USA > Iowa > History of the Nineteenth Regiment, Iowa Volunteer Infantry > Part 7
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10
In about an hour we came to a lake seeming about a mile long and two hundred yards wide, with high hills all around. The water was clear as air and cold, and large rocks stood closely all through it, so close that seeking a place narrower than the others, we crossed by leaping from stone to stone. Near dark we succeeded in reaching the top of a mountain which towered high among the surrounding hills, like a giant among men, and on the loftiest knoll we laid our . wearied forms to rest Waking, we saw the rosy tint in the eastern sky and soon the sun rose, but to us was not visible, for below us hung clouds in the frosty air. For all the hours of that forenoon we toiled down the steep descent, loosening stones and clinging sometimes to bushes, till at last with bruised feet we stood in the valley.
That night we came to a line of fire reaching as far as eye could see out into the open pine forest on either side; the Indians were burning off their hunting grounds. Finding a weak place in the line we ran through it and lay down on the warmed and blacken- ed ground.
Morning drew near and the sky was cloudy, by day- light the rain was falling fast, and then came the oc- casion for using our compass. All day it rained, and
131
NINETEENTH IOWA INFANTRY
as night drew on a cold north-west wind sprung up, the rain rushed down colder with such blinding force we dared not go forward over the rocky precipitous mountains. We could but wander aimlessly around to keep up circulation. Benumbed we are ready to lie down in despair, when the glimmer of fire afar off brought a glimmer of hope to our hearts. Pressing on we found the faintest blaze lingered on a pine log fired by the burning woods of the day before, but the drenching rain was fast putting it out when we hap- pily found it. Our willing hands piled high the dry branches and soon a cheering blaze shot upward, and till long after midnight we turned before the fire cheer- ing each other with home-talk. Then the rain ceas- ing we slept a few hours and morning came cool and clear.
Since crossing Red River we had eaten but one meal, and now each looked into the others face won- dering if their own were so sunken and hollow. Near noon we found a beaten path, and followed it coming to a comfortable log house, and on entering found no one there, but there was a library ; history, classics, theology, and poetry, and what was infinitively more pleasant to ns, we found in the cupboard honey and sweet potatoes, to which we helped ourselves freely. While eating, the man came in seeming some little surprised at our being so comfortably established in his house, but we soon explained. We learned his name was Fisk, a native Choctaw Missionary, who had re- ceived his education at Marietta, Ohio. He seemed sorry to see us appear so hungry, and when we told him who we were, said, "I am confederate, but I am a christian, and I feed my enemies ; I will not trouble you."
1
132
HISTORY OF THE
1
He was anxious to hear of many whom he had met in a tour through the east, and seemed much affected, when I told him of the death of Dr. Lyman Beecher. When departing, he told us our forces occupied Wal- don, a point much closer than Fort Smith, and offer- ed to put ns on a trail leading there, riding over a mile on his pony to do it. We left the old man of country manners, an ascetic and an eremite in that vast wil- derness, a christian gentleman who recognized in us brothers by the great Freemasonry of humanity. We parted from him sadly, feeling that --
"Some future day when what is now, is not, When all old faults and follies are forgot, And thoughts of difference passed like dreams away, We'll meet again upon some future day."
That evening we passed through an Indian village of poles and bark, stopping only long enough to say " Aqua " and received a drink of purest coldest water in a gourd from the hands of a Squaw neatly habited in homespun. The next morning, about nine o'clock the rough hilly districts were left behind, and the country once more assumed the long rolling swell with pine timber becoming sparser, and oak frequent. Near evening we saw a man working in a field, who told us he was Wm. Bryant, and as he was going to ' the house, we asked for supper, which he promised. Reaching the house we found it to be a large frame building with many of the appliances of civilization.
He was a white man who had married a Choctaw woman, and accumulated a handsome property. Ile was a loyal man, and treated us kindly. His daugh- ter, who prepared our supper was a shy handsome girl. I was quite at a loss which was most beautiful,
$
1
133
NINETEENTH IOWA INFANTRY.
her eyes, or those of a timid fawn that caressingly licked my hand and looked up in my face with such soul-like eyes.
The setting sun glowed upon the tree tops and made the shades settle deeper and darker on the clear bean- tiful stream that murmured before the door. That scene will never fade from my mind as one of the most beautiful of my life. * *
Walking on till eleven o'clock in an easterly direc- tion, we stopped at a small house, from which about half the things had been removed. Taking possession of the premises, we killed a fat pig and rifled a bee hive, having for our suppers fried pork and honey. A feather bed that had not been removed, we put down before the fire and laying down upon it, we slept till three o'clock in the morning, when we started on, we passed through a camp of some kind, and soon crossed the Arkansas line. After sunrise as we seemed draw- ing near to settlements, I wrote a pass (McGregor had pen, ink and paper,) and signed Gen. Steel's name to it, C. S. A., and armed with this we took the State road, traveling rapidly till nine o'clock, when we stop- .ped for breakfast at Judge Nichols, where they told us our cavalry had eaten supper the night before, so we felt near home. While eating in the kitchen, Mrs. Nichols stepped to the front door and said: "Here comes some of your boys now," I arose, and going to the window, looked out, seeing three soldiers in full federal uniform which satisfied me of their being our friends ; but hardly had I resumed my seat when Mrs. Nichols cried out in alarm that some bushwhackers were coming, and our boys and they would fight there ; ·but from the friendly greeting that passed between
1
134
HISTORY OF THE
them in the road we knew that they were not at en- 1 mity. They entered the house, sitting around on chairs, beds and tables promiscuously, with shot guns and squirrel rifles. We could hear their rough talk from the kitchen, and trembled at our probable fate but the crisis had to come, so putting on an unconscious look, we arose from the table and entered the room. To meet the curious gaze of ten or twelve pair of eyes peering from out the hairy faces of roughly dressed men, without flinching or changing color, was the task successfully accomplished. When one at last ventured to ask us who we were, I as spokesman answered, we were paroled Federal prisoners sent through to our lines by Gen. Steele, whose army lay in or near that part of the country we had passed over. Then one of them who plainly prided himself on his shrewdness and knowledge of business said, "you'd orter hev a showin or paper" "certainly " said I, drawing forth the pass and handing it to him. He took the slip of paper gingerly betwixt his thumb and fore finger, us- ing it as though momentarily looking for it to evapor- ate, and turning to a small sharp-eyed red headed man .. said, "Judge, you're more on a skollard than we, read this," and judge accordingly read it aloud pro- nouncing it " all squar," .which verdict being echoed by the others a mountain lifted itself from my heart. Not to seem hurried, we sat a half hour, promising to "jog along a bit further fore night," which promise we conscientiously kept.
About two hours rapid walking brought us to a broad clear stream where we found no way of cross- ing ; just opposite lay a canoe, and while we stood de- · bating our best method of procedure a half-breed In-
1
-
NINETEENTH IOWA INFANTRY. 135
dian girl came down the road to the canoe. We called out to her and motioned to her to cross to us, she step- ped into the small shell, and standing up near the cen- ter with a few skillful strokes brought it to us. She stood quiet till we were seated, then she propelled the canoe with a gliding motion over as lovely a stream as I ever beheld, Mountain Fork. Walking on with only a halt for supper at a house, ten o'clock found us near Fort Smith, and no signs of any more guerrillas. Here Anderson had a chill, caused by exposure during the tramp, and we stopped at the first house with him.
The people received ns kindly; we told them who we were, and they got us something to eat ; while sitt- ing by the fire talking over the war, the clatter of iron hoofs was heard and in a minute the two doors were opened at once admitting three roughly clad brutal looking men each with a drawn revolver. Of course we surrendered, and were at once subjected to a search- ing ordeal of questions to determine if we were all right but with the aid of our forged pass we satisfied all of the party but one, who knew too much, and he had us taken back six miles to a house to find their Cap- tain to see what disposition to make of us. During that midnight tramp, Cook several times promised us he would see to it; that our blood and bones enriched Arkansas soil. Reaching the house the Captain was not found, so we were allowed the privilege of lying on the floor before the fire, which was a comfort we enjoyed.
After a substantial breakfast that differed only in coffee from a farmers fare at the north, we left, follow- ing a devious and untraveled track, round hills, and
.
1
136
HISTORY OF THE
1
through broken hollows, till at last through the ave- nue of trees a dim smoke curling upward, marked the camp of the wild men. The throng of men around the fire opened as we drew near with our captors, and stared at us with rude surprise. They never took a Federal prisoner farther than a convenient spot for killing.
In the motley crowd that assailed us with questions, were white haired old men and smooth-faced ruddy cheeked boys, half-breed Choctaws, with wide mouth and little glittering eyes ; men clad in beaded buck- skin, butternut homespun, and stolen broadcloth. Lying around were saddles, bridles, guns, sabres, and all the paraphernalia of camp life. Until this time the hope had lingered that I might impose the pass on the guerrilla captain, but seeing him dissipated that hope. His name was J. B. Williamson, a lawyer of some repute in Kentucky, and a man of pleasing ap- pearance and engaging address, so I wisely refrained from the attempt to prevaricate longer. The morning . of the 23d of November, we were taken into their camp and were with them till Dec. 6th, when we were sent to Washington, Ark.
While with the bash-whackers we lived well; fresh beef, pork and mutton all the time, flour, corn-meal and hominy.
Anderson continued so sick he could not get around, so they spared themselves the trouble of a, guard over us, by threatening him with death if either of us run away,-a threat they would have kept most religious- ly, for while with them we were frequently waked at night by squads returning from their depredations, and ' heard their heartless jests at the remembered death agony of some poor victim.
137
NINETEENTH IOWA INFANTRY.
One day having become somewhat acquainted with one of the most pleasant men in the band-Geo. Winton, Anderson asked him if he would bring him a book from his father's house, (their friends all lived in the immediate vicinity,) he said : "Thar ar a book thar, a big one at that,-Holy! Holy Bible, or some sich name as that," and this sheer honest ignorance.
They robbed indiscriminately and were thought a nuisance by the regular Confederate soldiers.
In a circuit of ten miles they told us there were over four hundred, and I felt disposed to credit it, for I saw many of them. Quarrels agitated the different small bands constantly.
One day while moving camp, a thing that was done at least every other day, their wagon fell a little be- hind, and some of Glass's company took a saddle out of it belonging to one Newsome, who was of an irate disposition. He on the arrival of the wagon in camp, missing his saddle and learning in whose hands it was, borrowed another to use on his horse to go after his own, and rode out of camp breathing vengeance dire . and speedy against the offenders.
After being absent till after noon the next day, New- some came sneaking into camp crest-fallen, having had his horse and borrowed saddle taken by the brother robbers. Much sport was made of Newsome, but the loss was felt by them for the horse was the fleetest in the band. Several times we had alarms, and we told the men if the Feds come we hoped the Feds would whip, but if any other company of whackers come we would help what little we could.
One afternoon two more prisoners were brought in -citizens-an old man and his son. James M. Still -
18
138
. HISTORY OF THE
of Indiana, and his son Reeves Still, had come to Fort Smith to try and visit Mrs. Dotson, a daughter of Mr. Still, that was living outside our lines, and while at her house they were caught by some of our gang. It seemed he had been talking plain English to them in response to their queries as to his status on the war, for they were in a very ill humor. The fact that he had once for a few years lived in Texas, operated strongly against him. For one who had enjoyed the benefit of even a few years protection under Texas law to be a black abolitionist, showed a degree of hu- . man depravity and ingratitude deplorable to think of.
The bushwhackers gathered around him with angry faces and bitter words, till having talked and swore their courage up to the sticking point, they led him off : inte the woods with a rope around his neck and a gun cocked at his breast. He was told if he would not go before his God with a lie in his mouth, to answer their questions truly or renounce his loyalty to a nigger- loving Government, but the fear of death was not so strong as the fear of dishonor, and the old man was firm. At length some of them becoming ashamed of their unmanly work, had him brought back into camp, and when we were sent to Washington, he and his son went along.
He is now living in Iowa, having made good his escape from Washington jail when under sentence of death as a spy, leaving his son who was sick and una- ble to accompany him.
The 6th of December the bushwhackers started us to Washington, Arkansas, to turn us over to the au- thorities there for they had communication with the military authorities and drew ammunition of the Con-
·
139
NINETEENTH IOWA INFANTRY
federate officers, although the rebels declaimed loudly against bushwhackers.
The 6th and 7th we had a long and muddy tramp, -seventy miles, and the next day were lodged in the upper story of the county jail, a strong double log building with four windows in the room, having no glass or sash, but heavy iron bars across and up and down, leaving between, spaces about eight inches square. The room was eighteen by thirty feet, and in it were over sixty men, some of them having been in that room for months without a change of clothing.
Men were confined there for horse-stealing, mutiny · in the army, murder, and every other crime,-Chris- tians, Indians, Half-breeds ; men stooped with age, and boys of fourteen, old river gamblers, and now were added to them " Yanks" and the gray-haired Still and son, who were worse than Yanks.
. As I wish to maintain my character as at least re- sembling a truthful man, I will not attempt a full des- cription of the filthy barbarities inflicted at this place. To try to describe the place would be folly.
At night not all of the inmates could rest at once on the literally creeping floor, and through the day but One man at a time iras taken out by the slow-paced guard, and never did they get around in the same day. There were men who had not washed their faces for weeks. To get drinking water was almost impossible ; happily I had formed a habit of doing comparatively without drinking.
Each morning from twelve to fifteen pounds of coarse musty meal and a very small quarter of beef, (invariably fore quarter,) was passed in to us, with the · privilege of cooking it in a broken skillet and a small
140
HISTORY OF THE
iron pot, that held probably five or six quarts, over a little smoky fireplace in a corner of our room. To get the food cooked, the vessels must be used day and night, keeping the room full of smoke, till our eyes grew red and sore.
To think of escape from this place seemed worse than futile, for not only was the jail in the center of a town of about two thousand inhabitants with soldiers camp- ed around, the windows all strongly barred, and men inside with us who would inform of any attempt of the " Yanks " to get away, and on each side of the build- ing paced a sentinel day and night.
Yet escape was talked of, and when our relief stayed up at night that the others might sleep, a large knife made its appearance from the leg of my boot, and worked away very industriously, cutting through a log upon which rested one of the perpendicular bars, and after each night's work scraping dust and dirt and chips into the opening, covering the whole with ashes.
At length one night the busy knife found the last. chip removed, and the iron upright bar slid down the thickness of the log that had been cut off; leaving the aperture at the top of the window eight by sixteen ' inches. To obtain a rope was not very difficult under pretence, to a better natured guard than usual, that it was to start some amusement with us, and now we only waited for a dark night, but the weather was never clearer. The moon never seemed so perverse in its brightness, and for three nights we watched and waited in vain. We had made the acquaintance of two men who had agreed to accompany us, one was Anthony C. Johnson, of Little Rock, son of Judge . Johnson, Attorney General of the State of Arkansas,
1
141
NINETEENTH IOWA INFANTRY.
and Wm. Greer, who had been taken from his home twenty-five miles east of Washington and put in jail, to meditate over the evil of "laying out " to keep out of the Southern army. He was a quiet man, mild in his language and effeminate in his looks, Johnson on the contrary, was a boasting, reckless kind of fellow but both proved themselves every inch men.
On Christmas Eve., having grown weary and im. patient waiting for a cloudy night, Johnson said he was willing to go if the rest were, so taking the rope I made it fast to one of the bars, letting the loosened bar slide from its proper place easily as possible and dropping the rope, at length was ready to make the attempt, midnight was near at hand, and the bitterest rebels were asleep on the filthy floor, when casting an anxious look toward the guard, I saw he had been joined by an acquaintance, and stood talking with him at a smouldering fire about thirty feet from the spot beneath the window. But the time had come, and cautiously I slipped through the bars, letting myself down steadily, the moon seeming to dazzle my eyes with its brightness. I reached the ground, stood quiet a moment, hearing the low murmur of the guards' voices, then walked slowly away, my footsteps muffled in the sandy soil, and stopped about one hundred feet away, in the shadow of a house.
Anderson, Greer, McGregor are down and with me. We hear a disturbance in the jail, Johnson drops quick as lightning, making a noise, and we run for it. It was a race through a town full of patrols who thinking us some of themselves on a " spree" favored us and we made the woods near town, ahead of our pursuers, but one shot being fired. We had hardly
. 142
HISTORY OF THE
gained the cover of the wood, when clouds obscured the sky, and Egyptian darknesss prevailed through that night, and we followed silently through the gloom Greer who was guiding us to his home.
The next forenoon crossing Prairie d'Ann, we were discovered by two cavalry men, but were so near the edge of the prairie that we soon got into a thicket, so dense, pursuit was out of the question. That night . we got to Greer's house, and while we lay outside, he crawled up to his own home as a thief, and after a careful survey of the premises went in but almost im- mediately returning with a brand of fire and an arm- full of quilts. Going a mile from the house we were in a place inaccessible to any one not perfectly ac- quainted with the locality. This was on Little Mis- souri river bottom.
Here we had a fire, and soon Mrs. Greer brought us a warm supper. I never relished any as I did that. We had come by Greer's house more especially to get horses, and on the next day we busied ourselves catching some. The bottom was full of young horses that had run in it since the war commenced.
Greer was taken suddenly ill with fever, and the second night the rain began falling heavily and stead- ily, we were on, an island ( containing about three acres ) formed by a bayou from the river: . Greer's fe- ver rose till he was delirious, and as the night ad- vanced, the rain fell harder, and the waters rose rap- idly till the island was partly covered, and in the dark- ness by the flashes of lightning we could see the water drawing near to us, crawling slowly, but surely about us. Nearer and nearer drew the pitiless black tide, not · rushing and roaring as did the river one hundred
.
1
143
1 NINETEENTH IOWA INFANTRY.
yards away, but creeping, stealing, gliding, toward us and our sick charge. We piled up sticks and bark, placing all the folded quilts under Greer, and with anxious hearts watched the rising water heedless of the falling torrents. Knee deep we stood and the rain ceased, it rose no higher, and we were safe; but the hours were weary standing in the water waiting for daylight.
Day did come, though, but no breakfast, no dinner. Toward evening, Johnson started a fire, (the waters having run off rapidly ) with a flint and by climbing trees for dead limbs. McGregor by a strategic move- ment got near enough a fat young cow to lasso her; we killed and cut her up with a hatchet, and had beef raw, beef roast, beef boiled and beef alone.
Greer's health improved so much that by New Year's Eve we started for Little Rock, being mounted; " on the choicest animals we could find from near two hundred. That was a wild ride, through a part of country patrolled unceasingly by the rebel cavalry- infested with guerrillas. Swimming swollen streams, turning off the road to avoid scouts, and running swift races at times for our liberty, we were overtaken by a snow storm that soon covered the ground three or four inches deep.
Nine o'clock New Years night found us within a few miles of our pickets, and so nearly frozen to death, we stopped at a house careless of the result.
Once by a warm fire, irresistible drowsiness over- whelmed us, and we stayed all night. Early the fol- lowing morning a scout of twenty-two rebels sur- rounded the house, took us, tied us two and two, and Back to Camden we rode through the cold. At Cam-
-
144
HISTORY OF THE
den, ( one hundred and twenty-five miles from Little Rock,) we were put to work as scavengers, and I re- fused to work.
Being reported by a guard to Col. E. E. Portlock, Jr., commanding the Post of Camden, he ordered his Post Adjutant to handcuff me, which he did roughly, and passing a rope under the steel band, he swung me / up by the wrists clear of the ground, striking me with his cane, and saying : "That's the way we break our niggers, and that's the way we'll break all such damned nigger-loving " with much else too low to bear repetition. Leaving me with the consol- ing assurance that there I should hang till I worked or died, of which after pondering over about an hour, and getting faint and sick, I chose the work. The re- mainder of the time we were at Camden, the Feder- al prisoners, were made to husk, shell and sack corn for their army, carry railroad iron for fortifications and much other hard work. The latter part of January, we were taken to Shreveport with several others, among . whom were James M. Ross, son of the Cherokee Chief, John Ross, and Benjamin Alsup, formerly Judge of Howell County, Missouri. Judge Alsup had been in the Little Rock penitentiary, previous to the occupation of that city by our troops, and had been cruelly treated, even whipped-he a loyal American citizen-white haired old man ! Yes ! pardon our err- ing brothers. 1
At/Shreveport we were shut up in an old brick wareroom with a brick floor and no windows. Not light enough came through the dusty panes above the door to enable us to wage sucsessful war against "Grey- backs."
1
₣
145
NINETEENTH IOWA INFANTRY.
Here we lay through cold damp days and long sleepless nights, eating the pittance of coarse half- cooked corn cake and beef without salt, until the last of March, when we were taken to the rest of the pris- oners, who were on their way to Tyler, Texas. H. W. Anderson escaped from Shreveport the last of February, and after a hard and perilous trip, when the waters covered the whole face of the country, he reached Natchez. 19
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.