USA > Illinois > Address to the 73rd Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry > Part 1
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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01761 7165
GENEALOGY 973.74 ILSILJ
Illinois Infantry ",
ADDRESSES Et.
TO THE
Jord Regiment allinois
Volunteer Infantry, BY Colonel JAMES F. JAQUESS,
AT A
REUNION
HELD IN
SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS,
October 8th-roth, 1890.
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F 8349 .1642
JAQUESS, JAMES FRAZIER, 1819-1898.
9 Address to the 73rd regiment Illinois volun-
48 teer infantry. By Colonel James F. Jaquess, at a reunion held in Springfield, Illinois, October 8th-10th, 1890. [Springfield?1890]
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ALP CARO Binder's title: Illinois infantry. 73d regt. Addresses, etc. 3v.in l.
Inserted: 11 cardo.
patriotic pictorial post
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OMRADES: we are once more in the beautiful . capital of the great State of Illinois; a noble Commonwealth which we all delight to honor, and by which we are honored in turn; we are once more in the home of our own Abraham Lincoln, the man of noble deeds, and of pure and patriotic motives, who had ability and opportunity to serve his country well, whose memory we most fondly cherish, and whose remains repose near where we are assembled, under the watchful eye, and unceasing vigilance of a grateful nation.
When first we met in Springfield, twenty-eight years ago, we came in response to our country's call, in time of its imminent peril, and its life and death struggle; and were enrolled for a campaign, among the most important and momentous in the history of Christian civilization.
At that time we could not even conjecture what awaited us in the campaign for which we were booked, and upon which we were about to enter. Nor was it ours to make enquiry, and if we had, and learned in its fullest extent and most minute detail, all that we
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should encounter in the labor and duties before us, not one of us would have halted, turned back, or quit the ranks, or sought or accepted a substitute to take our places. It was enough for us to know that our cherished institutions were threatened with speedy destruction: it was enough for us to see the dark clouds of war hurrying across the heavens, appearing ever darker and nearer, a strong and determined foe springing up in our very midst, and marshalling his legions with such promptness as meant general ruin, if not checked by force meeting force on the field.
We came from our quiet homes, and from our avoca- tions of peace and industry, regretting the necessity, and the emergency that called for our services to repel a threatened danger and to suppress a rebellion for which there existed no reasonable excuse with those who brought it about. We came, promptly, came to lay ourselves upon the altar of the best government in the world, an altar built by the fathers of the Re- public, and dedicated to the perpetual union of these- States, the Liberty of the People, and the hope of the world. More than this we could not do at that time, more than we did subsequently could not have been done by mortals. We did what we could-we did our best-men and angels could do no better.
Our second coming to Springfield was from the front -an eminent four years' work behind us-our work com- pleted; a work finished by action as constant and unre- mitting as time itself. We came with our ranks greatly thinned, only a fraction of what we were in the beginning left-our numbers reduced-not by desertion but by slaughter upon the battle fields of the war. We came, the rebellion surpressed, and the country saved, to
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receive honorable discharge from a service which had been extended much beyond the time of our original enlistment, and to receive the congratulations of family, friends, home, and happy country, and to enjoy a peace which we had conquered.
We are here once more, after the lapse of a quarter of a Century, with diminished, and still decreasing numbers, to enjoy a reunion dear to the hearts of com- rades in arms, and as best we can, in the brief time allotted to the meeting. to review the past, stand facc- to-face with the present, and if time shall be allowed us, we may take a glance into the future, full of charm- ing promise and cheering hope.
Two things are cause of profound gratitude with us who are here present to day, viz: first, that we were counted worthy, if the fearful struggle must come, to take part in it; and second, that it was our good fortune, under a gracious Providence, to survive and come out of the fierce and fiery conflict. That we did so survive, and are here present to day, having escaped other perils, and numerous accidents which have fallen upon comrades during, and since the war-now absent from us in body, but we may hope, present in spirit; is not because we were stronger, braver, or better soldiers than they were, or more skilful-while more fortunate -than they were, in avoiding or escaping the missiles of death that filled the air, and flew thick and fast about us and them. They were taken, and we were left; they were promoted to another service, and to a higher life, and have entered upon their promised re- ward, while we are left to recount their many deeds of heroic courage, and to honor, and hallow their memories, by achieving fresh laurels in the great battle of life.
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A review of the battlefields of the war, with their attendant scenes of horror, and of slaughter, and of death, are not reflections-even at this distance of time and place-upon which we can find pleasure in dwell- ing, however profitable it might be. But there were incidents and happenings in the many campaigns and battles in which we took important part, which re- quire, in passing, some special attention. We helped to make many interesting, and most valuable pages of history between the dates of our muster into, and our discharge from the service. Part of that history has been written by comrades, and printed in a book which will be read, not by ourselves alone, but by many friends, with deep interest. Other and many chapters of that history will be found only in the records of eternity, and will not be read till the Great Book of Life shall be opened at the last day.
All along the great past there are periods of time, even Centuries, that have sent down to us very little useful history. No part of the 19th Century will be barren of useful instruction to those who have the good fortune to live in it, or to come upon the great stage of life when it shall have passed, and left its record behind. But the last half of the Century will be the best teacher the world has yet had, in all that appertains to human progress, and national prosperity. Even a glance at some of these pages will not give pleasure unalloyed to the reader; but may be specially grievious to us who took prominent, and active part in happenings which sent so many of our comrades to hastily prepared graves. We turn with horror from all such scenes-even the remembrance of them is grievous to us; but can never be forgotten by our
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thinned ranks here to day, quite all that are left of the one thousand that enlisted and went out at first.
Thoughts of our worthy dead, some of whom perished in prison pens under circumstances most revolting to human nature, and disgraceful to christian civilization. These are some of the reflections which come up before us, and will not down. Nevertheless this seems a fit occasion for us to dwell with some minuteness, and par- ticularly upon some of the incidents of the war which require explanation and elucidation, as matters of history.
You have selected the anniversary of our first battle, viz :- Perryville, Ky.,-for holding your reunion. It is well chosen, being our first engagement as an organi- zation, and marks an incident in our soldiering and army experiences always to be remembered.
We made few blunders or mistakes during the war, but under the circumstances, this was a very special, and marked success; since we had not, as a Regiment, before been under fire, and it is understood, in military and other circles as well, that a soldier's courage is an unknown and uncertain quantity till test be made of it under the ordeal of fire. The circumstances of this engagement were somewhat peculiar, and threw upon us heavy responsibilities, for mere apprentices in the service, and were well calculated to test our courage and staying qualities. The disaster and rout of our forces on the left of our line of battle, in the early part of the day, had to some extent confused our lines, and demoralised our army somewhat, a fact which the enemy were quick to discover, and prompt to take ad- vantage of. Inspired with fresh hope, and renewed courage, for it was not without hard fighting and heavy
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loss that he had scored this advantage on our left, quickly determined to effect, if possible, the same suc- cess on our right, and thus bring rout and ruin on our whole line. For this purpose, and with this view he massed his forces of infantry and artillery, in over- whelming numbers in our innmediate front, and was advancing, as we could clearly sec, across the open plain in front, to attack and drive us from the field. At this moment General Sheridan rode up, and saluting, as his custom was, after explaining, briefly, but more fully than I had known before, the nature and extent of the misfortune on our left, said "The enemy are advancing there in full force, and will be upon you in a few minutes. The fortune of the day now turns upon your holding your position here for one half hour-this-continued the General -- will give us time to reform our broken lines on the left, and yet save the day; Can you do it?" With evident anxiety enquired the General. My reply · promptly given was, not only for a half hour but while a man of the" 73rd is left. By this time the enemy was upon us in full force, and assailed our position with the courage of desperation. For one hour and a half, every man of you in his place, as firm and steady as the Laws of Gravitation, till the opportune moment, came when we moved out upon the enemy; he was driven from the field, and the day was ours-fairly and honestly won. It is estimated by military men, that from six to twelve months is the least time in which an army can be organised, equipped, and set in motion. The ink on our muster rolls was scarcely dry before we were on the move -- were at the throats of the enemy, and had fought the battle of Perryville, Ky. If we halted or slept it was as the Lion sleeps, with paws well
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under him, and ready to spring. I have heard that your Colonel grew eloquent in looks and language in de- scribing your heroic conduct to General Sheridan and other officers, after the battle of Perryville. He that has a good theme and is in earnest, is eloquent-Rhector- icians tell us. You certainly did well as beginners. I do not know that you could have done better as veterans. That dead lift at Perryville showed that you had in you the stuff that the true soldier is made of, established your reputation, and gave you a place at the front ever after, which you well maintained.
I have referred to some of the facts connected with the battle of Perryville, for the reason that a little later on, with your permission, they may be referred to again, or called up in passing.
It is proper to mention here, that at the time of this our first engagement with the enemy, in the time of our military pupilage, we were quite our original num- ber. We had full eight hundred muskets, all well directed and held by strong arms, and steady hands; firm to the last.
The most fearful disaster to us, by far, during the war occurred at Chickamauga, on that bloody Sunday; the enemy the attacking party-and under circum- stances favourable to himself, though not specially un- favorable to ourselves. Chickamauga, one of the bloodiest pictures in the records of time, or to be found in the annals of war, and most disastrous to the 73rd, being as usual in the front, and as occurred more than once, without support. This misfortune happened through no fault of ours, but because someone had blundered; and where to blunder was quite inexcusable -and most disastrous.
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Our grand success at Perryville was owing, in part at least, to the fact that we were allowed to select the ground upon which to make our stand and defence, and the position proved to be well chosen: and most heroically did you defend it till the well, and hard fought field was ours. Never did mortal, soldier or other, do a better ninety minutes' work than that you did at Perryville, and it might have been repeated at Chick- amauga. At Chickamauga we had selected an equally advantageous position, and one I have always believed that we could have held against overwhelming odds for hours, and certainly till the forces on our left, temporarily forced back, could have reformed, taken positions on favorable ground for defence, and resisted successfully, and as at Perryville, ultimately defeated the enemy. But we were ordered out of a defensible, well chosen position, hurried into a complete place of slaughter-a whirlpool of destruction, where defence was impossible, and where we were cut to pieces. We make no charges, here or elsewhere, against those responsible for this blunder, which brought ruin upon our army for a time, and death, and slaughter on so many brave men, who deserved a different fate from the hands of those whose office it was, in wisdom to lead us, or direct our movements. This is only one of those happenings amid the fortunes of war where even men of cool courage loose their heads and go wrong.
I can never think of Chickamauga but with a shudder of horror. The scene defies description, and must therefore be imagined as far as possible.
Tennyson's " Charge of the Light Brigade," at " Bala- claca," comes nearer to a just delineation of the reality, than anything that I have seen in prose or poetry.
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" Forward, the Light Brigade; Was there a man dismay'd ? Not tho' the soldier knew Some one had blund'rd:
Their's not to make reply, Their's not to reason why,
Their's but to do and die; Into the Valley of Death Rode the six hundred.
Cannon to the right of them, Caunon to the left of them, Cannon in front of them Volley'd and thunder'd; Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of death,
Into the mouth of Hell Rode the six hundred.
Then they rode back, but not, Not the six hundred.
Cannon to the right of them, Cannon to the left of them, Cannon behind them Volley'd and thunder'd; Storm'd at with shot and shell, While horse and hero fell, They that had fought so well Came thro' the jaws of Death Back from the mouth of Hell, All that was left of them Left of six hundred."
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In our case the few that came back from the Valley of Death as soon as we could form in line, I counted, and there were Seventy Two, but I forgot to count my- self, and when counted it made Seventy Three-just the number of the Regiment-all told, officers and men.
Several that we had given up as lost came back to us afterwards, and were with us at Missionary Ridge and subsequent campaigns we made. But we never re- covered from the shock and slaughter of Chickamauga.
It was two divisions of Longstreet's Corps, sent from Lee's army to reinforce Bragg, with a view to crush Rosecranz, that caused the disaster at Chickamauga. I endeavoured, and thought that I had informed Mr. Lincoln of the movement in ample time to provide against it; and having done this, hurried on to the front, where I arrived just in time to take part in the battle that followed. It was Longstreet's Divisions that we encountered, and that overwhelmed and cut us to pieces. It turned out that the important information I had sent, though in writing, did not fall into Mr. Lincoln's hands till long after: an incident of the war veiled in mystery, and attended with fearful conse- quences to General Rosecranz, and his brave army of the Cumberland.
At Missionary Ridge, our first encounter with the enemy after Chickamauga, and remembering well what had taken place there, and urged on with a fixed reso- lution to avenge the slaughter of our fallew comrades- Chickamauga being our watchword; we accomplished much more than we have received credit for so far as I have seen in print, or heard in speech. This may come in part, at least, from the fact-not that we acted in disobedience to orders-something we never did, but
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our movements may have been a little in excess of orders. We were directed, on signal to be given, to advance, charge upon, assault, and take at the point of the bayonet, if need be, the first line of the enemy's works, situated at the foot of the ridge. To reach this first line of the defences before us, we must cross an open field or space of half mile in extent, after emerg- ing from the covor of the woods in which we had formed for the movement. During the passage of this open space, which required several minutes, though the movement was executed with promptness and on the double-quick, we were subject to a murderous fire from the batteries in front, to the right and left, and from the riffe pits, when, and as we came in range of them. We were not long however, in executing this part of our orders, and driving the enemy from his first line of defences. This done our orders were to halt-but for what purpose, or for what length of time, or whose time-piece was to govern the halt, was not named, or signal for advance, if any, mentioned in our orders, so with an eye to strict obedience to orders, as was our uniform custom, we did two important things-the enemy meanwhile raining bullets, shot and shells upon us; we did halt -- came to a dead halt-a perfect stand- still of a halt-but it was a mark-time halt, which lasted, as near as I could guess, all of five seconds -- when the march up the ascent of the Ridge was re- sumed, and continued till the last line of works at the top of the Ridge was reached, and captured, as the other two had been, each in its turn and order. In accomplishing this somewhat hasty and self-imposed task, we captured more prisoners, including killed and wounded, than there were men in the Regiment at that
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time. While it is true at the same time we lost fewer, in killed and wounded, than in any of the leading battles we were in, notwithstanding the enemy's works were strong, well placed, and bravely defended. Our comparative small loss was perhaps owing to the fact, that our line was so thin that it was quite impossible for any ordinary marksman to hit it.
Here let me recapitulate a little, and in so doing direct attention to some important facts-and you, comrades of the 73rd will bear me out, fully, in what I am about to say, viz: First, we were the first to cross and to advance beyond the first line of the enemy's works, situated at the base of the Ridge. Second, we were the first to reach, capture, and cross the second line of works, situated about half way up the ascent of the Ridge. Third, we were first in reaching and scaling the third, and last line of the enemy's works at the top of the Ridge; Bragg's battery was in our immediate front all the time. Fourth, I do not know, nor do I care to know who claimed the honor of cap- turing Bragg's battery, but one thing I do know, and assert, and that is, that we drove the enemy from their guns, and sent what we did not kill or capture whirling, and tumbling down the hill, in rear of the battery, we in hot pursuit: who may have had the good fortune to capture the battery, in question, after we had driven the stubborn and determined gunners from their places, and freed the immediate vicinity from danger, I am not careful to learn.
We are not to be reckoned among the list of dis- putants in questions of doubt-nor are we careful for honor claimed by others-our true record is our strong- hold, and ample vindication if any shall be required.
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There is a vast difference, and very wide margin be- tween success and failure in any undertaking, and it may be counted specially so in matters military, and in the movements of armies on the battlefield-for a brilliant success, a slight tap on the shoulder will suffice, while failure is followed by court-martial. Had our forward movement at Missionary Ridge resulted in disaster to ourselves, and others who followed our lead, someone had been court-martialed and cashiered.
Failure and ruin to the army was predicted when the move commenced, or as we crossed the first line of works, by the officers in observation off there on Orchard Knob. But as a success was achieved, we were excused with meagre mention, and faint praise. No success like success, commenced and consummated at the opportune moment. Our somewhat precipitate leading of the ascent and capture of Missionary Ridge, was not the result of accident, nor did it come of council, or preconcerted agreement; nothing of the kind even among ourselves. If we had waited for these the complete triumph of our veteran forces- though pitted against veterans, would have come all the same, later on-for the result in its final issue was certain and fixed as fate, whether pleasing to the gods, and Cato or not. But that the battle was fought and the victory won, when, and as it was, came about by a common impulse which seized each and all of us comrades at one, and the same moment, and we had been false to our higher and inner selves, if we had not acted when, and as we did: a glorious opportunity was passing, we mounted it, and rode in triumph to certain and well merited victory. Hot blood may sometimes drive the human machinery too fast or too far. We
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. took a geometrical straight line, which was the shortest possible distance between us and our objective, and we went straight for it, steady and cool as mathematics. Rapidity of current, with plenty of depth beneath, is an excellent combination, and will sometimes sweep away the most formidable obstructions. Our friends will, and our enemies if we have any, must excuse us, under the peculiar circumstances. The eye of Leonadas was upon us, yonder in the distance, and we believed, verily, that the Thermopyle of the war had come, that we held the key, as well as the opportunity and went in accordingly, and won the fight.
Comrades of the Seventy Third Illinois Volunteers, that well fought day at Missionary Ridge, as elsewhere, you plucked unfading laurels from the cannon's mouth. That day's work sealed the doom of the Confederate States of America, launched the rebellion on an inclined plane, where rest or recovery were impossible, and the balance of the trip, to us, was down grade, but rising ever higher and higher towards the beatific and the glorious end. For this result you are entitled to more praise and more honor than you will receive in our day; generations yet to come will hear from us.
The army, in time of war, whether in the regular, or volunteer service, is of necessity a monstrous despotism. A realm of strict dicipline, hard work, and unfailing and prompt obedience-and with all, where honors are most unequally distributed; nothing short of the most strict and rigid dicipline could hold an army together for a single day, or prevent it becoming an immense mob, capable of much mischief and no good-or falling to pieces-like a rope of sand, under the pressure of the slightest tension.
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We are cool upon the subject of military honors- not much heated, I trust, on any theme connected with the war. Have no part in any controversy that has, or that may arise, on this, or that mere incident of the army experiences, or happenings. Want to open no questions of dispute with friends or enemies. We . are not anxious for a review in masquerade, or other- wise of the past. Enough that we have done what we have done, and therewith are content.
An army, with a captain who is complete master of himself, and thoroughly understands his business, differs widely in efficiency in the field, from one without such a leader. When Napoleon entered his carriage, and took leave of his friends in Paris to join his army, then on or near the Belgian frontier, said he, "I go to measure swords with Wellington." Soon the two great Generals of the age were measuring swords on the field of Waterloo, one of the great battles of the World. History has recorded the result of this meeting, but the world of mankind after three quarters of a century, are not yet agreed as to which was the greater Captain, Napoleon or Wellington.
An opinion prevails, and has obtained expression in Europe, and in America as well, that the General in chief of the Southern Army and his heads of divisions were superior in ability to conduct campaigns, and lead large armies in the field to officers of like grade in the Northern army.
The Laws of Fact are severe, and sometimes stub- born things to deal with, and need to be studied and well understood. All along the history of our late war are facts and incidents, which if properly under- stood, and correctly interpreted, lead us to a very
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