USA > Iowa > Johnson County > Iowa City > A succinct history of the 28th Iowa Volunteer Infantry : From date of muster into service, October 10th, 1862, at Iowa City, Iowa, to its final muster out, August 13th, 1865, at Davenport, Iowa > Part 6
USA > Iowa > Scott County > Davenport > A succinct history of the 28th Iowa Volunteer Infantry : From date of muster into service, October 10th, 1862, at Iowa City, Iowa, to its final muster out, August 13th, 1865, at Davenport, Iowa > Part 6
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
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On the 14th we were sent to Martinsburg on the B. & O. Ry., as guard for a train after supplies returning on the evening of the 18th, we lay down in our camps to sleep, little dreaming that on the morrow we would be called on to face death in a storm of shot and shell again. On our return to Cedar Creek, Early had followed us and encamp- ed again on Fisher's Hill about five miles from our lines, he had been furnished with more cannon from Richmond, two divisions of infantry and one of cavalry had come to his support, and though we had no knowledge of his in- tentions, he was then making careful preparations for an attack on our lines hoping to surprise us and gain a great victory, and while we did not think he would dare attack us after the terrible drubbing we had given him at Win- chester and Fisher's Hill, yet we were watching his move- ments. Our division had received orders late the evening of the 18th to be in line at 5 o'clock for a reconnaissance in our immediate front in force. We were in line as ordered the morning was cold and chilly and as we stood shivering in the gray of the early morning one of the boys got mad and swore a blue streak, asserting that there was
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not a Johnny in forty miles of us and there was no use of our being compelled to get out and stand in line and freeze for nothing, that grumbler came to grief, for inside of an hour he lay near the Winchester pike wound- ed and repentant over his hasty words and to add to his grief and vexation, after the army had fallen back a woman came to him and spit in his face. While he was swearing boom, boom and rattle, went the cannon and muskets of our enemy right down on our left and Crooks 8th corps were driven out of their camp back to- ward us, shot and shell were flying across our flank and we realized at once the 28th would need to keep cool and fight with all their old time bravery and every other reg- iment with it, if we proved victorious this day. Our division lay on the left of our corps, our regiment on the left of the division to the right of the pike near Cedar Creek bridge, we were immediately ordered across the pike to a ridge running back of Crook for the purpose of checking the rebel advance and giving him time to rally his forces, we were not aware at this time the rebel lines lapped away around to our left and we were completely en- veloped in their fast advancing hnes. We were ordered to hold this position which we did until flanked on both sides, the 12th Maine were ordered to form on our right to close up the gap between us and the rest of the division but after one or two attempts were unsuccessful and fell back leaving us between the rebel lines, fast closing in on our rear, our officers seeing our danger ordered us to double quick, for about one third of a mile we retreated passing through between the rebel lines, through a most destruct- ive fire minie balls falling like hail from both flanks and rear, the regiment kept up a running fire during this terrible ordeal, it was a time to test the bravery of the stoutest heart but when you see the boys loading their guns as they double quicked along parallel with a line of the enemy on either side and when loaded turn, and with steady aim put a shot into an advancing rebel, you could do no less than accord to him a place among the bravest of the brave. It was thus the gallant 28th came out of that desperate position. We left, nearly 60 of the brave boys dead and wounded on this bloody spot, our Colonel
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being wounded but got off the field.
We continued to fall back until we reached Sheridan's headquarters, where we rallied and gave the now victorious foe a few volleys checking their advance for a moment. The enemy continuing to flank us on the left, the whole army fell back so our left was uncovered from their right giving us an even chance at the rascals.
It was at this point some of the boys became so busily engaged firing into the advancing columns, they did not notice the regiment had fallen back and left them until one of Co. K, raising up to shoot was killed and fell onto the writer, as he was kneeling behind the stone wall loading. I looked at the dead comrade, then down the line and for the first time realized that all that remained of our force was the dead and wounded, myself and one other, I spoke to him saying, Dan we'er going to be captur- ed if we remain here. Dan replied, "I will die before I sur- render, let us make a run for it" and we started. Poor Dan, he only got a short distance until he was shot and I heard the Johnnies say, "surrender you yankee devil," and casting one glance backward, saw Dan standing before a row of bayonets, one hand up the other hanging by his side with a crimson stream trinkling off his fingers. Dan was a prisioner.
There was no time for loitering. It was a long run to where our lines had formed and between me and that line shot, shell and minie balls were flying thick as hail. What should I do? If I stopped the prison pen and probably starvation was before me, if I went on death seemed cer- tain. I stopped for a moment in a creek and debated the question, then threw down my haversack, pushed my car- tridge box well back, dropped my gun to a trail arms, and started, slowly at first, until I raised the hill and entered the storm of bullets as they sped on their way, then I just gathered all my energies together and with the speed of a scared hound I flew up that long hill while the whizzing, zipping mime balls seemed to be raining all about me occasionally tearing through my clothing and burning my skin, while the screeching, swirling, bursting shells made awful music above and around me. But I got there Eli, fought and run away and lived to fight another day.
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Reaching the line I laid down to rest by an Indiana regiment and was cheered for the brave run and compli- mented on my sprinting qualities.
If I could have the sounds I heard that day as I sat on the banks of that little Virginia stream, debating the question whether to remain there and be taken prisoner, go to Libby Prison or Andersonville and starve to death, or make a brave run for life and liberty through that aw- fui storm of shot and shell, set to music, the description of all other battles and marches would be failures com- pared to it. No man can describe the awful din. The boom and roar of scores of cannon, shrieks and screech of flying shell, whirr of the broken fragments of bursting shell as they went singing through the air, their tones varied by their size and shape, the whiz, screech and scream of what sounded like a million minie balls flying in all directions. The rumble and roar of batteries as they changed position with horses on a dead run. Tramp of Infantry, charge of cavalry, cheers of the on coming foe, yells of defiance, the beat of drums and sound of bugle all combined to make up a grand and awe inspiring sound.
Could some great composer have caught each tone as I heard it that day and set it to music for use on an instru- ment, his fame and fortune would have been assured.
I rested by the Indiana regiment .a short time, learned where my brigade were taking position on the last line formed on the retreat that day and soon joined them, glad I did not conclude to go to Richmond. The confed- erates came on and were met with sturdy resistance and such determination that their advance was checked
Sheridan came into the field from Winchester, twenty miles away. The gallant 6th corps had crossed the valley and held the center. Crook had rallied his forces on the left, the 19th corps had formed on the right and preparations made for a final struggle. Torbott's Divison of cavalry were on the left, Custer crossed to the right. Sheridan rode along the line telling the boys we would whip them out of their boots and sleep in our old camp that night.
The boys set up a cheer that was taken up and shouted
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down the line, our cartridge boxes were filled, and then that awful silence that always seemed to preceed a battle was felt by all. Then an order came sending Shunk's brigade down the slope to a dry run where we halted and prepared for a charge on the rebel advanced line. Very soon the order came, "forward boys, steady now, hold your fire, it will be bayonets after the first volley", and up the slope we move under a heavy fire of musketry.
Steadily we advanced, (dropping down to let their shells pass) until we reached the hill top, then halted, poured one deadly volley into their lines, then with a cheer we charged into their lines and breaking them, pressed them down the hill dropping them as they run. Off to our left we could see the 6th corps advancing on the now wavering lines of the enemy, we could hear the shouts coming down the line, it meant victory. Cheer answering cheer, then the bugle sounding the cavalry charge and away off to our right, down at the woods skirting of Cedar Creek, we could see the cavalry forming for a charge around the con- federates flank, soon the thunder of their horses hoofs was heard as they galloped away across the field down across the creek. down towards Strasburg in the rebels rear, their sabers gleaming in the sunlight as they .swung them over the now demoralized and fleeing foe. The morning's seeming defeat had been turned into a glorious victory.
No man who has not been placed in circumstances sim- ilar can in any manner or for a single moment enter into the spirit or meaning of such a grand victory. It was won, we knew it, but we were not done with them yet. we had been forced to fall back because of their flank movement in order to give us a chance to meet their op- posing lines, face to face. Our camp had been left in their hands, all we had, save our guns and cartridge boxes they had captured, and to soldiers, like us, the bare fact that we had been compelled to yield a single foot of ground was galling in the extreme. Now we had turned the tables on them, we were the victors, and back over the same ground we had been pushed under such a galling fire we were pushing them. They had captured what clothing we had left and had put it on. Some had striped our
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poor dead and wounded comrades and doned their uniform so that many times a squad of them would look like union troops, and as we were driving them from one position to another in our continuous charge, some fellow would rush out in front of us and yell, "cease firing", you are killing your own men, only to be met with a volley that laid him low. Their position was becoming desperate. Nothing could stop the mad rush, Batteries were planted on the hill tops and as we continued to advance, shot and shell were hurled through our ranks, the boys swerving right or left to let them pass, or laying down until they passed over, but there was no halting. Soon we came to our old camp, the Johnnies just ahead of us, who, in crossing the bridge over the Cedar Creek, would cast their guns into the water and rush on, only to be met by the cavalry as they came around on their rear with sabers flashing over the poor fellow's luckless heads with a command to sur- render or dic. If they failed to surrender their hats, they would be opened out on the crown with a swift saber cut.
Thus ended another day of victory, the last great battle for the 28th regiment. Gathering in our ofd camp we be- gan to look over the situation. Our camp was all bare nothing but the stakes over which our tents were stretch- ed remaining. Our clothes were gone, tents gone, grub car- ried away, no breakfast, no dinner, no supper, nothing to eat nearer than Winchester, no fire to warm by and the night was chilly.
Here we remained about an hour talking over the events of the day and our grand victory, then up and away to the front, out over Cedar Creek to the heights near Stras- burg as advanced guards. Here we began gathering up the spoils of battle.
Every little hill top was covered with evergreen brush into which the fleeing Johnnies had fled to escape the cavalry. We would approach one of these, call out, "come out of that Johnny reb or we will fire into you," and would be answered by "hold on, we surrender" and out would march from one to six confederates.
Abandoned guns, cassions, wagons and ambulances loaded with our camp equipage, frying pans, blankets,
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clothing and occasionally some of our haversacks were found over the hills and in the ravines as they were left by the running. foe when pressed by the cavalry in their charge down from the right flank.
We remained here until late at night, when we were re- lieved by other troops and marched back to the old posi- tion to the right of the pike on the hill over Cedar Creek, and with such articles as we had picked up endeavored to make ourselves comfortable. We laid our weary hungry bodies down but not to sleep. It was cold and cheerless, besides thoughts of the battle, the scenes we had passed through and our dead and wounded filled our hearts with sadness, and sleep refused to come to many.
The next morning a detail was made and sent back over the field to collect our dead togather and lay them away in a trench by the side of the pike on the field of battle, they had watered with their blood. It was a sad sight to see so many of our brave, loved comrades, who had touched elbows for so long in the march, skirmish and battle, laying on the cold ground in their bloody garments with their dead pale faces turned up towards the blue of heaven. Young men in the prime of life, who had so joyfullly left home and friends for the sake of country, now laid low in death away from home and kindred, without a kiss from mother's lips, but such were the sad, sad scenes on so many bloody fields.
While the battle was on, we thought not of these things but when the sounds of battle had died away and all was hushed and still, then it was that our hearts were wrung in pity and sorrowing sympathy. So we laid them away to rest until the final bugle call to life again, and turned away to our duties.
Eighty seven of our brave boys had gone down in this battle. Our wounded were carried to the hospitals in Winchester for surgical treatment and care. Every mem- ber of the regiment may well feel proud of its heroic ser- vice on this field of glory. It was one of the first to en- gage the enemy, and had fought its way out after being almost surrounded and with a cheer had brought their flag out through a murderous fire fighting like Trojans as they came loading as they fell back, shooting as they ran
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and afterwards (as they had done so many times before) leading the charge that broke the rebel lines and started them on the run, rulling the Union army to sure victory. Cedar Creek was our last great battle, the crowning glory of a faithful service.
Her history is written with the blood of her dead and wounded, who went down in the fore front of her many battles willing sacrifices for country, home and the old flag. Her name will last while history lasts.
But Cedar Creek did not close the service of the regi- ment. On the 27th, we were ordered to Martinsburg, as guard for a train going after supplies. Now to one not acquainted with the duties of a soldier guarding a train would seem an easy thing, but to us it meant far more. It meant a march of 20, 25 or 30 miles without sleep or rest, oft times without anything to eat, taxing our powers of endurance to the last extremity. We were destitute of clothing, many of the regiment being almost naked only having a ragged pair of pantsand a torn or worn out blouse to cover their naked hides from the chilling blasts of October.
Some were bare foot tying rags and a part of a pair of shoes over their feet as a protection from the cold and · wet, yet with all these trials we took up the march sing- ing, "There's a better day coming, Hallelujah", and ar- rived at Martinsburg on Nov. Ist, got our supplies and started back to the front. It was on this march as we were passing through Winchester, one of the boys (Jo) thought to have a little fun with a colored woman stand- ing on the street watching us pass. She was a huge creat- ure, would weigh nearly 300 pounds and very strong. Jo, saw her standing by the side of the crossing and rushed out saying, "Why here is my long lost lamby, where has you been all dis while," when he got close enough, that ponderous woman just reached out, gathered him in her great strong arms and pressed him onto her broad bosom with a 200 pound pressure and said, "Why Honey, wher's yo been, I done be lookin for you all ober, wha's you been honey, how I labs you, bless de Lawd ise got yo agin, an I'll kiss you", and poor Jo wilted, the boys cheered and yelled, "Kiss him Dinah, kiss yo boy." Jo never bother-
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ed a colored woman again, he had learned his lesson.
That night we got into camp quite late. After we had gathered the top rails off a fence, built our fire and laid down to rest, we heard a belated traveller yelling, "Pheres Co. G?" Some one in one of the companies said, What regiment? "Ony bloody regiment" he yelled, "Oi am don up ye bet yer loif and lay me doon, I must or I'll die be jabbers," and down he laid him with Co. G.
The next day we arrived at the front (Cedar Creek) un- loaded our supplies and returned to Martinsburg. Where we remained until after election, casting our votes for president and vice president resulting in 295 for Lincoln and 34 for McClellan. It wasa bitter pill for us to know 34 of the old battle scared regiment voted for a man nom- inated on a platform, declaring the war a failure at the only time in the progress of the war, that we could count on success as a surety. Cease hostilities thenj, enter into a compromise then!, make a cowardly surrender, of all we had gained in four year's awful war! it was too much for us, and had we known who those 34 were, no doubt they would have been asked to be mustered out.
On the following morning, we moved back to Winches- ter, remaining here over night without fires, or wood to make them with, suffering intensely from the cold. The north wind came sweeping over the mountains and many of the boys were thinly clad and it just seemed to blow clear through a fellow.
The next day we advanced up the valley meeting the army falling back pursued by a force of rebs, who were keeping up quite a brisk fire on our troops which was re- turned with interest. Cannonading was kept up all day. Our army had taken a position and were waiting for the enemy to attack us. On the 11th there was continuous skirmishing. On the 12th it became quite general and we thought another hot contest for supremacy in the va)- ley was sure to take place. Gen. Grover wishing to send a regiment to an advanced position one forth of a mile in front, directed Gen. Washburn to send the 28th Iowa.
In obedience to this order we moved forward under a sharp fire from the enemy and secured a commanding po- sition which we proceeded to fortify.
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Working all night we built quite a respectable redoubt and were ready for the enemy's advance, but they failed to come and after a further sharp engagement with the cavalry and loosing two pieces of artillery and a number of prisoners they withdrew. Here we began winter quar- ters, the weather had become so cold we could no longer stand it in the open field and "Shiebangs" were the order of the day. Logs were cut and carried up from the hol- lows along Opaquan Creek, split, notched and laid up cabin fashion, chinked and daubed with Virginia mud, sticks and stones built in one end for a fire place and chimney, our "dog" tents stretched over the top and all was done. Into these rude huts we went four in a mess and with plenty of wood could defy the cold.
Our camp was named Camp Russell and was laid off in streets, evergreen trees stuck in the ground in rows up and down the streets, everything cleaned up in shape and presenting a very home like appearance.
We went in winter quarters and felt that possibly we would rest awhile. Our duties here consisted in picket duty and an occasional trip to Martinsburg after rations. There was considerable talk of a raid on our picket lines by Col. Mosby, that noted rebel leader, but he never came in gunshot of the boys. One night the Col. of an Eastern regiment was officer of the day and had (as was custom- ary) to go around the picket lines during the night. He said it had been stated that the western troops did not fear the devil and he proposed to disguise himself, as the rebel Mosby, and capture a post of western boys. He was advised to let the job out but would not be persuaded it would be dangerous, asserting that when he said, "I am Col. Mosby, surrender," they would just drops their guns, and call for quarter and he would march them in and prove his point, and the blamed old fool actually tried it, but when he rushed onto that post and yelled, "surrend- er, I am Col. Mosby," he was covered with cocked mus- kets and ordered to get off his horse and surrender himself and they took him in. No use, the boys never surrender- ed without a fight. One of the boys said the next day, that if it had been the devil himself he would have had to climb down.
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On the 5th the brave old 6th corps went back to Grant at Richmond. On the 9th, it snowed about six inches cov- ering the valley and the mountains on either side of us with its white mantle. The weather became extremely cold, causing a great deal of suffering to those who had to go out on the picket lines.
On the 19th, the gallant little 8th corps left us and we began to think we would be fixtures of the valley for the winter, but on the 29th our orders to march came, and we left our Camp Russell and warm winter quarters for a new camp at Stephen's Depot tear Harper's Ferry, where we could receive our supplies right from the cars. We reached this point late at night and lay down on the cold ground to sleep, covered over with our blankets. On awakening in the early morning we found ourselves cover- ed over with six inches of snow
The weather became extremely cold and our condition was anything but a pleasant one, we had no shelter of any kind, and the cold blasts from the north chilled our very bones. Quarters we must Have or freeze, so at it we went, one cutting timber another laying up the cabin while one heated water and mixed mud and another with hands and paddle daubed up the cracks and plastered the chimney, and by evening of the second day we had the roof on, a rousing fire sending sparks up the stick chim- ney, while we, sitting back before the blazing logs dis- cussed the question, "will we lay here all winter, or be sent to some other point?"
On the 31st day of December, we were changed to the 2d Brigade, Brig. Gen. Mullenux commanding, and the next morning entered on the duties of the new year 1865. The Shenandoah campaign under Sheridan had passed into history. The regiment had come from the south after its services in that department were no longer needed. They had entered this campaign as new troops from other fields, taken up their full share of its duties with their old time spirit of patriotism and had written their name high up on the scroll of honor.
Their bravery in the most trying circumstances had been published all over the northi. Our gallant foes had learned when opposing them, they were opposing men
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who would stand amid the storms of shot and shell, and never leave a position until ordered to leave it, and when ordered to take a position they may as well yield it. And now though established in winter quarters, the question "where next" was the all absorbing question.
Occasionally we captured a Richmond paper and learned through it that Jeff Davis was telling his deluded subjects that England would soon recognize the Southern Confed- eracy, that soon 100,000 brave copperheads from the north would be marching in our rear. That the confederates must die in the last ditch if need be, to prolong the strng- gle until England or the copperheads materialized, in order to keep up their failing courage.
We knew England dare not openly aid the south, we knew those cowardly things called copperheads dare not attempt to organize. We knew that if England attempted a diversion in favor of the South, Russia would have given her business at home. Or if she did not, the army then in the field could whip the south, the copperheads (all that would enlist) and England combined. So the only ques- tion that came up was "where next". Our choice was Richmond. We had chased the phantom for more than eight thousand miles. We wanted to be in at the death of the squirming, writhing thing called' treason, and it would have been a glorious ending to a long and faithful service to have been permitted to stand by the dying . gasping last hours of the gigantic attempt made by the south, aided by the copperheads of the north and Eng- land to overthrow the Union of these states and establish an oligarchy on the basis of human slavery in one half of this land, but this was not to be.
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