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 41
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After Grant had been compelled to take the back track in con-
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sequence of Van Dorn's destructive raid on Holly Springs, where the accumulated stores of his army were destroyed, Logan's divi- sion fell back to La Grange. As is well known the loss of the stores at Holly Springs brought Grant's army to short rations, and in fact for a time to no rations. Under such circumstances of course every one was on the look-out for something to satisfy the demands of an empty stomach, and as it often happened, the boys did not wait to be detailed before they went on a forage. When near La Grange a Dutchman in battery L-a boy of 16, in years, but a man in sharpness and grit-spied a handsome spotted cow in the bush near the place where the battery went into camp. Of course he went for her forthwith. With the ready aid of his comrades the cow was captured, slaughtered, skinned and dressed, and in due time also cooked and eaten, all secundum artem. Hav- ing claimed the hide as his perquisite by right of discovery, and the claim being conceded, he took it to a tannery near by. Now leather was a great want at the south, and hides brought ready money on sight, and Hans found the tanner eager to buy. Enter- ing the shop, Hans says :
"You puys hides here ?"
" Yes."
" How much you give ?"
" Three dollars, for good ones."
" Vel, here pes a good one."
" Throw it down and let me see it."
Hans threw down the hide, and the man proceeded to spread it out on the floor. Suddenly he jumps up and breaks out in a towering rage-
"Thunder and lightning ! You d-d Yankee thief! You have killed my old spotted cow, the last cow I had, and now you come and ask me to buy the hide! D-n you, get out of my shop, the hide's mine."
The man was proceeding to appropriate the hide without fur -. ther parley, but to this Hans was not at all prepared to assent, and he says :
" Halt ! halt ! hans off! hans off! May pe the cow vas yours, I don't know, it make no difference, that hide pe's mine, and you
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can't have him mitout you pay me tree dollar, and you must let him pe, or I shoots."
As Hans suited his motions to his words, and as the man thought of the fact that a division of Yankees was near to back him up, he saw that it would be both useless and dangerous to in- sist upon his view of the equity of the case. So he paid Hans three dollars for the hide of his last cow, the old spotted cow that less than an hour before was quietly browsing in the brush.
.
We must tell one more-
After the battle of Champion Hills in which this battery played a part, in pushing in toward Vicksburg the baggage and commissary wagons were left behind, and the boys were once more without rations, and after forty-eight hours' fasting got pretty faint and hungry. In such circumstances a soldier feels wolfish, and goes for whatever he can find. A raid was made by some bummer on a planter's smoke house, and a lot of bacon was se- cured. Of course he had to divide, and Corporal Hill getting a good slice, retired to a stump to enjoy it. Just then Gen. LOGAN happened to ride along, as hungry as a common man, and seeing Hill about to go at his " sow-belly," says :
" Where did you get that ?"
" Pulled it, of course."
"Give me some, I'm so hungry I can't see."
Hill divided with him, and he devoured it with a keen gusto, and like Oliver Twist, sighed for more; but more was not to be had, and he rode on. Some hours after, Hill overtook Logan just as he had commenced on a chicken, which his servant had procured. As soon as Logan saw him he says, " Here, corporal, you divided your sow-belly with me, you shall have half of this chicken."
FIRST ARTILLERY.
In battery A we had one representative, Lemuel Nickerson, of Joliet, who died in this city from sickness brought on by exposure, August 23d, 1863.
In battery C we had two men. These were James Leddy and Wm. O. L. Jewett. Both of these young men had been enlisted in other organizations early in the war. Jewett was in Co. E, 39th,
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and was discharged on account of loss of health, in June, 1863. Mr. Leddy had been a member of Co. B, 100th regiment, and was also discharged for disability. At the time of their enlist- ment in battery C, (Houghtaling's battery) they were both stu- dents at law in the office of Judge Parks in Joliet. Having re- covered their healths they were unable to resist the impulse to join again in the work of saving the Union, and accordingly joined this battery as recruited in the fall of 1864, and shared in the march of Sherman from Atlanta to Washington. Unwilling to lose what time the exigencies of the service might give them, they took along some of their text books, and thus after march- ing and fighting by day, read Chitty and Blackstone at night, by the light of pine knots, through Georgia and the Carolinas.
In battery G we had one commissioned officer, 1st Lt. Donald Campbell, of Lockport, and six privates from the same place. In battery I, we had three representatives. One, James Bond, son of Mr. Samuel Bond of Joliet township, and a representative of the Signal office, and who, after serving out his time in the war with credit, and escaping all its casualties, was drowned a few years since in the Missouri river.
In battery M, we had five representatives. This battery was attached to the same brigade with the 100th regiment in the At- lanta campaign, and we had occasion to speak of it in the history of that regiment, as firing the shot which terminated the earthly career of the Rev. Rebel Gen. Leonidas Polk.
Magnus Tait of this township, was a sergeant in this battery who had the misfortune to get gobbled up when before Atlanta, and who was taken to Andersonville. Some of my readers will re- member how he looked when he came home from that delightful southern residence, where according to Senator Hill, our boys ex- perienced the delights of southern hospitality, how he barely es- caped with life, aud how for a long time he hobbled about our streets on crutches.
Charley Cope, who now works so quietly at manufacturing horse collars in the old stone block, Joliet, put in three years of his boyhood in this battery, being only nineteen when mustered . out. Though brave even to recklessness, he came through with-
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out a scratch, although his hat and clothing often showed the marks of rebel skill in gunnery.
George Carey of Plainfield, was an artificer in this battery, who still plies his vocation in that patriotic village, and is as plucky and patriotic as ever.
SECOND ARTILLERY.
In battery D we had one commissioned officer, Joseph Hock- man, of Lockport, 2d lieutenant, and seven enlisted men.
In Coggswell battery we had one commissioned officer, Henry G. Eddy, of Lockport, of the famous 'Hawley Battery' in the three months' service, who still lives, and long may he wave. Also fifteen men and recruits.
In battery G, 2d artillery, we claim one representative, H. B. Scutt, of Joliet.
LOCKPORT ARTILLERY COMPANY.
Although this company was never mustered into the service of the United States, and therefore makes no figure in the adjutant general's report, and although it never came into actual conflict with the armed hordes of treason, yet, inasmuch as it rendered valuable service to the country, at a critical period of our history, it is entitled to honorable mention in the war record of Will county. This company was organized as an amateur battery under the State Militia law, some three or four years before the war, and was supplied by the state with one cannon.
When the crisis came in the spring of 1861, it was called upon by Gov. Yates, to go to Cairo, and assist in the armed occupation of that point, as we have related in our record of home events. The company consisting of the persons named below, and possi- bly of some others whose names have been forgotten, went to Cairo, April 22d, 1861, where they were joined by other men who had gathered there from various parts of the state. The bat- tery was immediately placed on duty by Gen. Prentiss, then in command. It has the honor of placing the first gun in position for the defence of that place. They assisted in the blockade of the river, stopping all boats from that time on. Among others the
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steamer Hillman bound down from St. Louis, was intercepted and found to have a cargo of contraband goods-a large lot of revolv- ers packed in butter firkins and marked " choice butter." This company mounted the guns in Fort Prentiss, and was placed in command of the fort under Lieut. Eddy, by Gen. Wagner, chief of artillery. The battery remained at Cairo until the 6th of Au- gust, when it was disbanded, its term of service having more than expired. Many of the members entered other organizations in the three years' service: Lieut. Eddy became 1st Lieutenant in Coggswell's battery. We give below the names of the Lockport men :
Captain-N. L. Hawley; 1st. Lieut .- H. G. Eddy, entered Coggswell's battery ; 2d Lieut .- J. W. Herron ; Ord. Serg't-Wm. E. Codding; Serg't- Donald Campbell, entered battery G, 1st artillery, Ist lieutenant ; Serg't .- Joseph Hockman, entered battery D, 2d artillery, 2d lieutenant; Serg't .- Sanford L. Parker, entered Mercantile Battery. Privates-John Harmon, John Shaw, Patrick McBride, Chandler Heath, George Terry, Enoch Allen; Martin Nierberg, entered battery D, 2d artillery ; John Riley, James Mc- Gregor, Michael Walter, John Thorn, entered D, 2d artillery ; Andrew Emery, Orrin Moon, entered Co. D 4th cavalry ; Charles Josenhans, en- tered battery D; Florian Kenney and Samuel Cowell.
SEVENTY-SECOND OR FIRST BOARD OF TRADE REGIMENT.
Our county was represented in this regiment by twenty-seven men, at its original organization in the summer of 1862. These were mostly from the towns of DuPage and Channahon. We also furnished subsequently nine recruits. The following list of skirmishes and battles in which the regiment participated, is all we give of its history. The names of the men will be found in PART FOUR of this work : Clarkson, Mo., Horn Lake Creek, Champion Hills, Big Black, Seige of Vicksburg, St. Catherine's Creek, Miss., Cross Bayou, La., Benton, Miss., Grand Gulf, Columbia, Tenn.,, Spring Hill, Franklin, Nashville, Spanish Fort, Ala., Blakeley. We lost eight men in this regiment. Corp. J. B. Willis, of Channahon, was discharged for promotion in a colored regiment. One man, Corp. Stephen H. L. Hurd, of Channahon, had a taste of the delights of Andersonville.
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COMPANY I, FORTY-SIXTH INFANTRY.
This company was mainly raised in the town of Plainfield. The " Patriotism of Illinois" credits it entirely to another county, but it was always known as the Plainfield company, and that pa- triotic town must not be cheated out of its due share of the glory won by this regiment, although we cannot go into its history in detail. The regiment has a brilliant record. It commenced its active career at Donaldson, where it was in Gen. Lew. Wallace's command. It took a heroic part at Shiloh, being in Gen. Hurl- burt's division, and losing in killed and wounded more than one half of the men engaged. The Plainfield company lost four men killed, from this county. One of those was Sergt. John Collins, who was the first captain of the Plainfield Battery before the war. He was a brave soldier and efficient officer. He was wounded and being carried off the field, when he was struck by a cannon ball which carried off his head-putting him beyond the help of the surgeon. W. H. H. Norris of the same company was one of the men who was carrying him off the field, and was killed by the same shot. Frank Arter and Frank P. Marcy were also killed in this battle. The regiment participated in the movement on Corinth, and was in many active campaigns and battles up to and including the seige of Vicksburg, and contributed its full share in giving to Gen. Hurlburt's division the name of the " Fighting Fourth." It shared in the battle of the Hatchie, supporting Bol- ton's battery. In this action it lost its colonel, John A. Davis. While on the way to Vicksburg five companies were captured while on out-post duty, the remainder shared in the seige. The remnant veteranized and recruited in January 1864, and subse- quently participated in the operations of the army in the south- in Louisiana and Alabama.
I find the following, respecting the Plainfield company in a paper of the time :
"July 12th, 1864, were in the rear of Vicksburg and had a. little battle, and got worsted for the first time. Commenced skir- mishing with the rebels the 14th of July and kept it up till the 7th, when the enemy being reinforced gave us battle. It com-
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menced in the morning and lasted until the middle of the after- noon, when the 64th was compelled to fall back to save the wagon trains. The rebels followed and made a charge to take two can- non, but the regiment met them with fixed bayonets, and drove them back, killing many and taking many prisoners. Every one of the Plainfield boys were in the fight, and not one flinched an inch. First Sergeant Henry G. Kennelly was in command of the company and was slightly wounded. Jacob Scott was taken pris- oner. Three of the company were killed, but they were not from Will county."
Our county lost seventeen in this company, among them Corp'l David B. Rossiter, from one of the old Plainfield families, who died in New Orleans near the close of the war. Having gone through the entire war, including the three months' service in McAllister's Battery, he left the fruits of his toils and sufferings to be enjoyed by others. The other deaths will be learned by reference to the list of men, to be found in its proper place. We had three commissioned officers and fifty-five enlisted men in the company.
EIGHTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT.
In the EIGHTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT our county had three com- missioned officers and twelve enlisted men. The original captain of Co. E, (Holden Guards,) was Levi P. Holden, from one of our old well-known Frankfort families, who was afterward promoted major of the regiment. Sergt. John H. Reynolds, who died in Nashville in January 1863, was also from a well-known Hickory Creek family, and brother of Gen. Reynolds, of the 64th.
The movements of this regiment were almost identical with those of the 100th, from the battle of Perryville to the close of the war. In the Atlanta campaign it was in the same corps, and so continued through.
Our county had many men scattered through various other regi- ments, whose names and military record, so far as we have obtained it, will be found in PART FOUR.
Some families of our county were largely represented in the
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union ranks, sending from two to four men. Others sent their only sons, and in other cases the head of the family, and only male representative of sufficient age, entered the ranks. We had intended to call attention to these instances, but our limits will not admit mention of more than one or two.
Alexander Ferguson, of Channahon, had three sons in the army. Two of these were in the 113th Illinois Infantry. One of these (Daniel) lost a leg at Arkansas Post. The other (Alexander) enlisted while under the age of sixteen, and came out a captain in a colored regiment. Another son (William) was temporarily re- siding at Houston, Texas, at the opening of the rebellion, and was forced into the rebel ranks. . Being stationed at Galveston, he with others, managed to escape in a boat, and was picked up by one of our blockading vessels and sent to New Orleans. He then en- listed in Battery D, U. S. Artillery, and served bravely, being promoted corporal. In an expedition toward Richmond, his left leg was carried away by a solid shot, which resulted in his death at Hampton, Va., Dec. 10th, 1864, at the age of twenty-two. His remains sleep at Channahon.
Mr. Mulliken, of Crete, sent three boys to the war, one of whom, (James M.) died in the rebel prison pen in Danville, Va.
We should be glad to call attention to other instances, but must leave them to be found by an examination of the muster roll.
PART THIRD.
PRISON EXPERIENCES, DEATH RECORD, AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
CHAPTER I.
PRISON EXPERIENCES.
A journey to, and a peep into Libby, by Surgeon Woodruff-Who he Found, and What he Saw There-Suffering and Death of Hugh Bolton at An- dersonville-Barton Smith Walters-Thomas De Line-Henry C. Noble- List of those who Died in Prison from Will county.
HEN our regiment went into action on the afternoon of Sept. 19th, I accompanied them to the field in charge of the ambulances of the brigade ; and I had hardly time to get them into position before the brigade was engaged, and the wounded began to come back. The division hospital was near Crawfish Springs, (between one and two miles distant on our right, and I was busily engaged until a late hour at night. After dark when the firing had ceased, we made several excursions in front of the line, finding many wounded and dead. About midnight the last trip was made, and I staid at the hospital till the morning of the 20th, when I was assigned to hospital duty for that day. Soon orders came for all that could be transported to be sent into Chattanooga, and the ambulances and wagons were filled, and all wounded who were able to walk, accompanied the train. This and other orders soon satisfied us that our forces were falling back. Those remaining-who were too badly wounded for removal- were fixed up as comfortable as possible. We were quite well pro-
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PRISON EXPERIENCES.
vided with tents and hospital stores, the medical purveyor of the corps having left a tent full near by, which we took charge of. There remained with us as hospital attendants :
O. P. Stumph, steward ; F. W. Calkins, cook; W. Newberry, "C;' Wm. M. King, " K;" John Cotton, " H ; " Erastus Rudd," K ;" George Mc- Intyre "B ;" James F. Ladrew, " H ;" G. W. Hill, "D;" Eugene Sly," C;" George Pickles, " E;" Anson Dodge, " C;" Wm. Peters, "C."
We had thirty one wounded men from the 100th. We con- cealed a good many hospital stores, putting bottles of Morphine, Quinine, etc., in the beds of the patients, and burying others, and made other preparations for capture. It is not to be denied that our feelings were a little depressed, not to say anxious, when we saw the rear guard of our cavalry pass from sight, facing towards Chattanooga. They were soon followed by the enemy. They were not very discourteous, not near as much so as we feared. They were feeling in high spirits, being highly elated at their suc- cess, and said they had us now, and would drive us north of the Tennessee, or capture the whole Yankee army. They took pos- session of my horse and equipments with little ceremony, includ- ing my sash, the badge of my rank, which was confiscated by a rebel surgeon. I remonstrated, claiming that the rules of war ex- empted myself and property from seizure. But they had the con- venient plea that the northern government had first violated the rules, and that all the medical officers and hospital attendants would be held as ordinary prisoners of war. And we were so held, being at first paroled to report at Atlanta, when we should be relieved from the charge of our wounded.
It was hard parting with my horse, my faithful " old whitey " that once roamed the pastures around Joliet ; that kind, faithful, gentle old companion, that had borne me all through the weary campaigns since leaving Louisville-more than one long year be- fore ; who shared with me the discomforts of rain, wind, snow and cold, short rations, and the perils of Stone River. I am not ashamed to own that I could not bid him good-bye without a tear ; and that the thought that henceforth he would be left to the " ten- der mercies of the wicked," and compelled to serve the enemies of my country, was bitter indeed.
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During the afternoon a party of rebel officers came to the steward's tent and demanded whisky. I denied having any ex- cept a little that was needed for our wounded. He replied that he did not care for that. Gen. Hood was wounded, and he must have it in spite of all the " d-d yankees." One of the party then introduced him, saying, " Doctor, this is General Terry, of Cali- fornia." Without thought, I replied, " What ! the man that mur- dered Broderick ?" The general drew himself up and replied, " I shot Mr. Broderick in a duel." The situation was rather embar- rassing, and I was willing to obtain his absence by giving him a bottle. The balance of the party staid some time, hoping to find more, but they were unsuccessful, although there was a camp ket- tle full in the tent, and more hid in the bushes.
Here we remained until the 1st of October. Rations were short. We received a few from the rebel quartermaster. The . boys fixed up a barrel on wheels, and with a convalescent mule used to carry the water from the springs.
One of our wounded, Van H. Perkins, of Co. E, died while there. On the 1st, a train of ambulances came and took the wounded into Chattanooga, and thus was severed the last link that bound us to the old hundredth, and to the old flag.
On the 2d the rest of us reported at headquarters at the Springs, when the enlisted men were started off for Ringgold, and we saw some of them no more. They were consigned to a fate, beside which ours was a happy one.
The officers awaited transportation, which had been promised, but no transportation came, and we too fell into line, and started on the march, carrying such baggage as the rebs had left us. At. Lee and Gordon's mills we hired a citizen to carry our baggage for us, paying him $50 Confederate currency. There were forty - five medical officers in the party. We reached Ringgold about 8 p. m., and were put in a room that had been used as a hospital, but which was clean, and had bunks and straw. There we staid until about 4 p. m., of the 3d, when we were loaded in box cars and started for Atlanta. The train laid over all night at Dalton. The cars were very crowded and uncomfortable. We reached Atlanta about 10 o'clock Sunday night (14th), and were marched out to the barracks or "prison pen." Up to this time we had not
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been under guard, as we were under parole, but now we realized fully that we were prisoners. The night was cold; there was no place to lie down except on the bare ground. After trying in vain to sleep for a couple of hours, I gave it up and wandered around the yard until morning. There were a half a dozen little fires of a couple of sticks each, and around them were huddled a miscellaneous collection of officers and men, "Fed." and " Con- fed," sick and wounded. In the enclosure were two houses prin- cipally occupied by our wounded. In one were two officers of our army, one a major and the other a lieutenant, wearing ball and chain, their offense being that they were natives of Atlanta, and had so far forgotten themselves as to be true to the Union
Monday the sun shone so that during the day we were com- fortable so far as regards temperature, but we found the enclosure filled with another class of occupants, who were very attentive and made the situation lively; i. e., " graybacks," the ground was liter- ally covered with them. It was my first personal experience with them, and I shall never forget the disgust I felt when, after much deferring, I finally had to join the rest, and strip off my clothing and engage in a hunt, and an indiscriminate slaughter; but I be- came accustomed "to this kind of " skirmishing" before I saw northern soil again.
The pen was enclosed by a high, close boarded fence, surrounded by a walk, where the guards kept watch. No one was allowed to approach within ten feet of the fence, that being the "dead line," and any unfortunate prisoner who might cross it, was fair game to be shot.
We staid there another night, and on the morning of the 6th we were aroused at 4 o'clock, shivered around the scanty fires, ate our limited breakfast, and then marched down town to the depot, where we waited some time. Quite a crowd of natives gathered around us quite exultant. We tried to buy morning papers, but their newsboys would not sell us any.
We were loaded into box cars, but they had seats in them, and were quite comfortable, were attached to the regular passenger train, and made the 171 miles to Augusta in eleven hours. We passed through several fine towns. At one I asked a citizen at the depot what it was. He said "Greensboro." I told him it
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PRISON EXPERIENCES.
was quite well known once at the North, from having been the seat of the "Bank of Greensboro" of " Wild Cat " memory. " Yes," said he, "it was a d-d Yankee concern." We halted about 3 p. m. at "Thompson's," and were permitted to leave the cars, and go to dinner at the hotel, and eat the last " square meal " we were to have for some time. One or two Confederate officers at first ob- jected to our being allowed to eat at the same table with Southern gentlemen, but others silenced them and we remained.
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