In the month of June it rained continuouslv for
twenty-one days, and it was not strange that disease multiplied
in our crowded prison pen, and assumed every possible form.
There were fifteen thousand prisoners in the stockade during all
that rainv time, without shelters, lying out in the storm dav and
night. I cannot describe the hopeless misery and suffering.
Imagination cannot conceive of it. Night after night, in a sort of
delirium, I have dreamed of sitting down to some bountifully
supplied table, away up home in Northern Illinois, and, waking,
would find myself in the wet sand, cold, and nearly famishing for
food. One principal topic of conversation, forced upon us by our
sufferings, and the cravings of hunger, was something good to
eat. If any one knew of a rare dish, something especially good,
he would entertain, and momentarily satisfy, the rest of his mess,
by describing it minutely, the manner of cooking it, etc. We not
only lacked food, but clean water. We were forced to use the
swamp water that ran through the prison pen, that had been filled
with filth by flowing first through the Rebel camps. One dav a
clear spring of water burst out near the swamp inside of our
prison during the rainy weather, and day and night there was a
continual stream of men there trying to get a drink of clean
39
3H NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
water. All around the inside of the Andersonville Prison, about
fifteen feet from the stockade, was a slender pole, or slight ditch,
which was called the " dead line." Any one who put his foot
beyond that line was a dead 7nan the Rebel guards, without
commanding a halt, would shoot him down. Many poor fellows,
so starved that they had lost their reason, crossed that line uncon-
sciously, and were coolly shot dead. During the month of June
prisoners came in so fast that the Rebels had to build an addition
to the stockade, after which there were about thirty acres in the
entire enclosure. When the addition was completed, they made
a small gap in the stockade, and ordered thirteen thousand pris-
oners to pass into it, giving them two hours to move into the
additional enclosure, with a threat to deprive them of the few
ragged blankets they had left, and their rations, if they did not
pass through in the time allotted. On July third many new
prisoners arrived, and the entire dav was spent in roll calls, and
assigning the new prisoners to fill vacancies in the companies of
nineties. They gave us one-half pound of corn meal that dav.
On the fourth of July we received no rations at all, nor until four
o'clock of the fifth, when each man received one-half pint of
corn mush, without salt, but with plenty of cob and husks in it.
At this time there was organized among the prisoners a gang of
robbers, or, as they styled themselves, raiders. They would steal
the rations and clothing and fuel of the weaker prisoners, and
when they met with resistance, they did not hesitate to commit
murder, and more than one poor prisoner was murdered by these
robbers among the Yankee prisoners. Wirz, the prison keeper,
(and I tell this of him cheerfully, for it is the only good thing I
can sav of him,) (old us to form a police of our own, and point out
the guilty ones, and he would have them arrested. About forty
of the leading spirits in that robber gang were captured, and tried
by a jury selected by the prisoners themselves six of them
were found guilty and sentenced to be hanged. On the twelfth of
July a gallows was erected inside of the prison, and at four o'clock
P. M. Wirz came in, with the six prisoners under Rebel guards,
and, said Wirz: "These men have been tried and convicted by
their own comrades, prisoners with themselves, and I now return
them to you, in as good condition as I received them. You can
now do with them as your reason, justice and mercy dictate, and
mav God protect both you and them." As they were mounting
the scaffold, one broke loose and ran to the opposite side of the
prison, but was soon brought back and placed with the other five.
NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 315
After giving them time to make a few remarks, meal sacks were
drawn over their heads, and they were launched into eternity, to
meet, perhaps, a more merciful fate from the Judge of all the
world, than was accorded them by their starving and dying com-
rades, whom they had banded together to rob of their little food
and clothing. That men could be found in that horrible place
ready to rob the dying and the dead, their own comrades, is a
terrible commentary upon the sufferings there endured. It was
near this time that Edwin W. Elliott, of Company B, died, and
many more of our little company were slowly starving to death,
and failing day by day. If a man once permitted the thought to
find lodgment in his brain that he would not live to get out, he
was certain to die ; there was one thing remarkable about it
you would never hear a man regret that he was about to die it
seemed to be to them a glad feeling of relief and liberty that their
sufferings and tortures were so soon to end the gloom of Ander-
sonville was darker than the gloom of the grave. I remained
comparatively healthy until July twentieth, when I began to see
and feel the unmistakable evidences that I was to suffer with
scurvy. Within ten days I was suffering so badly that I could
not walk, and my teeth were nearly dropping out of my mouth,
and I am now confident that I would soon have been numbered
with the fourteen thousand Yankee soldiers who lie buried at
Andersonville, had not Nathaniel Davis, of Company K, of the
Ninety-Second, who had been captured and just brought into the
prison pen, have given me some money which he had secreted
about his person, with which I bought of my Rebel guards some
Irish potatoes, and ate them raw. In two weeks after that I could
see I was recovering. To my comrade, Mr. Davis, I most truly
owe my life, for, without his timely kindness, I surely would have
died. About September first Sergeant John Spence, of Company
F, was brought to Andersonville. By the new arrivals we kept
posted about the Ninety-Second. Our Rebel guards were con-
tinually setting a time for exchange, and our boys would cheer up,
but when the time had passed the boys would get the blues, and
die faster than ever. Our Rebel guards gloried in our disappoint-
ments. On September first there were thirty-four thousand
Yankee prisoners in Andersonville. Our guards were getting
afraid that we would be rescued by our troops, and began moving
the prisoners out for different points. On the eight of September
the company of ninety, to which Mahler D. Kooker, of Company
H, Morris R. Miller, of Company A, William P. Me Worthy, of
316 NINE TT-SECOND ILLINOIS .
Company I, and myself belong, was ordered out; but Miller and
McWorthy were so weak that they could not walk, and the
guards took them to the hospital. Poor boys, they were heroes,
but they could stand such treatment no longer, and it was not
many days until we heard that they were both dead. We were
crowded into old box cars, sixty of us into a car, and we were
soon on our way, via Savannah, to Charleston, S. C., where we
were placed in the city jail yard, under the fire of General Foster's
gun-boats, where the Yankee shell were bursting continually
around us. When a shell would burst close by, the boys would
set up a cheer; they said it sounded good, for it came from home.
We were placed there to keep Foster from shelling the .city, but
it did not stop the Yankee shell from screaming through the
streets of Charleston ; and after they found it useless to keep us
there, the Rebels moved us out to the Charleston fair grounds,
where we were kept for five weeks ; and we there received the
best rations ever received in the Confederacy, and had the benefit
of the fine sea breeze, and the poor Yankees began to recover
health and spirits. On October fourth, we were again placed on
board the cars, and taken to Florence, South Carolina, and again
placed in a stockade, like that at Anderson ville, but not so ex-
tensive. Lieutenant Barrett was in command of the interior of
the prison pen, and, if it be possible, was a meaner and more
fiendish villain than Wirz. We had plenty of fuel for a time, for
at first there was plenty of timber inside of the stockade; but
our rations were scantier than at Andersonville. For three
months we received nothing in the shape of meat. Tunneling
by the prisoners was attempted to some extent, but without suc-
cess. At one time Lieutenant Barrett had an idea that there was
a tunnel about completed, and ordered that no rations be issued
until the facts were disclosed. But only two or three men knew
anything about the tunnel, and they would make no disclosure,
and for three days the already half starved ten thousand Yankee
prisoners went entirely without any kind of food, and hundreds
literally died of sheer starvation! I believe that if the three men
knowing about the tunnel had not at last pointed it out, every one
of the ten thousand prisoners would have been starved to death!
About this time George M. Frank, of Company C, Ninety-
Second, came into the Rebel prison pen at Florence. I shall
never forget the expression on his face when we met. He could
hardly believe that I was the same boy whom he had known as
a member of Company I, of the Ninety-Second. I did not weigh
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 317
eighty pounds, and yet I was a fair specimen of the Yankee pris-
oners who had been long in Rebel hands. On February fifteenth,
1865, we were again on board of the cars, and our Rebel guards
said we were going to be exchanged. We had been so often
deceived that we dared not believe them. We passed through
Wilmington to Goldsboro, and then to Greensboro, N. C. Here
the officer of the guard told us we were going to Richmond, Vir-
ginia, to be exchanged, and we began to hope that it was true.
At Greensboro seven of our boys actually froze to death, in a
country covered with timber, and where there was no excuse for
it, save alone Rebel cruelty and heartlessness. On the night of
the twentieth of February, we arrived in Richmond, and marched
immediately over the frozen pavements, many of us barefooted
and nearly naked, to the Pemberton Prison. On the twenty-third,
we signed parole papers, and on the morning of the twenty-
fourth of February, 1865, we were matched on board of a Rebel
steamer, and were soon on our way down the James River to
Aiken's Landing, where we crossed the line between the two
armies, and stepped again under the old " Stars and Stripes."
Never will I forget my feeling of happiness as I stood and gazed
at the dear old Flag, 'that for nearly a year I had not seen, looking
brighter and more beautiful than ever before. Again the drum
beats roll-call, and we gather around to see how many of the
twenty-one captured at Nickojack, on the morning of April
twenty-third, 1864, will answer. Nearly half will never answer
roll-call again on earth. The following fell victims to Rebel
cruelty : Henry Miller, Company F, died at Andersonville, July
tenth, 1874; ms grave was numbered 3139. Morris R. Miller,
Company A, died at Andersonville, September twenty-sixth,
1864; number of grave, 9795. Edwin W. Elliott, Company B,
died at Andersonville, September seventh, 1864; number of grave,
8084. Sergeant Benjamin F. Heistand, Company D, died August
second, 1864, at Andersonville; grave numbered 4583. William
Snyder, Company D, died at Andersonville; number of grave
not known. Coston Z. Best, Company E, died in the Rebel
prison pen at Florence, S. C., February fourteenth, 1865; grave
not known. Alexander Baysinger, Company G, died at Ander-
sonville; date of death and number of grave unknown. Corporal
James W. Starkey, Company H, died at Andersonville; date of
death and number of grave unknown. E. D. Harrington, Com-
pany K, died in the Rebel prison pen at Florence, S C., October
fourth, 1864; number of grave unknown. William Guyer, Com-
318 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
pany E, died in Andersonville Prison, August eighth, 1864;
number of grave, 5025. William P. McWorthy, Company I, died
in Andersonville Prison, September twenty-fifth, 1864; number of
grave, 9710. What a story of death the numbers of the graves
reveal ! On August tenth, 1864, when Henry Miller, of Company
F, died, his grave was numbered 3139; on the twenty-sixth of
September, 1864, Morris R. Miller, of Company A, died, and his
grave was numbered 9795 ; six thousand six hundred and fifty-
six victims to Rebel cruely, whose graves were numbered, and
many graves were not numbered, in one prison pen, from July
tenth, 1864, to September twenty-sixth, 1864!
Nathan C. Tyler, of Company A, Ninety-Second, was also one
of the prisoners captured by the Rebels at Nickojack, on the
morning of April twenty-third, 1864, and Mr. Tyler makes the
following statement:
We had been nearly two days on picket duty, at Nickojack,
eight miles from camp ; the attack upon us was made about four
o'clock on the morning of the twenty-third of April, 1864, the out-
post at the top of the Gap being first to receive the enemy's fire.
There were twelve men at that post. Lieutenant Scoville sent
men to reinforce the post, and I was one of them. Just as we
reached the post the Rebels came on in full force, and, at the same
time, strongly attacked the main reserve at the foot of the moun-
tain. Finding ourselves completely cut off from any support, we
started toward camp, trying to reach the road leading to camp be-
hind the reserve the Rebels had attacked, but we found the road
blockaded with Rebels, who had taken up position in the rear of
the reserve and barricaded the road. They had crossed the moun-
tain on foot, in the night, and taken up position in our rear; com-
pletely trapped and surrounded by the enemy, we were captured.
They instantly stripped us of our boots, clothing, watches and
money. Some of our men were deliberately shot down by them,
after our men had surrendered and given up their arms. We
were double-quicked to the top of the mountain, when they re-
garded us as beyond chance of rescue by our troops, and we were
permitted to march a little slower. On the opposite side of the
mountain we found a regiment of Rebels that had been held in .
reserve. We were marched on to Tunnel Hill, where we took
the cars for Dalton, and were taken to the head-quarters of the
Rebel General commanding, and closely cross-questioned. We
were taken from there, by cars, to Atlanta, and [from there to
Macon, and then to Andersonville. We were drawn up in line,
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 319
and the roll called. Lieutenant Scoville was sent back to Macon,
and the rest of us, twenty in number, entered the prison pen. We
shuddered with horror as we entered that living tomb. The first
thing that met my eyes was the Rebels carrying out the dead
from the prison. They were carried on stretchers to the gate of
the stockade, and then thrown into wagons, entirely nude, from
twenty to thirty in a wagon, promiscuously, heads and feet to-
gether, and hauled away, and thrown into trenches. When we
reached the inside of the prison we found the most wretched
looking human beings that it is possible for the imagination to
conceive of bareheaded and barefooted, all of them almost naked,
and many of them entirely naked, mere skeletons, filthy, and eaten
up with vermin. No one could keep clean. No soap or towels
were furnished, and not even water to wash in. I never looked
upon a sight so appalling before. Our hearts sank within us, and
almost quit beating. We were divided up, and parcelled out to
fill up the companies of nineties, taking the places of those who
had died. Our rations consisted, at first, of one-half pint of corn
meal to each man, ground with the cob. My first dough-cake I
baked on a chip. After a while our rations were furnished to us
cooked, but not increased. This kind of food without shelter
from the storms or sun, huddled together in rags and filth was
too much for the strongest of us, and the weakest soon died. It
seemed to me that we must all inevitably die, and not one of the
thousands there be left to tell the horrid story. From thirty to
fifty, and sometimes more, would die daily. I was sick a great
share of the time in fact, all of the time for awhile in the stock-
ade, and afterward in the hospital, which was simply an inclosure
with a board fence around it. Our only shelter in the hospitals
were old tent flys, so old that the rains sifted through as readily
as through a seive. The hospitals were heavily guarded. Only
the worst cases were sent there. I was in the hospital nearly
three months. I speak of one ward, containing hundreds of sick,
and myself and one other prisoner were the only two that ever
entered that ward during those three months who came out alive.
There were fifty or seventy-five such tents, or wards, in the hos-
pital grounds. We were laid side by side, twelve or fifteen in a
row, close together, and received very little attention during the
day, and none whatever during the night. I have known men to
die early in the night, and lay close by them, until the Rebels
would come around late the next forenoon and remove them. I
was too sick and weak to move myself, or remove the dead. If
320 NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
our strength recovered a little, we would be so overcome with
hunger that we would dream about eating, and wake up with our
mouths all foam and froth, and feeling as if we could eat our own
hands off. Many a time I have wished for the poor privilege of
skimming a swill barrel by the door of some farmer in Stephen-
son county ! Often I thought that if I could only get back to
Uncle Sam's afmy rations I would never murmur or complain
again. Our daily talk was about being exchanged, and rumors
would be set afloat almost every day that the glorious time would
soon come. It seemed to us that if our pitiable condition was
known at the North, something would surely be done to relieve
us, either by the Government in securing our exchange, or by
the people in raising an army large enough to come and liberate
us. When we went to Andersonville the stockade consisted of
about eighteen acres, inclosed by a tight fence twelve or fourteen
feet high, made by setting hewn timbers in the ground six or
eight feet deep, and close together. On the top of the fence, six
or eight rods apart, the Rebel guards were posted, with platforms
to stand upon, and steps to ascend and descend by. Inside of the
stockade, a light fence, two or three feet high, run all around,
about fourteen feet from the stockade, called the " dead line."
The guards were ordered to shoot any prisoner crossing the "dead
line." I remember seeing one of our poor prisoners shot for
simply reaching his hand a little way beyond the " dead line" to
get a chip to cook his coarse corn meal upon ! Occasionally we
would hear the yelp of the hounds in the heavy timber outside of
the stockade, after some poor Yankee trying to escape from that
earthly hell ! A small stream of water run through the prison
pen from west to east. One time, after a heavy rain, the water
undermined and broke down from twelve to fifteen feet of the
stockade. The Rebel guards raised a cry that the Yankee pris-
oners were going to make a break to get out. Wirz sent in word
that if any attempt to get out was made he would turn the Rebel
batteries on the prisoners and kill every d d one of them. I was
inside the stockade eleven months and four days. I remember
that at one time some of the prisoners formed a plan of escape by
digging a tunnel, commencing thirty or forty feet inside of the
stockade and coming out on the outside. They worked by reliefs
during the night, under an old tent, used in the daytime by the
Rebels to distribute rations from. The dirt was carried down into
the middle of the stockade, by the creek, and so well was the
work carried on that the plot was not discovered until some forty
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 321
or fifty of the boys had got through the tunnel and got out of it
on the outside of the stockade. But bloodhounds were put upon
their tracks by the Rebels, and few of them, if, indeed, any of
them finally reached the Union lines. Their effort exasperated
our Rebel keepers, and made our miserable condition worse than
before, if such a thing was possible. Soon after Lee's surrender,
and Lincoln's assassination, I was removed from Andersonville.
Lee's surrender caused an awful alarm among the Rebels, but the
assassination of Abraham Lincoln cheered them up again. I
was taken by the way of Jackson and Meridan, in Mississippi, to
Black River, marching the last thirty miles on foot, which took
us six days, so weak and feeble had we become. At Black River
we were paroled, and I then saw the happiest day in my life the
dav on which I bid good bye to the Southern Confederacy. Don
R. Eraser, of Company I, makes the following statement:
On the nineteenth of October, 1864, while assisting in shipping
ammunition from Atlanta to Kilpatrick's Division, the Rebel
cavalry captured the train I was on. Obstructions had been
placed upon the track, and the train was wrecked, and the Rebels,
secreted in the brush each side of the railroad, cut off escape for
all upon the train. The Rebels gathered up forty-six Yankee
prisoners, and, after robbing us of all valuables, and most of our
clothing, started us across the country toward Alabama. We
trudged along down-hearted enough. After a few hours my
thoughts turned upon some" method of escape. Lieutenant Colo-
nel Showers, of the lyth Ohio, was among the prisoners. I
managed to get in conversation with him, and we began talking
over some plan of escaping from our captors, but our guards soon
suspected us, and we were separated. Among our Rebel guards
I recognized an old acquaintance whom I had known in Jo
Daviess Countv, a private in the First Mississippi Rebel cavalry.
We had quite a chat, and he was kind enough to go to the Rebel
Captain and obtain a horse for me to ride. In four days we
reached Oxford, Alabama, having had rations issued but once to
us, a little meal and fresh beef, about enough for one good meal.
We remained at Oxford two days. I there became acquainted
with Lieutenant W. D. Stone, of Clauton's Rebel Scouts. He-
had considerable sympathy for us. His company guarded us.
He offered to assist in procuring my exchange but he was sent to
the front, and I to Castle Morgan, at Cahawba, Alabama. At
Talladega we fell in with more Yankee prisoners, swelling our
numbers to about six hundred. On settling down at Cahawba, I
40
322 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
still thought much about some plan of escape, and, taking others
into my confidence, we soon had made up a party of fifty agreed
upon making an attempt together to overpower the guards ; we
had everything arranged, even to the hour that the attempt was
to be made, when some traitor or spy among us told our plans. I
was taken out, and questioned, and the six hundred that went into
the Rebel prison when I did were sent to Millen, and I retained
.at Cahawba. While at Cahawba I noticed, for the first time, the
effect of slow starvation upon the human system how the never-
ceasing, wolfish cravings of nature eat out of a man all human
feeling, eradicating all sympathy and benevolence, leaving noth-
ing but the most indurate selfishness. My experience in Castle
Morgan, at Cahawba, was short, but compared favorably with the
others in which I was afterwards confined. The officials did not
appear to have lost all human feeling, and, although the amount
of rations allowed us would certainly have led to starvation ulti-
mately, the unnecessary cruelty practiced elsewhere was not
adopted to the same extent. On account of our plan to escape,
all who were suspected of being connected with it were started on
the cars for Montgomery. We reached Columbus, Georgia,
about dusk, and were taken off the train to camp there that night.
While marching from the train I noticed several smoke-stacks
lying on the platform the chance of escape was tempting, and,
in the crowding and contusion, I dived into one of the smoke-
stacks. After the crowd had gone I found that I had company
two other Yankees had adopted the same plan Harvey Hart,
from Indiana, and William Welch, from Iowa, both of whom
had been captured at the same time with myself. Hart told me
that he had been in Andersonville, but, while being transferred to
Florence, South Carolina, had escaped, and, after thirty-two
nights of lonely travel, had reached the Union lines near Atlanta,
but had been so unfortunate as to be again captured by the Rebels.
Welch told me he had once been a prisoner at Macon, Georgia,
and had escaped to Atlanta. We cautiously pushed out of Co-
lumbus. When near the outskirts of the town we were hailed
but our hailers proved to be two more Yankees trying to escape
"Lieutenant Colonel Showers, and Lieutenant Hudson. We were
glad enough to meet, and, after a hearty consultation, we, as
nearly as we could guess, started northward ; but it was very
dark, and we frequently found ourselves during the night ap-
proaching Columbus, and, at daylight, were only five miles from
the town. We knew that the hounds would soon be on our
NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS, 323
track, and, in order to avoid them, we waded down stream in a
creek for nearly a mile, and climbed into trees to hide for the
day. About noon we heard the baying of hounds. With beating
hearts we listened. If they were really on our track at all, either
our marching in a circle during the night, or our stratagem of
wading in. the running stream, deceived them, and they did not
come near us. In the evening we approached a negro shanty
and procured a meal, and continued our march. In the daytime
we lay concealed in the woods. The next night it rained, and
was very cold. Hart and I approached a house, and entered ; one
woman soon went out, and the others told us we had better leave.
As we left the house we saw a man with a torch, blowing a__tin
horn, as we supposed, for the hounds, and we all scooted, through
briers, over fences, through marshes and creeks; it was dark as a
pocket. No hounds followed us. Shortly after midnight we saw
a light, and flanked it farther on we found ^more^ fires, and
flanked them and we found still more fires, with Rebel soldiers
around them. We knew we were near a camp of some kind. A
wagon train moved by. Negroes afterward told us that it was a
portion of Hood's army moving from Jonesboro to Macon. After
a deal of dodging we passed the Rebels, or they passed] us. At
daylight we approached a negro shanty, wet, cold and hungry ;
the negroes gave us a meal. I lay down on the floor and had a
chill that I thought would shake the buttons off my clothes.
The negroes, not daring, to keep us long in the house, took us to
the corn house, where we remained until evening. On leaving,
one negro joined us in our tramp for freedom. About eleven
o'clock that night we reached a negro shanty where there was but
one man a miller he had plenty of flour and bacon, and sup-
plied us with a lot of biscuit. Another negro joined our party.
At dawn, after flanking some Rebel soldiers, we passed around
the town of LaGrange, on the West Point Railroad. Here, by
some means, our party became separated, Lieutenant Colonel
Showers and Lieutenant Hudson taking one road, with the two
darkies, and Welch, Hart and I another. We never saw them
again, but heard afterward that they reached the Union lines
safely. We regretted the loss of the biscuit, which the negroes
carried in pillow cases, but not the company of the darkies', as, if
captured with them in our company, we should certainly meet
death at the hands of our captors. We went into the woods to
sleep, but were soon awakened by the baying of hounds we ran
about half a mile, and crept into a tangled thicket of blackberry
324
brambles ; after a while we crawled out, and pushed on through
the woods as fast as we could go, and found again a secluded spot,
and slept until darkness came on, when we again continued our
tramp all night, and slept the next day. The next night Welch
was too sick to travel, the weather cold, and the rain pouring
down, and we crawled into a cotton gin house, to rest, and went
so soundly to sleep that we did not wake until after daylight. We
dared not remain, and we tried to dodge along into the woods
again, but it was our ill luck to be seen by two Rebel officers,
fully armed, who came upon us, and again we were prisoners in
Rebel hands. After considerable cross-questioning we had to
own up that we were Yankees trying to escape to the Union lines,
and we were turned over to two of Harvey's scouts, to be taken
to Newnan. When near Newnan they stripped us of our cloth-
ing, giving us the rags two negroes had on, who were with them.
They turned us over to the Rebel authorities at Newnan, and we
were put into the jail. The next day we were sent to West
Point, and placed in jail along with six colored men. From there
we were taken to Andersonville. We reached there in the after-
noon, but, there being no prisoners there at that time, Wirz
refused to receive us. We remained there one night, and, the
next morning, were sent to Millen. It was about one week after
the Presidential election. I was kept there about three weeks,
when Sherman's army was getting too close, and they marched
us to Savannah, Georgia. From there a part were sent north ;
and a part, among whom my lot was cast, were started for Black-
shear, by rail, on flat cars. About five miles below Doctortown
the train was stopped for wood. It was dark, and I slipped down
between the cars, and lay down on the ties close up to the wheels.
When the train had left I found that I had five companions, but
none of my former comrades. After consultation two started
back to meet Sherman. Two, who belonged to the tyth Iowa,
and myself, decided to try to reach the United States gun-boats
of the blockading squadron, near Brunswick. After traveling part
of the night through swamps and thickets we stopped to rest; we
took off our clothing, and, wringing the water out, put our
clothing on again; my clothing consisted of a pair of cotton
drawers, and part of a shirt; my companions were a little better
clad, and had blankets; we lay down together; when we awoke it
was broad daylight, and we found ourselves almost surrounded
by water. In the evening we approached a negro cabin and pro-
cured food, and directions as to the course to travel. We passed
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 325
around a station on the Gulf Railroad, and, at daylight, dived into
a swamp to remain during the day. This was our usual course;
we never approached a human habitation except to procure food ;
every one was suspicious of us even the house dogs appeared to
know that we were Yankees. The interminable pine forests
appeared to be full of Rebel patrols. On one occasion we called
at a house where were two white women and some negroes, who
gave us a good supper, and while we were enjoying it in came the
planter himself, of course a soldier in the Rebel army, home on
French leave. He seemed very friendly, and invited us to remain
all night, and gave us very lengthy directions about the road, for
which we were very thankful, until one of the women whispered
to me: " For God's sake go away he has sent to Waynesville
for soldiers to capture you." I told her, " We will go." I said to
the boys, " Well, let's go, bovs." Our entertainer urged us not
to be in a hurry, but we started off slowly until out of sight, and
then " scooted" into the woods, and took the back track, and
when beyond the house in the other direction, we heard mounted
men approach the house, and we continued our march on the
back track. For six days and nights we laid low in the swamps,
assisted to food by negroes, and a couple of Union ladies. We
lay there hiding, not thirty miles away, when Kilpatrick's Divis-
ion, under command of General Atkins, and my own regiment
with them, attempted to destroy the railroad bridge near Doctor-
town. We heard rumors from the negroes of troops on the road,
but we did not know then how near they were to us. When we
judged it safe we resumed our journey, and, on reaching Turtle
River, we found a boat, and, as it proved, most unwisely pro-
ceeded down the river in it, in broad daylight. About ten o'clock
in the morning we heard one of the United States gun-boats
whistle, and our hearts beat fast with hopes of reaching the gun-
boat but soon after a Rebel soldier hailed us with: "Halloo,
thar come in out o' thar, or I'll shoot!" On the bank stood four
Johnnies, with their muskets ready to shoot, with a four-oared
boat tied by the bank. The game was up. We deserved to be
captured for navigating that river in a boat in broad daylight, and
our foolhardiness met with its proper reward. When we landed
they inquired: "Is you'ns Yanks? Whar is you'ns gwoin?
Whar did you'ns cum from?" Our captors treated us kindly,
gave us plenty to eat, and their officer, Lieutenant Beverly, gave
me a pair of cotton pantaloons, a pair of shoes, and ten dollars in
Confederate money. The next day we were sent to Waynesville,
326 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
where we remained two days, when we were sent to Blacksheai 4 ,
where I again met my old prison comrades, and had many invita-
tions to join in overpowering the guards and trying to escape;
but I was sick of trying to escape through such a swampy, deso-
late country as that along the Atlantic coast of Southern Georgia.
After a few days I was sent to Thomasville, with many others,
arriving in a hard rain-storm, in which we stood all night, in a field
by the railroad. In the morning Captain Bledsoe, in charge of
us, gave us permission to cut timber and build us shelters; three
others and I scooped out the sand about two feet, put over it a
ridge-pole, and covered it with slabs, and made us a bed of pine
boughs. We were allowed plenty of wood at Thomasville, and,
together, we had several dollars of Confederate money, and we
were very comfortable there. But, in about three weeks the
Rebels again moved us to Andersonville, marching us on foot
fifty-five miles, to Albany, where, at night, we were locked up in
box cars, ninety in a car, so crowded and smothered that twenty
died before morning in the car I was in. About nine o'clock in
the morning we reached the old Andersonville Prison. We got
off from the cars sick, stiff and nearly famished, and entered the
prison, and were assigned to various companies, to draw rations.
I remained there until about the twenty-fifth of March, 1865,
when, with others, I was put on the cars, expecting to go to the
new point of exchange, Jacksonville, Florida. From Albany we
marched on foot, and, the first night, while going into camp, it
was whispered among us that we would be sent back again to
Andersonville. Sure enough Colonel Jones, the Rebel officer
in charge, came along, and said : " Boys, you are ordered back.
Your authorities at Jacksonville will not receive you." Oh, how
cruel our own officers not receive us! It seemed to us that they
did not want us, a lot of starved skeletons that might never be fit
for duty again better let us die in prison than be troubled with
us. I watched all that night for a chance to escape to the woods
and swamps once more, but got no opportunity. Lots of the
men gave up trying to live, and died. In three days all that were
left of us were back again in Andersonville, where we remained
until the seventeenth of April, when we heard that the Union
cavalry were approaching from the direction of Montgomery,
Alabama. At ten o'clock at night the Rebels put us on the cars
and started us for Macon, burning up the stores left at Anderson-
ville, and it looked as if that hell was permanently evacuated.
We did not reach Macon the trains ahead of us came back with
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 327
the prisoners aboard, and we all started back toward Anderson-
ville. How anxiously we wondered if we would stop at Ander-
sonville! We came in sight of it, and the train rolled by! How
glad we were! We grasped each other's hands, and cried, we
were so glad. We reached Albany, then marched to Thomas-
ville, and then to Ocean Pond. Five of us, and I among them,
were set at work making out new paroles, working at it three
days. We there heard of the surrender of Lee's army, and of the
assassination of President Lincoln, but we did not believe either,
our guards so often deceived us. They piled us on the cars and
took us to Baldwin, twenty-seven miles from Jacksonville. They
told us to start we were free, and must walk. Brown, Ulmsted
and I started together. After a while said I, " Boys, let's hur-
rah?" " No," said Brown, " the Rebels may change their minds,
and take us back ! Wait until we are safely outside of their
pickets." We did cheer when Ave got safely outside of their
pickets, and with light hearts we kept on. About nine o'clock the
next morning, April twenty-eighth, 1865, we caught sight of the
"Stars and Stripes" floating over the city of Jacksonville, Florida.
The sun grew brighter, and the air fresher. Oh, how good the
old Flag looked to us as we marched on ! How happy we were
when we marched under its bright folds, with uncovered heads!
We were at last at home !
A soldier who was with the detail sends us the following
account of carrying a dispatch :
On the morning that Kilpatrick's cavalry took up its line of
march from Marietta, Georgia, to Savannah, just as the Ninety-
Second had reached the top of the hill near the Military Academy
south of Marietta, four men from Company D, Corporal Andrew
Delhi, and privates Ezra Wallace, Johnson Lawrence and Albert
Craven, were detailed to report at once to General Kilpatrick.
The detail immediately reported to General Kilpatrick at the
head of the Cavalry Division, and the Corporal was given a sealed
dispatch to carry to Colonel William D.' Hamilton, of the 9th
Ohio Cavalry. General Kilpatrick told us that our undertaking
was a dangerous one, for the woods and mountains were full of
bushwhackers, but that we must trust to our alertness and our
trusty Repeating Spencer Rifles. We were directed to go back
as far as Dalton, should we not meet the gih Ohio Cavalry before
reaching there. If we should meet the gth Ohio before reaching
Dalton, we should deliver the dispatch to Colonel Hamilton, and,
with the gth Ohio Cavalry, return to Kilpatrick's command
328 NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
again. But, if we missed the gth Ohio entirely, then, on reach-
ing Dalton, we were to choose between the chances of going on
back to the garrison at Chattanooga, or making an attempt to
retrace our steps, and, following on in the track of the army,
rejoin Kilpatrick's Division. So we four started back northward,
while all of Sherman's army was marching southward. Nothing
occurred to break the monotony of our ride until we reached Al-
toona Pass, where we found the citizens engaged in removing the
wounded Rebels, who had been there since their fierce attack just
after Hood had commenced his march toward Nashville. Some of
the Rebel officers, who were but slightly wounded and had their
side arms, were a little inclined to be saucy, and intimated that
our little squad might have a body-guard before long; but, heed-
less of their dark hints, we pushed on, and were soon winding
our way along the lonely road around the sharp crags and bluffs
that loom up on each side of the road north of Altoona Pass,
when, as we made a sharp turn in the road, we saw, only a short
distance in front of us, a squad of about thirty Rebels riding
leisurely and carelessly toward us. Quickly our four Spencer
Rifles came up and flashed their bullets toward the Rebels. In
concert we shouted, " Forward, forward, come on, boys," and we
four dashed forward, when the thoroughly surprised Rebels, as
demoralized as if they had met the whole of the Ninety-Second
Regiment, broke and retreated in confusion. As they retreated
before us, by ones, and by twos, and by fours, thev dived into the
woods to escape their pursuers, and verv shortly the coast was
clear in our front. And then we bovs began to realize that our
greatest danger was at hand ; for, we knew that the Rebels, as
they climbed the hills that overlooked the road, would very soon
discover that they had been bluffed, and would rally and pursue
us. Our forebodings were not amiss; very soon we heard the
shrill notes of a Rebel bugle sounding the " recall," and, in a few
moments, the scales were turned, and it was we four Ninety-
Second boys that were fleeing for dear life, with that whole pack
of Rebels in pursuit of us. Our pursuers did not appear to be
gaining on us very much, until, when we were descending a steep
pitch in the road, the horse that Lawrence was riding stumbled
and fell, throwing Lawrence some feet ahead of his horse, and so
confusing him that, when he regained his saddle, he insisted on
going .back instead of going forward. The other boys, who had
halted to assist him, and defend him by pumping their repeating
rifles at their pursuers, soon convinced Lawrence, and we four
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 329
again dashed forward. The Rebels were close upon us ; but we
boys knew that it was life or death with us, and with our spurs
we roweled our jaded horses, and with our Spencer Rifles we
sent back shot for shot at the gray-coats chasing us and we
answered them defiantly, yell for yell. The race was exciting
our horses were sensibly slackening their speed, and the Rebels,
with drawn sabres, and yelling at us, were gaining on us, and the
Etowah River was close in our front our fate seemed sealed
when, suddenly, the pursuing Rebels stop yelling they halt
they are themselves retreating ! And well they might, for the Reb-
els were the first to see the advance of the gth Ohio Union Cavalry
coming up the bank of the Etowah River. Colonel Hamilton
sent a company from his regiment after the retreating Rebels,
but darkness soon came on, and they made good their escape.
The Corporal delivered his dispatch to Colonel Hamilton, and
with the 9th Ohio we joined our command again, and marched
with it from the mountains of Northern Georgia down to the
sea-shore.
On the ninth of September, 1863, the Ninety-Second entered
Chattanooga, and information was immediately sent to General
Rosecrans that Bragg had evacuated that place, and, with rein-
forcements from Richmond, intended to give battle, very shortly,
to Rosecrans. That wily Teuton gave no heed to the informa-
tion he regarded Bragg as flying from him in fear and dismay
a thing that Bragg had no idea of doing. The Ninety-Second
marched through Chattanooga to the mouth of the Chicamauga,
and an officer of the Ninety-Second, who was unwell, stopped at
a fine country mansion by the roadside, and remained over night.
His hostess was a Rebel lady of much intelligence. We extract
from a letter written home by the officer, the following account of
his night's entertainment:
I dusted off my clothing, and, with the aid of a darkey or two
washed up, and was soon seated at the supper table. The party
consisted of Mrs. W ; a young lady, a Miss R ,
dressed in home-spun of excellent manufacture; and two pretty
little girls, daughters of Mrs. W . My hostess was an intel-
ligent lady, with very agreeable manners at the table. Supper
over, I was conducted into the finely furnished parlor, Mrs. W.
and Miss R. accompanying me, and conversation ran on chattily
between the Rebel ladies and myself. They plied me with ques-
tions; how long had I been in the service? how manv men
had General Rosecrans? where was my home? why did I
41
330 NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
come away down here to fight them? what was my politics?
what did I think about the war? and a thousand other questions.
After a while I asked, " Mrs. W., where is your husband?" She
answered, " My husband, at my request, left home yesterday, for
the middle portion of the State." " Is he in the Confederate ser-
vice?" I asked. She answered, quite positively, " No, sir; he is
in very delicate health, and has been for more than three years.
He is not able to do any duty as a soldier; otherwise he would be
in the Southern army, for he is a true Southern man. I wished
him to go away from home and stay until the Yankees were
driven back." " Indeed, Madam," said I, " that was cruel in you;
for, if he remains absent until we are driven back, I am afraid
you will never see him again." Miss R. smiled in derision, and
Mrs. W. confidently answered, " O, I don't know about that. If
my seeing him again depended strictly upon your being driven
back, I am very sure I would see him again before many days. But
I did not wish him to remain here and fall into the hands of the
Yankees. He is a true Southern man, and has given largely to
support our cause, and he would be too good a prize fora Yankee
prison. I would rather never see him again than to have him
captured and thrown into a Yankee prison the very thought
almost kills me. IToti may think the Yankees are going to hold
this country; but you will not do so many days." And then she
added, smilingly and coaxingly, " How many men does General
Rosecrans have?" I answered, "I might tell, I suppose, very
nearly; but you must excuse me it would not be soldierlvfor me
to impart such information." She pleadingly pursued, " O, why
not tell me it would not injure your cause to tell me I am sure
I will never say anything about it, and, if I desired to communi-
cate with our officers, I could not, for I am inside the Yankee
lines do tell me?" I replied, " Well, lines sometimes change,
and, besides, it is very easy for you Rebels' 1 and then I hesitated
to see the effect of that term ; I feared' that it was a little harsh, but I
began to feel that it was just she was quick to see my hesitation,
and said, " Do not be backward about the use of the word Rebel,
for I am proud to be called a Rebel." I continued, "You cannot
be prouder of that term than I am of Yankee, and so we will use
both terms without offense to-night. It is verv easy for you
Rebels to communicate -with your arm}', although you are within
our lines, and it would not be proper for me to impart information
regarding our army." She pleadingly continued, "O, there would
be nothing improper in just telling me, for, as I live, I will not
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 331
tell any one. You can just give me an idea, without committing
yourself, you know?" I answered, "No, no; you know that I
am an officer of the Union army, and to impart such information
would be doing violence to my sense of duty, and would surely
give you a poor opinion of a Yankee officer." " Well, well," she
said, "it will do no harm at any rate to say where General
McCook is, and how many men he has?" " 1 beg pardon," I said,
" but, really, it is useless to press such questions upon me." She
smiled pleasantly, and said, " I do believe you are honest."
"Well," I replied, "do you, really, now? That is compli-
mentary." " Oh, no offense," she quickly responded, "do not be
offended ; I did not mean it so." The conversation ran along on
many subjects I endeavored to keep it away from anything con-
nected with the war, but the ladies would bring it back to that
again and again, by their questions. Said Mrs. W., " I don't see
how so fine a gentleman as you are can think of living under Abe
Lincoln. What do you think of his Emancipation Proclamation?"
" I think it a most blessed thing, madam," I replied. She con-
tinued, " Do tell me, are you an Abolitionist?" I answered,
" Well, no that is, when the war broke out my feelings were not
that way but they have changed now. When the Proclamation
was first issued I did not exactly approve .of it; but the longer I
am in the army, and the more I see of the Rebels, the better \
like the idea of giving the black man his liberty. In fact, I am
beginning to like it considerably; and it is my opinion that, if the
war lasts a great while longer, there will not be a black man left
in the Confederacy to darken your doors, unless it is with United
States muskets in their hands." " Do you really think so?" she
asked. " I certainly do, madam," I replied. She said, " O, if
Lincoln would only withdraw that Proclamation, I believe the
war would soon be over." I laughed, and replied, " No, it
would not. The Rebels had three months' notice of the Procla-
mation, and refused to lay down their arms." She petulently
inquired, "What do you think of old Lincoln, anyway?" I
answered warmly, "Me! I think that Abraham Lincoln is one of
the greatest and noblest men now living on earth." " Oh, dear
me," she said, "do you really think so?" 1 answered, "I do,
madam." " Well," she said, " I believe you are honest in it. But,
for my part, I cannot see what there is to admire in him." I
looked at her and at Miss R., and smilingly replied, " Procla-
mation, ladies!" They dropped their eyes for a moment; then
Mrs. W., looking up, said," O, that nasty Proclamation ! If he
,332 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
would only take that back and I half believe he will have to do
it yet." I answered, " It is useless to think so. The North has
been lenient to Rebels too long already." I was anxious to drop
the subject, and made many efforts to change our conversation to
some more agreeable topic. I asked her how much corn she was
raising, and she replied, that she had on that plantation one hun-
dred and eighty acres, and on another eighty acres, and considera-
ble on another up the Tennessee River, near Knoxville. The
conversation ran smoothly along for some time upon other
subjects than the war. But after a while Mrs. W. asked, "When
do you think the war will close?" I answered, " Not until the
Rebels lay down their arms and submit to the authority of the
United States." She earnestly retorted, " They will never do
that." " Then," said I, " the war will continue until the Southern
people are annihilated," and I added, half jokingly, " if the war
lasts so long, you may never see your husband again." She
looked at me inquiringly, while the moisture in her eyes betrayed
the emotion she did not wish me to notice, and said, " Do you
really think so?" "I do, indeed, madam." "But," said she,
" that would be inhuman." " Not more so," I replied, " than a
continued resistance to the authority of the United States. There
is no escape from it sooner or later the South must submit to
the lawful authority of the government they are in rebellion
against." " But," she replied, " I know that the South will never
do that." " Well," I said, " the question cannot be argued out
with words, ladies. Dreadful war must settle it, and one side or
the other must yield. I feel sure that, in the end, the Rebels will
yield to lawful authority. I might be as positive as you are, and
say I knoiv they will, for the Rebellion will be crushed out, even
if it requires the death of all the Rebels to accomplish it." She
answered me, " I believe you are sincere, for I have never con-
versed with a gentleman of more apparent candor and earnestness.
But I think well, in fact, I know, you cannot hold this country
but a short time longer. It will be a Buell and Bragg race for the
Ohio, except under more favorable circumstances for us. Gene-
ral Rosecrans will be driven out of Chattanooga into the Ten-
nessee River. I do not believe that Rosecrans will ever get his
troops onto the north side of the Tennessee again, for, when
General Bragg commences, he will give you no time to cross."
" Well," I replied, " I believe you are very candid with me in this
conversation. But I feel sure we shall not be compelled to fall
back, unless Bragg has a much larger force than he is supposed to
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 333
have." "What force do you think we have?" she asked. I
replied, " Well, you cannot drive us back, unless you have at
least one hundred thousand men to do it with." She quickly
answered, " We will concede to you a greater force than that, and
then General Bragg will whip Rosecrans, and not far from here."
Not far from here! thought I, and inquired, "Why do you say
'not far from here?'" "Because," she answered, " this will not
be far from the battle-field, and we shall have Chattanooga too.
I wish you to remember this conversation, and if you live through
the battle, which, indeed, I earnestly hope that you may, you will
find that I am right. I am only telling you what you may as well
be prepared for, and I do hope that you will get through sate, and
that I will see you again some other time, under more favorable
circumstances." I laughed at her prediction of disaster to Rose-
crans, and turned the conversation again upon other matters, and
the evening wore away. At a late hour I was shown to my room,
and Mrs. W. told me I could sleep, without fear of molestation, in
the same bed that more than one Rebel General had slept in.
With a pleasant "good night," I was left alone. At daylight I
arose, and, going out on the back porch, was putting on my spurs,
when Mrs. W. came out through the dining-room door, and bid
me a cheerful "good morning." I arose, and greeted her as
cheerfully as she had greeted me. We chatted cheerfully, she
urging me to remain for breakfast, and ordering her servant,
Cato, to give my horse a good feed. The conversation would
turn again upon the war, and, Mrs. W., looking out toward the
Chicamauga River, said, " Your army will be defeated right
here; you are not going to get along so fast as you think. I wish
you to remember what I tell you." " Why," I asked, " if Bragg is
going to fight, why did he evacuate Chattanooga?" She ans-
wered, "That was not done of necessity, but as a matter of
strategy on the part of General Bragg, in order to get Rosecrans's
army among the mountains on the south side of the Tennessee)
where escape will be hopeless after the sound thrashing Bragg
will give Rosecrans." Mrs. W. was a very intelligent lady, and I
began to think that she knew what she was talking about. She
had informed me the evening before that she was well acquainted
with Bragg, and Wheeler, and Forrest, and other Confederate Gen-
erals.- We soon went into breakfast, which over, I cordially shook
hands all around, thanked Mrs. W. for my kind entertainment
over night, and bade them adieu. As I mounted to ride away,
334 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
Mrs. W. said, " Remember what I told you." I replied, " O, I
will remember it. Good bye, ladies."
No one can read this chat with Mrs. W., an intelligent South-
ern lady, in the light of subsequent events, without arriving at the
conclusion that she did know what she was talking about. Bragg's
evacuation of Chattanooga was entirely a question of strategy.
He fell back behind the Chicamauga in order to await his expected
reinforcements under Longstreet, from Richmond, and in order
to strike Rosecrans's columns singly, and destroy them in detail.
That explains Mrs. W.'s anxious inquiry about General McCook,
and the forces under him. Failing in that, after his reinforce-
me/its arrived, Bragg actually struck Rosecrans's army in flank
while it was racing back to Chattanooga; and Rosecrans's army
was only saved from meeting the complete disaster predicted by
Mrs. W., through the heroism and soldierly skill of one of Rose-
crans's subordinate Generals, Major General George H. Thomas.
J. W. Gushing, of Company D, sends us the following narra-
tion ot a day's experience foraging in South Carolina:
On the thirteenth of February, 1865, a party of six, including
myself, were detailed to forage during the day for our company.
We left the command at daylight, with instructions not to ven-
ture more than five miles from the road the Regiment was march-
ing on ; and, under no circumstances, to scatter out on different
plantations, but to keep in a body, ready for battle, and with our
forty-two shots in our trusty Spencers defend ourselves if occa-
sion required. We met with no difficulty during the forenoon,
and had no success in foraging, as other Yankee troops were
ahead of us. We, therefore, ventured farther from the command,
and had better success in finding corn for our animals, and hams,
sweet potatoes and chickens for the men, of which we laid in a
bountiful supply for ourselves and comrades in camp, when we
started for our command, which was to camp that night at the
junction of the Charleston and Augusta Railroad. The negroes
informed us that it was fifteen miles to the junction. About four
P. M., while halting for lunch, we distinctly heard firing a long
distance in our front; but, supposing it was some of our own men,
killing hogs or turkeys or chickens, we gave no heed to it. On
continuing our march, as we rounded a curve in the road, we
were surprised to hear from a Rebel patrol the command " halt!"
accompanied by a shot from his Confederate musket. As quick
as thought up came our half dozen Spencers, and the Rebel patrol
was killed. We began to fear trouble ahead. We Captured the
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 335
Confederate horse the patrol was shot off from, and loaded him
with a part of our provisions and forage, and cautiously pro-
ceeded; after we had traveled some distance, coming in sight of a
cross-roads, we saw a squad of a dozen Rebels, having a joyous
time, judging from their gleefulness. They had not discovered
our approach. Some had on blue coats, others blue pants, and it
was with some difficulty we determined their true character. We
had to pass that point; the country was swampy, and no other
road for us. We formed in line across the road, and quickly
charged them with a yell, pumping our Spencers at them as we
rushed toward them. They were completely surprised, and, ex-
changing only a few shots with us, they retreated up one of the
cross-roads. And our eyes here met a sight that was horrifying;
there, by the roadside, where the Rebels were so gleeful when we
first caught sight of them, lay three Yankee soldiers, two of them
dead, and one just breathing his last. I put my ear to his mouth,
and he had just strength left to tell his name, company and regi-
ment, and say that "we were murdered after our surrender."
They belonged to Company D, fth Michigan Cavalry, of Atkins's
Brigade. The Rebels had captured them, and, after disarming
them and stripping them of their valuables and clothing, had delib-
erately shot them down. A negro on the plantation, who saw it,
detailed to us the story. We ordered the negroes to bury the
murdered boys of the gth Michigan, and moved on, and had not
proceeded far, when we could distinctly hear the clatter of hoofs
in our rear, and we knew that the squad of Rebels, far outnum-
bering us, had rallied, and were after us. We started our Con-
federate pack-horse on in advance, and formed in line across the
road and awaited our pursuers, and, as soon as they came in sight,
we gave them a volley from our Spencers, and charged them,
keeping up our firing while charging, and driving them back some
distance, when we wheeled and hastily retreated. The gray-coats
had been reinforced, and instead of a dozen, we had twdnty-five
or thirty after us. We felt alarmed it was nearly twelve miles
yet to camp. It was nearly night, and we hoped our pursuers
would not come on again but we soon saw a squad of them on
our left, attempting to flank our little party and get ahead of us
on the road. We whipped up our Confederate pack-horse, and
had the advantage of the flanking party, as they were going
through woods and fields, and had occasional fences to impede
them, while we had a good road to march upon. It was growing
dark, and, hopeless of reaching the road in our front, the gray-
336 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
coats again charged our rear; but we halted them with our Spen-
cers, one of our boys having his horse shot in the charge. It
began to look like a capture for us Andersonville began to loom
up before our imaginations. The Rebels were in rear of us, and
troops approaching us in front also. We might take to the woods
and scatter, and trust to the darkness of the night to escape our
enemies ; but the troops approaching us in front proved to be a
squad of the 9th Ohio, of our Brigade. They were in our advance,
and, hearing our firing, had returned to our assistance. The Reb-
els, probably judging from our cheers that we had been rein-
forced, did not molest us again, and we returned to camp with the
rations for our comrades and forage tor their animals.
Richard H. Lee, of Company B, who was " Orderly" for Cap-
tain Horace J. Smith, of Company B, who served on General
Atkins's staff as Brigade Adjutant, sends us the following:
On the morning of March fifth, 1865, I was sent by Captain
Smith four miles to Division head-quarters, to obtain for him a
pair of new cavalry boots. I returned with them, but they were
too small ; and back I went for a 4arger pair, obtained them, and
returned, and Captain Smith had just pulled them on, when a
sharp volley was heard at the picket post. The Captain mounted
old "Possom," and started for the picket post, I following, but he
soon directed me to order the regiments of the Brigade to saddle
up, and T returned to obey his order, and the Captain rode out to
the picket post. Giving his horse to a soldier to hold, he climbed
to the roof of an old log house to discover the position of the
enemy, when the Rebels charged, and sent a volley toward the
post. The Captain's new boots slipped out from under him, and
he rolled to the ground. The soldier holding old " Possom"
thought the Captain was killed, and, letting old " Possom" go, he
retreated with the picket post. General Atkins and staff were
riding toward the front, and, having delivered my order, I rode
with them, until our troops came back pell mell, some horses
with and some without riders, and among the latter was old
" Possom," Captain Smith's horse. I caught him. One soldier
told me that Captain Smith was killed, but another said he saw
him take to the brush. I waited with his horse, hoping he would
come up. The Rebels were advancing, and shooting so carelessly
that my hair stood on end, and pulled for a week afterward. I
soon saw the Captain coming through the brush, and beckon-
ing me to hold on. I waited until he came up and vaulted
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 337
onto the back of old " Possom," and we hastily retreated within,
our lines.
Dick Lee tells the folllowing also:
While camping for the night, near Wadesboro, N. C., a tame
deer came running through the vard near the camp-fire of the
Brigade Orderlies, with a jingling sheep bell attached to his neck.
One of the boys proposed a venison steak for breakfast ; it would
not do to shoot the deer but we soon had him corralled in a
corner by a smoke house, and not many minutes after he was cut
up into steaks and distributed. Then out of the house comes an
old man, accompanied by a staff officer, passing close by us, and
we heard the old gentleman say, " The deer is one I am raising,
and I am afraid they will shoot him." The officer replied, " No,
they dare not shoot in camp, and if he is like some dears I know
of, he will be hard to catch." The old man replied, " If I could
just hear the bell, I would drive him into the grove back of the
house, and feel safe." " Elias," who stood by, cautiously picked
up the bell, and we soon heard its tinkling jingle in the grove.
" There," said the old man, " I know'd he was too smart for
you'uns." And the satisfied old gentleman accompanied the staff
officer back into the house.
A soldier writes : While passing through Raleigh, N. C., one
of the gayest and most gallant officers on General Atkins's staff,
when near what he supposed to be a " Female Seminary," asked
permission of the General to take the Brigade Band and serenade
the ladies. The General tipped a wink to the other members of
his staff, and gave permission. Away went the officer with the
Band, and music was soon floating out on the air; but the ladies,
talking to each other by making signs with their fingers, soon
revealed to the officer that his music was unheeded by the deaf
and dumb mutes he was serenading. The officer returned with
the Band, and, until he was mastered out of service, he never
heard the last of that gallant serenade.
It was expected that this chapter would contain some contri-
bution, story, personally reminiscence of the march, battle, picket
duty, scouting or foraging, by every member of the Ninety-
Second. But the members of the Regiment have been slow to
furnish such material, and the Committee on Publication can onlv
say, that they have, in this chapter, made use of all the material
furnished them.
338 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
CHAPTER X.
THE REUNION AT POLO, SEPTEMBER FOURTH, 1867 GENERAL
ATKINS'S ADDRESS A REUNION ASSOCIATION ORGANIZED
THE REUNION AT FREEPORT, SEPTEMBER FOURTH, 1870
GENERAL SHEETS'S ADDRESS THE REUNION AT MOUNT
CARROLL, SEPTEMBER FOURTH, 1873 MAJOR WOODCOCK'S
ADDRESS.
The first Reunion of the Ninety-Second was held at Polo,
Ogle County, Illinois, on September fourth, 1867. The following
account of that Reunion is taken from the public press. The
Chicago Republican said: v
" At the depot the Polo band welcomed the visitors, and
General Atkins found himself busy for a season, shaking hands
with his boys. One mile away a beautiful grove was prepared for
the occasion, and thither, in line of march, the throng pressed
forward. The meeting was called to order by Major Albert
Woodcock." There was music by the band, and prayer was
offered by the old Chaplain of the Regiment, Rev. Barton H.
Cartwright. Then followed the address, an hour and twenty
minutes in length, by General Smith D. Atkins, of Freeport, the
Colonel of the Ninety-Second. The following is a resolution
adopted by the members of the Regiment present at the Reunion,
immediately after the close of General Atkins's address, with his
reply :
"Resolved, That we have listened with pleasure to the address
of General Smith D. Atkins on this occasion, and respectfully
request a copy for publication."
" POLO, Sept. 4, 1867.
" To the Soldiers of the Ninety-Second Illinois Volunteers :
"In compliance with your resolution, I herewith hand you a
copy of my address at your first Reunion.
" Very Respectfully Your Obedient Servant,
"SMITH D. ATKINS."
ILLINOIS. 339
The following is the address delivered by General Atk'ins
at Polo :
Soldiers of the Ninety-Second Illinois :
COMRADES FRIENDS: I commence my remarks with con-
flicting emotions of joy and sadness joy that so many battle-
surviving veterans are here to answer to roll-call to-day, and
sorrow for the many who sleep quietly in their beds of glory on
the battle-field's holy ground, who never more will answer roll-
call until the bugle note of the resurrection reveille shall sound
the assembly to the morning call of the grand Adjutant on high.
Hail, survivors of a most glorious band ! Citizen soldiers, and
soldiers that are citizens ! The crowded memories of the last five
years come rushing, thronging, so thick and fast, like battalions
closed in mass, that I find it difficult to detail those that must
perform the duty of a single relief on this occasion.
Five years ! so long to look forward so short to look back !
It seems only yesterday that our prairies were all alive with
patriotic ardor, and little parties were traveling over the country
with fife and drum, holding meetings in every school-house,
drumming up recruits ; where the laborers from the harvest fields
thronged late at night, and glee clubs were singing, " We are
coming, Father Abraham, six hundred thousand more," and "We
will rescue our country, we'll save her or die!" Who can torget
those meetings, or would forget them if he could? It was in
those meetings that the hearts of the American people were
touched with the sacred fires of liberty, and melted into a patriot-
ism from which was moulded as heroic deeds as embelish the
history of any age. How many a husband who went to those
meetings with no thought of enlistment, returned to his wife with
tearful eyes to tell her he had enlisted he couldn't stand it any
longer the dear old flag of his fathers had been insulted, aye,
liberty was in danger traitors had dared to raise their bloody
hands against the country Washington had saved, and by the
memories of Bunker Hill and Lexington, and his gray-haired
revolutionary sires who had bared their breasts to the storms of
war, he must go! And then a sleepless night, in which all the
little plans for his absence were discussed and the good-bye kiss.
Ah, boys, you will not soon forget your partings ! Happy, happy
wives that have your husbands back again. Happy maidens
whose lovers are here. Happy mothers, happy fathers, that are
here with your soldier boys to-day. But, Oh! God pity the wives
340 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
who are waiting yet the maidens whose lovers come not back
the fathers, the mothers, whose darling boys shall never come
home.
In this Reunion you will rapidly live over again you already
have done so all those bloody years; you already have recounted
to one another the incidents of every camping ground, every
march, bivouac, skirmish, and battle.
You have not forgotten Rockford, where you took your first
lessons in camp-life. You thought the rough board barracks,
and the rations prepared by loving hands at home, and brought
you in baskets, hardly good enough. You thought the company,
squad, and battalion drills hard work; but you learned by and by
what a terribly in earnest thing it was to leave a citizen's for a
soldier's life. Don't you sometimes quietly smile when you think
of the dirk-knives you bought, the pistols with which you loaded
down your belts, and the curiosity shops you so carefully stowed
away in your knapsacks to the tune of a hundred pounds? When
will vou forget your first march down through the streets of
Rockford, that bright October morning, nine hundred and fifty
strong, with colors streaming in the wind and martial music
filling the air? How many tearful eyes were there how many
delicate hands waved adieu, as the train slowly rolled off bearing
you away !
And you have not forgotten your camp in the old field south
of Covington, Kentucky, where you heard the first hostile shot,
and the last one fired by Kirby Smith in his raid on Cincinnati.
Do you remember your field drilling there " Foward into line.
By companies, left half wheel. Double quick. March!" and
away you went tumbling down into the dark ravines, or climbing
the sides so steep you had to cling to the grass. It was there you
drew your bell tents, and a six mule team to each company to
" tote" your " traps." It was there, at four o'clock one afternoon,
you started on your second march, thirteen miles on a good pike
road, and I never saw a Regiment march so before or since. A
quarter horse was nowhere. I couldn't keep you back ! But the
next morning, when you tied your boots together and hung them
over your shoulders, because you couldn't get them on your swollen
feet, you could march quite comfortably slow. Do you remember
how the sullen roar of artillery sounded off to the front that
evening, when Aids came riding back to tell us somebody was
fighting? But you got used to artillery after that!
You remember, too, your experience in Kentucky, marching
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 34!
along by the plantations of the rich old Rebel planters of the
blue grass region, guarding the property of the enemies of the
country, while you drank out of their cattle ponds ! And our first
entrance into Lexington, the home of Henry Clay, all the
Regiment singing,
" We will rally around the flag, boys, rally once again,
Shouting the battle-cry of Freedom !"
And on the road to Mt. Sterling. Have the boys of Company
"A" forgotten the nice, fresh mutton they furnished the hospital
one day? How the darkies flocked into our camp. Have you
forgotten Mt. Sterling? I wonder if those " secesh" planters
have got their slaves back yet? Do you recollect Winchester?
It seems to me I can now hear the " tramp, tramp, tramp," of the
old Regiment on the broad pike road of Winchester town, with
guns loaded and bayonets fixed, while the crowds ot the cadaver-
ous looking Kentuckians, who had come there with the avowed
purpose of suppressing the Ninety-Second Regiment, slunk
away. And the moonlight evening in camp, where the Major
sang, " Dinah am a handsome gal," and your Colonel got down
from his dignity, and showed you how to "cut a pigeon wing!"
And on to Lexington again I don't imagine the State of Ken-
tucky is many millions better off for the black boys they
compelled you to return to them. And at Danville, where our
Band was organized, and our glee club sang at our dress parades,
" So let the cannon boom as they will,
We'll be gay and happy still,
Gay and happy, gay and happy,
We'll be gay and happy still."
But among the first music our Band learned was the solemn funeral
dirge, and we followed to their burial many of our boys at Dan-
ville. And what a march we had from there after John Morgan.
Perhaps the regular army officers thought we could catch that bold
rider with columns of infantry, but no volunteer officer thought
so. How the rails disappeared that dark and rainy night when
our boys went into camp, and how long your faces were the next
evening, when you camped again in Danville on the very ground
you had occupied before, and were without the board floors to
your tents which you had made bonfires of when you began your
march. And the march to Louisville. I wonder if the fellow
who got his skull cracked with the butt of a musket in Louisville
342 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
has been hunting fugitive slaves lately? And down the Ohio and
up the Cumberland, where we reached Fort Donelson in time to
see the dead Rebels that Colonel Harding, of the 83d Illinois, had
mustered out, but not in time to take active part in the glory of
that repulse. And on to Nashville and Franklin. We didn't do
much fighting at Franklin, but we cut down lots of timber, built
the largest kind of breastworks, had some fine Brigade drills, and
turned out in line of battle regularly every morning two hours
before daylight! It was at Franklin that our new old Chaplain
came to us, and it was marching from Franklin to Triune one hot
morning that you threw away vour blankets, which the Chaplain
kindly gathered up and piled in front of him on his horse and
returned to you again on going into camp, when some graceless
soldier even took the Chaplain's blanket, to pay him for his pains!
And at Triune you heard Rebel shell go fluttering over your
camp for the first time. And from Triune you marched through
rain and mud to join the right flank of Rosecrans's army in his
movement against Tullahoma and Shelbyville. Do you recollect
your march from Guy's Gap, with the "Johnnies" captured at
Shelbyville, and the plantation kettles full of coffee Captain Espy
had prepared for them? Would to God the kind treatment we
always gave the Rebel prisoners had induced them to treat kindly
our poor boys at Andersonville and Libby. And from Shelby-
ville to Wartrace, through the hardest rain-storm that ever fell.
And the building of the bridge over Duck River, where, while
you were working, details were made to gather for you black-
berries by the tub full. And then you were " paddle-ducks" no
longer, for Wilder came along and "gobbled" you up for his
" Spencer Brigade." How glad your faces were Avith the thought
that you would have no more hard marches, loaded down with
heavy knapsacks. And what a gala day was that about Columbia
and Shelbyville, gathering up horses and darkies the horses to
mount yourselves upon, and the darkies to muster into the ranks
of the Army of the Cumberland, bearing the bright banners of
liberty, and " keeping step to the music of the Union." What a
funny cavalcade you were, mounted on Tennessee plow nags, with
citizen saddles of every pattern, infantry clothing and long Enfield
Rifles, but a happier, more determined, braver set of men never
drew rein. General John E. Smith used to call you " Mame-
lukes," and as I remembered the campaign of Napoleon in the
shadow of the Pyramids of Egypt, and the annoyance the fiery
Mamelukes gave him, hanging on his flanks or falling like an
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 343
avalanche on his detached parties, I was disposed to accept as a
compliment what he intended as a jeer. And then from Decherd
over the mountains into the Tennessee Valley, at Harrison's Land-
ing, where one of the Polo boys got a shot in the arm, sent from
Dixie's land across the Tennessee River, the first soldier in the
Ninety-Second wounded by Rebel lead. There you learned that
the " Spencers" would carry f arther than the Enfields, and taught
the swaggering "Johnnies" on the other side of the river to " hunt
their holes" behind their breastworks. And here it was that our
good old Chaplain was so exercised about the Tennessee lady that
was coloring her cotton clothing " butternut." How his voice
rang through the camp as he went hallooing, " Doctor Winston !
Doctor Winston! There's a woman 'dying' over there!" and
Doctor Winston, good-natured fellow, couldn't see where the
" laugh came in." And back again over Walden's Ridge, down
through the Sequatchie Valley, and over the Tennessee, to report
to General Rosecrans for special duty, the only mounted force at
his immediate command, for all the cavalry was with McCook on
the right, or with Wilder and Minty on the left. Colonel Van
Buskirk, and the detail with him, were the first blue-coated sol-
diers to drink in the air on the top of Lookout Mountain, and
brought back the first authentic intelligence to General Rose-
crans that Bragg had evacuated Chattanooga. And the. next
morning it was your honor to lead the advance over Lookout
Mountain, driving the Rebel pickets before vou and into the town
of Chattanooga, planting your colors first in that Rebel strong-
hold, while columns of dust from the fleeing cavalry of the enemy
were yet rising, and the rattle of advance firing sounded on the
air, and made it possible for General Wagner, who laid idly on the
north side of the Tennessee, to cross over in a skiff and telegraph
over the country that he was the first into Chattanooga! And on
through the town, after Forrest and his Rebel horde, to Frier's
Island, where Wilder was attempting to ford the Tennessee. Do
you remember your camp that night on the old grape plantation?
And then to Ringgold. Can't you hear the bullets, boys, " tszip,''
" tszip," as they sounded that bright morning, our first prospect of
a fair stand-up fight? If General Van Cleve had pushed into
Ringgold, instead of stopping for an artillery duel, we would have
" bottled up" Forrest and two of his brigades. And away toward
Rossville, saving on the road Crittenden's wagon train, the
Ninety-Second coming up just in time to repulse the Rebel charge.
And down the top of Lookout Mountain that dark night "artil-
344 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
lery closed up !" to Thomas's head-quarters, establishing courier
posts. And with Turchin's brigade at Dug Gap, where the
Rebel army was held in check irom morning until sundown,
waiting for McCook. And the burial of Giles at night with light-
wood torches 'neath the fat pines. And then the bloody field by
Chicamauga's dark river! Words fail me to tell that story. When
General Reynolds said to you his front line was hotly pressed,
and the Ninety-Second was the only reserve he had, you hitched
your horses to the trees, and, forming as infantry, you started to
reinforce the line, and found the regular battery already captured,
and the entire brigade cut to pieces and fleeing before a tumultu-
ous sea of Rebels, and you, halting in the open field, while the
enemy's bullets rattled around you, and the fleeing troops of the
broken brigade crowded past and through your line, it was yours
to steadily receive the shock of the enemy's victorious charge, to
halt it in your front by your heavy volleys of musketry, and hold
the ground until your artillery had left you, and the gray-coats
were surging past your flanks! Then you sprang to your horses,
and while the flood of artillery and infantry went streaming to
the rear, you faced to the front again, and passing around the
Rebel column that had broken and penetrated our lines, you re-
joined Wilder's Brigade and formed on his left flank, filling a part
of the very gap made by the assault on our lines! Were you not
glad when General Nagle's column marched in on our left? How
terribly sounded the continuous roll of musketry, as he pushed
out on the enemy in the gleaming of the twilight! Will you not
hear, ringing in your ears in your old age even, the agonizing
cries of the wounded between our line of battle and the enemy,
crying for " water! water!!" God grant that in all our fair land
such cries may never again be heard except in memory.
And the next morning, when we scattered out in a thin skir-
mish line to hold the entire front of Wilder's Brigade, while
Rosecrans's lines were retired to the hills, and sent word again
and again to McCook of the heavy columns of the enemy moving
past our left, and when the shock of the storm of which we had
repeatedly warned him burst on McCook, it scattered his thin
lines like chaff, and left us nearly surrounded, and we only got out
in time to see all McCook's corps, like a cloud of dust, floating
away from the field. But you did not join the cloud! With
Wilder you gathered up the wounded, the ambulances, and
deserted artillery left upon the field, and, holding the Rebel cavalry
in check, sullenly retired. How your hearts ached to be with old
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 345
" Pap" Thomas on the left, where the Union cannon still thun-
dered defiance to Bragg's minions and Longstreet's legions!
Companies " K" and "C" were there to witness the bull-dog
tenacity of the hero of Chicamauga, and have a part in the glory
achieved by the troops under Thomas. And away again to Har-
rison's Landing, picketing the Tennessee, and back again over
Walden's Ridge to Caperton's Ferry, to Huntsville, to Trianna,
where Colonel Sheets "didn't catch a fish," but where we had
plenty of forage for our jaded animals, and where Skinner and
his scouts had plenty of riding, and played many a trick on the
confiding "Johnnies" on the south side of the Tennessee. And
then back again to Ringgold, where we went into Kilpatrick's
Division, and had a camp in the open field so finely policed and
shaded with artificially planted evergreens, that General Elliott
pronounced it the handsomest camp in the Army of the Cumber-
land, and the onh' camp in the cavalry. I can see the camp now,
with Taylor's Ridge sweeping away to the south; and oh! what
sad memories come back to me as I remember the bloody mas-
sacre of our poor boys captured at Nickojack Trace! I had
solemnly protested against picketing eight miles away, and
expected disaster at that post; but I did not expect that soldiers
captured bravely fighting would be brutally murdered after they
had laid down their arms! No civilized people could be thus
guilty! It required a barbarism that had enslaved four millions
of men, lifted its bloody hands against the temple of liberty
WASHINGTON had raised, contrived and executed the horrible
tortures of Andersonville, Millen, Salisbury and Bell Isle, and
culminated in the assassination of the great and good LINCOLN, to
produce the libel on a soldier or a man that could coolly murder a
captured enemy, as our poor boys at Nickojack were mbrdered.
Whenever I think of the brave men so cruelly butchered, I will
curse the cowardly guilty criminals who did it, and curse the
treason that was the father of the crime. But a day or two after
Nickojack, when we pushed the enemy down to Tunnel Hill,
many a gray-coated Rebel bit the dust, when you went into battle
shouting, " Boys, remember Nickojack!" And then with Kil-
patrick in the lead on Rockyface, and through Snake Creek
Gap to Reseca, where our little General was wounded, and on to
Lay's Ferry, and Adairsville, and Kingston, and while Sherman
was thundering against Atlanta, scattered along the line of rail-
road keeping open communications, or under Major Woodcock
on the wild ride around at Atlanta, and at Jonesboro, Flint River
43
346 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
and Lovejoy's. And at all these places the music of your
" Spencers" was heard whenever a gray -coated " Johnny" was
seen, heard first, and heard latest when we heard their sharp
rattle, we knew the enemy was near, and when we no longer
heard it, we knew the enemy had gone.
And when Sherman captured Atlanta and gave his army rest,
you lay in camp on half rations, while your Division Commissary
was running bakeries, and selling you bread at a shilling a loaf !
And when Hood started around Sherman on his campaign
against Nashville, it was yours to lead Sherman's columns
against him, and gallantly achieve new laurels at Powder Springs
and Van Wert. Do you remember how you drove the enemy
from Powder River and pushed up to the village of Powder
Springs, under the command of Captain Preston, until you de-
veloped the long line of the enemy, and drew the fire of his light
and heavy artillery, and then retired bearing your wounded and
your dead? Do you remember your charge at Van Wert and the
music of the dozen Rebel bands, that solemn evening when the
news came that the enemy had surrounded us on every side?
And back again to Marietta, where our Division was reorganized
for the grand campaign from the mountains to the sea. Do you
recollect your review by General Sherman, the smoking ruins of
Marietta, and the destroying of the railroad, and the commence-
ment of our march, leading Sherman's columns southward, while
Hood was marching north? Do you remember the brilliant
charge of the first brigade, at the old Rebel earthworks at Love-
joy's, when that brigade took back again the two pieces of artillery
the Rebels had taken from Stoneman? And at Bear Creek
Station, where we sent Wheeler flying toward Macon, and the
night marching across the Ocmulgee on the pontoons, and into
a country where horses and turkeys and sweet potatoes were
plenty. And from Clinton to Macon, where Captain Becker,
with a battalion so handsomely repulsed the charge of Crew?'s
brigade; and do you recollect how that Rebel brigade scattered in
utter confusion in every direction through the woods and fields,
leaving us an open road up to the Rebel earthworks east of
Macon? Can you not now even hear the cannon thunder, and
the bursting shells from the nine pieces of artillery with which
the enemy opened on us and can't vou see the long line ot
burning railroad ties, with the iron rails heating for bending?
The cutting of that railroad put Wheeler in our rear, and cut off
the Rebel General Cobb with his Georgia " Melish," and gave
ILLINOIS. 347
Snerman uninterrupted roads as he wheeled his grand army to
the left and held his course for Savannah. And then that rainy
night when we retired on the Clinton Road, and buried our dead,
and amputated the limbs of the wounded. And the next morning
when you boys, under that cool, intrepid officer, Colonel Van
Buskirk, who honored the silver leaves he wore, and had doubly
earned the eagles he would have honored, so handsomely repulsed
the four heavy columns charging against you, and achieved as
brilliant a little victory as the history of the war can furnish. I
give the credit to the skill of your commander, and your cool
braverv; but you, I know, will give the credit to your trusty
" Spencers" that served you so well and faithfully on many a
trying occasion. And then away through Milledgeville to the left
flank of the army, feinting on Augusta, and turning short off for
Millen. Do you remember the day when Wheeler came up in
our rear, joined by Wade Hampton and his Potomac cavalry, and
you so steadily and ably held the rear guard while Kilpatrick's
column, uninterrupted, continued its march all day long? I
seldom have seen the cool bravery and courage of the Ninety-
Second put to a severer test, or more evenly and squarely vindi-
cated. After they had charged one or two of the "rail barricades''
and found them full of " Spencers," they became very shy of
charging, and the remark I made to Kilpatrick was true, that
there was no danger to his Division as long as the Ninety-Second
was between it and the enemy. Kilpatrick thought the next day
that he would superintend the rear guard in person, and came
very near getting his precious little person into a Rebel prison,
and he himself confessed if it had not been for one of the regi-
ments of my Brigade, the 9th Michigan Cavalry, with their
" Spencer" Rifles, he would have been captured. Do you recol-
lect Buckhead Creek Church, when an Orderly came to tell us
that General Kilpatrick was captured, and we waited for the first
brigade to pass through ours? and the fight on the Chevish planta-
tion, a little farther on, where we all sat down in the road and
gave Wheeler and Hampton, with their combined force far out-
numbering ours, an opportunity to run over us if they could, and
how they couldn't! The only mistake of that engagement was
that Kilpatrick did not have a couple of regiments ready to
charge the confused ranks of the enemy, after we had given them
so handsome a repulse! But that was lacking a great manv
times. If always, when the Ninety-Second had charged the
enemy on foot, broken their ranks and sent them flying, a well-
348 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
ordered cavalry charge had followed up the victory, Kilpatrick
would have done what the Rebel General Forrest never failed to
do, and his many laurels, bright now, would have been brighter
still. And then the fight at Waynesboro. Do you recollect your
night on picket, when the enemy brought up his artillery, and
Erb and Merrill were mustered out honorably? and the next
morning, when you were double-quicked into the fight without
breakfast? Thanks to the pistol in Schermerhorn's breast coat
pocket if it had not been there, he would have had marching
orders to report to his quarters on high. How proud I was of
the old Regiment that morning! How coolly vou charged the
enemy's long line of barricades, capturing eighty-seven of the
"Johnnies," and grinding out the shot from your coffee-mill guns
on the backs of the fleeing mass that attempted to retreat. How
soldierly you behaved, scorning to leave your ranks to take
charge of the prisoners your valor had captured, leaving them to
be picked up by the cavalry following, and yourselves pressing
forward, shoulder to shoulder, and repulsing, with the deadly fire
of your death-dealing " Spencers," the heavy charge of Rebel
cavalry by which they attempted to regain their lost ground!
That was a brilliant victory, but brilliant as it was, we paid dearly
for it. Brave "Gedee" Scott and his no less brave comrades who
sleep to-day in their narrow little beds on that victory-crowned
field was part of the price paid for victory. And on to Savannah,
where the dashing waves of the Atlantic sounded welcome to the
brave Western men who had marched from the heart of the
Continent, over mountain barrier, through rocky defile and dis-
mal swamps, to plant the eagle-surmounted shot and shell-torn
standards of the old Republic on the ocean-beat shore! Have you
forgotten your foraging after rice in the straw for your horses,
your trip to the Altamaha River, your foraging expedition to
Tavlor's Creek after corn, sweet potatoes, honey, turkeys, and
chickens? How did you like your oysters gathered up from the
neglected oyster beds, on New Year's day, 1865, at King's Bridge?
Do you remember our second review by General Sherman, in the
streets of the captured city of Savannah, where we passed in
review before the Secretary of War? And away again through
rain and swamps on to the " sacred soil" (?) of South Carolina?
Do you remember how you put your cartridge boxes on your
heads and held your guns up over them and waded the Salke-
hatchie River under the fire of the enemy, and charged over the
abatis up the steep hill opposite, and drove them out of their
NINBTT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 349
earthworks? When will you forget Barnwell wrapped in flames,
or Blackville Station, with its miles of burning railroad ties?
When will you forget Aiken? Wheeler and Hampton had there
prepared a trap for you, and Kilpatrick's dare-devil dash drove
you squarely into the jaws of the trap, but when they sprung it
and thought they had you nicely, they found they had caught a
tartar! There never was a tight place that the Ninety-Second,
with their Repeating Rifles, was not sent into; and you will
, remember how fearful I was that the Regiment would some day
be surrounded by the enemy and be left by the cavalry to get out
again .is best it could.
At Aiken, Kilpatrick ordered me to withdraw with the balance
of my Brigade and leave you surrounded, but I determined to
maintain the reserve line until you came out, or at least until I
could no longer hear the rattle of your " Spencers." How often I
have urged you to stick by one another, and fight in a body, what-
ever might be the odds against you. You did it at Aiken, and
we did not have to wait long until you had cut your way through
and were ready to turn again upon your enemy ; and, with the
gallant gth Ohio and pth Michigan, charged them in turn, driving
them through Aiken in confusion, and rescuing Companies " K"
and "A," still left surrounded by the "Johnnies," and fighting
among the buildings in the town, and bringing off your wounded.
Bitterly the enemy paid for their effort to gobble up the Ninety-
Second Regiment. They buried eighty of their slain at Aiken !
After that I had no more fears that the Regiment would ever get
into a place it could not get out of, and about concluded that all of
Jeff. Davis's gray-coated legions could not capture the Ninety-
Second! It was a hard task to fight, with four little regiments,
Wheeler and Hampton with seven divisions; but seven divisions
could not whip you while you had plenty of ammunition for your
"Spencers." And on again, past Saluda Factory, Columbia,
Winnsboro and Rocky Mount to Solemn Grove, where vou
marched in the night on a parallel road with the enemy's column,
and so close your flankers mingled with theirs, and the loud talk-
ing in their column could be plainly heard, and when we struck
the forks of the road, and supposed we had got in ahead of them,
we met one of Wheeler's aids, who came dashing back ordering
us to " hurry up," and we quietly informed him he was a prisoner,
and Kilpatrick's troops didn't obey Wheeler's orders. But we
learned from him that three divisions of Rebel troops were on the
road just ahead of us, and four divisions of Rebels coming up in
350 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS,
our rear we had just filled the gap in the L^ebel column, and
with Wheeler leading and Hampton following, we were marching
along the same road with them ! So we concluded that if the
Rebels wanted that road so bad they might have it all bv them-
selves, while we plunged into the dark pine woods and found an-
other road off on the right. Only cool, intrepid men, who would
not speak above their breath, and were ready to fight, could be
taken out of so dangerous a place. And on, by Fayetteville to
Averysboro, where we opened the fight by capturing Colonel
Rhett, of South Carolina, who had just evacuated Fort Sumter.
And on again, to Bentonsville, where Johnston's "Johnnies"
showed fight, but where, when " Uncle Billy" turned his columns
around to give them fair battle, between dark and davlight,
" Folded their tents like the Arabs,
And as silently hastened away."
It was your fortune to first make the discovery in the morning
that the ubiquitous gray-backs had " slid out," and to lead the
advance that followed on through the town of Bentonsville. Then
we turned around and greeted Schofield at Goldsboro, who, after
his magnificent victory over Hood at Franklin, from behind the
very fortifications you helped to construct, and Hood's final repulse
at Nashville, had taken the cars to the sea-coast and sail to New
Berne, to shake hands again with his old comrades of the Atlanta
campaign. Honor Lincoln, and Grant, and Sherman, and Thomas,
and Schofield, and all who planned or helped to execute that
grand winter's campaign; and when you grow old tell your little
grandchildren that you marched and fought with Sherman's boys
in the grandest campaign in all the world's history. And as soon
as Sherman had issued clothing, you led his columns against
Johnston at Smithfield. Have you forgotten the bright morning
when we drove the enemy across Swift Creek in North Carolina,
found the bridge destroyed, and, after part of your Regiment had
waded the creek so as to hold the other side, our pioneers rebuilt
the bridge, and just after the Ninety-Second began crossing, Major
Nichols, of Sherman's staff, rode up with the news that Lee had
surrendered to Grant? No, you have not forgotten it, and you
will never forget it. How your caps went into the air, how loud
your glad voices rang out how bright the starry banners we had
so long followed looked as you gave them to the breeze and the
sunlight; and never before did bugles blare and trumpets blow so
loud, or music sound so sweet as when our Band struck up " Hail
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 351
Columbia!" But the still stubborn "Johnnies," in their earth-
works half a mile across the creek, who had been only waiting for
part of the column to cross to make an attack when no support
could be offered by the troops not yet across, had not yet heard of
Lee's surrender, and did not know the war was ended ! But you
boys of the Ninety-Second, shouting and laughing with the glad
news you had just heard, coolly received the wild charge of that
Rebel brigade, halted it with murderous volleys from your ever
faithful " Spencers," turned it back, and shouting still with joy
over Lee's surrender, dashed after the retreating Rebels, and cap-
tured their earthworks. Brilliant victory but, oh ! the price we
paid ! I never felt so sad in battle as I did then, when I looked
upon the poor boys who there, after the great war was in fact over,
and victory was with our eagles, received marching orders to
report in heaven. Little did I dream when I saw Major Hawk,
under the great oak tree by the white farm house, pale and bleed-
ing with his terrible wound, that I should greet him here in a
Reunion of our Regiment in our Illinois home. Long may he
live to receive the greetings of his old comrades in arms! And
on, through Raleigh to New Hope Creek, where our Brigade fired
its last shot. It was my fortune while Captain of Company "A,"
nth Illinois, to assist in capturing one of the first (if not the first)
Rebel flags captured west of the Alleghanies ; it was a few days
after Ellsworth captured the Rebel flag at Alexandria, Virginia,
and a day or two before Governor Oglesby captured the Rebel
flag on the Mississippi, near Columbus; and a book recently pub-
lished in New York, edited by a Southern lady, gives the Brigade
I commanded the honor of firing the last loyal shot in the war
before the surrender of Johnston's army. And then you quietly
sat down in Chapel Hill to await the terms of surrender that was
to close the most gigantic Rebellion known in all the world's his-
tory.
No sooner did you hear of Johnston's surrender than you were
clamoring to be mustered out; you were not soldiers from choice;
you went from a sense of duty alone, and when the power of the
Rebellion was broken, and the Rebel armies scattered, your duty
was done. All the world's history can furnish no prouder record
than was achieved by our citizen soldiery, and never before have
a million battle-scarred heroes left the bloody field as soon as the
last hostile shot had died away, and hastily returned to kiss their
wives, their babies, and their sweethearts, and resume the peaceful
callings they had left. With the flag of your country, known and
352 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
honored in every part of the world where the bible is read and
Christianity acknowledged, proudly floating over you, secure in
the liberties your valor helped achieve for your country, you are
laboring in your professions, at your trades, or on your farms.
Children of the North American Republic, proud of your coun-
try, your country is proud of you.
One feature in our Regiment I have not yet mentioned a
feature which will gladden the hearts of some of the fathers and
mothers of the boys. As soon as the Regiment was mustered in,
a party of Christian gentlemen belonging to the Regiment organ-
ized a Thursday evening prayer meeting, and, during all our
service, I do not believe that one Thursday evening was permitted
to pass without a meeting of that Christian band. Many a time
have I heard their earnest prayers and fervent amens rising above
the din and confusion of the busy camp, and louder than the wind
and storm. Such Christianity is a badge of honor in this life, and
will prove the highest honor in the next. Those who believe the
army so demoralizing that virtue cannot live in it, are sadly mis-
taken gold is refined in the fire and I can bear cheerful testi-
mony that the professors of religion in the Ninety-Second, both
officers and men, so bore themselves as to honor the profession
they made.
Very little have I told you of our Regimental history battle
after battle have I passed by without mention yet who shall say
that your Regimental career was not one of uninterrupted honor?
and shall not the impartial historian record that the Ninety-
Second Illinois did fully its part in crushing out the great slave-
holders' Rebellion? and who shall dare assert that the starry
emblem of liberty, " flag of the free heart's only hope," given
into your keeping, although tattered and torn in battle and
campaign, was not brought back by you without a stain on its
bright blue field ?
Some tell me these Reunions are wrong, that we ought to
strive to forget, and not to remember our terrible sufferings, pri-
vations, battles, and maimings, the horrible prison pens, and
deliberate butchery of our captured prisoners, and forgive our
erring brothers of the South, who tried to lay our temple of
libertv in ruins, and attempted to wade through seas of blood to
found a Confederacy, with slavery as the chief corner-stone. Did
our revoiutionarv sires seek to forget Bunker Hill and Lexington
as soon as the power of King George was broken? Did they
forget the prison ships? Did the people of America forget
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 353
WASHINGTON and his compeers? No! While liberty survives,
the fame of the Continental soldiers will remain bright, and as
long as a revolutionary hero shall live, so long will the American
people honor the survivors of the revolutionary struggle; and
when all are gone, their memories will live to keep bright the
sacred fires of liberty their heroism kindled. Time, in its flight,
will bring such memories to the American people of you. Their
battle, and your battle, was for freedom. In the sacred cause of
liberty and humanity, they fought and bled ; and so did you. For
the last ninety years, those who have loved their country and
liberty have met annually, and, kneeling around the altars of
liberty, have renewed their vows to keep their memories bright
forever; and hereafter, mingled with praises of them, will be
praises of you.
Christ has taught us that forgiveness is for those who seek it,
"confessing their sins." There is no man living more willing
than I am to forgive those people in the South who see their sin
and are turning from it. But when their sins are forgiven, and
they are received into full fellowship in the American Church of
Liberty, they must kneel with us and worship at Liberty's altar;
thev must join with us in chanting the songs of Freedom, and in
sounding the praises of the "boys in blue," who battled Rebel-
lion's hosts under Liberty's bright banner.
Let us cherish the sacred memories of our soldier life let us
never forget the terrible price we have paid for liberty, or the
" crimson currency" in which it was paid. Let us honor the
memory of our dead comrades, whose graves are scattered over
Kentucky, on the banks of the Tennessee, by Chicamauga's dark
river of death, around Atlanta's hills, along the roadside beneath
the dark pines of the Carolinas, or in nameless graves at Millen
or Andersonville.
" The muffled drum's sad roll has beat
The soldier's last tattoo;
No more on life's parade shall meet
The brave and fallen few.
On Fame's eternal camping ground
Their silent tents are spread
And Glory guards, with solemn round,
The bivouac of the dead."
And it seems to me that now, from their bright homes on high,
they are looking down on this Reunion of the old Regiment, and
44
354 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
there comes a message from away beyond the clouds, "Comrades,
stand by your colors keep the old flag to the breeze!" And
from your hearts I know goes back the reply, " Aye, we will !
The bright starry banner, emblem of liberty, that floats so proudly
over your graves, shall be kept to the breeze ! We are children
of the Republic, and if dangers threaten we will 'rally around the
flag' as in days gone by !" And again from heaven's starry dome
I hear the return reply, "All is well!"
Cherishing the sacred memories of our comrades gone, owe
we no duties to the gray-haired father or mother, whose staff and
support in life's declining years these fallen boys were? owe we
no duties to the weeping widows, or little fatherless children
they have left? Yes, we owe these duties they are solemn and
binding. We should e%'er be ready to divide the rations from our
well filled haversacks which the all-bountiful Commissary of the
universe so freely issues to us, with any of those who need. Let
a permanent Reunion organization be formed, and let its most
sacred duty be to hunt up those suffering ones, and systematically
apply the relief which a soldier's warm heart is always ready to
bestow upon the kindred of his dead comrades.
And in the Articles of Reunion, let us provide for a meeting
every three years, as long as any of the old Regiment survive, to
renew our vows to liberty, and our allegiance to the dear old flag.
Will all that are here to-day meet in our Reunion three years
hence? No, not all. If I am living, I will be at that Reunion.
But, ere then, some of us will have marching orders from Him
who outranks the President or The General, the Grand Com-
mander of the universe, and will have gone into permanent quarters
beyond death's pontoons, on the other side of the dark river. And
who will be here ten, twenty, forty years from now? Will our
old Chaplain be here to offer his spiritual advice, and on bended
knees offer prayer to the Throne of God for the gray-haired vete-
rans, who, forty years from to-day, will hold the Reunion of the
Ninety-Second Regiment? Not likely. In the course of nature,
it is probable that the oldest will be gathered to their fathers first.
And who among us all will be the last to answer roll-call on
earth ?
And then, while liberty blesses the loved land of our bjrth, the
old Regiment shall all meet together again, up yonder, where our
blattle-slain comrades are waiting to greet us, in a Reunion where
there never shall be parting more, nor death, nor battle, on the
"eternal camping ground" beyond the skies.
NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 355
At the close of General Atkins's address the Band played.
Afterward the "Commissary call" was sounded on the bugle,
occasioning a lively interest. After two or three hours, pleasantly
spent in picnic fashion in the beautiful grove, the Regiment held
a "dress parade" and a short " battalion drill." " Sick call" was
sounded, but all present reported for duty. A permanent Re-
union organization was perfected. General Smith D. Atkins was
chosen President; Captain R. M. A. Hawk, Vice-President; J. C.
Lowe, Recording Secretary; Dr. George R. Skinner, Correspond-
ing Secretary; Dr. Clinton Helm, Treasurer; Rev. Barton H.
Cartwright, Chaplain. In the evening the generous citizens of
Polo gave the Ninety-Second, and all soldiers present, an enter-
tainment and supper in Agricultural Hall.
The following account of the second Reunion of the Ninety-
Second is taken from the Freeport Journal :
The Ninety-Second Illinois Mounted Infantry Volunteers
held their second Reunion at Wilcoxon's Opera House, in Free-
port, on Thursday last, September first, 1870. The day was
beautiful ; the early train from the east brought large delegations
from Companies B and K ; extra passenger coaches were attached
to the 9:30 train from the south, on the Illinois Central, and came
in loaded; the morning train. from the west brought large delega-
tions ; the noon trains from the east and west, on the Western
Union Road, also brought many to attend the Reunion ; from an
early hour in the morning until noon, the old members of the
Regiment, accompanied by their lathers and mothers, their wives
and children, and family friends, came thronging into the city in
wagons and carriages, until the streets presented a holiday ap-
pearance. At a little past one o'clock p. m. the Freeport Zouaves,
under command of Captain Hurlburt, accompanied by the Wins-
low Brass Band, paraded through the city, and at two o'clock p. m.
the audience assembled at Wilcoxon's magnificent Opera House,
the use of which had been tendered for that purpose by Mr.
Wilcoxon without cost, and at a little past two o'clock p. m.,
after the jam of finding seats in the Opera House was over, the
exercises began, by the audience being called to order by General
Atkins, President of the Ninety-Second Illinois Reunion Asso-
ciation, who stated that the Reunion was held under the auspices
of the Ninety-Second Illinois Mounted Infantry Volunteers, a
Regiment that was composed of five companies from Ogle
County, three companies from Stephenson County, and two com-
panies from Carroll County, and was mustered into the service at
356 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
Rockford, Illinois, on the fourth day of September, 1862, and,
after almost three years' service, after the close of the war, was
mustered out, and held its first Reunion at Polo, Illinois, on Sep-
tember fourth, 1867, five years from the day on which they were
mustered into the service. At that Reunion they had resolved
to hold a Reunion so long as two of the members of the old
Regiment should be alive, once in every three years. In obedi-
ence to that resolution they were there and they had cordially
invited the soldiers of other regiments to meet with them, and
the citizens also, for they well knew that the memories of the
past, which were so dear to the surviving members of the Ninety-
Second Illinois Volunteers, were the common memories of all
the soldiers of the Republic, and of the people of America. The
exercises began with music by the Band. Afterward the Presi-
dent stated that it was a well-known fact, that the Ninetv-Second
Illinois was a God-fearing and a God-serving Regiment, and it
would be appropriate that, before anything further was done, they
should join in prayer, while Chaplain Cartwright, the old and
well-beloved Chaplain of the Regiment, invoked the blessings of
Deity, and the President called upon Rev. Barton H. Cartwright,
who made an appropriate prayer.
After which the President called upon Captain 'E. T. E. Becker
for a song, and Captain Becker came forward to the stand, and
sang the beautiful song commencing,
" 'Tis finished, 'tis finished, the great work is ended,"
which was heartily applauded by the audience.
After music by the Band, the President introduced General
Sheets, of Ogle County, late Lieutenant Colonel of the Ninety-
Second Illinois Volunteers, who, the President said, was a modest
gentleman, quite bashful among the ladies, but whom he had
known to face the enemy upon the battle-field without flinching.
The General came forward, amid applause, and spoke as follows :
SOLDIERS, COMRADES, FRIENDS: Addresses are sometimes
appropriate but at a soldiers' Reunion I believe them always out
of place. We come here to think and talk of the scenes of the
past of events gone by of hardships endured of struggles deep
and earnest, and to renew the associations of the past; and under
such circumstances a set speech must always be out of order.
And yet, in obedience to the orders of my superiors, I am here to
inflict on you just such a speech.
When our good old Chaplain Cartwright first came to the
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 357
Regiment, he asked me how we got the Regiment out to preach-
ing. I told him, if the boys, being hungry, could find a good din-
ner, they would need no urging to eat, and a good Chaplain, fur-
nishing them with such spiritual food as they needed, would have
no difficulty in getting them out to hear.
Sabbath morning came the hour for worship had arrived
no church bells broke the stillness of the morning instead of the
Chaplain asking the Adjutant to call the Regiment together for
worship, I heard his clarion voice (not always melodious) crying,
" Ho, boys! come up here and help me serve the Lord for half an
hour, and I will help you in the trenches the balance of the week."
I need not assure you that everything was abandoned, and if all
did not serve the Lord for half an hour, they listened to the Chap-
lain's sermon. I shall not make you so rash a promise.
I have arranged, briefly as possible, a few of the events in the
history of our Regiment. If there are soldiers of other commands
here, we greet them most cordially we were brothers struggling
in the same cause and they may find something in our history
that will be responsive to their own experience.
The Ninety-Second Illinois was mustered into the service of
the United States, at Rockford, Illinois, September fourth, 1862.
It was composed of two companies from Carroll, three from Steph-
enson, and five from Ogle. Of the one thousand men composing
the Regiment, 999 of whom I dare speak, were as true and good
as the war ever produced. It is no disparagement to others, to say
that better material for soldiers was never mustered for the con-
flict. Men of noble impulses, men of high culture, your own
sons, brothers, or husbands were there.
Our first experience in camp was at Rockford. It was so un-
like the experiences of war, that none of us will ever forget it. I
have no doubt but that your memory to-day is fresh in the remem-
brance of those yellow-legged chickens those broad-backed tur-
keys the delicious fruit the rich cakes, and everything which
wife, or mother, or sister could provide for our wants. How those
tables in the rear of our barracks used to groan beneath their
load!
And there, too, came our first experience in drill. Do you
remember a crowd of very wise looking fellows, numbering
thirty-three, with 'bright shoulder-straps, to whom nine hundred
and seventy of you less fortunate fellows used to tip your hats?
Do you remember how we thirty-three dignified men were lead
out each day, by a beardless boy called Lawver, and put in train-
358 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
ing for our high position? You called them the a-wk-ward squad.
The most prominent thing about them was the glitter of their
new uniforms. Their hands and feet were always in the wrong
place. Was there ever anything more laughable or amusing than
this officers' drill; unless it was to see Doctor Winston on horse-
back, at review ?
Who will ever forget how wise your Captains and Lieutenants
were after these drills, when they took you out into the same
fields and repeated what they had learned? There, too, your awk-
wardness was displayed. Then came the Regimental drill, when
we were exhibited to the multitude. Do you remember the first
time I undertook to drill the Regiment? My first command,
promptly executed by you, put the Regiment in such a position as
to require the skill of every officer for ten minutes to straighten
the line again. I had not then learned to say that I kneiv the
command was wrong, and only gave it to see if you would exe-
cute it. Fond parents looked on at those drills, and, pointing with
feelings of noble pride to their boy, said, " Isn't our John a model
soldier? Wouldn't he look fine with those shoulder-straps ? and
he would certainly set an awkward horse better than those awk-
ward field officers."
But the days of this soldiering were soon numbered. The mid-
dle of October brought the long hoped-for order to move to the field
of strife. Every fellow seemed spoiling for a fight, and in his own
estimation weighed two hundred pounds avoirdupois! The last
farewells were said the last kiss from mother, sister, or maiden
was taken, and away with the speed of the wind, we went South-
ward. Many alas, how many, never again to return to friends
or loved ones. All over the South-land lie buried those who went
forth that morning with hopes bright as we. Noble boys no
sister's, or mother's, or maiden's hands pressed their foreheads, or
closed their eyes in death. They went down always with their
face to the foe. Noble, heroic boys how we loved them !
" Sleep, soldier boy ! the clarion tongue
Of deathless fame shall speak of thee;
And ages hence, thy name among
The brightest of the earth shall be,"
I am glad that here in Stephenson county you are building a
Monument in honor of these heroic men. The people of Byron,
in my county, were among the first to pay this tribute to the
memory of our fallen comrades. There, as here, you honor the
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 359
men, and the cause for which they fell. The Monument you
build will perish. Time, relentless time, with sunshine and storm,
will deface the words you have inscribed upon the marble but
out in the unfolding future, the fame and glory of these men will
gain new lustre. Humanity's cause, for which they battled, shall
never die. Soldiers surviving comrades while we enjoy this
Regimental Reunion, let us remember our fallen comrades.
After leaving Rockford, our first campaign was made in Loyal
Kentucky. We marched through her blue-grass region, always
beautiful ; we drank the green waters from her miasma stock
pond, while loyal Major Generals locked the wells; we burned no
fence-rails, robbed no bee-hives, twisted no chickens' necks, kissed
no pretty girls; but -we tvould steal niggers!
After marching and countermarching, we neared the moun-
tain region, and, finding no armed Rebels, we went into garrison
duty at Mt. Sterling. Here was developed the startling announce-
ment that the Regiment had but one married man, poor old Cap-
tain Brice, and I really believe he would, have passed for unmar-
ried, if he had not have had a gray-bearded son in the Regiment.
It was here that we witnessed the first, and, so far as I know, the
only, exhibition of cowardice on the part of a private soldier in our
command. While marching through the streets of Mt. Sterling,
one of our boys said to a beautiful Kentucky girl, who was carry-
ing a little flag the Stars and Stripes " What will you take for
that flag?" Her quick and ready response was, " a kiss, sir!"
And he, who afterward faced danger on a hundred battle-fields,
and assisted in carrying our banner on to victory and triumph,
was too cowardly to capture that little flag!
I have always thought that the soldier imagined that the Adju-
tant reserved all such duties for himself; I am sure he was not an
officer, for we had no officer, not even Captain Becker or Captain
Hawk, who ever turned his back on such a foe. It was here that
our Colonel Atkins (wonder if Mrs. A. is present?) learned to
sing, with gret fervor,
" Miss Julie am a handsome gal,
Her heart am young and tender."
Boys, have you forgotten Miss Julia? The Colonel used to
take me along, and the old lady (so unlike most mothers) had
such an easy way of getting me out of the parlor, so that the Col-
onel and Miss Julia could admire alone. The old lady used to tell
me about her lands, her niggers, and her family, while the Colonel
360 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
in the parlor defined love to Miss Julia. Here is what he was
overheard by one of the boys to say :
" Love, real love, cannot well be defined,
'Tis a feeling of feelings deep down in the mind;
. Suffice it to say, it is tenderly furious,
Painfully pleasing and peculiarly curious."
Mrs. Atkins can tell us whether the Colonel ever surpassed
this poetic effusion !
At Mt. Sterling, too, we had our first long roll. A crowd of
innocent darkies were hunting coons at night. Having treed his
coonship, they used powder and shot to bring him down. Our
sentinels, smelling the enemy afar off, gave the alarm. Needham
rushed for the drum men and officers for their arms, and in less
than three minutes our line was formed and ready for the strife.
The foe, of course, did not test our metal. Our only loss was
the heads of three drums that Needham stove in. And the only
disaster was that of the Major, who, in the great haste, got into
his pants, with his pants wrong end up.
The anti-slavery sentiment of our Regiment soon became
obnoxious to the good people of Mt. Sterling. Repeated orders
and changes brought us to Danville, Ky. On the whole, the
change was a pleasant one. Our stay in Kentucky was made up
of a mixture of pleasant and unpleasant events. We were called
the Abolition Regiment using the more chaste language of
Kentucky loyalists, we were " nigger thieves." We were pursued
by men and women hunting their chattels. Our Colonel, I
believe, stands indicted as a thief under the old laws of Loyal
Kentucky! I believe I express the sentiment of every soldier,
when I say that our cause suffered more from the so-called loy-
alists of Kentucky, than from the Rebel element. Had Ken-
tucky joined the other Rebellious States, the war would have
been shortened by years. Her loyalty was always with an "if."
I need not assure you that the order, transferring us from the
Army of Kentucky to the Armv of the Cumberland, was hailed
with shouts of joy, and songs of gladness. It meant more active
work. We learned that inaction was death. What we needed in
the army, as well as out of it, was something to do. Active work
brings good health, and develops strong muscle. . We soon found
this, but not exactly to our taste. Time and events brought us to
Franklin, Tennessee, where we found ample room for the exercise
of muscle in digging ditches, and building fortifications. These
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 361
works, that seemed useless then, afterward served to protect our
army under General Thomas, and many a brave fellow who
found shelter in them, gave thanks to the men whose efforts had
built them. At Franklin came that senseless order, putting us in
line of battle, long before daylight, and keeping us there until
General Granger should wake from his morning sleep, and order
" recall" sounded from the fort. That order would have cost us
the lives of fifty noble men, if we had not violated its spirit, and
spent the time in drill.
Our march from Franklin to Triune you have not forgotten.
I shall never forget how those knapsacks of yours looked on that
June morning. Many a fellow, anxious to save extra shoes and
blankets, started with knapsack larger than himself. We had not
marched more than five miles, before you began to strew the
ground with boots, shoes, overcoats, blankets, etc. This was our
first march after Chaplain Cartwright joined the command.
Seeing this great waste of property, the Chaplain undertook to
save it; riding up to the head of the Regiment, he told me what
was going on. I told him it was all right, that you ought to
lighten your load. "But," said he, "the poor fellows will need their
blankets." That night the Chaplain rode into camp, with his horse
loaded with blankets, and calling to the boys, he gave to each his
own. The Chaplain followed this until, one day, some wicked
chap claimed the Chaplain's own blanket, and left him to sleep
without any covering. This was the first time that Brother
Cartwright entertained a doubt but that everv Union soldier was
a good honest Christian. The second doubt came when he traded
horses with a cavalryman, and got a horse so religious that he
would always kneel, in going down hill. This march to Triune
brought us into the movement against Tullahoma.
During the following month, we were mounted and attached
to Wilder's Brigade. Could you have seen us as we were first
mounted, you would not have wondered that General John E.
Smith called us "Mamelukes." We had horses and mules of
every age, size and color. In August we crossed the Cumberland
Mountains, demonstrating against Chattanooga. Recrossing the
mountains, we reported to General Thomas at Trenton, Georgia,
and, on the morning of the ninth of September, entered Chat-
tanooga, and unfurled on the Crutchfield House our flag the first
Stars and Stripes seen in that city since the fall of Fort Sumter.
I must not attempt to trace longer in detail the history of our
command I can say of it, without detracting from others, that
45
362 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
in camp, on the march, in battle everywhere it did its duty,
whenever that was made known. Its discipline and drill were
above the average. Its fighting qualities below none. Those who
measure the service of a Regiment, or its bravery, by its losses,
fail of a correct estimate. I remember in the Chicamauga battle,
that in less than five minutes we lost, in killed and wounded,
thirty men, and it was at a time and in a place where we were
doing no possible good. He is a good commander who accom-
plishes the object desired with the least loss of life. The life of
a Union soldier was too precious to be sacrificed to gratify the
ambition of a reckless leader.
It would be pleasant to follow the Regiment into battle, to tell
you where, and how they fought. But this has formed no part of
my purpose. Three years ago General Atkins gave a detailed
account of the Regiment in battle. Since that time it has become
history, and you can read it there. The record is one of which
all are proud. No stain of dishonor rests upon it. It has been my
purpose, rather, to make mention of a few of the pleasing
remembrances of the past; to call to mind some of the unwritten
history of the Regiment. Of course I cannot picture these
events to do them justice.
I might describe to you Doctor Winston on horseback, or
Captain Schermerhorn as a cook, or Captain " Bobb Shorty" on
parade, and yet you could not appreciate fully those events with-
out the sight of the natural eye. I am sure if you should see the
Doctor on horseback, or eat one of Schermerhorn's camp dinners,
you would never forget it.
Camp life was not altogether as unpleasant as the people at
home were in the habit of believing. It had its bright and its
dark days its sunshine and its shadows its January and its June.
It was not always without social enjoyments. You have never
had a finer time at home in your parlors than we used to enjoy
when our Captain Becker used to sing of home, and friends, and
country. How often that trundle-bed song so simple, yet so
beautiful used to take us back over the by-gone years to child-
hood's happy hours. And then came Hope, painting the future
in characters of living light and beauty.
[General Sheets here suggested that it might be a good thing
if the Captain would sing that good old song right at that time.
The Captain came forward, amid applause, and gave the song,
when General Sheets continued:]
Do you imagine that Lawver or Skinner ever enjoyed a social
NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 363
gathering more than that near Bridgeport, Alabama, where each
of them took behind him on his horse a buxom Alabama girl and
went with " we uns" to the party ? All went merry at the party,
but on the way home Skinner's girl fell from the horse, and buried
herself in Alabama mud, so that neither Lawver nor Skinner, nor
both combined, could lift her on the horse again. Do you think
Schermerhorn was ever more tranquil than when he used to visit
Widow Lewis, down at Trianna? Even that long row of hats
failed to give him pain. Trianna was a great town for widows.
It was the custom there to hang a hat of each departed husband
on the wall as a remembrance of the loved ones gone. Widow
Lewis had ten of these hats. The Captain was there one day (of
course he was inquiring about the departed loved ones), and while
he was thus engaged some wicked fellow stole his horse and
equipments, and Schermerhorn never saw them again.
Speaking of hats reminds me of a fellow of Company F,
whom I saw hatless one day
I remember Petermyre, one of the boys ot Company F. It
was near Ringgold, in Georgia; we had received orders to report
to General Rosecrans, at Lafayette, Georgia and, by the way,
General Rosecrans himself never went quite so far south as
Lafayette, for Bragg, with his Rebel army and with the reinforce-
ments of Longstreet, from Lee's army, at that time lay between
us and Lafayette but we had our orders, and pushed out bright
and early on the road for Lafayette. Near Ringgold, we struck a
division of Rebel cavalry under Forrest. General Atkins was com-
manding, and he had formed a line of battle across the road, facing
south, with the right flank resting on the Chicamauga River, and
the left flank on the mountain, and we were pushing the enemy
with our Spencer Rifles, when suddenly the enemy's line of skir-
mishers gave way, and we charged up to their main line. Peter-
myre had got far in advance of the rest had, in fact, dashed right
in among the Rebels. Pretty soon he came down the road on
foot, and I asked him what he was coming back for, and he said :
" O, Colonel, Colonel, dey shoots my horse, dey shoots my gun,
dey shoots me here, and dey shoots me dar, and I'se almost
dead!" And sure enough Petermyre's horse had been killed
under him; another bullet had wounded him; another bullet still
had struck him, and lodged in the side of his pocket-book ; and
yet another bullet had shattered and torn away the butt of his
Spencer Rifle. It seemed laughable to me at the time, but I
364 N1NETT-SBCOND ILLINOIS.
didn't feel like scolding him for coming back. You see Peter-
m jre could not capture all of Forrest's cavalry alone !
While we were lying on the Tennessee River, General Atkins
sent me out one day to visit the picket posts. It was against
orders to kill the animals in the country, but sometimes the boys
would kill a hog, particularly if they thought they would not be
caught at it. " Dide" Haggart was on picket at one of the posts
I visited, and when I rode up to the post the first thing I saw was
a handsome porker, killed and dressed; "Dide" was greatly fright-
ened, but he was equal to the occasion. Said he, "Colonel,''
pointing to the hog, " that was the d dest hog I ever saw; he
came at me with his mouth wide open, and I had to shoot him to
save my life." I thought "Dide" was not very much to blame for
shooting such a very ferocious hog, and he escaped punishment.
The next morning the officers' mess had fresh pork for breakfast;
but the cook did not tell where it came from.
I have a notion to tell a story about our good old Chaplain ; I
hardly know whether I had better, but I guess I will. We were
on the march, and the boys came across %. patch of sweet potatoes,
and they " went for them," every man for himself, down on his
hands and knees, and clawing after the lucious tubers, and the
Chaplain was in the crowd. By and by the owner of the potato
patch came out, a tall gentleman, in a suit of black citizens'
clothing, with white neck-tie; the Chaplain did not look up to see
him, and the citizen said, ' It is too bad, it is too bad." " Yes,"
said the Chaplain, "it is too bad," but kept on going for his share
of the sweet potatoes. " Why," said the citizen, " I am a min-
ister of the gospel." " Yes," replied the Chaplain, as he hauled
out a big potato, " so be I."
These incidents were of every day occurrence. If it were
possible to gather them together, they would form an interesting
volume. Who will ever wish to forget them? And it in this
Reunion we shall spend the hours in refreshing our memories of
the past, our coming will not be in vain. We may talk of
heroic deeds ot the noble ones fallen, of the cause for which they
fell, and in all this find that which will be pleasant and profitable.
The war with its events is over. I trust the bugle may never
again call us or our children to the field of strife. It was a fearful
war. The Government has never, and can never reward you for
the hardships and perils you endured.
You can only look for your reward in the results accom-
plished. You have seen the hour of triumph. You have seen
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 365
our beautiful banner carried forward to victory. You gaze to-day
upon its bright stars and ample folds, and there you read in
characters of living light and beauty, those sublime words:
" Liberty and Union Now and Forever One and Inseparable!"
Your valor has vindicated the honor of the country, and saved
it from Rebel hate. Aside from the conscious assurance of hav-
ing done your duty well, you have the thanks of all loyal hearts.
The people have never forgotten the debt of gratitude they owe.
Politicians have, and would still deceive you. I heard them say
to men in my own county, "Go to the war, you ought to go, and
when you return the people will bestow upon you the offices, and
hold you in .remembrance." And yet, with the exception of two
or three post-offices, I know of no Federal positions in all this
Congressional District filled by soldiers. You were good to stop
bullets, but you must beg if you would fill a place of profit or
trust. Offices which have grown out of the war are filled by
men who never smelled powder, and all over the land there are
crippled or maimed soldiers, every way worthy, struggling in
poverty and want. These things have been so in the past, because
this patronage has been used by the politicians to secure place and
power. It ought not to be so. I am glad to say that I believe
this District is now represented bv a man who thinks more of his
Christian manhood than of the place he fills.
I rejoice in another fact. Higher and nobler motives than
these prompted you to shoulder your guns and peril your lives
for your country's defense. You saw the flag insulted and tram-
pled in the dust, and, leaving the endearments of home, you
placed friends, and property, and life upon the altar of your
country a willing sacrifice. You have saved the country from
Rebel hate, and have perpetuated, to yourselves and to your
children, the blessings of a free Government. You have solved
for the world the great problem of self-government.
The crushing of the great Rebellion here has done more to
perpetuate this Republic, and to plant in other lands the germ of
civil freedom than a thousand years of peaceful discussion. Such
an effect has b.een produced all over the world by our success,
that I belive those simple words, " I am an American citizen,"
would bring to the stranger a more affectionate and a broader
shield of protection, than to be clothed in the robes of royalty
and called a king. Its influence will be seen and felt all over
Europe in her populous cities, and in her mountain fastnesses
and shall be echoed and re-echoed along her blood-stained battle-
366 NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
fields, until every man and woman struggling for a nobler
development shall read with new joy of our achievements here.
You crushed the Rebellion. You destroyed slavery, and iny
these years of strife you lifted the Government over a thousand
years of discussion, and placed her in the van of Christian
civilization.
In 1861 Jeff. Davis went out of the United States Senate to
destroy the Government he was sworn to defend. In 1869 Jeff.
Davis's seat in the same Senate was filled by a colored citizen of
Mississippi.
Your efforts have placed the Government where nothing but
gross folly can ever impede its progress. We may go forward in
triumph leveling the mountains, filling up the valleys, develop-
ing our soil, laying parallel tracks from the Atlantic to the Pacific,
and binding with these cords of commercial intercourse East and
West, North and South, into a Union so firm and indissoluable,
that, under the providence of God, even the gates of hell shall not
prevail against it..
The triumphs of our civilization shall spread all over this land,
covering the hills and vales, the green riverside and broad savan-
nas of our young continent.
The sword shall be beaten into the plewshare, the spear into
the pruning-hook, and these implements of industry, in the hands
of a free and brave people, shall develop here a continent rich in
all that constitutes true wealth. Should traitors ever again assail
the flag, we will beat the plowshare into the sword, and the prun-
ing hook into the spear, and vindicate again the honor and unity
of the Government.
A career of unprecedented glory awaits this nation. Disen-
thralled from the sins that have so long impeded us, we wake to
a new life. Already the darkness disappears and the morning
light gilds the horizon. If we prove true to our high trust, the
dreams of the past shall more than be realized. I see the nation
coming up in its grandeur to the fulfillment of its lofty destiny.
Our vast territory shall be peopled with an industrious, freedom-
loving people.
Christian civilization, no longer an apologist for slavery, shall
rear here her imperishable monuments, and science and art shall
gain new and bloodless victories, while the songs of our joy shall
float out over all lands, and shall fill all climes.
Here, O young man, here, my soldier friend, is the field of your
glory. Here you may identify yourself with interests that time
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 367
cannot destroy. Here, if honest, virtuous, earnest, you may assist
in moulding for this nation a destiny noble and grand. Here you
may grapple with the grandest problems of human life. Here you
may set in motion chords of influence that shall vibrate on and
on through the coming years. Here, however humble your lot in
life may be, you may aspire to be good and great. Here every
man is his own king, and may write his history in characters of
light and beauty.
Our ranks are growing thin. One by one we shall drop away.
But the ranks in the great battle of life will be filled by our chil-
dren, or children's children.
When another three years shall roll around, some who hear me
now will have listened to the angel reveille on the other shore.
This battle of life is an earnest battle. In it we need stout hands
and brave hearts. There is no " discharge" in this conflict. It is
not a muster for three j'ears, but for life. Let us acquit ourselves
like men. If we shall prove as true to ourselves as to our coun-
try, the future will be radiant with hope for each one. Comrades,
God bless you ! If we meet no more here, when on the other
shore let us gather at the great Reunion. Living, I shall love to
remember you. Dying, I shall hope to meet you where the
anthem of peace and good will is unbroken.
General Sheets's speech was received with shouts of laughter
and rounds of applause, and at its conclusion it was unanimously
resolved that it should be printed in the proceedings.
After music by the Band, Captain Becker again came forward
and sang a song. The audience called for various persons to
speak, but the election of officers for the ensuing three years being
in order, it was proceeded with, and Captain R. M. A. Hawk was
elected President. The ex-President of the Association intro-
duced Captain Hawk to the audience and retired, when Captain
Hawk thanked them for the honor conferred upon him, and took
his seat as the presiding officer. Dick McCann, private of Com-
pany D, was elected Vice President, and Al. McClure, private
Company C, was elected Secretary.
Chaplain Cartwright made a handsome speech, and closed by
presenting General Smith D. Atkins, late Colonel of the Ninety-
Second Illinois Mounted Infantry Volunteers, with a beautiful
bouquet. The General accepted it, and in a short speech returned
his thanks for that, and the many tokens of kindness he had re-
ceived. He referred to the terrible sacrifice in human life that the
putting down of the Rebellion had cost the nation ; to the peaceful
368 NINETY-SECONb ILLINOIS.
security that had been wrought out by the bloody sacrifice that
the nation had made, and to the bright and happy future that was
before the American people.
Major Albert Woodcock, of Ogle county, being loudly called
for, came forward and made an eloquent speech of ten or fifteen
minutes. He was feeling good, and his talk made others feel
good. He had promised the boys of the Ninety-Second that as
long as he was County Clerk of Ogle county, their marriage
licenses should cost them nothing. He had already issued more
than a hundred marriage licenses on those terms, and he thought
when a pretty girl married one of the members of the Ninety-
Second that was a recruit mustered in ; every time one of the old
members became a father, and that was pretty often, that was an-
other recruit mustered in; and so the old Regiment was growing,
and getting larger and larger every year. He thought that at
every Reunion the wives and babies should be brought along, and
then every Reunion would be larger and larger. Captain Horace
J. Smith was called for, and it was said that if he could not make
a speech, he could at least show himself on the stand, and make
such a speech as Grant makes, but the Captain rose up in the body
of the hall, and modestly said he could not "Grant it." Captain
Schermehorn, Dr. Tom Winston, Captain Becker, and many
others were called for, but they declined.
The singing by Captain Becker has not been surpassed in the
Opera House. The music by the Winslow Band was splendid.
On motion, a vote of thanks was tendered to Mr. Wilcoxon,
for the generous donation of the free use of the Opera House, and
to the Freeport Zouaves, for turning out on the occasion.
On motion, it was resolved that the next Reunion of the
Ninety-Second Illinois Mounted Infantry Volunteers be held at
Mt. Carroll, three years from the fourth day of September inst.
to-wit: September fourth, 1873.
At about six o'clock P. M., the meeting finally adjourned, and
after manj' hand-shakings and good-byes, the hall was emptied.
R. M. A. HAWK, President.
AL. McCLURE, Secretary.
The third Reunion of the Ninety-Second was held at Mt. Car-
roll, Carroll County, September fourth, 1873. We take the follow-
ing account of it from the Freeport Journal :
Our reporter wended his way to the Western Union Railway
depot, in Freeport, at 8:40, last Thursday morning, and found
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 369
about one hundred and fifty people waiting for the Mt. Carroll
train. The railroad people at Freeport had evidently not antici-
pated such a rush, and had made no arrangements for passenger
coaches; but the gentlemanly agent, Mr. E. C. Fitch, did all he
could to make the passengers comfortable, by adding four extra
cabooses to the train, and with the cabooses packed full, the train
soon started. The train was a heavy one, and did not make very
fast time, but reached Mt. Carroll about twelve o'clock M., where
Major Hawk, President of the Ninety-Second Illinois Reunion
Association, was in waiting, with a committee on reception, and
a brass band, with ample omnibus room to convey the entire
party free to the picnic grounds in the Court House Square.
Reaching there, after a pleasant ride through the beautiful city of
Mt. Carroll, the party found a large number of ladies and gentle-
men already assembled. President Hawk called the assemblage
to order, and after prayer by the Rev. Barton H. Cartwright,
Chaplain of the Ninety-Second Illinois Volunteers, Hon. H. A.
Mills, Mayor of Mt. Carroll, delivered a beautiful and ap-
propriate welcoming address to the soldiers of the various
regiments, and their friends. After reading the programme of
the day's exercises, President Hawk invited the assembled multi-
tude to partake of a bountiful dinner provided by the citizens of
Mt. Carroll, set upon tables in the open air; after all had assem-
bled around the tables, thanks were returned by the Chaplain, and
all were supplied with one of the best dinners our reporter ever
saw out of doors. There was everything in abundance, and
everything of the nicest and best, especially the hot coffee and
genuine Carroll County blue grass dairy cream. The ladies of
Mt. Carroll waited upon the tables, and pressed upon their guests
the dainties their superior cookery had provided. There was
room for all the hundreds there assembled, and abundance pro-
vided, and no hurry and no confusion. If the good citizens of
Mt. Carroll could have heard the universal praise accorded them,
they would never regret the trouble and expense they voluntarily
imposed upon themselves.
After dinner, the Black Oak Brass Band again discoursed
sweet music; and while the Band played, the audience, numbering
fully one thousand ladies and gentlemen, assembled around the
speaker's stand, and were called to order by Major R. M. A.
Hawk, President of the Ninety-Second Illinois Volunteer Re-
union Association, who introduced Chaplain Cartwright, who
addressed the Heavenly Father, in one of his old-fashioned, soul-
46
370 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
stirring Methodist prayers. The boys of the Ninety-Second
Illinois are very warm in praise of their beloved old Chaplain,
and he deserves it; for if there is a sincere Christian man on the
face of the globe, Rev. Barton H. Cartwright is one. Music
followed prayer, and then the President introduced the orator of
the day, Major Albert Woodcock, of Ogle County, who spoke as
follows :
DEAR COMRADES AND BROTHERS: With a heart wild with
happiness, I greet you. Mr. President, .endeared to us by ties
made sacred by the great loss you sustained for the old flag, we,
your brothers, greet you. Meeting, dear comrades, as we do, on this,
our Thanksgiving day, about the family heart of the old Ninety-
Second, with joy, with gladness we greet and embrace each other.
Brave comrades of other regiments, you who shared with us the
march, the bivouac and battle, should you be here, we greet you.
We bid you welcome to this our encampment; welcome to break
with us a little hard tack, and share with us our social joy.
You will remember, dear boys, in the South, at the close of
the day, as we went into bivouac, whether it was upon the moun-
tain tops, banks of snowy clouds beneath us, or in the valley by
the spring, jutting crag, and mountain peaks towering above us,
or in the piney woods of the South, near the cypress swamp, or
beneath the giant live oaks, the air fragrant with magnolia blos-
soms, no sooner would the camp-fire be lighted than the story
would run the round. This one would tell of a hair-breadth escape ;
that one, of an amusing adventure while foraging; and another
would tell the story of Chicamauga, or some other battle scene.
O, boys, how we enjoyed those narrations, as we sipped our
amber-hued coffee from our cups of tin, or watched the blossom-
ing tobacco smoke curl upward from our pipes of brier-wood.
The story, the song, the joke, the laugh would gladden the heart,
till sleep would step in and assert its power. The fatigued form
would then sink upon the ground its bed ; the head reclining upon
the saddle for a pillow; the star-studded blue above for curtains;
the sighing of the winds through the pine tops, or the song of the
mocking birds a lullaby. Sweet sleep would then, in dreams,
restore home and loved ones distant. The march, the scout, the
battle of life for the past three years, have ended, and we are
again in camp. Our camp-fires are already ablaze. Here are our
head-quarters. There is our commander. He has detailed me,
and placed me on duty, not for picket, but to tell our oft-repeated
story. In our command are our Brutuses of silver-tongue and
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 371
famed oratory ; but poor Mark Antony is before you to-day, of
broken speech and hesitating tongue ; but no Ninety-Second boy
ever disobeyed orders ; hence, respected commander, your order I
obey. Were no one present, boys, but you, I would not care ; but
citizens, our friends God bless them are here. What I may
say will be about ourselves ; hence our friends will not think us
guilt}' of self-praise. What little I may relate of the history of
the Ninety-Second to-day, in the hearts of comrades here of other
regiments, will stir up sweet memories in their own history.
What deeds of valor of Ninety-Second boys I may describe, will
be but a fac similie of brave, daring deeds of their own. Friday
morning, October eleventh, 1862, we bid good-bye to our weeping
friends at Rockford, and rolled away for the seat of war. Sunday
forenoon, October thirteenth, we crossed the Ohio into Dixie land,
commencing a series of marches of which the memory to you
and me is terrible ; it was the saddest experience of our soldier
life. It killed many of our comrades, and you, boys, to-day feel
the effects of it. The country was dried up a drouth had been
in the land ; the sun was fearfully hot, ranging from 85 to 100 .
The whole army was moving, and the roads were terribly cut up ;
the dust was ankle deep, and rolled in whirling clouds heaven-
ward; so thick was it that you could scarcely see your file leader;
dust was in your nose, your mouth, your throat and your lungs;
you could scarcely breathe. On your back was strapped the
ponderous knapsack; from your shoulder hung the haversack,
full of hard tack and old pork. The cartridge box and accoutre-
ments, nearly as heavy as a buggy harness, was upon you. Your
clothes were wool, your shoes heavy brogans, forty-five rounds of
ammunition were in your box, with the long Enfield Rifle and
bayonet on your shoulder. You were loaded down like a mule.
Staggering under such a burthen, you would march, march,
march, tramp, tramp, tramp, wondering when the bugle would
sound the halt. Your throat would become dry and parched;
your lips hot and fevered. You would feel dizzy, and wonder
whether you would hold out. Here and there you would see a
comrade faint and fall, but 'twas nothing but a soldier or two, now
and then, and the columns kept on. Guards were stationed all
along the road. Kentucky did not secede, and those people were
a very loyal people. A guard was at every house. You saw the
oaken bucket, the iron-bound bucket, the moss-covered bucket
that hung at the well. O, how you longed for the pure sparkling
cold water to slake your thirst, but a guard was there ! Those
372 N1NETT-SBCOND ILLINOIS.
people were a very loyal people, you know; and the well water
you could not touch. You were ordered to halt at the frog-pond
beyond, and there slake your thirst. At the pond, with your
hand you would carefully remove the crust of green scum from
the surface, which enabled you to see the dead mule in the bottom
of the pond whose flesh seasoned the water. Not minding the
bugs and polliwogs that came in your way, you drank and drank,
till you were full. You rilled your canteens, and then it was
again march, tramp, tramp, tramp. In this way you marched all
over the State of Kentucky; up this pike, down that pike, hither,
thither, yonder; sometimes after Morgan and his troops, they on
horseback, you on foot. During these scenes of trial, it was
pleasant to witness the acts of kindness shown by comrades to
each other. It was a common sight to see a soldier carrying the
knapsack of a weaker one in addition to his own. I remember
one day of seeing a brawny-shouldered old chap, who lives some-
where hereabouts, carrying three knapsacks of his boys. While
thus marching and suffering, patriotism and love of the old flag
buoyed up the heart and animated the spirit, and the joke and
laugh went round. Often while passing through a village, the
whole Regiment would burst into song, led by our grand old
singer, and the sky would ring again and again with the following
stanzas :
" Yes, we'll rally 'round the flag, boys,
We'll rally once again,
Shouting the battle-cry of freedom ;
We'll rally from the hill-side,
We'll rally from the plain,
Shouting the battle-cry of freedom.
The Union forever, hurrah, boys, hurrah!
Down with the traitors, up with the Stars,
While we rally 'round the flag, boys,
Rally once again,
Shouting the battle-cry of freedom."
Our Regiment was never captured but once, and that was in
Kentucky. It was taken by negroes. It will not be far from the
truth for me to state, that every shoulder strap, and every boy in
the Regiment, had one or more black servants; fine, thick woolly-
headed fellows they were, each one worth from $2,000 to $3,000.
After leaving Mt. Sterling, the order of march was :
ist. The advance guard,
and. The Band.
NINBTT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 373
3rd. The Colonel and Regimental officers.
4th. The rank and file.
5th. The colored recruits.
6th. A very heavy rear guard, with bristling bayonets.
7th. The Sheriffs of Kentucky.
8th. And last, the fat, rotund, Manor Lords, slave owners.
The Sheriffs wanted our Colonel; the Lords, our colored re-
cruits. February second, 1863, we left, with great' rejoicing, the
very loyal State of Kentucky. On board steamers Tempest and
Arizona, for seven days and nights, we steamed down the Ohio
and up the Cumberland. Those were days and nights of suffer-
ing to you, my comrades; soldiers, niggers and mules were mixed
up together in grand chaos. It was in dead winter. The icy
winds of the North seemed to be let loose; they howled about our
boat, shrieking between decks, and piping through every nook
and cranny. It seemed to you your hearts would stop beating,
you were so cold. You crawled about the boilers, and some of
you climbed on top of them ; some of you crept under, your side
next the boiler roasting, your other side freezing. Some of you
could notlget to the boiler, and, blue, and cold, you shivered, your
teeth making doleful music. I heard some of you say, " It's a
hard way to serve the country." I heard others wish they were
in a fight.
Our Kentucky marches helped largely to populate Danville
cemeteries. Our steamboat march in winter added many to the
cemeteries of Nashville. Of our noble dead of Danville, I remem-
ber Captain William Stouffer. He was a fine looking soldier, as
straight as an arrow, with flashing black eyes, and commanding
mien. As a companion, he was genial and pleasant, and as a com-
pany commander, respected and loved by his men. He was mus-
tered out of the service by the great Captain of all armies Janu-
ary twenty-first, 1863. Of our patriotic dead of Nashville, I
remember Lieutenant David B. Colehour. He was a fine boy,
and every inch a soldier. His frank, open face, and large, gener-
ous heart, made everybody his friend. No braver soldier ever
died, more regretted, than did our Lieutenant boy. The country,
in his death, met a great loss, but heaven acquired a rich gain.
He was transferred from the Ninety-Second to heaven's glorious
army March seventeenth, 1863.
Save the hardy mountaineers of the Cumberland Range, the
people of Tennessee were not very loyal people, hence the crystal
well, and the singing rill furnished us with pure, sparkling, cold
374 NINBTT-SECOND ILLINOIS.
water to drink ; chickens, ducks, pigs, honey, sweet potatoes and
green corn, food to eat; and the fences, cedar rails with which to
cook our food.
While at Franklin, you remember, boys, the little pleasure trip
we took with Phil. Sheridan to Duck River? Phil, was so mad
that the Rebs would not stand and fight that he double-quicked
us all the way back to camp. You remember, too, while at Tri-
une, the Rebs had the impudence to move up and shell our camp?
While in line of battle, awaiting orders, the shells screaming over,
Brother Cartwright, who had just joined us as a new recruit
(Chaplain), came dashing along on his war-horse, a rifle upon his
shoulder, with the exclamation : " Why don't you move out,
boys? Move out and pitch into them ! " Brother Cartwright had
not yet learned the lesson which we had already conned over to
wait, wearily, patiently wait, for orders.
July second, 1863, was the day of jubilee for the Ninety-Sec-
ond, for then we were mounted, and armed with the Spencer
Rifle. I cannot stop to tell how we chased Bragg through Ten-
nessee a skirmish here, and a fight there; nor of the noble rivers
we crossed; nor of our fine encampments on the Cumberland
Range, from which we could see into five different States, bil-
lowy, sun-lit clouds beneath us, the serene blue above us; nor of
the beautiful valleys we passed through ; not even old Sequatchie,
whose rich crops of green corn saved us and our horses from star-
vation. By the way an incident: When we first descended
from the mountain into Sequatchie, you remember, boys, we ran
into a band of Rebs, capturing a few, the rest escaping up through
the valley? As we filed along the road, I noticed Brother Cart-
wright in the distance, in front of a mourning group. He called
to me ; I rode to his side, and there witnessed a heartrending
scene. It was a mother with a babe in her arms, and three or
four little ones clinging to her skirts. She was wringing her
hands in terrible agony, and was wild with grief. She said, "Oh !
if you had only come a little sooner my husband would be living,
and this great sorrow would not be upon me. They (referring to
the flying Rebs) conscripted my husband this morning, saying he
should serve in the Confederate army. My husband told them he
loved his country, and would die before he would fight against the
old flag; they then led him out a little ways from the house, and
shot him down, murdering him before my eyes. Oh! he was
brave, he was good, he was true ; my poor, dear, dear, dead hus-
band!"
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 375
The great tears trembled down Brother Cartwright's cheeks
as he pointed the sorrow-stricken woman for comfort to the
Father of the fatherless, and the widow's Friend.
I must not, dear boys, linger to tell of our break-neck ride over
Lookout's craggy head, where Jo Hooker afterward fought the
Rebs above the clouds; nor how the Ninety-Second, being in ad-
vance of the entire army, and, charging the Rebs, your guns were
the first to echo and re-echo among the crags and ragged rocks of
Lookout Mountain; and how the Ninety-Second flag was the
first to float over Lookout's crest, and the first to wave over Chat-
tanooga.
The night of that day, September ninth, 1863, we encamped at
Boyce's plantation, which was an extensive grape vineyard. From
his cellars, you remember, boys, you rolled out several casks of
wine. Every man in the Regiment drank and became merry.
It was said that even the Chaplain drank, but of this there is no
proof; that he was merry, is true, for he was always merry. As
the canteens went round, gurgling out their sparkling contents
down the throats of Uncle Sam's boys, the joke, the laugh, and
the song were had. Every boy's heart was in tune, and they sang,
with Captain Becker, our favorite campaign song, as composed by
General Wolt, near the heights of Quebec :
" How stands the glass around?
For shame, ye take no care, my boys ;
How stands the glass around?
Let wine and mirth abound.
The bugles sound, the colors they are flying, boys ;
To fight, kill, or wound,
And may we be found, content with our hard fate, my boys,
On the cold ground.
Why, soldiers, why?
Should we be melancholy, boys?
Why, soldiers, why?
Whose business 'tis to die.
Such sighing! fie! drown care, drink on, my jolly boys,
'Tis he, you or I.
Cold, hot, wet or dry, we're always bound to follow, boys,
And scorn to fly.
'Tis but in vain;
I mean not to upbraid you, boys ;
'Tis but in vain,
376 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
For a soldier to complain.
If next campaign sends us to Him who made us, boys,
We're freed from all pain.
But if we do remain, the bottle and kind sweetheart, boys,
Cures all again."
(At this point Captain Becker was called out, and sang, with
great effect, the foregoing song, when Major Woodcock resumed.)
Allow me to say that Boyce's wine was not very old; that the
strongest drink the Regiment was accustomed to imbibe was
coffee; that, if my memory serves me, I never saw a Ninety-
Second boy drunk, and I never expect to. The days that followed
were days of blood. September nineteenth and twentieth came
the terrible battle of Chicamauga. History describes it, but fails
to depict its horrors no pen nor tongue can do that. In it, boys,
you took an honorable part; some of you bear scars to-day of
wounds there received; some of you are cripples for life, Captain
Thompson, of Company E, of that number. Many of our brave
comrades sleep the sleep of death upon Chicamauga's bank.
In this battle was enacted a small theatrical scene. The actors
were General Atkins and a private of King's brigade. At the
time the earth was trembling, quaking beneath the united dis-
charge of a thousand cannon, while the roll of musketry
sounded like muttering thunder, King's brigade in front of us had
given way before the Rebs, and broke through our ranks. Gen-
erals Atkins, Sheets and others tried to rally them. As a boy
was dashing by, the General ordered, " Halt! " Boy halted. Gen-
eral said, "Fall into your ranks!" Boy said, "Show me my
ranks." General said, " Fall into these ranks," pointing to the
Ninety-Second. Boy said, "I won't!" General Atkins's sabre
gleamed in the sunlight as he brought it up in the attitude of the
downward stroke. Boy wheeled into position of guard against
cavalry. Pantomime General Atkins, towering up to his full
heighth, his blade gleaming, quivering as it was about descending
upon the boy's skull; boy at a guard, with long Enfield Rifle, a
wicked, glittering bayonet on its end, pointed at the General's
breast, ready to parry. The pantomime lasted just three seconds,
when the Rebel fiends, howling like devils in their charge, caused
the curtains to drop upon the scene.
In the month of April, 1864, the Regiment was stationed at
Ringgold, doing out-post dutv for Sherman's army. From Ring-
gold, in a south-west direction, for many miles extends Taylor's
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 377
Ridge, a rocky, sharp-crested mountain, being a part of the Cum-
berland Range. On the opposite side of this mountain was the
Rebel army. Along this range, to a distance of ten miles from
camp, were established the outposts, or videttes. The mounted
men were so few in number that to occupy this space, the videttes
had to be stationed too far apart ; so distant that, in a dark night,
the enemy could pass between the videttes unseen. We who did
this duty knew that we were isolated from the command, and in
great danger of being killed or captured, but it was our business to
obey orders. A detail for forty-eight hours, every other morning,
was made from the Regiment for this duty. When the detail
would start from camp for the mountain, we were wont to say
jocosely, "Good-bye, boys;" but we meant it, and the boys knew
it. On the morning of the twenty-second of April, Captain Sco-
ville, with about forty men from the Ninety-Second, was detailed
for the ridge. As the Captain, with his men mounted and
equipped, were making their way out of the camp for the field of
danger, as usual you called out, " Good-bye, Lieutenant Scoville,
good-bye, boys." " Good-bye, good-bye," was the response. It
was the last good-bye spoken by many of that noble band. The
night following was very dark. The Rebels, as we had feared,
passed between the videttes, and accumulated a large force in the
rear of our men; they barricaded the road in the direction of camp.
A heavy force then charged over the ridge; the boys were sur-
rounded ; they fought with desperation ; several were killed in the
fight; crushed with overwhelming numbers, they surrendered.
The Rebels, on horseback, started for the gap below. Our boys, on
foot, were ordered to keep up with them as they trotted their
horses. In rear of the boys rode the Rebel Lieutenant Pointer,
cursing them with every breath, threatening to shoot the first
man that failed to keep up. Soon, overtaxed, nature began to
fail; as a bov's breath grew short and thick, his form to stagger,
and his speed to diminish, Pointer, that fiend incarnate, would
shoot him through the heart. Several had thus been cruelly
murdered, when Willie Cattanach, of Company B, began to totter
and his strength to fail. Pointer threatened; Willie plead, "Don't
shoot me, I'll keep up." Regardless of his entreaty, Pointer fired;
the ball struck the noble boy, but he did not fall, and continued his
exertion to keep up; the black-hearted villain fired again, the ball
passing through Willie's lungs, inflicting a terrible wound.
Willie fell, mortally wounded, but lived long enough to tell the
heart-rending story. Oh! what a terrile crime! Can such a
47
378 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
wretchgounpunished? I trow not. If he is not already suffer-
ing for his crime, a terrible retribution will overtake him. The
next morning we gathered up ten dead ones, of whom the largest
part were foully murdered. The larger part of those who escaped
murder by the hand of Pointer, were afterward murdered by star-
vation and terrible suffering in Andersonville Prison. The vows
of vengeance on the part of the Regiment were terrible. You
declared, boys, you would never take another prisoner, but
would shoot every Rebel that fell into your power. A few days
afterward, I noticed you took some prisoners. I noticed, too, how
well you kept your vows of a terrible revenge. This is the
manner in which you shot them down : " Johnny, are you hun-
gry?" " Yes." "Sit down, then, by me on this log, and try some
of Uncle Sam's hard-tack and sow-belly." " Johnny, have they
any coffee where you came from?" "No, blockade can't get
any." " Try a little coffee and sugar in this tin cup." " Where's
your blouse, Johnny ?" " Hain't got none." "Here, take mine;
I can get another from the Quartermaster."
I must not stop to tell of your advance from Ringgold to the
OoStanaula; thence to the Etowa; thence to the Chattahoochee,
fighting your way as you went. I must not linger to tell of your
raid about Atlanta, in which, for five davs and nights, you were
constantly in the saddle, without a wink of sleep or rest, unless
you caught it on horse, being almost constantly under fire, and
in which Captain Billy Mayer and others received scars; but I
will relate one day's experience in Sherman's flank movement
that gave us Atlanta.
At seven o'clock on the morning of August thirtieth, 1864,
we moved on the road toward Jonesboro, having the advance of
the army of the Tennessee. General Howard was in command
of that army, General Logan commanding the Fifteenth corps.
We skirmished with the Rebs constantly, driving them easily
till we reached Bethsaida Church, where, bevond an open field,
they were massed behind a long line of works. Generals Logan
and Kilpatrick reconnoitered the position. Kilpatrick said, "Logan,
throw forward some of your infantry, and charge them out."
Logan said, ."Kilpatrick, you are a charging man, charge your-
self." The General then ordered Colonel Baldwin, of the 5th
Kentucky Cavalry, to make the charge. The Colonel replied,
" I'll be d d if I do it. It's not the business of cavalry to charge
fortifications." Colonel Baldwin, not long after, went under arrest.
The order then came to the Ninety-Second : " With the Regi-
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 379
ment on horseback you will charge those works, and drive out
the Rebs." The question was asked, " May we not charge on
foot, as we were accustomed to do?" The reply was, " You
will charge on horseback." Kilpatrick wished to show his cav-
alry. Boys, you remember how hard it was to wheel the horses
into line in that tangled wildwood, beneath a galling fire, the
bullets rattling like hail against the trees. Some of you shouted,
" Let us charge on foot." The reply was, " No; we are ordered
to charge on horse." The command was given, " Forward."
Like wild mad-caps you dashed over that field, and threw your
horses against the works; you brought your Spencers down and
pumped fire into that living mass; stricken with fear, they fled.
The ground along the works was strown with Rebel dead and
dying. Some prisoners you took. One boy of Company I, in
his excitement, sprung from his horse upon the back of a big
Johnny, and, grabbing him by the collar, dragged him over the
works, and, leading him up to Captain Becker, said: "Cap, here's
a prisoner; what shall I do with him?" The Captain said, "Take
him back to the rear." The boy said, "I have not time, Cap;
you take him back; I want to go for another!" Captain Becker,
at the time you told me the boy's name ; I have forgotten it. Is
he present? This charge cost us valuable lives, though the Rebs
lost ten to our one. Here Lieutenant Dawson, of Company H,
was mortally wounded, than whom a better, braver soldier never
lived. His loss to Company H, and to the Regiment, was irrepa-
rable. His body sleeps by the Chattahoochee; but his noble,
daring spirit finds rest up yonder in the soldier's paradise. We
moved forward again on the Jonesboro Road till we reached a
valley, where we were ordered to halt. Here we witnessed a
most splendid artillery duel. On the range of hills east of us
was Rebel artillery; on a western summit our batteries were in
position. We were midway between the two. It was a grand
scene to witness. White wreaths of smoke curled upward from
the guns, white wreaths from the bursting shells; Rebel shot
howled over us ; our shells screamed back again. Thunder
answered to thunder, peal to peal, crash to crash! Earth fairly
shook. Our boys beat. The Rebel gunners limbered up, and
rumbled away. Onward we moved, still toward Jonesboro. We
marched till we reached Flint River Valley, about two miles from
town. As we looked down from the hill, we saw the river, a
bridge spanning it; Rebel x ranks were guarding the bridge, and
about to destroy it. "Forward the Ninety-Second!" was the
380 N1NETT-SBCOND ILLINOIS.
order. "Charge the Rebs, save the bridge !" At our request we
charged on foot. On the run you went in, cheer upon cheer
uttered as you dashed upon the Rebs. They could not stand the
blaze of your Spencers ; they fled. The bridge was saved. As
you were returning to your horses, you met Generals Howard
and Osterhaus. General Howard said, " Boys, that was a splen-
' did charge; you are a noble Regiment." Osterhaus said, " Das
ist ein goot Regiment; dey trills de infantry trill." Each of you,
after these compliments, felt as big as a full-fledged Major
General ; and you had a right to feel thus, for you were good,
brave, noble boys. Had you been ordered to charge into the very
jaws of death, I believe you would have done it. As soon as
mounted, Kilpatrick said, "Captain Estes will accompany you,
and give you my orders." We moved down the hill, and as we
were crossing the bridge you heard Estes say to an infantry Colo-
nel who stood by, "Colonel, the cavalry will beat the infantry.
We are going right into Jonesboro." We made a right turn as
we crossed the bridge, and marched down the left bank of the
river. The shades of night were falling. You had marched and
fought the blessed day through no rest; no dinner, no coflFee or
little hard-tack in your stomachs. After moving about a mile
and a half down the river, you came to a swale; it was getting
quite dark. Some of you said, " Yonder are the Rebels! I see
their line; there are hundreds and hundreds of them." Estes
replied, "It's a d d lie; there's not a Rebel between us and
Jonesboro." As we crossed the swale, and reached the foot of a
hill, a rolling volley of musketry greeted us. Estes said, "The
General directs that you dismount your command, charge the
hill, take it, and hold it." He then moved rapidly to the rear. In
advance of the rest of our Division, we knew not how far, the line
of the Rebel army running across the top of that hill; we
ordered to charge the hill, take and hold it. Great God, what a
task! " Prepare to fight on foot," was the order.
" Was there a man dismayed?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Some one had blundered;
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why;
Theirs but to do and die.
Into the Valley of Death
Rode the Six Hundred."
NINETT-SECOND ILLINOIS. 381
" Forward ! " was the command. How like demons you fought
your way up that hill. Terrible was the roll of your Spencers.
The incessant, unbroken fire of your guns the Rebs, though ten
to your one, could not withstand. Dismayed, they recoiled, and
fled back to the foot of the hill. "Lie down!" was the order.
You obeyed. How closely, how lovingly you hugged old mother
earth ; had you not done it, there would probably have been but
one Reuion of the Ninety-Second, and that up yonder, for fire
to the right of you, fire in front of you, fire to the left of you,
volleyed and flamed! Should you live till you are wrinkled and
gray, you can never forget the terrible hissing, whistling, and
whizzing of bullets above you. It seems as if ten thousand col-
onies of bees were let loose in the trees about you. One, two
and three different messengers were sent back with the word :
" We hold the hill, send us reinforcements or further orders."
The Division had come up. The balance of our Brigade tried to
form on our left, but could not; had they succeeded, a general
engagement of the two armies would have ensued. Orders
came " Fall back."
" Stormed at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro' the jaws of Death,
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them."
One-fifth of our number engaged were killed or wounded, and
nearly all while lying flat upon the ground. As we were moving
back, we met Colonel Murray; he exclaimed, "God bless the
Ninety Second! Such terrific firing I never heard; I feared that
not a man of you would come out alive. Brave, brave boys!"
As he thus complimented you, the tears were streaming down his
cheeks. In this fight, Lieutenant Sammis was twice wounded, one
wound crippling him for life. It was midnight before we sank to
rest on the ground. Thus ended an eventful day in the history
of the Ninety-Second. A day or two after, General Howard
issued an order to Kilpatrick, complimenting him for the brilliant
diversion made by the cavalry on his right, which enabled him to
get his men into line without firing a gun. The brilliant diversion
referred to was made by you, bovs, and by you alone.
Brother Cartwright's little sermons, so warm from the heart,
that he talked to you down yonder, seldom exceeded twenty
382 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
minutes. We always thought it safe to follow his example. I
fear in my little talk to-day I shall digress somewhat from it ; but
I'll hasten.
I'll not stop to tell how General Atkins, with his Brigade,
pounced upon the Rebs at Macon, making them believe that city
was Sherman's objective point, which enabled the army to swing
to the east, getting between the Rebs and the sea. In that charge
you had the post of honor the advance. Brother Cartwright
undertook to pick up the Rebel wounded your Spencers had scat-
tered along the road, most of whom were shot through the head,
but he found the job too big. I'll not tell of your triumphant
march through Milledgeville, the Capitol of Georgia, our Brass
Brand,, led by Collen Bauden, playing Yankee Doodle in finest
style. Neither must I relate how well you acted as rear guard of
the Division, Sunday, November twenty-seventh, while moving
toward Waynesboro, Wheeler's whole command following close
in you steps. Charge after charge of Rebs you repulsed ; many
saddles you emptied, horses going back riderless. The next
morning General Kilpatrick said, "Atkins, the Ninety-Second
must again act as rear guard to-day;" General Atkins replied,
"The boys are worn and weary from yesterday's toil ; they ought
not to bear the brunt again today." Kilpatrick said, "They
must." Atkins replied, "They shall not; if you think the other
brigade can not take its turn on duty, I will again march in rear
with my Brigade, but the Ninety-Second shall not be the rear
Regiment." General Kilpatrick, with a little profanity, yielded,
but not with a very good grace. I will not tell of the fight you
had .at Buckhead Creek, in which Kilpatrick lost his hat, and
came near being captured; the liebs, after our Division went into
line behind barricades, meeting a terrible repulse, losing some two
hundred men. Wheeler, and his command, were growing more
and more insolent every dav. It was necessary they should have
a good drubbing. Sunday morning, December fourth, you were
ordered to strip for fight. The night previous you had been on
picket, so annoyed by Rebel shells that you got no rest. You had
had no breakfast. You loaded up with cartridges. General Atkins
was ordered to open the fight. The General directed that you
should charge on foot in the centre, and the cavalry on your right
and left, mounted. Our artillery opened up in fine style. On
foot, in line of battle, you moved forward till you came to a creek,
which you waded. As you halted on the opposite bank to re-form
your line, you saw the enemy. On the crest of the hill beyond
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 383
frowned their works; those barricades swarmed and were gray
with Rebels. Wheeler's whole command was in and about them.
Their battle-flags floated in defiance. You could see the gleam
of their guns pointed at you, as at a rest they were taking aim.
You knew when that death volley came, many of you would go
down; but you were not daunted. Victory you were resolved
to win. " Forward !" was the command. " Charge for the works !
On, boys! On!" Up that hill you double-quicked. When near
the works, a sheet of flame volleyed at you down went some of
your numbers; the Rebs had fired high. Cheer upon cheer you
now sent up, for you knew you had them. Like mad you sprang
forward, threw yourselves upon the works, pumped fire from your
Spencers at the Rebs as you climbed up. Down upon the Johnnies
you leaped, capturing almost as many Rebels as you had men in
your Regiment. You did not stop here; you ordered your pris-
oners back to the cavalry, and forward you dashed, driving the
Rebs from a lesser line of works. In consternation they fled. In
grand confusion they were mingled together in a large open field,
each in the other's way, struggling to get to the rear. An un-
broken sheet of flame rolled at them from your Spencers.
"Where's the cavalry? Where's the cavalry?" some of you
shouted. "Oh! what a glorious chance for a cavalry charge!"
The cavalry were not up to time the golden moment was lost.
The Rebs got on the Waynesboro road, and oh! how they did
skedaddle! Kilpatrick came up, and in his fine, piping voice
screamed out, " Boys, barricades don't stop you, do they?" You
shouted in reply, " We want our breakfast." Said he, " Ride into
yonder wood, and make your coffee." Of our hero boys that here
fell, I must speak of but one brave, noble Geede Scott, of Com-
pany D, General Atkins's Brigade color-bearer. As you were
dashing forward in your charge, sending up cheer after cheer,
Geede rose in his stirrups and cheered with you, waving in triumph
the Brigade flag. A Rebel shot struck him ; he fell. You were
victorious over the enemy he, over death. He was transferred
to the command up yonder, to become a standard-bearer in the
shining ranks of Heaven's great army.
December fifteenth, 1864, from Midway Church some of you
went to Sunbury Sound, and there watered your horses in the
Atlantic. I believe you said your horses did not relish its briny
waters; but that you very much relished the big, fat oysters you
swallowed from the shell, seasoned with a little Atlantic
brine. December twenty-second, 1864, Sherman presented to
384 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
President Lincoln the city of Savannah, with one hundred and fifty
heavy guns, much ammunition, and twenty five thousand bales
of cotton. A little rest beneath the giant live oaks, and you were
away upon the Carolina campaign.
February eleventh, 1865, you were in front of Aiken, S. C.
Wheeler's whole command and Cheatham's division of infantry
were there. About the town in horse-shoe shape the Rebs were
formed, a little retired and concealed from view. The road into
the town was open, a column of Rebs in the town being in line of
battle. Kilpatrick said, "Atkins, had you not better charge into
the town?" Atkins replied, " I think not; I believe the Rebs are
massed in heavy force in and about it; but if you order it, I will
charge." The order was given. " Forward the Ninety-Second,"
was the command. "Charge into the town !" Away you went,
boys, flying into the town. You struck the column of Rebs
there, hurling them back. While you were thus charging, the
Rebs outside of the town in massive columns closed in upon your
rear, cutting you off, and surrounding you. Kilpatrick, who had
witnessed the movement, said, " There's a Regiment gone to
hell !" But to that hot place, boys, you did not go, and I hope
you never will. " Right about," was the order. "Charge for
your lives! Fight your way through ! Surrender, never!" You
charged, throwing yourselves upon the enemy; they were ten to
your one; the shock was so heavy it broke your slender line into
atoms. Each was then his own General, and fought on his own
hook. How nobly you did it, shooting down every man who con-
fronted you. A majority came through, but a portion still
remained in the coils of the enemy. You reformed, and, with
the gth Ohio and gth Michigan, you charged again, driving back
the Rebs, and rescuing the remainder of your comrades. A his-
tory of your daring deeds that day would make a book; few were
captured, but many killed and wounded. As you were charging
back, several Rebs took after Kilpatrick, and chased him in fine
style. The General called out, " Shoot the d d Rebs, shoot
them !" Several Spencers cracked, the Rebs fell, and General
Kilpatrick and his spotted horse were saved. A big overgrown
Reb charged Colonel Van Buskirk ; their steeds came together
with a heavy shock ; both riders were thrown to the ground ;
Colonel Van Buskirk was first to his feet, and with his heavy
navy revolver, which he had before emptied, he struck the rising
Reb upon the head, prostrating him again to the earth. Ed.
Webb, of Company B, shot his antagonist, and led off his horse
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 385
and accoutrements. Thus I might relate a daring adventure of
each of you, had I time. I wrote Captain Becker, asking him for
incidents to relate. He replied, " Ridicule the officers, but praise
the boys, for they deserve it. You may tell how I lost my hat
at Florence, and how at Aiken my old sabre was so rusted in the
scabbard I had to take both hands to draw it." I will add what
the Captain did not tell me, but what I know. Two big Rebs
confronted him, contemplating his capture. Captain Becker, in
tones of thunder, yelled at them, " Get out of my road, you
rascals, or I'll smash you!" As the Captain made for them, they
thought discretion the better part of valor, and fled. It appears
that Captain Becker thought his sword was in better condition to
" smash" than to cut.
Many were your fights and skirmishes in the Carolinas.
April twelfth, 1865, you reached a branch of the Neuse River,
as the Rebs were in the act of destroying the bridge. You drove
them from it. As you halted to repair it, news came from Sher-
man that Lee had surrendered. O, how the sky echoed and re-
echoed again with your exultant cheers! The bridge repaired, you
crossed. The Rebs charged you; you repulsed them, and, in
return, charged them, driving them up the road, over the hill, and
away to the railroad, and beyond it. While at the railroad, a
train of cars came dashing along. You halted it. Ex-Governor
Swain and others stepped out. General Atkins received them,
and, for the first time, in the Governor beheld his future father-
in-law. The Governor was bearing to Sherman the surrender
of the city of Raleigh. The battle fought that day, my com-
rades, was your last, and your trusty Spencers there fired the last
shots of the war. In it the Regiment lost valuable lives. Of the
wounded was our respected President, who fell in the thickest of
the fight. Though maimed and deformed for life, he is loved and
respected by his comrades, and esteemed and honored by the
people among whom his lot is cast.
Of our noble patriot dead, their graves are scattered along the
line of our march, from the banks of the Ohio through to the
sea, and thence northward through the Carolinas. Their heroic
spirits, I believe, are here to-day, hovering over us at this
moment, and enjoying the blessedness of this home scene.
Sergeant Bloss, of Company K, who fell mortally wounded in
the charge at Powder Springs, Georgia, after commending his
wife and babes to the care of Omnipotence, said : " My life is
a part of the price of freedom ; cheerfully I die." Brave words,
48
386 NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS.
and true. Our fallen heroes died in freedom's cause the noblest
death allotted to man.
In the words of others:
" Their names will thrill the coming ages as they are spoken
by the tongues of the eloquent; and their deeds will forever be
chanted by immortal minstrels." Manning.
"Every mountain and hill shall have its treasured name;
every river shall keep some solemn title; every vallev and every
lake shall cherish its honored register. And till the mountains
are worn out, and the rivers forget to flow, till the clouds are
weary of replenishing springs, and the springs forget to gush,
and the rills to sing, shall their names be kept fresh with reverent
honors, which are inscribed upon the book ot National Remem-
brance." Beechcr.
Mr. President, dear comrades, and brothers : Let us so live
that when tattoo with us shall sound, and the lights of our lives
shall be blown out, we may lie down to rest, having well fought
life's battle, and nobly done our duty in life's campaign, in full
accord with that Book of Regulations that was written by God's
own hand; that when resurrection morn shall come, and you
awake to the peals of Gabriel's trump, as he blows reveille, you,
with the boys down yonder, will rise triumphant to form a part of
the great Reunion of the army of God, in Heaven's blessed
encampment.
Major Woodcock's address was received with many demon-
strations of applause, and was heartily cheered at its close. Music
by the Band followed, when Major Hawk announced a business
meeting of the members of the Ninety-Second Illinois, in the
court-room, and with a benediction by the Chaplain the out-door
audience was dismissed; not, however, without an urgent invita-
tion to report promptly on the grounds at six o'clock for supper.
The business meeting was opened by prayer, and the Presi-
dent stated the object to be to select a place for the next Reunion,
and to elect officers for the coming three years. General Sheets
tendered an invitation on behalf ot Oregon, Ogle County, to the
Association, to hold its next Reunion there on September fourth,
1876. Mr. King tendered a like, invitation on behalf of Rochelle.
On motion, the invitation from Oregon was accepted, and Ore-
gon, Ogle County, fixed as the place of the next Reunion of the
Ninety-Second Illinois Volunteers, and September fourth, 1876,
fixed as the time. General B. F. Sheets, late Lieutenant Colonel
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 38?
of the Ninety-Second Illinois, was unanimously chosen President
of the Association.
Major Hawk made a touching and feeling address to his com-
rades, on retiring from the Presidential chair. A vote of thanks
was unanimously tendered Major Hawk. General Sheets, on
assuming the chair, returned thanks for the honor, and promised
to serve as faithfully as he knew how. John M. King, Esq., late
Corporal of Company B, Ninety-Second Illinois, was unani-
mously elected Vice-President. Richard H. Lee, Esq., late
private of Company B, was unanimously elected Secretary. E.
A. Irvine, Esq., late Sergeant of Company B, was unanimously
elected Corresponding Secretary.
A Committee was appointed to prepare and publish a History
of the Ninety-Second Illinois Volunteers.
Thanks were returned to Major Woodcock for his able
address, and a copy requested for publication. Major Hawk
was unanimously chosen as the orator for September fourth,
1876. The Major was taken by surprise, and vainly tried to
decline, but they would not let him off. He intimated that they
would get the worst of it in the end . One of the boys said,
" Cram in a big load, Major, and we will take the chances on your
firing off your mouth."
The following letters and telegrams were then read :
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., July 2, 1873.
DEAR GENERAL: Your note of invitation to the third trien-
nial Reunion of the Ninety-Second Illinois Regiment has just
reached me. I regret to say I cannot go. I well remember the first
time I saw the Ninety-Second, with you at their head, just begin-
ning their glorious career, their uniforms new, their guns bright,
their flags unsullied by battle smoke or shot, their men bright-
eyed, buoyant. It seems but yesterday, so powerful and brave;
gone now, scattered, dead. Who can answer the muster roll?
Where are the shot-torn and ragged flags? Where the well
burnished instruments of death? All have vanished like a pa-
geant, and the mighty war itself, rocking thirty millions of
people on its stormy waves, has vanished too.
But it was not all a dream; personally, life-enduring friend-
ships were formed; politically, the greatest results were wrought
out; and all time shall bear witness to the patriotism and devotion
of the men who risked their lives to do it.
388 NlNETT-S&COtfD ILLINOIS.
I wish you all a most happy Reunion, and long life to the
brave men of the Ninety-Second.
Yours truly, JOHN COBURN.
To General S. D. Atkins.
IOWA FALLS, IOWA, Sept. i, 1873.
CAPTAIN E. T. E. BECKER :
My Dear Captain and Comrade: I had fondly anticipated
meeting you and the old comrades of the Ninety-Second at this
Reunion, but business has ordered otherwise. But though absent
in person, will be with you in mind. Words are inadequate to
express the true admiration and gratitude I have for the comrades
of the old Ninety-Second, with whom I have been in many well
fought battles, and, through you, extend the hand of friendship
and fellowship, and the many regrets that I am not able to be
with you at this, your third triennial Reunion.
Yours truly, M. VAN BUSKIRK.
FREEPORT, ILL., Sept. 4, 1873.
MAJOR R. M. A. HAWK, Mt. Carroll:
Please present regrets and warmest greetings to my old com-
rades. I am celebrating a Reunion at home. It is a big boy !
LAWYER.
The business meeting then adjourned, and the Ninety-Second
boys again mingled with their friends in the Court House Square.
The soldiers had come, bringing with them their wives and
babies, their fathers and mothers, their cousins and sweethearts,
and friends, and such happy groups as were there are seldom
seen. Some had come more than a thousand miles to attend the
Reunion. Stories of the camp and battle went around again,
and the merry mood of all told plainly that they knew where the
laugh came in. And tears started too, sometimes, when the
names of beloved comrades, who had fallen, were mentioned. It
was a Reunion where patriotism was both sanctified and born
in which the past was honored, and the future made more secure.
Promptly at six o'clock, supper was announced. They assembled
in an orderly manner around the long tables, and reverently
bowed their heads while the good old Chaplain returned thanks,
and asked God's blessing. And such .a supper! Smoking hot
coffee for the soldiers, and tea for the ladies! Cold chicken,
turkey, ham, beef, mutton, buttered rolls, cake in endless variety,
NINETY-SECOND ILLINOIS. 389
grapes, apples, and ice cream! And the free gift, too, of the
generous people of Mt. Carroll. The ladies of that goodly city
were again the waiting maids. Again there was abundance, and
no hurry or confusion.
With the gathering shades of night the grove was lighted up
with Chinese lanterns, and when the Band struck up, the audience
assembled around the speaker's stand. The President called it
to order, and the Chaplain offered prayer, when the President read
the first toast "The Fifteenth Illinois Infantry," which was re-
sponded to by Major Adam Nase, the present Collector of
Internal Revenue for this District. Major Nase was wounded in
battle, and after having his leg amputated by Rebel surgeons,
came back home by way of Libby Prison. His speech was full
of patriotism and eloquence, and we regret that we cannot give
it in full. We have not room for any of the patriotic and eloquent
addresses made in the evening. We can only give in order the
toasts, and the names of those who responded : " The 34th Illi-
nois;" response by Dr. John S. Hostetter; an able address. The
boys loudly called for General Atkins, when the General appeared
and made a short speech. General Sheets was also called out,
and made a humorous address. "The 45th Illinois;" response by
Captain J. M. Adair, in an excellent speech. " The 52d Illinois;"
response by Captain S. S. Dunn. " The 96th Illinois;" response
by Moses Furlong. "The igth Illinois;" response by Captain
W. H. Wildey. " The 8th Illinois Cavalry ;" response by John H.
Bowman. " The 7th Illinois Cavalry;" response by T. G. Smith.
" The 55th Illinois;" response by D. B. Smith. " The i4th Iowa;"
response by Rev. Mr. Kinen. "The West Virginia Cavalry ;"
response by Rev. W. H. Tibbals. " The 3d Wisconsin ;" response
by Charles Vandergrift. " The 146111 New York ;" response by
D. W. Hughes. " The 2Oth Wisconsin;" response by Captain H.
Vandergrift. The toasts were interspersed with fine music by the
Black Oak Band. During the evening Captain Becker (old dad)
was twice called out, once to sing " The Trundle Bed Song," and
once to sing " The Soldiers' Song." The good old Chaplain was
called out, and responded feelingly. Thanks were returned to the
people of Mt. Carroll, with three cheers and a tiger, and three
cheers and a tiger were given by the Ninety-Second boys for
their comrades of other regiments. The proceedings proper
closed with prayer by the Chaplain, and a benediction. But while
waiting for the 'busses to convey them to the cars, the boys called
for Becker to lead in the song, " We'll rally around the flag,
390 N1NETT-SBCOND ILLINOIS.
boys," and " John Brown's body lies mouldering in the grave,"
while old and young joined in the chorus, and made the rock-
bound hills of Mt. Carroll echo with their songs. So ended one
of the happiest Soldiers' Reunions ever held in Northern
Illinois.
HECKMAN
BINDERY INC.
MAY 95
-Pl.a.J' N.MANCHESTER.
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA
