USA > Iowa > Lucas County > Past and present of Lucas and Wayne counties, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 17
USA > Iowa > Wayne County > Past and present of Lucas and Wayne counties, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 17
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"DEAR WIFE: I promised to write to you every time that I found anything new, and we had something grand yesterday. The report got out last week that we were to leave today, and the people here gave us a farewell dinner yesterday, the best I ever saw. The regiment is full or full enough to go.
"The crowd yesterday was immense, about 8,000 or 10,000. When going through the crowd you would occasionally meet a soldier. After dinner we had dress parade for their benefit, when there was a Bible presented to the Right by the children of Des Moines, and received by the Colonel. Everything went off nice, grandiloquently beautiful. Gov. Kirkwood was intro- duced to each of the commissioned officers personally. The Legislature is to be convened today. We are expecting march- ing orders every day, but have not received them yet. We expect to be mustered tomorrow.
"Yours, "WM. M. LITTLE."
"CAMP BURNSIDE, September 6, 1862.
"DEAR NAN & MINNIE: I wrote you a day or two ago, and had just finished it about an hour when Jim and company came in. We drew one month's wages yesterday, so I will inclose some money. We did not get as much money as we expected, consequently can't send as much as I would like to, but half a loaf is better than no bread.
"I must now go on dress parade. I wish you could see us. It looks quite grand to one that never saw the like, but I can't describe it here.
"Yours, "WILL."
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"CAMP BURNSIDE, September 16, 1862.
"MY DEAR WIFE: I have had my first war experience in Iowa. On last Sabbath night there were twelve men detailed from Company D to go out and take some Secesh prisoners that were running at large about Winterset. We took the Coach on Sabbath evening after dark, and traveled all night and arrested seven men in the neighborhood of Winterset, and returned last night about dark. We traveled thirty-five miles over twice and took seven prisoners, all in twenty-four hours.
"On our way the coach was turned over with fourteen men in it. One of them being nearly killed (Perry Tullis, of our company). He had three ribs broken and his shoul- der crushed by jumping from the coach and it falling on him. I was in the coach, and when it started I just thought it might go, and go it did, burying me in a conglomerated mass of human beings, guns, bayonets and all the paraphernalia of war, but amidst all this I held on to my gun, overcoat, hav- ersack, canteen and everything else, with two men and their equipment all on top of me. I lay without grumbling until they crawled out at the top of the coach, and then I crawled too. There was no swearing done, as they thought they could not do it justice.
"Yours, "WILL."
"CAMP BURNSIDE, September 17, '62.
"DEAREST: As John Dowell goes home tomorrow, I will write a few lines, though I wrote you yesterday. We are going to draw our bounty tomorrow, and I will send you some money. We expect to leave here on Friday next, and if such is the case I will not write any more from here, and you need not write until you hear from me. I did expect to go home before we left here, but I suppose it can't be did.
"Yours, "WILL."
"CAMP BURNSIDE, September 19, 1862.
"DEAR WIFE: I commenced to write on the 17th but was detailed as Sergeant of the Guard, consequently could not finish.
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"We have marching orders, and have to go next Tuesday, (this is Sabbath) at 7 o'clock, we go to Benton Barracks. Five companies started this morning on foot, two others start tomorrow, two on Tuesday morning and one on Wednesday morning. The last five go on stages. The captains cast lots to see who should ride, and the lot fell upon Jonah to go in the stage. The five companies left this morning and one company of the Thirty-ninth Regiment was in their bar- racks before breakfast, and there are two more companies coming now.
"September 23. We have everything packed and ready to start, waiting for the stage and while we are waiting I will write a little more. I have had a very sore mouth, but it is getting better. I think if I can only keep from lying for about a week it will be well. There are two stage loads just starting and the boys are cheering with all their mights. They have a fiddle and are playing it. They pitched on to me, and I had to stop writing and dance for them.
"Here comes the stage for Company D, the first load is rolling out. I have to take command of the fourth load. Most of the boys want to go with me, but they have to be mixed up, so that all the rough ones will not be together. All is confusion and every one is talking, singing, playing the fiddle and fife, and dancing and anything to make a noise. What one does not do the other does, so that it is a perfect Babel."
FAREWELL TO CAMP BURNSIDE
"KEOKUK, Iowa, September 26, 1862.
"I write you from a new camp. We started from Camp Burnside on Wednesday morning, (we did not get started as soon as we expected by one day), on the stage, and got to Oskaloose that night about 2 o'clock. We had sixteen men and the driver on the stage, (nine inside, two on the hind foot, one in front and four on top.) We were cheered at almost every house, and we cheered in return. There were two instances where the old man and his wife were out cut- ting corn, and as we passed they cheered most lustily. It looked very much like the days of '76.
"The only other incident I will mention was our entrance into Pella. Pella is a town of about the size of Oskaloose. (I compare it to the latter, as you are acquainted there), but
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according to my notion it is the nicest town I have seen in the west. The inhabitants are principally German. We came in on the west side of the town, and there was fully a mile that we were cheered, so that we could not hear our nearest neighbor speak, without having our heads close to- gether. It was a continual yell about fifteen minutes. We stopped there and got our suppers, as it was about dark. I slept most of the time from Pella to Oskaloose. Got our breakfast there and started for Eddyville; boarded the cars there and arrived at Keokuk last night about dark, and are now quartered at the Keokuk High school house. There are four hundred soldiers in it now, and room for two hun- dred more. There are three Rights here now; two in bar- racks and one-half of ours in tents, the other half here or will be tonight. One of the companies are not in yet. It is reported in camp that the Colonel had no orders to bring us here or take us to St. Louis either, and is doing it on his own responsibility, but he does not want to go into Minnesota to freeze this winter. He says he will go to St. Louis and from there to Springfield. He says he will have us in a place hotter than h-Il before fifteen days, (verbatim report), but there is very little prospect of getting into the field as soon as that. Some think we will go to Kentucky, but a soldier's path is not very straight, and we don't know but we will have to go to Washington.
"The last company has just come into this room, a per- son can't write much where there is a hundred men on the third floor of a large house in a tight room and everybody saying something.
"Night. The Colonel has got a despatch to await fur- ther orders, and he says he will keep us here till h-11 freezes over. A slight change since morning.
"Later. We have orders to be ready to march in one hour's notice. The boat is lying at the wharf waiting for us.
"Yours, "WILL."
ON BOARD THE METROPOLITAN
"Sabbath, September 28, 1862.
"We are floating down the river, and at the present time, (10 o'clock) we are about one hundred miles below Keokuk. We started last evening about 4 o'clock, and ran on a sand
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bar about midnight, and did not get off till about 8 o'clock this morning.
"The Right is all on board, but not all on the boat. We have two barges in tow, one on each side, and each of them has two companies. The weather is warm, but pleasant. There are fourteen men within eight feet of me on all sides. Our place is on the barge on the Missouri side. I have got on the cabin deck, and while I write the others are talking on all subjects. One squad is talking on religion, but their audience is small. Another is debating the cause and effects of war, and how soon it will probably end. Another is giv- ing their experience and observation around the lewd houses in Keokuk, and Des Moines. I am taking the items with borrowed paper and ink.
"Here we go within a stone's throw of the Missouri shore, and the boys are shooting at a lot of swans. Stop your noise, the old boy could not write with such a racket. The people on shore cheer us, as we pass and are cheered in return."
"SCHOPILIA BARRACKS, September 29, '62.
"I am not in a very good humor. We came to St. Louis last night about 10 o'clock and lay on the boat till morning. I had to lie on the naked boards on the bow of the boat; Joe Sharp shared my bunk in the open air. This morning all was confusion on board. We did not know where we were going and all were anxious to know. When one thousand men are all anxious about anything there is considerable confusion. We finally received marching orders and put on our loads, amounting to about sixty pounds, and marched out on the wharf, and the Colonel kept us standing there for about an hour and a half. We then marched about two to our present home. We then had to stand another hour or two until final arrangements were made and the officers could get a drink. We finally got in and before we could get our quarters cleaned had to go on dress parade. We had to stand another hour, and then after all this, we came in and some of the boys had not taken care of their rations and did not have enough for supper, so there has been a con- tinual growl all day. I can stand my own burden and duty very well, but to hear so much grumbling is more than I can stand, without getting out of humor myself.
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"We are in the heart of the city, and in a nice comfortable place, though it is rather small. There is some talk of us having to stay here as Provost Guard, for a time at least. We have these orders, but the Colonel is trying to have them changed. Some think we will go to Rolla, and some to Ken- tucky, but I don't think-I have no right to think.
"I have not been out in the city yet, and don't expect to see much of it, as we are not allowed to go out, but we can't complain as our officers are in the same fix. This will go rather hard with the officers, as they have not been accustomed to it, but the privates have not been allowed to cross the lines without a pass. They frequently run past the guards and go where they please, but that game is played out now, and it is well enough, because some of them have been out too often now.
"It is now after taps, and, contrary to orders, Company I is having a jollification, but the Colonel is not here. I am writing on my bunk.
"When we left Keokuk it was reported that the rebels had a masked battery about the mouth of the Missouri river, and there was considerable growling done because we had come on board without ammunition, but we came to within about a mile of the river before we heard anything from the battery, then we came down opposite the mouth of the river. Still there was no firing, and none afterwards.
"The boys are all or nearly all in usual health and will be all right, as to their grumbling, by tomorrow."
"SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, St. Louis, October 5, 1862.
"Our company was out as Provost Guard on last Thurs- day night, and our guide took us to nearly all the places of amusements and other places, to arrest any of the soldiers or officers who were out without a pass.
"On last Sabbath Joe Sharp and George and I started to go to church, but when we got within about two blocks of the church we were arrested by Provost Guard and taken to headquarters. (We had no pass.) A night or two before I had arrested the lieutenant, who was in command of the Guard, and released him. He knew me when I came up and he did the necessary amount of lying to release us and then we went to church and heard a sermon from a Mr. Trusday, of Allegheny City, Pennsylvania."
MERCHANTS' HOTEL, ALLERTON
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1
BOR CRABE
STREET SCENE IN ALLERTON
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"PILOT KNOB, Missouri, October 10, 1862.
"We are down south in Dixie, and a middling hard place it is, too. We left St. Louis at 12 o'clock on Monday night, and arrived here at 9 o'clock Tuesday morning, then we had to stay at the station until the Colonel came and staked out the camp, and went to the village and got drunk, and we did not get into camp until night, and when we did get in, our tents were not here, so we had to lie around in the rain until everything was thoroughly wet, except what was in our knapsacks. It commenced raining at 5 o'clock and has rained continually up to the present time, (9 o'clock Thursday morning), and there is no sign of it stopping now. I never saw as much rain fall in the same length of time. In order to keep dry we have gone to the brush and brought in enough to fill the tent to the depth of about a foot with the branches.
"The order was issued last night to have ourselves in readiness to go into action at a minute's notice, and after the news got through the camp some of the boys were taken suddenly sick. I can say for myself that I never slept sounder or dreamed less.
"Pilot Knob, as far as I have seen is a pile of rock with a few brush on it, and I should judge that its summit is about two hundred feet above the village of that name. There are three other hills nearly as high close by. Our camp is about a mile from the village up the creek on the same ground occupied by Indiana troops last winter, and about one and one-half miles from Ironton. I would not give a good farm in Wayne county for all the land I have seen since we left the Mississippi. The soil is about one or two inches deep and below that is a dark red sand and gravel.
"There is some talk of us leaving here soon, but noth- ing certain. We are supposed to be a part of an army to scour southern Missouri again. I am writing under difficulties -sitting on my knapsack, which raises me about four inches from the ground, and have a tin plate turned upside down on my knee as a desk and have to hold the pan while I write."
"ARCADIA, Missouri, October 12, 1862.
"We have moved our camp about two miles to the fort or near the fort here. The fort has four or five cannon.
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There are three regiments here now, and we are expecting two more in a day or two. One thing I forgot to tell you about in my last letter. There was a Missouri regiment camped on the bottom near the creek, and the rains descended, and the floods came and beat upon that camp, and it fell and great was the fall of it, as there were seven men drowned and most of their tents and equipments were washed away in the flood.
"I also said that Pilot Knob was 200 feet high, but I have been up on it since, and it is not less than 500 feet high and runs up to a point on all sides. The country is just one hill after another as far as the eve can reach from the top of the Knob, and the only farming done here is in the valleys, which are from 20 to 60 rods wide. The land is very poor and very little of it.
"I talked with the officer of the Picket Guard. He was a Missouri captain. He said he had had some experience with Iowa boys in fighting, and he said d-n the man that beats them. I had to stop writing to go out for inspection.
"There are different rumors about our marching orders, but none are reliable."
"CAMP PATTERSON, Missouri, October 18, 1862.
"Since writing you we have marched thirty-five miles through the roughest part of God's creation, and southeast or nearly a southern direction, to a place called Patterson, in Wayne county, Missouri, but it does not resemble Wayne county, Iowa, very much. A person could walk for ten miles and not touch the ground, walking on rock all the way, and some places there is no earth within, well, I don't know how far it is down to the soil, but it is away down further than I cared about going. In traveling the thirty- five miles we passed about twelve houses, and a little patch of corn at each, say two or three acres, and from that up to ten acres. There is no use to describe the country, for two men could not do it justice.
"We are down here under command of a -, I don't know what to call him, but he is a Missourian, and it is reported that he does not care which side whips. He has issued orders that if a soldier takes a chicken from a rebel he is to be shot. If he is in command long some of the boys will make pork out of him, because dead hog makes
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pork, and he will be numbered among them before two days if some of the boys get a good chance. The man I speak of is Colonel Boyd, of one of the Missouri Rights."
"PATTERSON, Missouri, October 22, 1862.
"Since we came here we have a daily mail established from here to Pilot Knob, so we can get our mail regularly while we stay here.
"The Colonel received orders yesterday to build winter quarters and put up for the winter. He made use of some high-toned profanity about it, as he did not like it. In fact, none of the Right likes it, but have to stand it.
"Our Right has been reasonably healthy until within the past week, but the measles and mumps are making some places vacant. One of the boys in Company H had the measles and had got (as he thought) over it, but he went out on guard yesterday morning and stood till 1 o'clock yes- terday-when he took sick, and died this morning at 5 o'clock, which makes the third death in the Right in the last week.
"I have not taken such a good laugh in a long time as I did this morning. There is one of Company D's boys called Jake Pyrshick (his proper name is Henry Osborn). He has not been feeling well for a day or two, and he came to our tent this morning as sober as a judge, pulled aside the door and looking in said, 'I believe the buzzards have been playing seven up for me all morning, but I guess I will fool them.' The buzzards were flying around about five hundred strong over two dead mules.
"Our provisions are such as a man with good teeth can eat. Our bread is crackers, about four inches square, and as hard as a rock. Some of them have to be broken with a hatchet, and soaked in water over night to make them soft enough to eat, then we have fresh beef, pickled pork and bacon, beans, rice, hominy, coffee, sugar and all the fresh pork we can jayhawk without being found out. The Chap- lain preached in the morning, after which Colonel gave us a little talk, and closed by saying, 'Trust in God and keep your powder dry,' and in the evening on dress parade, swore like a Guerilla. The boys like the Colonel better as they get better acquainted with him and the service."
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"PATTERSON, Missouri, October 27, 1862.
"We have just received marching orders for tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock-the order says for us to be in readi- ness to start, so we may go and may not. Such is military life. I don't think we should be called out now on account of sickness in camp. Only about one-half of the Right can go. There are two of our men left in Iowa, and two in St. Louis, fourteen in Arcadia and if we leave in the morning will have to leave about twenty more here. Out of ninety- nine men we will have about fifty fit to march. Measles and mumps is the only cause.
"There are three companies of the Twenty-third gone now down in the southern part of the state to drive out a squad of rebels encamped in the swamps, supposed to be about six hundred strong. The Colonel is at St. Louis. The Lieutenant Colonel is out with the detachment and the Major is in command of the camp.
"The weather is quite cold now. On the 25th we had about an inch of snow. The next day it melted away, and last night it froze about two inches deep and today melted again.
"We sleep comfortably, everything considered. Our beds consist of boards laid on the ground, with a blanket over them. We put on our overcoats, and have three blankets to put over us. We have no fire in our tent, though a stove would be very acceptable.
"The Democrats, as a usual thing, don't appear to like the negroes, but the strongest democrat in the Right (Lieu- tenant Walker of Company B) stole the first nigger that was brought in to the Right, and has him for his cook. There are now about twenty-five or thirty of the colored gentlemen in our camp."
"PATTERSON, Missouri, October 29, 1862.
"Just as I expected-we are here yet. In my last we had orders to be ready to march at 9 o'clock in the morning. Well, by 9 o'clock we were drawn up in line of battle about one-fourth of a mile from camp, with all our baggage loaded and ready to start. After sitting around till about 12 o'clock, Colonel Boyd rode out to the Major, who was in command, and ordered inspection. The Major gave him a little of his mind, as much as he could to a superior officer.
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He told him that we came out to march and not for inspec- tion, but Boyd expressed his satisfaction with our appear- ance.
"After inspection he gave the command, 'Commissioned officers to the front and center march,' and when they were drawn up in line and gave the usual salutation he made them a speech and such a speech-one sentence is enough to give an idea of the whole, 'I have owned more niggers than any G-d d-d southerner, and have freed them all, and they may go to h-1, and I don't care a d-n for them.' His whole speech was composed entirely of such expressions. One oath to about every ten words was about his average. After listening till he was through we were ordered back to our old camp.
"One of Company A died last night and the Right are preparing for a military funeral. The cause of death was measles and cold. Funeral procession, music in front, drums muffled, playing the tune, 'Long, Long Ago,' pall bearers, firing squad of eight and Corporal with arms, different com- panies commanded by the Orderly Sergeant, Second Lieu- tenant, First Lieutenant, Captains, Major and officer of the day, in order named. It is a solemn sight, and I may say it is the only thing that affects the whole regiment at once with anything like solemnity, because preaching will not do it.
"The principal productions of this country are black haws, persimmons and wild grapes, the latter about the size of cherries; sweet potatoes grow very large. Wheat is well filled, but does not yield largely.
"I am writing on the top of a trunk with my knees on the ground, and a sick man in a bed close by reading a letter from his mother, just received.
"Postage stamps are hard to get. Our Sutler brought $50.00 worth from St. Louis, and did not have any after he had been here an hour-all sold."
"PATTERSON, Missouri, November 7, 1862.
"Last Monday about 2 o'clock five companies of the Twenty-third were ordered to be ready to march in an hour with three days' rations in our haversacks, and Company D was one of them. We went to Dallas, the county seat of Bollinger county, and about fifty miles east of here, to
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drive out a lot of rebels that were congregated there. (I want to say right here that I was not killed.) We foraged for everything the country afforded, chickens, turkeys, geese, horses, mules, wagons, and one man of our company jay- hawked a grindstone and carried it some miles, but it got too heavy. We were under command of Colonel Jackson, of the Missouri State Militia, with 600 cavalry, and the in- fantry could travel faster than the cavalry.
"No. 9. The Colonel is a cowardly jack, and if we had had a commander of the right stamp we might have had some fun. (I mean Colonel Jackson.) We had to go into camp for the night about fifteen miles from Dallas, and when we got in the next morning the herd had flown. We got to the town Wednesday noon in time to see some of their men climbing the hill about a half mile distant, and Com- panies F and D were sent out together. We brought in six prisoners and Colonel Jackson turned them loose again. Two of them had been in the southern army.
"That night the militia cavalry got scared at a man and dog that crossed the road and ran into the brush. The cav- alry ran into town, leaving their revolvers, hats, horses and everything and reported to Colonel Jackson. He ordered out three companies of infantry, among them Company D. We went out and found the arms belonging to the pickets but nothing else. We came back to camp disgusted. We got in about 9 o'clock and the Major ordered, 'Break ranks and give a vell,' which was done with a will.
"The militia turned out in force in line of battle and the wonder is that they did not shoot, but I expect they -. They said we were acting just like we were going on a coon hunt. I had to stop writing to go out and warm, and lost my place at the table, so have to finish writing on the back of a book.
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