History of Buchanan County, Iowa, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 52

Author: Williams bros., Cleveland, pub. [from old catalog]; Riddle, A. G. (Albert Gallatin), 1816-1902
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Cleveland, Williams brothers
Number of Pages: 574

USA > Iowa > Buchanan County > History of Buchanan County, Iowa, with illustrations and biographical sketches > Part 52

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ON BOARD STEAMER JOHN RAE, January 3, 1863.

We are once more landed, or rather lying, at Milliken's Bend. Our expedition up the Yazoo seems to have been an entire failure. Yester- day morning all the transports were loaded, the troops put on board, and we moved out of the Yazoo. We have had no fighting since I last wrote, but have had some grand preparations for fights. Since yester- day afternoon it has rained almost constantly, and the men have suffered very much, as they are so crowded as not to be able to get shelter. While writing I see quite a number of the fleet moving out again, and probably we shall move soon. The movement seems to be up the river. I do not know where we shall go, and what will be the next move I cannot now conjecture. Every one seems to be discouraged. This has been a very hard expedition, and every one seems to be worn out. Lieutenant Little is quite unwell, and a large number of the men are sick. Colonel Coyl received news to-day that General Vandever

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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.

had left St. Louis to take command of his brigade. He will not find his old brigade, and will not probably take command of it, for he is in General Curtis' corps, while we are in General Grant's. We should like our old colonel to command our brigade, but we have in General Thayer an excellent commander. Colonel Vandever having been con- firmed as a brigadier general, there will be vacancies in our regiment to be filled.

Sunday Morning .- I am well this morning and in good spirits. We were ordered to move off and camp this morning, but the order is countermanded, though we shall probably move soon-up the river no doubt. Remember we are now in General Grant's corps, Third brig- ade, Fourth division, right wing, Thirteenth army corps.

LETTER NO. CII.

[Extract from a letter written by C. H. L., correspon- dent of the Guardian with the Twenty-seventh regiment, under date of December 26, 1862.]

Since I wrote last company C has had cause to mourn. One of its best men, and one of the truest soldiers in the army has died. William H. Leuder is no more. He died Tuesday, of typhoid fever, after a sick- ness of but a few days. His loss is deeply felt by the company and by all with whom he was acquainted. He was buried with military honors, his own company, and soldiers from others, following his remains to the grave. Our excellent chaplain, in an unostentatious way, made a brief but feeling discourse at the grave, and offered a prayer. We then re- turned to camp, leaving William, the noble-hearted, resting in his war- rior grave, on the mound shaded by the old oak and chestnut trees. "Soldier rest, thy warfare's o'er."

LETTER NO. CIII.

[Captain Wright's account of the capture of Arkansas Post. ]

THURSDAY, January 8, 1863.

This morning we find ourselves at the mouth of White river. Most of the fleet is here, and preparations are being made to do something somewhere. It is rumored we are going up White river to attack Arkansas Post, a place about twenty-five miles up the river. Our breakfast consisted of half a hard cracker and a cup of coffee. As luck would have it, it rained hard enough to soak our crackers and cool our coffee. It is a gloomy day. What makes it more sad, we have two men lying in the boat, dead. They both belonged to the lowa Fourth, which is on the boat with us. They will be buried in the woods far away from civilization. Others will soon follow. The expedition to the Yazoo has been very hard upon our men. 1 believe had we re- mained there a week longer one-half of our men would have died. 1 never saw men sicken so fast in my life. Two drinks of the water would produce dysentary in six hours.

We are ordered to get ready with five days rations, two days' cooked, in our haversacks. January 9th .--- After breakfast the boats begin to steam up, and at 9 o'clock we steam up the river. We soon reach the Arkansas Cut Off, where the White debouches into the Arkansas. Here General Gorman overtakes us in the little steamer Era with a part of the Dubuque battery from Helena. His fleet joins us in this expedition.

It is some consolation to our worn and weary soldiers to know they are not forgotten by the good women of lowa. Mrs. Whittemyer, the sanitary agent of Iowa, came down yesterday with a boat-load of good things-butter, eggs, sauerkraut, wines, jellies, etc. They were dis- tributed to-day among the different regiments. Mrs. Whittemyer is considered the solders' angel by the lowa boys.

January 10th .- We awake this morning at the sound of the signal. The atmosphere is clear and beautiful. After breakfast the debarka- tion commences, and by 9 o'clock the troops are all landed and formed in line of battle. We formed in an open field and marched up the bank of the river. Six gun-boats move slowly up the stream shell- ing the timber in our front.

We are soon in sight of the enemy's line of battle, and can distinctly see them placing their batteries in position on the bank of the river above us. As we file by, General Vandever, who with uncovered head salutes, tells us to put our trust in God --- that our cause is just-which receives a hearty response from the Ninth. We move from the river through a cypress swamp, to get in the rear of the enemy's fortifica- tions. If we.were not accustomed to wade through mud and water up to our middle, we might find some fault, but as it is we have learned to endure all, like good soldiers. The conflict thus far to-day has been principally between the gun-boats and the enemy's batteries.

Our left wing has succeeded in turning the enemy's night, and captur- ing their second entrenched works. We are ordered back to the river to its support.

Three deserters have just come in and report the enemy ten thousand strong, and expecting a reenforcement of double that number to-night. We shall probably know the truth as to this by to-morrow night. We wade back through the swamp to our starting point, and stack arms. Every man now takes his supper of hard crackers and coffee. John Brown makes the coffee for our mess to-night and stirs it up with a rail. Everything on this expedition is done-not by rail, but by rails. Steam for the boats of our fleet, cooking for twenty-five thousand men, and even the beds of the soldiers are made with rails. Of course we sleep on the soft side of them. Jesse Barnett, of mess number two, is stewing a couple of chickens, and just as they were almost half cooked the signal is given to fall in. I had just got a little of the soup in my cup and its delicious aroma had filled my brain with pleasing anticipations of the coming treat, but the soup was too hot to drink and the chicken too tough to eat. You can easily imagine that a state of acute rebellion existed in the stomach of each member of mess num- ber two. We threw away the soup, snatched a leg out of the pan and munched as we marched.

After dark-7 o'clock .- Cannonading between the gun-boats and batteries makes music for us as we go marching on. The scene is ter- ribly grand. Shells are bursting in the air on all sides of us. One shell took off the leg of a lieutenant in the One Hundred and Eigh- teenth Illinois, and wounded several others. Another burst in one of the gun-boats and killed thirteen. The night is clear and starlight. We are soon at the point where the enemy's first battery was stationed early in the evening. It was placed on a high bank at the bend of the river, and commanded it for nearly a mile. From this point the scene is sublime-beautiful beyond description. Lying in the river is the fleet with their signal lights of various colors, mingling their different hues with the reflection of the beautiful bright stars in the water, while a shell would pass like a fiery meteor through the air, leaving a line of splendor in the water and forming one of the grandest sights the eye ever beheld.

The night is spent in marching and countermarching through the swamps, seeking a position in the rear of the enemy's forts. I never have seen our men so completely tired out. At every halt they would drop down on the cold, wet ground, and almost instantly were asleep. 1 hope we may not pass through many such scenes.

January 11th, 4 A. M. - We march into and take possession of the enemy's log barracks, they having left a few hours before, leaving their tents, cooking utensils, provisions, consisting of corn meal, fresh pork and beef, and in fact, everything. In one building were left some three hundred sabres, large Texan knives, shot-guns, etc. Quite a num- ber of their sick were also left behind, showing a complete stampede. We captured only about eighty prisoners, the rest are safe inside of their principal fortifications. Preparations are made to storm them. While we are getting in position again the big guns of the enemy are throwing shot and shell among us. The first shell passed over our heads striking the ground a few rods in our rear, showing that they have got our range pretty accurate. We were then ordered in the rear of the log barracks, and here we are flat on the ground, while the shells are passing over our heads continually. Our heavy batteries are just com- ing up. It has taken them all night and up to the present, Io o'clock A. M., to reach here, and has delayed the bombardment and given most of the fun to the enemy. Squads are deserting from the rebels and giving themselves up-six of them have just passed to the rear. As soon as our batteries are ready the ball will open in earnest. Twenty-five thousand men with fixed bayonets are ready for the charge.

Twelve o'clock, M .- We are ordered forward in support of the First lowa battery. The Fourth and Ninth take the right, and the Thirtieth and Twenty-fifth the left. The battery is in position, and then such a roar of cannonading and musketry commenced as was enough to strike terror to the bravest. As the firing began at all points, cheer after cheer passed from one brigade to another. Amid the terrible fire of the rebel batteries, our columns still pressed forward, while our men were falling on all sides. Just as we formed our line of battle, a shell came whizzing over our heads, making our men dodge like a lot of young ducks. A moment after, as we were attempting a movement by the right flank to get out of the direct range, another came close to our heads, killing General Thayer's horse. The general had just dis- mounted to lead us through the fallen timber. The same shell killed a man who was standing at the head of the wheel-horse of one of the caissons, and wounded several others. This was within five paces of company C, which passed the point of the disaster a few moments af-

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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.

ter the shell burst. But, heedless of the death and carnage around us, we pressed forward. A little further on, we began to meet our poor wounded comrades, who had preceded us; and, although many of them were severely wounded, they would exclaim as we passed: " Go in, boys, and give them h-1 !"

Three o'clock. A slight cessation for a time, but the firing is soon resumed. The conflict is terrible. Minie balls and shells are flying all around us. A shell passed through a little sapling just over my head, while I stood with my hand holding it-rather a close call. I then stepped a few paces to where the company was lying under a low bank, in the rear of the battery, when a Minie hall, like a bee hum- ming close to my ear, passed on its death errand. I dodged, and was not long in getting on my knees.

In the midst of the conflict, General Thayer rode up to Colonel Coyl and said: "Keep out of sight, and wait for orders." One of his aids complimented the Ninth and the lowa troops generally very high- ly. Soon after, General Steele, the commander of our division, came dashing up, saying the decisive hour had come, the fort on the river bank had been silenced. A charge was ordered to be made on the right, to complete the victory. Every man was in his place and anx- iously waiting the order to charge. While thus waiting our time, a cheer burst front our left, and was soon echoed from regiment to regi- ment until the woods rang with one glad shout for miles around. Soon the order to cease firing came along the whole line, and stillness reigned where so lately thundered all the harsh sounds of battle. Af- ter five hours' hard fighting on the second day, the rebels surrendered unconditionally. We were all ordered to advance, but under far dif- ferent circumstances from what we had expected. We were marched within the fortifications with the stars and stripes, the ensign of liberty, waving over us. We took possession of the fort at the setting of the sun on this beautiful Sabbath evening.

Although we gained a great victory, we have to regret the loss of many of our brave boys. Our loss in killed and wounded is about one thousand. The enemy's loss in killed equals ours, although they were behind their breastworks. The loss in the Ninth is light-a few wounded, none killed. Company C, I am glad to say, is all right- not a man of the company left the field. Every man kept his place and did his duty. We took five thousand prisoners, six thousand stand of arms, all their camp equipage, provisions, batteries, mules, wagons-in fact, everything they had, to the value of nearly a million of dollars. I talked with many of them, who appear heartily sick of the war, some even saying they were glad they were taken prisoners, The gun-boats seemed a great curiosity to some of them, as well as a great terror, We are still in the enemy's quarters.

May God comfort the mothers and widows of our noble and lament- ed dead, and soon crown us with a final vietory that shall give peace to the country.

LETTER NO. CIV.

[A little light thrown upon the Holly Springs disaster. ]

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, January 1, 1863.

FRIEND RICH :- Your numerous readers have doubtless heard ere this, some of the details of the rebel foray on Holly Springs, which re- sulted so disastrously to the Union forces stationed at that point. It was, perhaps, the most complete surprise that has occurred during the war, and strikingly illustrates the beauty of that poliey which confides the management of so important a position to unskilful and incompetent officers. That the force stationed here was by far too small, no one acquainted with the facts will deny. But had they been properly dis- posed, and on their guard, the memorable rout and panie of Friday, December 18th ultimo, would never have taken place. By some strange delusion, those who would have been on the alert, and actuated by a consciousness that they were in an enemy's country, liable at any mo- ment to attack, were lulled into a feeling of security, and allowed the foe to steal quietly upon them. The thunder of his guns, pealing in the gray morning twilight, and shouts of affrighted fugitives with pur- suing horsemen, was the first intimation we had of his approach. Colonel Murphy, the same man who exhibited so craven a spirit at Mumfordsville, Kentucky, was in command of our forces, consisting of part of two regiments of infantry, and the Second Illinois cavalry. No infantry piekets were stationed on the roads, and the citizens of the adjacent country were permitted to come and go as they pleased. The energetie colonel, in the meantime, with an eye to business that promised personal emolument, plunged deeply into the cotton specula- tion, and succeeded, after much labor, expense and anxiety, in piling mountains of bales near the depot, which the rebels have now kindly burned for him. I know that it has been reported in the papers that

cavalry pickets have been placed on two of the main roads, at a dis- tance of three miles from the city; and that the rebels succeeded in getting between them without being discovered. Credulous as many of the good people of the north are, I hardly think that they will be found weak enough to believe this story. The attacking party came in on the main road from the east, and were not discovered until they arrived at the depot buildings. 1 assert, on good authority, that we had no pickets out whatever, while the troops in the city, instead of be- ing detained in the camps, were permitted to quarter where they pleased, and being scattered in all directions, it was impossible to bring them together so as to offer a fair show of resistance. The men fought singly, or in squads; and amid the shooting, yelling and excitement, with a mass of desperate cavalry charging them on the front, rear and either flank, grew suddenly panic-stricken, and, throwing down their guns, quietly surrendered, or, as in the case of your whilom correspon- . dent, took with mighty valor to their heels. I believe there are circum- stances in which a man is perfectly justifiable in running, and perhaps I can not better illustrate this position than by relating my own ex- perience in the recent affair at Holly Springs.

By the mutation of time and circumstances, I had been ordered from La Grange and instructed to report at Holly Springs. Here medical director Wirtz was fitting up a hospital on a grand scale, which was in- tended to accommodate all of the sick of Grant's division, and I was placed temporarily in charge of the stores which had just arrived from the north in vast quantities. We had got everything arranged in tip- top order, the dispensary fitted up, the wards arranged, the bedding dis- tributed, and were ready to receive patients on the morrow. The morrow came, and so did Van Dorn's ragmuffins, who pitched in with- out ceremony, not even thanking us for placing them so handy. As has been before stated, the attack was made at daybreak, and the hos- pital, which is in the armory building, being near the depot had to sus- tain the first charge. I was in bed and asleep, when, all at once, there rose so wild a yell, that dreams were put to flight, and springing to the window, I soon ascertained the cause of the rumpus. All over the railroad track and around the station house, wild steeds, with wilder riders, were galloping, while the cracking of fire-arms came thicker and faster. At this moment, our colored boy, Jim, rushed into the room, saying: "Run, cut, massa! de secesh is on us." And away he went through the window, and across the square, in a direction opposite to the station house, which seemed to be the point of attack. I had not much time for reflection, for the rebels were already swarming around the building, so, grabbing my boots, I proceeded to follow the darkey, who, by this time, had half a mile the start. About eighty rods from the armory was a ravine filled with bushes, and, if I could only reach this undiscovered, I was safe. I always had a holy horror of being taken prisoner; didn't like the idea at all, of being paroled, and lying for months in the barracks at St. Louis. Feeling thus, I put the running capacity which I had cultivated on the old race-track, at Independence, while drilling with company E, to the best possible use. I had nearly reached the friendly ravine, and was resolving in my mind the practicability of making another advance in my toilet, by stopping long enough to pull on my boots, when "Halt, halt!" was yelled out behind, and, at the same time, pistol shots whizzed past in close prox- imity to my head. 1 ran before; I flew now, and soon reached the desired haven, where I found no less than fifty darkies, who, like my- self, had decided to evacuate. I finally reached the La Grange road just in time to catch a splendid horse, whose rider had probably been shot. Mounting into the saddle, and bidding defiance to the butter- nuts, I rode into the woods. J. C. R.

LETTER NO. CV.

CAMP REED, NEAR JACKSON, TENNESSEE, January 21, 1863.

FRIEND RICH :- We are yet in camp here. Since my last, there has been nothing to cheer us; even that "greater light" made to rule the day, has refused its presence in unclouded splendor, but has kept its cheering rays shrouded in deepest gloom. . . We are doing

nothing to expedite the war, as I can observe. The most we do is to guard each other-sometimes a little secesh, and occasionally go on foraging expeditions. We can live here, if we don't die, but I am frank to say I would like to move, and from all I can see, from which it is proper to judge, I think we shall move shortly. The breastworks of cotton, at Jackson, are being torn up and shipped, and soldiers are leaving by almost every train. The opinion prevails in camp, that Jackson is to be evacuated, and that this whole country hereabouts is to be abandoned. There would be many exultant hearts if such should be the case. We want to be, though but a handful of men, in that grand army that shall move irresistably forward to shatter the defences

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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.

of the Gibralter of the west. We are anxious to be present at the grand battle soon to be fought at Vicksburgh, and, from present indi- cations, our wishes may be gratified, The place, which, if taken, would, so says Jeff Davis, sever in twain the Confederacy, and for which they must all fight as the last hope of deliverance, must be torn from rebel clutches. . The boys are all as well as could be expected under the circumstances. Captain Miller, of company H, has the rheumatism so badly as to be unfit for duty. Captain Noble, of company C, has been unwell, and Lieutenant Sill is quite unwell now. I hope my next may be written under a brighter sky, and with a better prospect of doing something. C. H. L.

LETTER NO. CVI.

[The following letter was doubtless written by one of the officers of the Twenty-seventh regiment, but for rea- sons which will be obvious upon a perusal of its vigorous arraignment of those in authority, was at the time pub- lished without a signature .- E. P.]

HEADQUARTERS TWENTY-SEVENTH IOWA, CAMP REED, { NEAR JACKSON, TENNESSEE, February 3. 1863. 5

FRIEND RICHI :-- There has just been sent to these headquarters an order of which the following is a copy:

" HEADQUARTERS SECOND BRIGADE, DISTRICT OF JACKSON, TENNESSEE, CAMP REED, February 3. 1863. " Special Order No. 7.

"The commanding officer of the One Hundred and Third regiment, Illinois volunteer infantry, and the commanding officer of the Twenty- seventh regiment, lowa volunteer infantry, will forthwith make a detail of ten men from each of their respective regiments to make rails and rebuild the fence south of their encampment, and owned by Mr. Park- man, which has been destroyed since the encampment of these regi- ments in their present locality.

"'This detail will be made as far as possible from those who destroyed said fenee, if they can be ascertained; if not, from the different com- panies equally.

"By command of "C. L. DUNHAM, "Colonel commanding brigade. "To Colonel JAMES J. GILBERT,

"Commanding Twenty-seventh regiment, lowa volunteers. "JOHN R. SIMPSON, "Acting Assistant Adjutant General."

The italics are as in the original. This order involves the splitting of about three hundred rails by the two regiments, and the building of some forty panels of fence. The labor is nothing, but the principle is what grinds. The facts are these: Our brigade moved out to this camping ground January 13th, and after moving and putting up our tents and clearing the ground, it was near night. During the night it commenced to rain and rained twenty-four hours, when the rain turned to snow, and it snowed twenty-four hours, making in all forty-eight hours of storm. After the storm it came off very cold. During this time the regiments used about three hundred rails. We were encamped in the woods and had nothing but green wood to burn, and had to make our fires and cook out of doors. Nothing has been said by Cyrus L. Dunham, of the Fiftieth Indiana, who was and is in command of the brigade, until to-day, when we received the foregoing order. What enviable notoriety the aforesaid colonel thinks to gain by such a course, is hard to imagine. What rule of warfare, or order, or reason, author- izes him to issue the same, is more than I am able to tell. It would have been much more to his credit, and at the same time raised him in the estimation of the soldiers, if, during that storm, he had sent a man to appraise the fence and other rails in the vicinity, and receipted for them, and had them hauled to the regiments and used for fire.

Another thing would add immortality to his fame, if, having the power, he would exercise it by taking from the rebels and traitors in this vicinity some of their fat cattle and hogs for the use of his men, who are compelled to live on tainted meat. Here we are, in the heart of rebeldom, where there is plenty of everything necessary to the health and comfort of the men, and yet they are often furnished with rations unfit for use. It was a maxim with Napoleon, and with all good gen- erals, that the soldier was to be well fed and well clothed. But in these latter times a general in the field, or a colonel commanding a brigade, in violation of the letter and spirit of the laws of Congress, and the general orders from the War Department, compel their soldiers to live on food unfit for dogs, while they guard the stores of their enemies; and to cut green wood, even during inelement storms, to cook this said

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History of Buchanan County, Iowa, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 52

Author: Williams bros., Cleveland, pub. [from old catalog]; Riddle, A. G. (Albert Gallatin), 1816-1902 Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Cleveland, Williams brothers Number of Pages: 574

Author: Williams bros., Cleveland, pub. [from old catalog]; Riddle, A. G. (Albert Gallatin), 1816-1902
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Cleveland, Williams brothers
Number of Pages: 574