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 7
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 7
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PART THREE
Another Ocean Voyage. To Meet Sherman. Savan- nah-New Bern-Augusta-Sunny South.
Sherman was marching from "Atlanta to the Sea" and some division must go around the coast and meet him. That duty fell on a part of the 19th Army corps. So when orders came to take cars for Baltimore, we left our warm winter quarters, boarded the cars, bid farewell to the familiar scenes in the Shenandoah Valley and in due time landed in the fair famed city and took quarters in Barracks, near the Baltimore and Ohio Railway depot, re- maining here for some days awaiting ships to carry us to Ft. Monroe. A ship was soon secured and we ordered to march down to the wharf. This march through the city was through Baltimore street. We were preceeded by the 13th Connecticut Infantry, whose Brass band played a tune which the boys dubbed "Pretty little girl and a hog eye" (whatever that was).
The members of the regiment will always remember that march with pleasure. The windows of the resi- dences along the way, were filled with more handsome . women and girls and different colored "pups," (Poodles colored all shades of the rain-bow) than any street we had ever passed through, and the "boys" did some lively flirt- ing as we passed along, sometimes getting a smile from some dear one,-more often a frown. It was a trium- phant march. Our fellows were braced up for the occas- ion, having in mind the passage of the sixth Mass in 1861. We took a steamer late in the day for Fortress Monroe, arriving there in the early morning, were transfered to a larger vessel, and were out on old ocean on our way to Savannah, Georgia, to meet Sherman. The trip was with- out incident, save the passage around Cape Hatteras, stirred up the stomachs of the boys, to a lively activity; something like the experiences on the "Arago" on our trip from New Orleans to Washington the last. of July, six months before.
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On the 18th of February, we arrived off the mouth of the Savannah River. Laid here until morning, then pro- ceeded up the river to the beautiful city, arriving there on the 19th of February, 1865. We marched off the ship, and up the streets, feeling that we had entered an Eden. Mocking birds were singing, flowers blooming, and the change from the frozen north, to the warm sunny south, was hailed with delight, until the question of "swamp water" came up. To students of history,-those interest- ed in the history of our own America,-it opened up a field for exploration and investigation. Savannah was one of the oldest southern cities. Here Marion the Swamp Fox, fought the British. Here Pulaski the Pole, fell in defence of Savannah. Shed his blood for American in- dependence. It was near here at the historical spring, Sergeant Jasper and his fellow prisoners had while his British guard were drinking, seized their guns, shot down the guards, and compelled the ballance of the squad to surrender. It was here the Wesley's, the founders of Methodism had established their first church in the new world, so that to those of us who were lineal descendents of revolutionary sires, who had so bravely fought for American independence, this spot was of historical inter- est.
With what pleasure we stood at the base of the monu- ment erected by a grateful people to the memory of the heroic Pole, Pulaski, and called to mind the record of his death as written on the pages of American history. With what satisfaction we stooped and quaffed our thirst at the same old spring . by whose brink Jasper spilt the blood of the British guard, that America might be free.
How our hearts thrilled with patriotic arder when we called to mind that in and around this city, Marion and Sumpter had, by day an by night, fought, eluded, and fought again, the British and Tories in Revolutionary time for American independence.
We called to mind the fact that our forefathers had fought to establish the Union, and that we had been call- ed upon to perpetuate that union by removing from our body politic that dark stain, human slavery, the cause of the war between the states, and of establishing the Un-
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ion on a better foundation. that of universal freedom for all men without regard to race, color, or creed. We realized we were, by our sacrifices, correcting the great mistake made by the men who, making our laws, permitted hum- an slavery to be incorporated into the constitution. But to return to our story.
The duties devolving on us here was to guard the city, receive and forward supplies to Sherman's army on the move between Savannah and some points east along the coast. No one knew where that lightning of his was li- able to strike.
Gen. Emory assumed command. A provost marshall was appointed, who called for a detail as city and wharf guards and detectives, the 28th furnishing her quota.
It was the writers good fortune to be placed in a posi- tion of examiner of passports, and to see that no one vio- lated the revenue laws, or landed any contraband goods.
When a vessel arrived, it was his duty to board her, and examine her bills of lading, and see that everything was in accordance with instructions governing blockaded ports. All baggage had to have a government stamp or permit of entry to the port of Savannah. Blockade run- ners with contraband goods from England were to be looked after in an especial manner. Guards were station- ed along the wharf, with special instructions to look out for these crafts. One morning early, the guard saw a long, low, rakish looking craft rounding a bend in the river below the city, and was at once on the lookout for fun. The vessel came sneaking in thinking she had run the blockade, and was safe in a confederate port, where she could exchange her $40,000 cargo for southern cotton, and sneak out again, but instead, ran her old brown nose right into uncle Sam's clutches, and was soon a prize. We got the hauser, and tied her up before the commander. of the revenue cutter could board her, making her a prize to her crew, and held our claim for the government over the revenue cutter.
She proved to be one of the bold swift blockade runners, formerly the steamer Hope, of Liverpool, England. The Captain of that ship, realizing his sad predicament, offer- ed the magnificent sum of $5,000 in greenbacks for permis-
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sion to unload his cargo and cart it up into the city be- tween ten o'clock at night, and four o'clock the next .morning, and that fool boy did not take it. What be- came of it I can never tell. I know I got a pair of calf skin boots, and a bottle of wine, and some rooster stole them away from me. I have always thought that $5,000 would have heeled me instead of some one else, who got the whole thing, for I don't think that unele Samuel ever got one farthing out of that whole cargo. If he did, he never reported it to me, and he ought to have done so to keep things straight. But there was some crookedness in the army, and I am not supposed to tell only on the members of the 28th.
Our offices were in a large brick at the foot of Bull street, the guard's quarters were one floor above, reached by a broad stairway. Que day one of the boys belonging to a New York regiment, went out on a pass and by some means procured enough whisky to get gloriously drunk and came back with his legs warping around each other and undertook to climb the stairs to his quarters, he got to the top step then concluded he had gone far enough, so he just doubled himself all up and rolled back down. Two of his comrades hearing the racket came down and examined him. They looked him over and one says, "Phat the divils de matter wid him any way", and the other (after taking a sniff of his breath) says, "Its drunk he is the spalpeen" and then he took another smell of his whisky laden breath and raised up and said, 'Be the powers I'd give me last dollar to have the half that's in him out agin, so I cood put it in me own stomach" but not being able to pump it out they gathered the boy up and carried him up and laid him away to awake in the morning, which he did for a wonder.
I cannot tell all that happened during our three years service. It would not do. Some of the boys may be alive yet and have wives and children to baul them over the dead embers of the past, if by any chance I told a joke on them, or that they sought pleasure and solace from the cares of life in the society of those beautiful fascinating southern bells. So what I write of enjoyment with the girls of Sunny South only refers to the single fellows, who
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were free to dance and flirt to their hearts content, with no grim female to call a halt. Our Provost Marshal was a "broth" of a boy. He was pineing for an entree into southern society, so one day he said to the writer, "Eph, you go and procure a good hall, make arrangements for a 12 o'clock supper, and get out tickets for 75 good young yanks and as many confederates as are willing to come (playing them for the girls you see) and get everything in readiness and we will have a nice time and get ac- quainted with some of these little female rebels, if they will come.
Remember, he said, no man can enter. the hall or stay about it, unless he brings a lady partner, and I will have a guard there that will enforce the orders too. So away I went, procured the dinning room of the Pulaski House, made my arrangements for supper, issued the invitations, then hurried off down Wittaker street to engage my girl for the society ball, made the "riffle" and was happy as a clam.
One young fellow in the regiment after getting his invi- tation hunted among his new made friends for a fair cart- ner, having found a fair young Mary to his liking, who was willing to dance under the stars and stripes with a bold yank in blue, began his preparations for the grand event by a careful inventory of his wearing apparel, and a gen- eral overhauling and brushing of his scanty wardrobe. When the happy evening arrived he brushed his cow hide shoes, put on a paper collar and hied him down the street after Mary, he found her ready, dressed in her very best, a little out of style yet presentable, but wearing a frown on her otherwise pleasing countenance, and when asked the cause she said, "I am madder than a hornet, don't you think my aunt St. John is here and she says I cannot go to the ball with a hated yankee without a chaperon and she must be the chraperon". About this time aunt St. John came sailing into the room and that boys heart be- gan to drop down at sight of her. She was about six feet tall, slim as a rail, with a nose like a parrot, gimblet eyes, cork screw curls and a voice like the wail of a thunder pumper. "Jerusalem, thought the poor fellow, can I face the music before all the boys with that on my arm, and a
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mild protest was offered, but it was no go. Aunt St. John must go or Mary must stay at home. The poor fellow was forced to accept the arrangements in order to have a part- ner at the ball.
When they arrived at the hall, laid off their wraps and hats, they walked in from a side door, Aunt St. John look- ed up and seeing the hall was festooned with the stars and strips, she gave her forty year old snout a tilt upwards, hitched up her suspenders and with a voice cracked and full of contempt said, "Well, if I had known you were going to have the hated yankee flag hung up, I would have worn a little rebel flag in my hair.". Well, madam said her escort if you had, I should have climbed up and re- moved it. "Climbed up, climbed up", she said. "What would you have climbed up." I would climb anything to remove a rebel flag said he, that isa part of my business and the fight was over.
So we danced and talked, enjoying ourselves with sisters of the boys, we had so recently fought in the Shenandoah Valley notably a Georgia regiment made up in Savannah, until the morning hours, then escorted our fair partners home and went to our quarters well pleased with our first attempt at making the acquaintance of the belles of the queen city of the south.
For almost three years the regiment had been deprived of the refining influence of the society of woman and to spend an evening among those whose silvery laugh, pleas- ant conversation and merry jest reminded us of our loved mothers, sisters and sweethearts in the far away north land was a change that gave great enjoyment to the single fellows in the regiment and they were the great majority. Some of the sober minded married men were even tempt- ed to amuse themselves gaily chatting with the girls of the south. I think now of one wito fixed himself up in fine style and attended a ball for a few short hours as a wall flower, so he might hear the gentle voices of beauti- ful woman, so like his own that was watching and wait- ing for him in the far off home in the north. So intent was he to appear gay in the presence of the ladies, he borrowed a beautiful pin of one of the regiment to wear over his manly heart and lost it as he whirle a saucy rebel
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girl in the giddy dance.
It was reported the rebel gunboat, Jefferson Davis was on her way from Augusta, coming down the Savannah river to bombard us and we were on the lookout for any indications of her approach. One morning we saw smoke up the river and began to think we would have a brush.
The Pontiac, a double ender, lay in the harbor all ready for a bout with her, her decks were cleared for action, all hands called on deck, and preparations made to give the Davis battle. Soon we saw a vessel rounding a bend, and the Pontiac let loose a shell across her bow, which caused her to heave to, and run up a white flag. It prov- ed to be a river boat coming in on a peaceful mission, and our visions of a naval battle were over.
Some days later, a squad of the regiment went over in- to South Carolina to hunt ducks in che rice fields. They saw a flock of ducks, got into a muddy ditch; and crawled up in range and blazed away, and kept blazing away, until their ammunition was about used up, without downing a bird, oreven scaring them out of the water. Finally they concluded to investigate, and found the nicest lot of de- coys you could imagine. If you were to meet one of those same fellows today, and yell decoy at him, he would sneak off. They were the wetest, most woe-begone, bedraggled lot of duck hunters I ever saw. All on account of a few decoys.
A few days after, an old woman in a spirit of revenge, set a building on fire in the north-west part of the city, and started a blaze that threatened destruction to the whole city. Their fire brigade were colored men and boys; their engines old dilapidated, band affairs, their water supply came from the water tower near the fire, and near it was the old Rebel Arsenal full of loaded guns, fixed shell of all sizes, torpedoes etc, and quantities of powder, toward which the fire was spreading. The negro fireman worked well enough until it became certain this Arsenal was doomed, then they began todrop out and leave the engines. Then it was our brigade was called out for a new duty; that of pressing negroes into service. We soon had a thousand husky fellows penned in by bay- onets, manning the engines. As soon as one squad was
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tired, another relieved them, until the arsenal began to burn and the shells began to burst, and guasgo off, then the negroes tried to go off too. but we held them fast and compelled them to pump at the point of the bayonet. It was just a trine dangerous. because of the explosions, and those darkeys thought that every moment would be their last. Shells began bursting at 8 o'clock in the even -. ing, and continued until 10 o'clock next day. Pieces of shell and minie balls went whizzing over the city in all directions, yet I do not remember of any serious results to any one. Large pieces fell over in the bay, driving the shipping out of the harbor. After eight blocks had burned, the fire was checked, and our duties over.
Some fool Confederates who thought by burning the city, they could compel us to leave, set it on fire in many places afterwards, but they were finally captured and jail- ed, their devilish work stopped, and the city left in peace and quiet.
But Sherman was moving east at a rapid gait, and it became necessary to change hi, base of supplies, and we were to be transferred East along the coast to some other point, so boarded the ship " Fannie" and proceeded to the mouth of the Cape Fear River, arriving there late in the evening.
A great storm was coming up ont at sea, making it nec- essary to either put out to sea again, or make the harbor. No pilot coming in answer to our signal, the captain con- cluded to make the trial himself, mide the attempt mis- sed the channel, and went out onto the breakers with a grind, rumble and crash, that shook us up in a lively man- ner. Aseach great wave came, the ship was lifted up, and carried a little further inshore, and cast down on the sand with a fearful jolt. The wind was blowing from sea to shore, increasing in violence every moment.
Thunder roaring, lightning flashing, Captain yelling and swearing through his trumpet, waves lashing the shore and receeding again. While hanging on to ropes to keep from being hurted into the sea, we were wondering whether or not we had escaped death on the battlefield, to be drowned like rats. I remember of standing on the deck holding onto the handle of a door, and looking out
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over the seething, boiling waste of water, toward the shore, and noting the wrecks of other vessels, which had been broken up on these same. breakers, and wondering if it would be possible to reach the shore, should our vessel go to pieces as we expected it would. Our situation was becoming desperate. It was finally decided to try to land by the aid of small boats, and we were ordered to strip for swimming, should the boat be swamped. But on lower- .ing the boats, it was found they could not be kept afloat, and the attempt abandoned. So realizing our desperate condition. we began forming plans for escape when the ship should brake, as we believed it must. It was an awful scene. Men who had faced the cannon's mouth, lost their nerve when it became apparent we were liable to be- come food for the sharks, and quailed before the awful storm. giving up all hope of seeing home and friends again.
The tide saved us. It came rushing in ahead of the storm and the ship floated. We got over the bar into the channel, and up the river, and around the bend, into a sife harbor. just in time to escape certain destruction. Hlad we been in the old position on the breakers, when the worst came the ship would not have lasted twenty minutes, and most, if not all the regiment would have surely perished in the mad waves,
Tlie next morning we put out to sea again, and late at night stood off the mouth of the Neuse river. waiting for day-light, and a pilot. Soon after sun-rise, a pilot board- ed, and we were soon unloading at More Head City. where we took cars for Newbern some distance up the river, at the junction of the Trent.
Here we spent the time forwarding supplies to Sher- man, and guarding the city. Some of the regiment man- ning the numerous forts. There was nothing of especial interest occured here, except once it was reported the Confederates were threatening Kingstone some distance above us, and between us and Sherman. A force was sent out to look for trouble, and male quite a trip up the Neuse river, but found no rebels. They were charged on however, and while none of them were killed or wounded, the whole command was scared worse than they had been
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for many days. They had halted and laid down by the rode-side to rest. Between them and the river there was an old field grown up with weeds, which werefdead and dry, and about five feet high. Below the field, along the banks of the river, about fifty William goats were feed- ing. These goats concluded tohave a little fun all by themselves, so they spread out and started on a run to- ward theroad and troops, through this field of dry weeds, setting up a bip, bip, baa, every jump, and it seems each goat trying to make the most noise with his mouth.
When the racket began, the Captain's yelled, fall in! fall in! fall in! and each man was into line and ready to wel- come the daring foe, with a volley, and die, if need be. So they stood awaiting the terrible onslaught, when out trooped the army of goats. A bloodless field was this. Had the 29th Wisconsin been there, no doubt blood would have been shed. But it would have been the blood of goats.
Supplies were forwarded to Sherman's army by cars, which on the return trip brought back many refugees from the interior of North Carolina. Here we got to see some of those long, lank, yellow "poor white trash" that were called "clay eaters." Newbern was over-run with color- ed people. It was estimated there were 75,000 of them there at the time, living in shanties about the town, being fed by the government.
From Newberne we returned to Morehead City, and went into camp along the Bay. The boys busied them- selves "Picking up shells from the . seashore." They would go out in boats, and gather the live shell fish as the tide went out and bring them back by the bushel, pile them up behind their tent, expecting to care for them in the morning, when lo, and behold! they would all come out of their shells, and march off through the sand, to salt water again, leaving nothing but a trail in the sand behind them.
It was here the glad news of Lee's surrender reached us we were apprised of something unusual going on by the booming of cannon along the coast, when we got the news you can imagine our joy, every man went wild, hats were slung into the air, cheers and shouts were ringing from
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every throat, meetings were organized and speeches made until we had exhausted ourselves. Why, the war was over, we could soon go home. It was a joyous happy time but our joy was to be turned into mourning, a few days later, flags were dropped to half mast and with blanched faces it was told about in whispers. Lincoln was assassinated, Our beloved Lincoln. Tears of sorrow coursed down many a brave man's check. How anxious we were then. We could not sleep or rest until the facts . both as to Lee's surrender and Lincoln's assassination were known.
Finally a vessel came in bringing pipers with full re- ports and we knew the awful truth. How sad the intel- ligence was to us who had loved him only as a soldier could love our great commander.
From here we returned to Swannah where we remained a few days then took up the march for Augusta, a beauti- ful city on the banks of the Swvannah river 230 miles north of Savannah. Id m's know just why we were or- dered here but as near as I can recollect it was to guard the city against pillage by the returning confederates now released from service by Lee's surrender. On our arrival we found the city full of returning Johnmes who still retained their arms. they knew the war was over and were ready to deliver np their arms and surrender always saying, "well yanks, we won't give up we were whipped, we were only over-powered." Many expressed themselves as being glad the strife was over and while they still despised a "cussed yank", they treated us fairly well and after a time grew quite friendly.
The citizens, or those that had not beenin the army and had never seen a live yankee before (especially the women and girls) seemed to take great pleasure in conversing with us mudsills, as they had been tanght to call us. In con- versation with a bevy of young ladies one day one of them said she could not understand one thing, that all the young men she had become acquainted with in the differ- ent regiments seemed like polished, educated gentlemen, and she as well as all the ladies of the south, had supposed they were uncouth in manner. ungainly in appearance and anything but gentlemen, something like the poor white trash of the south. They did not seem to understand how
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a man could work on a farm or in the shop, get an educa- tion and be a gentleman. We were a surprise to them in many ways as they learned before we left their fair city. They seemed to take great pleasure in conversing with us on all subjects, principally love and war.
We went into camp on Hamburg Hill about a mile from the city over in South Carolina, where we made ourselves as comfortable as possible. The boys miade frequent trips into the country round about after berries, and peaches that grew in great abundance.
One day a couple of the, fellows were out about two miles in a patch of black berries, picking away when some one near them broke the stillness by saying, "Say yanks, could you'ns give we'ns a chaw terbacker" and looking around they were confronted by two young girls in calico dresses, sun bonnets and bare footed, with buckets full of berries. Georgia crackers they were. One of the boys gave them the coveted weed and they were soon chewing away and squirting tobacco juice over the green leaves of the berry patch happy as clams. As they turned to leave one of them said, "say yanks you'ns might come and see us, you'ns might, we'ns don't have any beaux now, all the young fellows is in the war. I reckon we'ns 'ell treat you'ns nice if you'ns will come, we'ns live right over there. They thanked them for their kind invitation but the honor was declined. You see the boysstood high in Georgia and were invited out. Just back of our camp lived a man by the name of Butler, who had a large or- chard that some of the boys visited occasionally. In addi- tion to his peach orchard, he kept a kennel of savage blood hounds, 23 in number, that he said he would turn loose on us if we entered his orchard again. We learned these same hounds had been used for catching run away prisoners, who might escape from the prison pen, formerly located here, that they had often caught and mangled to their death poor starved fellows that could not climb a tree when overtaken by them, that this man Butler had fol- lowed the hounds and shot down many of the boys. We resolved these dogs must die and Butler too, if he monkey- ed with us.
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