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 34
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The recruiting officer preferred charges against Captain O'Marah, but before the matter could be tried, the regiment was ordered to the field, and it was dropped. It will be easily understood, that it was no easy task to get one thousand Irish- men all aboard of a railway train, at the same time, and keep them there until the train left. This labor was performed by com- pany C, and cheerfully done, although they had been on duty all night, and the day previous. Some little excitement had been created by the burning of a portion of the camp buildings on the eve of their departure.
The 90th broke camp at Chicago, Nov. 27th, and went to the front via Cairo, Columbus and Grand Junction. At Cairo, while embarking on the steamer for Columbus, five men of the regiment were drowned. The regiment was ordered to LaGrange, Tenn., where it was assigned to garrison duty. In a few days it was ordered to Coldwater, Miss., four or five miles north from Holly Springs, to guard some bridges erected on trussle work, on the Mississippi Central Railroad. This was a position of great im- portance for a new regiment on account of the vast army under Grant, who was at that time making his way to the rear of Vicks- burg, and was at that time near Oxford, sixty miles below. The supplies for his vast army had to be brought over these bridges. The headquarters of the regiment, with seven companies, was es- tablished at Coldwater. Three companies in charge of Major Stewart, were stationed at Hutsonville, three miles north. The 90th was at this time alone, had not been brigaded, and every man felt the responsibility of the charge. As the sequel will show they were equal to the position.
When the regiment was ordered from La Grange to Cold Water, it was to " move light," and with only two days' rations. Capt. O'Marah was left in charge of the camp and regimental property, with instructions as soon as possible to get transportation from the commandant of the post at La Grange, sufficient to reach the regiment before their two days' rations were exhausted. Twenty sick men who were unable to march were left with him, and with the assistance of the quartermaster and these, he was to guard the camp, send out pickets, and load up the stores, baggage, &c. Like all new regiments, the 90th had about double the bag-
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gage which army regulations allowed. There was some delay in obtaining transportation. The distance to the railroad station at Grand Junction was three and a half miles, and to this point the property must be hauled by wagons, through a guerrilla infested region. The commandant furnished 13 large army wagons, all the drivers of which were negroes except one, who was a large powerful soldier belonging to an Ohio regiment. When the wag- ons reached camp, it was found that the men were unable to per- form the duty of loading up the wagons, taking down tents, &c., and then unloading them again at Grand Junction, within the time required. Fortunately Chaplain Grant, formerly a pastor of the Congregational Church at Lockport, Ill., was at this time in charge of a contraband camp at Grand Junction, and Captain O'Marah dispatched a messenger to him for help. He responded with 30 contrabands who came and did their work well. Two . trips were required to transport the stores, &c. By the time the wagons were loaded for the second trip it was nearly night, and there would be some risk of getting gobbled up. But the effort must be made, for by this time the regiment at Cold Water must be getting hungry. But the white driver now proved balky. He swore that he would not take any risk, and after the teams had all got into line, with guard, &c., ready.to start, he drove his team out of the line into the woods, and forthwith began to throw his load overboard. When ordered by the quartermaster to take his place in the line, he swore he would obey no d-d Irish officer, but would do as he pleased, and if the quartermaster did not get out of the way would kill him. Something must be done with this man or the whole train would be demoralized, and the prop . erty must go forward that night.
Capt. O'Marah was sent for. Now the captain was the owner of a large pair of navy pistols, so large that the boys used to call them his " section of artillery." He was mounted at the time, and forthwith appeared armed upon the scene. He ordered the man to take his place with the teams in the line. The man refused to obey, with oaths and threats. The captain drew one of his pistols, aimed it a little aside of the man's head, and emptied one of the barrels, just clipping the ear. This had the desired effect. The bully became as docile as a lamb, begged for mercy, and promised
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obedience. When the trains reached the depot at Grand Junction he unloaded his wagon with great dispatch, and disappeared. The captain had forgotten all about it, when an officer touched him on the shoulder and informed him that he was under arrest, and or- dered him to repair to the Provost Marshal's office. He did so, and there found the driver, who had entered a complaint against him for shooting with intent to kill. On hearing the captain's statement, and the evidence in its support, the captain was at once released, and the driver dismissed with a severe reprimand. The Provost Marshal was R. F. Farrell, a captain in the 15th Michi - gan, and afterwards U. S. Minister at Cadiz, Spain.
But the driver, not satisfied with what he had done, on his re- turn to La Grange made another complaint before the Provost Marshal at that place. . Now, it happened that Capt. Barrett, of Co. K, was staying behind on leave, at the hotel, his wife being sick, and the officer who was sent to arrest O'Marah, finding no other officer of the 90th there, arrested him. Of course he was soon released, when it was found they had got the wrong man. But it was considered a good joke on Capt. Barrett.
The camp stores, rations, &c., reached the regiment at Cold Water in time to meet their wants.
The regiment was at this time armed with the Austrian rifled musket, which had been purchased by Gen. Fremont's quartermas- ter at St. Louis. These were a very inferior arm, almost as dan- gerous to those who carried them as to those against whom they were aimed. Many would not go off at all, and those that would got heated, and went off prematurely, often taking along a finger, a cap-visor, or a piece of an ear. The stocks were of soft wood and easily broken ; and the bayonets were also easily broken. In fact the ramrod was the only reliable part of the Austrians.
With such arms was the raw and inexperienced 90th called up- on to face the enemy-seven times greater in numbers-for the first time. The celebrated raid of the rebel General Van Dorne, in December 1862, will be well remembered by all familiar with 'our war history. Making a circuit around Grant's advancing army, he struck the Union lines at Holly Springs on the evening of December 19th, 1862, and on the morning of the 20th cap- tured the town and nearly all the garrison, destroying the accumu-
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lated government stores, the depot, round house and rolling stock of the road. The government supplies were valued at more than two and a half millions, all of which was lost on account of the inefficiency of the commander of the post. He made no resist- ance. Had he shown the pluck of Col. O'Meara and the 90th, or of the force at Davis Mills, he would at least have saved him- self from the censure of Gen. Grant, who issued a severe order reflecting upon the surrender.
On the morning of the 20th, the smoke of the burning at Holly Springs was seen by the boys at Coldwater, and they knew that there was trouble ahead. Col. O'Meara at once ordered all the tents of the regiment to be taken down, in order that the ene- my could not see his strength, (or rather his weakness); then formed the seven companies under his command, in a small ravine and awaited the attack. This ravine was nearly midway between the railroad and the wagon road, leading from Holly Springs, and parallel with both roads. There were two small stockades be- tween Coldwater and Holly Springs, with two companies of the 101st Ill., who fell back on the approach of Van Dorn's force. They came running down the railroad, and when they reached Coldwater, they were halted and put in position as reserve, using the railroad as a breast work. Shortly after, a detachment of the 2d Ill. cavalry that had cut its way through Van Dorn's forces, ar- rived in time to assist the 90th. Gen. Van Dorn had about 7,000 men, and evidently intended the destruction of all the railroad bridges north of Holly Springs. To withstand him there was only the forces mentioned above. Add to this the fact that the 90th had never faced the music of flying bullets, and the prospect of a successful defense looked rather slim.
Van Dorn summoned Col. O'Meara to surrender, and re- ceived a polite declination, with the assurance that he should hold the place as long as an Irish man lived to defend it.
Then commenced the attack. Van Dorn formed his forces in three columns, and advanced one at a time, for three times in suc- cession, and was repulsed handsomely each time. The detach- ment of the 2nd Ill. cavalry, as well as the 90th, behaved splen- didly. The defense was followed up in such a spirited, vigorous, and stubborn manner, that Van Dorn withdrew his forces, and
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abandoned the attack at this point. He moved northward, made another attack at Davis' Mills, and was again defeated by the brave 40th Ill., in command of Col. Hicks.
For their gallant stand on this occasion, the 90th, then only twenty days in the field, received the public thanks of Gen. Grant, in general order No. 4, and also a splendid national flag. Such was the auspicious commencement of a splendid career.
There were some ludicrous incidents just before the engage- ment, which must be chronicled. Lieut. Col. McClevey, while riding along the line, saw the rebs advancing, when he gave the following order to the 90th : " Get up into rows, boys, they are coming again." There was not much " West Point " about that order, but it answered for the occasion. The bye's got up into ' rows' to some purpose !
We have mentioned the fact that Dan. O'Connor's company had received a splendid flag from the ladies of Joliet. Dan prized this very highly, not only for its intrinsic beauty, but also on ac- count of the donors, and he felt quite unwilling to expose it to vandal hands, and the risk of being damaged by shot. He had therefore ordered it buried. On some one's suggestion that that was not the way to preserve his colors, it was unearthed, and placed beside the stars and stripes, and so vigorously defended, that it came out unscathed.
While in camp at Coldwater, there were some absurd occur- rences, as would be naturally expected from new troops, and es- pecially Irish recruits. Some of them we will relate, although the parties were not Will county men.
In company K, (from LaSalle county,) was a little Irishman named McFadden. Now nature never intended Mac for a sol- dier, and military discipline could do but little to supply the de- ficiency. He was a slight, timid creature, with thin lips, and a weak piping voice, and a head so hard as to shed orders as a duck's back sheds rain. One night Mac was on post on the wagon road leading under the long trestle work, and during his watch, heard the tramp of approaching horsemen. Now,not with- standing reiterated instructions as to his duty as sentry, added to the known danger of his position on a lonely road, in the midst of an enemy's country, Mac had not conquered his natural aver-
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sion to fire arms, and was standing with a gun loaded indeed, but without a cap. Imagine the astonishment of the advancing party, (which fortunately was composed of Union men,) at hearing a thin, weak voice, from the dark recesses of the trestle work, squeak out, " Wait till I cap ! Wait till I cap!" Their sense of the ludicrous was irresistably appealed to, and a roar of laughter drowned McFadden's weak, but original challenge. Next morn- ing Mac was brought before the colonel, to answer for his unsol- dierly conduct. His only plea was, " Kernel, when I thought it was the inimy, I was as wake as wather, but whin I knew it was- our own min, I was bould as a lion." The explanation was so exhaustive that Mac was sent back to his quarters, feeling him- self the hero of the day.
Later in the history of the 90th Mac. furnished the boys some further amusement. Gen. Logan then in command of the corps to which the 90th belonged, was riding past the camp with his staff. Mac. on sighting him ran out and commenced squeaking "halt ! halt !" The general seeing his eagerness, supposed of course that he had some very important matter to communicate, and halted with his staff, and Mac. at once unburdened his mind as follows : "Ginerel, I have tin dollars here, I want ye to sind to me sister, and to fix it so that her husband Mike, the spalpeen, bad luck to him, will niver know it, at all, at all." Gen. Logan was noted for his ready attention to the claims of the humblest private, but just then having more important business on hand, he consigned Mac. and his " tin dollars " to a warm place, and started on amid the roars of his cortege.
Another incident, the hero of which belonged to company A, is worth relating. Major Stewart, who as we have said was in command of the three companies at Hutsonville, when returning from headquarters at Cold Water, was halted by one of his pick- ets. It was dark, and the sentry could but just distinguish a per- son approaching on horseback, but could not recognize him. Now the major had given much time and labor to the work of instruct- ing his men in picket duty, and he obeyed the command to halt, with a feeling of gratified pride, that his boys were so vigilant. This feeling was somewhat modified by what followed.
Sentry-"Halt !" The major halted. Sentry-"Dismount!" The-
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major dismounted. A pause followed of awful moment to both parties. The major wondered what he would be required to do next. The sentry was cudgelling his brain to remember what he ought to demand. His delay was but a moment. Although he .could not recall the exact form of the challenge, he was conscious of its purport, and sternly determined to have no foolishness, the sentry drew his gun to his shoulder, took steady aim at the portly figure of his commanding officer and roared out. "Throw your hands over your head, and declare your intinshuns !"
The major hastened to comply before the next step was taken.
During the Cold Water fight the 90th lost (for a time) its brave quartermaster. He was captured by Van Dorn's force, in a manner worth relating.
During the skirmishing with the enemy, the military arder of the quartermaster impelled him to leave his stores and books with a subordinate, while he sallied forth to join the fray. Now, it happened that the quartermaster, while he was a man of undoubted valor, was, like Zacheus of old, " little of stature." To counter- balance this deficiency he had recourse to an expedient somewhat like that of his prototype,-he mounted a very tall horse. Being in full uniform, and sporting in his hat a long green plume, em- blematic of the land of his birth, he presented a novel, if not a formidable figure. At the last moment he bethought himself that he was not armned. To be sure he was the happy possessor of a sword, but past experience had convinced the quartermaster that the conflict between his sword and his legs was an irrepressible one, and that it was more ornamental than useful. Appealing to a friend, he was supplied with a small, a very small pistol, and with this armament he sallied forth to annihilate the enemy. It happened just at this moment that the squads of the 2d Ill. cavalry were coming in, as we have related, and the quartermaster having constituted himself a volunteer aid-de-camp, assigned them their positions. While doing so, he observed another squad, which he supposed to belong to the same company, who were halted at the edge of a wood some distance, and who seemed to be about to open fire upon our troops. Thinking that they were mistaking their friends for enemies, he dashed out to them, and explained that the troops in their front were union troops, and offered to con-
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duct the squad into our lines. Whereupon one of the troopers he was trying so kindly to serve, rode along side of our Q. M., and seizing him by the collar, gently lifted him from the horse, saying, " come along with us, little fellow, we will take care of you." This terminated "Sheridan's ride;" and the only consolation he ever got out of the affair, was given him by Col. O'Meara, who suggested, that the reason why Van Dorn did not press the assault any longer, was undoubtedly the fact that the quartermaster's size and equipments had convinced him of the utter helplessness of the attack !
We will add that Sheridan was parolled, and that several months elapsed before he could resume duty. Let it also be re- corded to the credit of the brave but unfortunate quartermaster, that while he was held a prisoner, he stubbornly and persistently refused to reveal the name of his regiment, and the strength of the union force, although threatened with death in case of refusal.
When Gen. Grant fell back, (as he was now compelled to do, his supplies being destroyed), to the line of the Charleston and Memphis railroad, and transferred his operations against Vicks- burg to the river, the 90th was withdrawn from Cold Water, and returned to La Grange, and went into their old camp, called "Camp Yates," in honor of the Governor of Illinois. This camp was located about a mile from town. La Grange is a very pretty town, with institutions of learning and many fine residences. Their arrival at this place was on a wet, lowery afternoon, in the month of December, 1862. Immediately after arriving at the depot, the most of the officers went to the hotel to procure quarters, but found it full of people. It was kept by a rebel widow lady, who had no favors to bestow upon the hated Yankees. Many of the offi- cers exhausted their powers of blarney upon her, but to no pur- pose. Night was near at hand, and something must be done to procure shelter. One of the officers had his wife with him, and she must be cared for at all events. So the officers determined to take possession of the front parlor by force, and it was accordingly done.
After getting possession of the room, and building a good fire, they were called upon by a countryman who rejoiced in the some- what familiar patronymic of Kelly, claiming to be an Irishman,
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and doing business in town. Besides his name, he produced in sup- port of his pretensions two large bottles of gin. This was a strong proof that he was all he claimed, and the sight was a welcome one to the wet and dry officers. But they were in an enemy's country-the liquor might be poisoned; and much as their mouths watered for "a drap"-prudence held them back from a compliance with his invitation to take a drink. Here a happy thought struck some one. The man should first take a good drink himself, and if, after a suitable time, no evil effects were ap- parent, then it would be safe to partake. This was acceded to, and the man unhesitatingly took a drink sufficiently large to show, not only that he was what he claimed to be, but that he wasn't a bit afraid of this particular sample. No (unusual) evil effects following,-without waiting a very long time, the officers took a taste. They lived long enough to finish his two bottles, and sev- eral more like them, and made up their minds that he was a true Irishman, and a good fellow besides.
Meanwhile Captain Barrett and his wife had been searching the town for quarters, and being refused at every place he had tried, he left her in the parlor with the officers, and in company with Dr. Hinkley, started out to make another effort, as there were im- perative reasons why she should be got into comfortable quarters, without much longer delay. Before their return Mrs. Barrett was taken suddenly and alarmingly ill, and must be cared for at once. Captain O'Marah and Lieut. Cunningham determined that she should have a room, and the best one the house afforded. They found it occupied by a portly gentleman, a rich cotton speculator from St. Louis. They explained the urgent necessity that he should give up his room to a lady who had been taken seriously ill, and invited him to go down stairs and quarter with them. Somewhat reluctantly he consented, and the arrangement was made; and Mrs. Barrett had the room, and a colored girl to wait. on her, and the dispossessed gentleman took it good humoredly. Not many hours after, the doctor,-who had in the meantime re- turned with Captain Barrett, and accompanied him to the room of Mrs. B .- came down with the startling announcement of an increase in their military family-and that a " daughter of the regiment " had made her appearance, and that mother and daugh-
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ter were doing well! The old cotton speculator became very much interested and elated over the affair, and claimed of Captain Barrett the right to name and adopt the child, inasmuch as it had been born in his room,-which was gracefully conceded.
During the remainder of the winter, and the early spring, the regiment was engaged in garrison duty at La Grange, and was attached to 1st brigade, 1st division, 16th army corps. Nothing of much note took place during the time. There were occasional skirmishes with small bodies of the enemy, but nothing serious occurred. The boys having much leisure time on hand, were somewhat at a loss how to occupy it. I presume they behaved very much like Irishmen and other soldiers when off duty, some- times perhaps-a little more so !
On the 9th of March, the regiment was ordered to Lafayette, a most important post on the Memphis & Charleston railroad, fifty miles east of Memphis, where the main turnpike road crosses the Wolf River, and where was located the only water tank between Memphis and grand junction, the destruction of which would be an effectual blockade of the railroad. The rebel guerilla chiefs were constantly threatening its destruction, and hardly a night passed while the regiment was there, that the pickets were not fired upon. None, however, were killed, and but few wounded. The 90th had relieved a brigade and two companies of artillery. As may be readily supposed, the duty on which they were now placed was very hard, as well as an important one, in guarding the water tank, the bridge across Wolf River, the railroad bridges and telegraph wires.
On the 10th of April, (1863) seven companies under com- mand of Col. O'Meara, moved to "Camp Misery," a few miles distant; where they remained doing garrison duty until ordered south to Vicksburg. Nothing of special interest transpired there.
Three companies in command of Capt. O'Marah, remained at LaFayette to guard that post, until ordered to join the seven com- panies at Camp Misery, on the march for Vicksburg via Col- lierville and Memphis. While they remained at Lafayette, the boys were in the habit of indulging in a swim in Wolf River, at the bridge, but were instructed to take their arms with them, and to place part on guard, while the rest were in. But after a while
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they got a little careless about the matter, and one day five went out without leave, and without arms and were gobbled up, and never heard from afterwards. They were none of them from Will county.
On the 4th of June, 1863, Capt. O'Marah was ordered with his command to rejoin the regiment (at Camp Misery), which was under orders for Vicksburg. On the 6th the regiment took up its march for Collierville, which they reached at 11 o'clock at night, fagged out by their rapid march. They were ordered to move again at 4 a. m. Collierville was the brigade headquarters, and here was all the camp and garrison equipage, and the baggage of the brigade in one seemingly inextricable mass. This the proper officers had to look after and to obtain transportation for in time for the march. It was accomplished and the regiment was on the move at the appointed hour, and marched twenty-three miles in the direction of Memphis. The next day's march would take them through the city, for embarkation on the river.
And now occurred a scene highly illustrative of the peculiar character of the Irishman. All know his attachment to the land of his birth and to his religion, and his love for martial glory. All, too, know his mercurial temper, and how easily and quietly, when driven forth by poverty or oppression from his native land, he transfers his affections to the home of his adoption, and how quickly he becomes qualified to assume the responsibilities and to defend the institutions of his new home. But like the man who marries a wife, while he gives all his soul and manhood, and all that makes life dear to his new condition, he never forgets his " Ould Mither."
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