USA > Iowa > Clayton County > Strawberry Point > Address to the surviving members of the Twenty-first Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry, on occasion of their fourth reunion, at Strawberry Point, Iowa, September 3d, 1889 > Part 4
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Such in brief is the record of our short mid-winter cam- paign, which proved fatal to many who were not reported in the official lists of killed and wounded. The casualties of " Hartville " as of all campaigns and battles cannot be properly estimated without taking into consideration the greatly increased list of those appearing on hospital rolls during the following months, many of whom were permanently disabled for service and were never returned to the regiment-and of those others who were borne to narrow, silent dwelling places be- fore comrades marching with reversed arms and with slow and solemn tread. These were immediate results of this long and ex- hausting march of 150 miles, with the loss of sleep, suffering and exposure incident to it. Will any say that these wrecked men did not as heroically give up their lives for their country as if they had fallen stark upon the battle-field ?
It affords no satisfaction to any, at this day, to read in the reports of the confederate officers that their troops passed through the same storms, and suffered as greatly as our own men, for "The rebel rides on his raid no more," and happily feelings of bitterness or revenge which found but slight lodgment with Union soldiers at any time, have now certainly entirely disappeared.
38
CASUALTIES.
As a matter of record, however, I quote the words they use regarding the hardships endured :
" After the battle of Hartville my division marched toward Batesville. The march was a long and most trying one, over rough rock roads, through rain and snow and icy mountain streams, and a country laid waste by federals, furnishing neither food for man nor horse. At least 200 of the command abandoned their horses on the roadside to die, and waded many a weary mile through the snow and deep mud, some barefooted, yet they encount- ered every danger willingly and endured all fatigue cheerfully."
Marmaduke.
" During the march from Hartville to Batesville the men suffered much, and some twenty of my men are badly frozen." Shelby.
" About three o'clock in the afternoon of the 13th, a heavy rain fell and continued all night. During the night of the 14th there was a heavy snow fall, and in the excessive cold several of my men were frostbitten." Bennett.
No member of the 2Ist Iowa will wish me to omit special mention of the brave resistance made by the detachments of 99th Illinois volunteer infantry, 3rd Missouri and 3rd Iowa cavalry. They must always remain in our memory in grateful association with the artillerymen who stood so nobly by their guns during the conflict.
Nor should we forget the services of those not counted in the ranks of fighters on that day. The wagon train was greatly coveted by the foe, and was in dire peril. The road to Houston was occupied by our enemies, and there being no other road open, capture seemed imminent, but every wagon and mule was conducted up the steep hillside, and over the ridge, through obstructions of all kinds and safely taken to the Lebanon road by direction of Captain Benton, acting quartermaster, bravely seconded by the teamsters, though frequently within range, and under fire of Collin's battery.
From the amount of firing on both sides the casualties were surprisingly few, but the firing was generally high and balls fell wide of the mark.
The following figures are from the official records of the war department:
Federals .... .. Killed -- 7 Wounded 64
Missing 2 Total 73
*Confederates. I2
96
3
III
Total, 19
160
5
66 184
*The Nominal List from which Shelby's casualties are compiled, bears the following endorsement:
"The Orderly Sergeants were without their rolls, and their reports were made from memory and guesswork. Some others wounded and killed, but cannot get their names for want of the rolls."
W. J. McARTHUR, Captain and Assistant Adj. Gen.
39
THE LEFT FLANK.
The map on page 10 is copied from a pencil sketch which I found some time ago among my papers. I do not know who made it, but it is so entirely in accord with my own recollection that I have used it without hesitation.
PORT GIBSON.
The military superiority of General Grant over other gen- erals of the war on either side was never more signally evinced than when, against the protest of Sherman, oper- ating with his base at Milliken's Bend, he pushed his army into the intricate maze of swamps and bayous which lay be- tween that point and Hard Times, opposite Grand Gulf. All winter, with the aid of Porter's gunboat fleet, he had incessantly but vainly sought in the Yazoo Delta for a channel through which he might assault or turn the right flank of the Vicksburg line of fortifications. Nothing now remained but either to return to Memphis or attempt to turn the left flank at Grand Gulf.
But Grant was never, either then or at any other time in his whole career, willing to appear before his legions in the character of a general "who first marches up the hill and then marches down again." He decided to go forward. The magnitude of the undertaking can never be fully appreciated by any one who did not actually see the columns marching in the drenching rain -- the corduroy roads built from the timber growing in the swamps, which sank out of sight in the deep alluvial soil as heavy trains of artillery passed over them, and required to be relaid for follow- ing trains-the broken condition of the levees-whole regiments working in the water-the bayous and streams requiring thousands of feet of bridges to be constructed-the scows, boats and rafts transporting men and material across submerged forest and plantation. In the face of a vigilant enemy it was an enormous risk and a task possible only to a soldier of sublime self-con- fidence. But with full consciousness that failure involved retire- ment in disgrace for himself, defeat and humiliation, if not destruction, for his troops -- perhaps irreparable injury to his cause -with the genius of Cæsar, a like inflexibility of will and tenacity of purpose, weighing calmly the chances, and knowing the mighty resources within himself, he assumed the risk.
The act must have sent an electric thrill of sympathy into the heart of the man of kindred spirit then sitting in the executive
40
THE VICKSBURG CAMPAIGN.
chair at Washington, who had almost daily, vainly pleaded with the first Captain of his Eastern Army for a bold, aggressive move- ment. Here was one in the West, not rash or reckless of conse- quences, but well thought out, calmly projected, as he himself would have done it, after most careful preliminary reconnais- sances and surveys.
Those who have seen Grant, as we have, sit his horse like a statue, coolly smoking his cigar while under fire, and again, enter a frail dispatch boat and steam within range of the enemy's guns while the ironclad fleet was engaged in the terrific struggle with the shore batteries at Grand Gulf, can well believe that he reached his conclusion to assail the left flank with a mien as placid and a heart as composed as if only settling a matter of official routine.
And now, in the words of Grant himself :
" The march from Milliken's Bend to a point opposite Grand Gulf was made in stormy weather, over the worst of roads ; bridges and ferries had to be constructed, moving by night as well as by day, with labors incessant and extraordinary, and privations endured by men and officers such as have been rarely paralleled in any campaign."
It remained to cross the river and gain a firm foothold upon the high lands on the other side. In point of time and order of march the duty fell to the 13th Army Corps, and of that corps the 14th, or Carr's Division, of which our brigade was the second. They crossed in the morning of April 30. Immediately upon dis- embarking the first brigade was sent forward to seize the bluffs nearest to Bruinsburg and commanding approaches to it, while the second brigade, after receiving five days' rations-which lasted twenty, with such as were appropriated in the country-was sent forward to seize and hold the bridges at Port Gibson, if not already destroyed, but at any rate to advance as far inland as possible and engage the enemy at the furthest distance from Bruinsburg, thus leaving the disembarkation of troops undisturbed .* That afternoon and evening 20,000 men were landed, and sent forward immediately upon debarkation. The battle of Port Gibson was fought next day within three miles of that place mainly by the
*"The time to strike the enemy with the best hope of saving Vicksburg was when he was landing near Bruinsburg. To do this with any prospect of success a rapid concentration of all the forces should have been made and an attack."
GEN'L J. E. JOHNSTON.
VER
Haines Bluff
RI
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Brownsville
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VICKSBURG
kevinas
Bolton Depot
KG
ICHAMPION
Edward's Depot
BRIDGE.
JACKSON
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4
Dillon
RAYM
Warrenton
Mentgor Bridge
Missisippi Springs
you Viaal
Baldwins Ferry
BATTLE OF RAYMOND
New Anbury
ew Carthage
Hall's Ferry
Juage Perkin
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2
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Rocky
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White
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Lako.
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PRIL. MAY. JUNE, to JULY 4th,
Bruins Les
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Pierre Bridgeburned Grindstones Fort
Burtonton
1863. From Official Map cp National Forces. - Confederate Forces
mus Indicates line of National Troop2,
Bridge
urned
Pot Gibson
3 6 1 a 9 0 Miles
3
Brun
VICKSBURG
Hard Times
CAMPAIGN.
S
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NEW ORLEANS
RGON
Ferry
Abans Sta.
CUP BATTLEVI BLACK R.
BATTLE OF JACKSON.
ter
7
BO
ICKSBURG
Bridgeport
ro Benion
42
A ROUGH COUNTRY.
three divisions of 13th Army Corps, commanded by Carr, Oster- haus and Hovey, assisted by the 10th, A. J. Smith's, and two brigades of 17th Corps ( McPherson's, ) the total casualties being 875. Grant himself and McClernand were on the field from early morning, and McPherson and Logan later. As the fighting com- menced at 5.30 A. M. and continued until darkness permitted the Confederate army to escape, the field was not a sanguinary one when compared with other engagements of equal importance, but the toil and moil of it were almost inconceivable. I have already quoted (page 17) Grant's reference to the nature of the ground.
I now give one extract from his memoirs and others from subordinate officers :
"The country in this part of Mississippi stands on edge, as it were, the roads running along the ridges except when they occasionally pass from one ridge to another. Where there are no clearings the sides of the hills are covered with a very heavy growth of timber and with undergrowth, and the ravines are filled with vines and canebrakes almost impenetrable. This makes it easy for an inferior force to delay, if not defeat, a far superior one."
General Grant.
" All concur in describing this ravine as being about 40 rods wide and filled with vines, cane, deep gulches, and exceedingly difficult of passage. The enemy no doubt regarded it as impassable."
Brigadier-General Hovey.
" The face of the country was very much broken, with almost impassable ravines filled with trees and a dense undergrowth, and narrow, tortuous roads, offering great facilities to the enemy to cover his retreat, and of which he availed himself to the best advantage."
Major-General Logan.
" A deep ravine, choked by an almost impassable canebrake and under- growth, was before us, through which, with great exertion, we succeeded in forcing our way. Two more of like character were passed, when, by marching by the left flank, an open space was reached, in which were formed the remaining regiments of the brigade.
" In front of my position was a ravine running diagonally to the left and rear. On the far side of it, and a little to the right was stationed a rebel battery, supported by a heavy force of infantry."
Col. Macauly, 11th Indiana.
" In the long and hotly contested fight of the afternoon my regiment was all the time in face of the enemy and under his severest fire. Several times we were ordered against the rebel infantry and under the range of his batteries. Each time we drove them from the field. Late in the afternoon,
43
BOWEN'S STRATEGY.
by your order, we charged up the hill, in conjunction with the 21st Iowa and on the left of General Burbridge's brigade, against the enemy's lines, there strongly posted in almost impenetr ible timber and underbrush. Though unable, from the character of the ground and the raking fire of the enemy's batteries, to reach the extreme summit of the hill, we reached the point to which I was ordered and remained there, receiving and returning the enemy's fire, until about sundown, when, by your order, we returned to our former position, and remained upon the field until the firing had entirely ceased and quiet reigned along our whole line."
Major Atherton, 22nd Iowa.
This country " standing on edge, as it were," intersected with tortuous ravines having precipitous slopes covered with forest and tangle of brier and vine, had been selected on account of the facilities that it offered for defence, by the Confederate General Bowen, at least four days before the first detachment of Grant's army crossed the river.
In a despatch to Pemberton, under date of April 27th, 1863, he says :
« * * * In view of this, and from the fact that Port Gibson is almost essential to this point (Grand Gulf) I have examined myself and now have the engineers on a reconnaissance selecting a line of battle south of Port Gibson."
It was well chosen, and enabled him with 8,000 men to keep 20,000 at bay for 24 hours, and gave him time to remove his sup- plies from Grand Gulf, after crossing and destroying the bridges over Bayou Pierre. It was on the southern line of this field that we were so abruptly halted and saluted with cannon at one o'clock in the morning of May Ist. And now having looked at the battle ground let us see what condition our men were in for the task before them, at break of day, when the work commenced. Let us go back a few days. On the 29th of April occurred the bombard- ment at Grand Gulf, which lasted nearly seven hours. During most of that time the troops were crowded on transports, waiting to steam across the river and attack the enemy, whenever the fleet should silence the batteries which lined the frowning bluff. That, was found to be impossible, and the troops were disembarked and marched down the levee in the evening to De Schroons. After dark the transports carrying our artillery, and the gunboats, ran past the batteries under a most terrific fire. The uninterrupted cannonading and the hazard of the enterprise-there being only a single channel, and that, one of the narrowest in the whole length
44
BATTLE OF PORT GIBSON,
of the river-created intense interest, excitement and anxiety in the camp. It was some hours before the exact results were known, and as the commotion of preparation for again embarking com- menced promptly at dawn, it is certain, that if any sleep was obtained that night, it was by a comparatively small number of men and only for a very short time. Then followed the re- embarkation, the descent on Bruinsburg, the march on Port Gibson until one A. M. of May Ist-the skirmishing and artillery duel lasting until after three o'clock-then the waiting in line of battle under arms, with the enemy known to be in line of battle a short distance away, leaving absolutely no chance of sleep that second night. Thus it can be seen that the last opportunity for good rest and sound sleep was at least forty-eight hours behind them. Under these circumstances the arduous duty of forcing back the Confederate line was undertaken. The battle itself was largely one of artillery. Planted on the ridges, the guns would shell the ravines and woods in front. This would be followed by advancing the infantry line, pressing the enemy with musketry and some times by the bayonet. Before noon the first defensive line of battle was thus broken up and a second one occupied some one or two miles to the rear. This was a still more difficult one to assail. It is substantially shown by the map on page 18, although giving only the position occupied by Hovey's division. The rebel line was beyond the woods.
About two o'clock p. M. our own regiment was resting on the left of a battery which was shelling the woods across the wide ravine in front of us, and the enemy's batteries were replying from the ridge opposite. As far as the eye could see to right or left through open spaces or the tops of trees the smoke of artillery firing was seen, while the roar of the guns was deafening and incessant. The hostile shells screamed maliciously as they passed over us, or burst with a crash in the air. On looking around one could have seen men standing in groups or reclining in all postures on the ground, resting until the time came to advance, while here and there were men of every company lying stretched out full length and motionless, some with faces to the ground, others on the side with arm thrown forward and the head resting upon it, others again lying on the back receiving the direct rays of the sun full in the face. Were these prone men all dead ? No, they were fast asleep ; and, by and by, when their comrades gently kicked them, and told them to get up as the regiment was about to advance, they arose with a dazed look, and staggered as if drunk. Both souls and bodies had nearly reached the limit of
45
"SARVANT, MARSTER."
human endurance, and yet, the most difficult hill of the field was before us with the enemy on the summit. It was after sundown before we returned to seek a fitting place on which to bivouac for the night. As we debouched from the woods and crossed the ravine, marching by the flank, we noticed the bodies of some who had passed from the spring and summer of carth to its gloomy and perpetual winter, and saw parties from the field hospitals with stretchers, engaged in their mournful task by torchlight. It was eight o'clock before we reached the camping ground.
The next morning Logan's division of McPherson's Corps took the advance in pursuit of the retreating enemy. We fol- lowed leisurely, marching through Port Gibson, where the stores and shops were closed as for a public funeral, and camped for the day in a meadow on the bank of Bayou Pierre. As we passed through the town some of us had opportunity to stroll about and inspect it, and were charmed by its beauty. It was the home of many rich planters. The residence streets were lined with yards enclosed by arbor vitae hedges of vigorous growth, trained into many attractive forms. Ornamental trees, plants and shrubs of all kinds abounded. The Magnolias and Crape Myrtles seemed waiting impatiently for their hour of glory. Flowers were in bloom, birds were singing, the air was filled with the perfume of roses. In every direction were signs of free and happy homes, of luxurious civilization, of wealthy and refined society. On every hand save one. Feebly walking about the streets could be seen old men of dark skin and tattered garb- the young and strong had all been driven like cattle before the retiring army-these were bent with the weight of years, marked with effects of continuous toil, hoary with the frosts of time. As one of them would be approached he would step submissively aside, the cap would be pulled from the white head, the bent form would bend still lower, and the shrivelled lips utter plaintively the words : "Sarvant, Marster." The whole attitude and mien exhibited a human soul enchained by the habits of a lifetime of abject slavery, with no sense of responsibility, without aspiration and without hope. As he noted the contrast and passed on, the Union soldier could not avoid a feeling of exultation that at last -and partly by means of himself and his companions-the end was near.
It was this day on which occurred the laughable incident of firing the loaded guns into a ditch, in order that they might be cleaned, and which brought down upon us, in a cloud of dust, General Grant and all his staff, when he did us the distinguished
46
RATTLING-GUNS.
honor of personally arresting our Colonel and sending him to headquarters to deliver his sword. The sword was returned immediately, however, on the report of our Brigadier-General that he himself was responsible for the occurrence, at which by that time, even Grant the immobile, could afford to laugh. It came about in this way: The General had issued strict orders that there should be no firing of muskets by the troops in camp, as the enemy was not very far away and he did not want any false alarms. But the boys had been firing all the day before; their rifles had become foul and they had been kicked black and blue by the recoil, and were now suffering the consequences. The men who had fortunately discharged their pieces the night before with- out reloading were now putting them in good order. They were watched with envious eyes by those not so fortunate, but there was no way by which they could easily get the balls from rifled guns except by firing them off. At last the devil tempted one of the men. He disappeared from the tent with his Enfield, looked furtively in every direction to be sure that he was unobserved, fired in the air, and dodged back again. It was a contagious disease and spread. In a few minutes guns were popping every- where. No one knew who did it. . A man found with a smoking barrel would make a flat denial and look perfectly innocent-his companions were equally innocent. The Colonel was furious; the officers at their wits' end. At last Colonel Merrill, who secretly sympathized with the feeling which led to the dis- obedience, went to the Brigadier and obtained permission to collect the loaded guns and march the owners to a roadside ditch and there fire the pieces off, on condition that they should be fired by volley and one volley only should be fired. The boys, some four hundred of them, marched gleefully to the appointed place and were duly aligned. The Colonel went along himself to see the condition strictly carried out. He gave the first parts of the order : " Ready-aim," and then imprudently waited a moment to be sure that all were indeed ready. The fingers were on the triggers -- the suspense was awful-human nature could not stand the strain-crack went a rifle-crack-crack went two more- crack-crack-crack went three. Bedlam broke loose --- the racket ran along the line. "Fire!" shouted the Colonel, but it was too late. The unity of intent was gone. Unity of action was impossible. Crack, crack, crack. Crack, crack, crack. "Captains, stop your men!" Stop the crackling of thorns in a fire! Stop the hail in a storm! It were as easy to do these as to stop volunteers at such a time. Satan and all his imps were loose, and every imp had
47
CHAMPION HILL.
two guns. Every man felt this to be his last chance, and every gun went off. Checked here, the racket broke out there. It raged here, there, everywhere. It was pandemonium itself. The General, sitting in his quarters dictating orders or dispatches, heard the firing, thought he was attacked in force, and he and his staff mounting their ready horses, came charging down upon us like a regiment of cavalry. The men marched back in disgrace, but every gun was cleaned that day.
BIG BLACK RIVER BRIDGE.
On the 16th of May, 1863, the bloodiest battle of the Vicksburg campaign was fought at Champion Hill. While Indiana's brave chieftain Hovey was acquiring honor and renown, and his officers and men winning for themselves a sad fame on the "hill of death," Carr's division stood marshalled in " column by division" on the edge of the wood where the fearful slaughter was taking place. The troops of this division waited, hour after hour, expecting every moment the order to go to the help of their brethren. The division of Osterhaus was on our left, and that General rode to the front of our position, and as he listened to the sound of battle so near us, showed both by word and action his impatience and disgust. But the order came not. The commander of the 13th Corps, spell- bound by a show of opposition and the throwing of a few shell from the high ridge in his front, caused three of his own divisions and one of Sherman's to stand motionless while another division of his own corps was being slaughtered by wholesale,* almost if not quite within musket range, but hid from them by dense woods. Those who stood there that day will surely never forget the bands
*" The fire was terrific for several minutes, and the cheers from our men on the brow of the hill told of the success. The enemy gave back, and the forces, under General McGinnis, Colonel Slack, Colonel Boomer and Colonel Holmes, drove them again over the ground which had been hotly contested for the third time during the day, five more of the eleven guns not taken down the hill falling a second time into our possession.
" I cannot think of this bloody hill without sadness and pride. Sadness for the great loss of my true and gallant men; pride for the heroic bravery they displayed. No prouder Division ever met as vastly superior foe and fought with more unflinching firmness and stubborn valor. It was, after the conflict, literally the hill of death; men, horses, cannon, and the debris of an army lay scattered in wild confusion. Hundreds of the gallant 12th Division were cold in death or writhing in pain, and with large numbers of Quinby's gallant boys, lay dead, dying, or wounded, inter- mixed with our fallen foe. This ended the battle of Champion's Hill at about 3 p. m., and our heroes slept upon the field with the dead and dying around them.
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