USA > Illinois > Will County > Fifteen years ago; or, The patriotism of Will County, designed to preserve the names and memory of Will County soldiers, both officers and privates - both living and dead: to tell something of what they did, and of what they suffered, in the great struggle to preserve our nationality > Part 17
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Henry Logan, captain of Co. G, (afterwards major), was, and still is, a well-known Joliet lawyer, and raised his company entirely in this county in the winter of 1863-4.
The first major of the regiment, Fred. W. Matteson, although at the time of entering the service a resident of Springfield, was born and brought up in Joliet, and his early death was as deeply felt by our citizens as if he had gone immediately from this county, ·and his remains now sleep in our own "Oakwood."
All these facts fully justify us in giving the history of this regi- ment as part of the war record of Will county. To these reasons we might add the fact that in the 64th we had the only general of whom we can boast, Colonel Reynolds being breveted brigadier toward the end of the war, as he richly deserved to be.
The first battalion of this regiment, consisting of four compa- nies, was originally known as the " Yates Sharpshooters." This was organized at Camp Butler, Dec. 16th, 1861, by Lieut. Col. D. E. Williams, of Peoria. Two more companies-E, Capt. Grover, and F, Capt. Payne-mostly enlisted in Will county, with Fred. W. Matteson as major, were mustered in the last day of December, 1861. Jan. 10th, 1862, the battalion, consisting of six companies, was ordered to Quincy, where it went into barracks and was armed. Feb. 16th, it moved to Cairo. March 5th, it moved via Birds Point, Charleston, Bertrand, and Sykeston, to New Madrid, where it was assigned to Morgan's brigade, Payne's division of General Pope's command.
The march from Birds Point to New Madrid was a hard initia- tion for the Yates Sharpshooters into the discomforts of army life. Much of the country was heavily timbered and low, and-as the
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river was now high-covered with water, which obliged them to follow the railroad track. Anyone who has tried it, knows that a railway is a hard road to travel-on foot. They reached Charles- ton the same day, a very pretty town of 1,500 inhabitants, now reduced to 36 persons-the rest having fled when our army took possession, as they cast their lot with the rebels. Next day the battalion marched to Bertrand, where they joined other Union forces. Here they staid the 7th and 8th, and on the 9th resumed the march, having the same kind of swampy country, with the additional discomfort of rain, before they reached Sykeston. They were without tents, and passed the night in the mud and rain, without shelter. But they made the situation a little more cheerful with numerous fires. Next morning the march was resumed, the Yates Sharpshooters in the lead, over a rough and muddy turnpike, but the rain had ceased. Night came on again when within five miles of New Madrid, and this, too, was passed without shelter, and it was a cold and chilly one, rendering sleep almost impossible. Next morning, their rations being short, a detail was allowed to see what they could find in the country to help them out. The result was that the boys had plenty of fresh pork.
The force then moved on to within two miles of New Madrid, where they were welcomed with shot and shell from the rebel forts. The boys made their bivouac about one and a half miles northeast of the town, near the river, protected from the rebel gun-boats by a heavy piece of timber, making their shelter out of brush and corn- stalks. Next day the Yates Sharpshooters had the honor of being selected from the large army there gathered, to make the first move toward the capture of the town and forts, which consisted in a demonstration in the night, on the opposite side of the town from the one where our forces were planting siege guns. Maj. Matteson, in command of the battalion, moved cautiously forward until fired upon by the enemy's pickets, when they were ordered to lie down. The bullets flew freely, but no damage was done, except that one bullet passed through the coat collar of Jesse Cremer, of Co. F, and slightly wounded his neck, just enough to give him the honor of shedding the first blood drawn by rebels in the Yates Sharp- shooters.
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The skirmishing was kept up during the night by the picket line. The enemy's pickets were reinforced by several hundred men, some of whom were well posted in an old mill. As all the object of this demonstration was to divert attention from the opera- tions of our forces who were planting the siege guns, no attempt was made to dislodge them. In the morning, the battalion was early drawn up in line of battle, and just at sunrise had the pleas- ure of hearing from one of our 64-pound siege guns, which had been successfully planted during the night. Loud cheers went up from the boys on hearing the music. Gen. Paine's division was then ordered to support the guns, as it was anticipated that the enemy would make an effort to take them. Silently and solemnly the men moved forward in anticipation of serious work.
The division was halted in the rear of the siege guns, and then awaited the movements of the enemy until about 11 a. m., when, no demonstration being made by them, the division was ordered to move to the left, and if it should be practicable, to attack the upper fort and carry it by storm. Gen. Paine moved the division forward until the Yates Sharpshooters, who were a quarter of a mile in the advance, reached the edge of the town, where the division was halted. The Yates Sharpshooters could look down into the rebel fort, which was firing its guns very rapidly toward our siege guns. Soon, however, the presence of the division was discovered, and one gun turned upon them. Two rebel gun-boats also came in sight, and commenced playing upon them with shot and shell in profusion. This necessitated rapid changes of position, and the Yates Sharpshooters were ordered. to lie flat upon the ground, and never did a squirrel lie closer to a limb, when the hunter was trying to draw a sight on him, than did the boys, just then, to mother earth, The position was by no means pleasant, but they endured it for about an hour, when the order came to fall back. The Yates Sharpshooters, being deployed, were not so much exposed as the rest. Some were slightly wounded, but not enough to take them from duty. After another hour in the woods, they returned to camp.
Next morning (the 14th), the men rose with the expectation of another day's exposure, and perhaps a bloody engagement ; but soon one of Gen. Paine's orderlies passed through the camp, sing-
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ing the welcome song, "Madrid is evacuated !" Such was the fact, as the reader of our war history well knows ; and our forces came into possession of the place, with a great amount of guns and munitions of war.
The battalion then witnessed more or less of the operations against Island Number Ten, and the rebel batteries on the main land ; the running of the blockade by the Pittsburgh and the Carondalet, and their gallant exploits in silencing and spiking their guns, assisted by the batteries which our forces had erected on the Missouri shore. Here were some of the most brilliant operations, and the most sublime and magnificent spectacles of the war. As is well known these operations resulted in the evacua- tion and surrender, (it partook of the character of both), of Island No. 10, with 5,000 prisoners, among them several generals and other officers, and of great numbers of guns, etc.
Three companies of the battalion then went to Chicago to as- sist in escorting the rebel prisoners, while the other three in the command of Major Matteson joined Pope's expedition down the river to Fort Pillow. This expedition left on transports preceded by gun-boats on the evening of the 13th of April, and arrived at Osceola, in the vicinity of Fort Pillow next day at 3 p. m. The voyage down the river by daylight was a fine one. The day was beautiful. The transports had bands of music which made the woods on either side resound with the national airs, while the stars and stripes waved gaily in the breeze, and flashed in the sunlight. The men also witnessed a fierce naval battle between our gun-boats and a fleet of seven rebel boats, lasting half an hour, and closing by the retreat of the rebels down the river.
After, their arrival the battalion escorted Generals Pope, Palmer and Hamilton, and the assistant secretary of war, on the " clipper Brown," on a reconnoitering expedition up the river, landing (about twelve miles up) at the house of a Unionist, where they took on board some rebels who gave themselves up as pris- oners.
The gun-boats lay just above a given point of land, and sent their compliments into Fort Pillow, while the transports lay in their rear out of range of its guns. As is well known the opera-
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tions against Fort Pillow directly, were not pressed, and the expe- dition returned.
The battalion then moved with the army up the Tennessee and disembarked at Hamburg Landing on the 22d of April. From that time it was engaged in the siege of Corinth until its evacuation, May 30th, being continually on the picket and skir- mish line, generally a mile in advance of the main army.
On the 3d of May it was heavily engaged. A reconnoisance in force was ordered, and Generals Paine and Palmer were de- tailed for the work. Among the regiments selected was the " Yates Sharp Shooters." After proceeding five miles on the Farmington road, the enemy was encountered, and the battle of Chambers Creek ensued.
This battle in which the "Yates Sharp Shooters" played a most important part, is thus described in a letter of Sergeant Henry S. Clark, of Lockport, to his family friends :
" The 3d inst. (May), our division made a movement toward Corinth, our battalion in advance. After proceeding some three miles we came to low swampy woods with thick underbrush and tangled vines all through it. In the center of the wood, and run- ning at right angles with it, was a small stream, the bridge over which had been burned by the rebels, and along which the enemy's pickets were stationed. On nearing the swamp, the battalion was deployed, three companies on the right, and three on the left of the road. The order then came "forward march !" and away we went. It was one of the worst places I ever tried to get through. We had not got ten rods in the swamp, before the rebels opened fire upon us. Neither party could see each other ten paces off, and the first intimation we had of their presence was a volley from their guns. Our boys never faltered, but pushed steadily forward, loading and firing as they went. In fifteen minutes after we started we had cleared the swamp of every rebel, and held the high ground on the other side. Our loss was six wounded, two of whom have since died. Upwards of thirty of the rebels have already been found and buried, including one lieuten- ant and a large number wounded. We also took two captains and a number of men prisoners.
24
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"After we gained the high ground, and ceased firing, General Paine sent his orderly to find us, but he returned saying that he . could not. Then he sent another, and soon rode up himself. He said he had learned from the prisoners that the rebel force was 600 men, in the swamp. Our battalion had left part of its men in camp, and went into the action with only 295 men, and in fif- teen minutes routed the enemy from a strong position, killing, wounding and taking prisoners about seventy-eight of their force, with a loss of only six men. General Paine said he did not ex- pect us to do it alone, but only to draw their fire, and then he was to have a regiment of infantry charge them. As soon as the sap- pers and miners had repaired the bridge, the whole division crossed over with its artillery. Pretty soon the order came for us to advance again, the enemy having retreated to where its bat- teries were stationed. We advanced at the double quick across an open field, and had scarcely gained the high ground before the enemy opened on us a terrific fire of shot, shell, grape and canister from their batteries, and musketry from their infantry supports. Here four of our men were wounded. In the meantime our artil- lery had begun its work, the first shot killing six of the rebels, and for twenty minutes it seemed as if all the demons from the infernal pit had broken loose. Our lines had faltered at first under their terrible fire,-but only for a moment. The next we sent a shower of minie balls in return, lying down and loading and firing. Soon General Paine rode on the hill, a fair mark for the enemy's guns which were immediately trained upon him. But he was as cool as upon parade, and did not mind them. "Now boys," said he, " dash forward at the double quick and flank that battery, and shoot their gunners." We.dashed down the hill and towards the woods to the left of their battery, and soon flanked it, but they had skedaddled. We got two prisoners, and came near getting their baggage train. The infantry then came up, and the whole of us, infantry, cavalry and artillery, moved toward Corinth.
" We followed to within two and a half miles of that place, when we were ordered to return to the high ground near the swamp, where we are now encamped. General Paine rode along our line with his staff and said, " Boys, you have done nobly to-
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day. I never saw men do better, I am proud of you." He says we have done enough for a while, and some of the others must try their hand. We did all the fighting done by the infantry dur- ing the day. The artillery only helped us."
The battalion was received with shouts of welcome on its re- turn from the fight. Gen. Pope also complimented the battalion in his special orders.
In this engagement, Lt. J. W. Baker, of Wilmington, had command of the left wing of the skirmishers. While pressing on and fighting sharply he saw a rebel behind a tree, aiming at him. But fortunately he did not hit the mark. Lt. Baker then ordered one of his men to shoot the reb. But he could not see him, and so the lieutenant took the soldiers gun and shot the reb in the arm, and he fell. After the fight was over, Lt. Baker saw the man he had winged, who said he was from Quincy, Ill., and was 1st sergeant in a rebel regiment.
In this engagement, 118 of the enemy were killed, 25 wounded and 90 taken prisoners, according to one account. While the Union loss was four killed and eleven wounded, mostly in the Yates Sharp Shooters. Co. A. had two killed and three wounded. B and E each one killed. As has been seen the battalion re- ceived the special commendation of General Paine for their skill and bravery on this occasion. This engagement gave our forces possession of Farmington.
On the 8th, a reconnoisance of General Pope's entire command was made towards Corinth, which is thus described in the diary of an officer of Co. F:
" A reconnoisance in force was made to-day. The Yates Sharp- shooters were in their accustomed place, leading the force as skirmishers. The rebels retired before us without offering any determined resistance, until within about two miles of Corinth. Here, as we entered a rye field, a battery opened on us. The shell exploded over our heads, and fragments flew in every direction, but did little harm. Our line of skirmishers pushed on until about the middle of the field, when we came in sight of the enemy in full force. Our sharpshooters, and those of the enemy, kept up
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a brisk fire. While standing, leaning my hand against a tree, a bullet struck between two of my fingers, slightly wounding each. I saw the miscreant when he shot. He was on the fence, behind a clump of bushes. I pointed him out to the boys, and they soon cleared him off the fence. After remaining about an hour in the field, and getting no orders, I thought it strange, and started to the right of our company, which was in the woods. But on enter- ing the woods, they were not to be found. I started on still farther to the right, but had not gone far when I was arrested by the whiz- zing of bullets. I hastened back and told Capt. Grover that the rebs were getting in our rear, and that all the boys, except his company and part of ours, had fallen back. Captain Grover then ordered a retreat, and, by double-quicking, we escaped the enemy. When we got out of the woods, we found that the rest of our forces had fallen back two miles. With no pleasant feelings toward our superiors, we returned to camp."
By way of explanation of the above, it is proper to say that it was afterwards found that an orderly had been sent to notify Capt. Grover of the falling back, but for some reason he failed to reach him.
Another engagement, which is known in history as the battle of Farmington, followed on the 9th, when the rebels, 20,000 strong, attacked our forces under Palmer and Paine, with the design of cutting them off from the main army. Gen. Paine engaged them at once, and fought them for five hours, but as the orders were imperative to avoid a general engagement, Gen. Paine fell back. The enemy made some demonstrations, but did not see fit to fol- low. In this engagement, the Yates Sharpshooters were not seri- ously engaged, the fighting being done by the brigade of General Plummer. The Yates Sharpshooters, however, held the front,. after our forces fell back, until relieved by the 10th Illinois next morning.
The Yates Sharpshooters remained quiet in camp until the morning of the 15th, when it was again ordered out in line of battle, supported by two companies of the 10th, but after advancing about half way across the swamp, were halted, and at noon returned to camp.
May 17th, Pope's army, the Yates Sharpshooters in advance,
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was moved beyond Farmington, and the line established very close to the enemy, and the night spent in fortifying. In the morning a sharp picket firing commenced, which was kept up till 4 p. m., with an occasional shell from the enemy ; but our big guns kept silent, though ready to speak. The advance was general. The fortified lines were extended eight miles, with three tiers of works. The drums of the enemy, and the rumble of the cars in Corinth, were plainly heard.
On the 19th, a large force of the enemy was seen moving to our left, and an attack was expected. The Yates Sharpshooters were placed in support of Houghtaling's battery. A brisk artil- lery fight occurred between it and a rebel battery, but the rebels soon withdrew satisfied with the experiment.
On the 20th, the Yates Sharpshooters were marched out with other forces, and had a brisk skirmish across a swamp, over which they could not pass, and at noon returned to camp.
Nothing special now occurred until the 28th, when the position of the battalion was changed. Marching back through Farming- ton, it took a southwesterly course, which brought it directly in front of General Price's " Pea Ridge batteries." Here they were deployed as skirmishers, and advanced within half a mile of the enemy, and within 200 yards of his skirmish line. Sergt. William Scheel, Corp. Jesse Cramer, Corp. Wm. Lamb, and private Wm. Kimber, of Co. F, were sent out to ascertain the direction of the enemy's lines, and their strength. Cramer advanced within two rods of a rebel picket, and ordered him to surrender, but he turned to run, when Cramer shot him down. This provoked the enemy, and a lively skirmish was the result. But our sharpshooters held their ground, and, in the course of the afternoon, excavated a row of rifle pits. At dark, the Yates Sharpshooters were relieved by two companies of the 11th Missouri. The pickets were posted by Lieut. Reynolds, at the request of Major Matteson, who was now in command of the battalion. Early on the morning of the 29th, a brisk firing commenced all along the line, and heavy artillery firing in front all the forenoon. This, as it afterwards proved, was a show on the part of the rebels, while they were busy evacuating Corinth.
The rebel generals, finding their position no longer tenable,
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commenced evacuating Corinth, the 27th, and May 30th the bat- talion entered Corinth in time to see the rear guard of the enemy leaving. Lieut. Baker, of Co. E, was the first man in the rebel works. The rebels had effected their retreat safely, and carrying off much of their stores and ammunition, and leaving the rest dam- aged and useless. The place presented a scene of desolation and destruction that was complete.
The evacuation of Corinth is thus described in the journal of an officer of the Yates Sharpshooters :
" May 30th, 1862. Very early this morning Gen. Morgan rode out to our line, and told the Yates Sharpshooters to prepare at once for a reconnoisance. He gave us minute instructions, and we moved towards the enemy's works. We advanced very cau- tiously, every moment expecting the enemy's guns to flash in our faces. But the thickest brush wood was passed, the summit of the hill gained, and no enemy met. From the hill top the enemy's works were plainly seen. A negro and a white horse were all that could be seen moving in the rebel works. Colonel Tilson's adjutant and myself moved around to the left, so that we could see behind the works. Nothing was to be seen but broken gun car- riages, and some large shells. When we informed Gen. Morgan, he ordered the Yates Sharpshooters to occupy the works. At five o'clock in the morning we clambered over the immense fortifica- tions, and were fully aware that Corinth was evacuated. General Morgan and the Yates Sharpshooters were the first to discover this.
" Maj. Matteson now sent me with twenty men down the Kos- suth road, where it was known the enemy had heavy works. The remainder of the battalion moved into Corinth. Going down the road a short distance, we came in sight of a squad of about 60 rebel cavalry, They galloped off on our approach. When about a mile and a half from the Pea Ridge batteries we saw them again behind a long line of fortifications, moving in great confusion among the tents. A bullet sent into their midst by Corp. Lamb started them again post haste still further down into Dixie. We now took possession of the second line of works, which were much more extensive than the first. Behind them were the camps of Gens. Price and VanDorne. Everything indicated that they had
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left in the greatest haste. Tents were standing, victuals on the fire cooking, many guns, knapsacks, and camp equipage of all kinds, were lying scattered about. Hundreds of barrels of flour, beef, pork, sugar and molasses, were left behind. Two fine flags, belong- ing to the regiment known as "Mccullough's Avengers," were found.
" After a little, Fred. Sonner called me into the tent of Capt. A. Jack's (such was the name on the tent), and invited me to par- take of a warm breakfast which had been prepared for the captain. Being hungry, I ate heartily. The board was loaded with warm biscuit, blackberry jelly, corn bread, butter, &c., and a bottle of superior wine. Thanks to Captain Jack for an excellent breakfast. " We had been here four hours before we saw anyone else. Gen. Granger then came up, and was much surprised to find us, supposing that he was in the advance. He told me to take charge of the camp."
In the afternoon of the same day, the battalion joined in the pursuit, taking the advance. They came upon the rear of the enemy at Tuscumbia Creek, just at dark, on the 30th, when a brief skir- mish ensued, continuing during the night, and the next day the pursuit was continued to Boonville with frequent skirmishes. The battalion then returned June 11th, and camped at Big Springs, six miles from Corinth. One man, Wm. Johnson, of Co. F, was killed in a skirmish on the second day of the pursuit.
Thus, from April 12th, the time that the battalion landed at Hamburg, until the return from Boonville, June 10th, the battalion had the advance of Pope's army, generally a mile in front, more than half the time without tents, and always sleeping on their arms. During this time they lost but one man by disease. It was true of them, (and of our army generally), that the men were healthier on an active campaign, than when lying idle in quarters. And more men could be rallied for a fight or a skirmish, than for a drill or parade.
At Tuscumbia Creek the battalion was actively engaged in skirmishing. Some of the boys had become so tired and exhausted with the constant marching, &c., that they went to sleep right under the fire of the rebel battery of four guns, and of the butter-
.
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nut and Indian supports. Having been three nights without sleep, they had become almost indifferent to anything else. One of the captains, John Morrill, in the 64th, shot an Indian who had a bush tied to his head, from under which he was shooting our men.
In July, Gen. Rosecrans succeeded Pope in command, and the battalion of sharpshooters was chosen as his headquarters and pro- vost guard, and remained on this duty until November.
Lt. Col. Williams having left the battalion on sick leave, the command devolved on Major Matteson, who held it until August, when he was taken sick and died August 9th. Captain Payne of Co. F, going north as escort, to the body, Lieutenant Reynolds was left in command of Co. F.
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