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 8
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Ques .- What is the chief end for which the 20th was enlisted ? Ans .- To grub stumps for Sam. Buckmaster.
Certainly the boys were kept from the temptations of idleness and the wiles of the devil, while clearing the spot.
Besides the 20th there was encamped here at this time, the 15th, 17th, and 24th regiments, and a squadron of cavalry. The 24th was known as the " Hecker Regiment," and was composed largely of Germans, who were old campaigners, who had seen ser- vice in European wars, and they were quite disposed to poke fun at the raw yankee boys. But before the war was over I presume they stopped their fun, as they found that the raw " yankee boys" could learn the art of fighting as well as any. Col. Turner of the 15th, was in command of Camp Pope, as it was named.
The Hecker regiment had even poorer fare than the 20th while in camp " Buckmaster," being without tents, and compelled to make blankets do double duty with the help of bushes. One day the chaplain of the 20th, conversing with the brave old Ger- man colonel, alluded to their hard fare. Hecker replied-" Ah, well, you know we are only step-children !"
A melancholy incident occurred while in Camp Pope. One of the privates of Company D seized a musket, and playfully point- ing it at another private, of the name of Titus, snapped it. Con- trary to his expectations, it went off, terribly wounding not only Titus, but also one of the Smith family. Both recovered, but were disabled and discharged, and one of them sadly disfigured. This was a lesson to the boys to be careful with the tools they were now handling. This was the first blood that our good chaplain had ever seen drawn, and he fainted at the sight, It is said that those who are first affected in this way, become the most fearless and reliable on the battle field. Certainly this was true of the chaplain of the 20th, as we shall see in the course of our history.
While at Alton, the boys sometimes got hungry. They had issued to them some old, wormy hard-tack, that had lain stowed away in barracks since the Mexican war, and neither their teeth nor their stomachs had yet got reconciled to this kind of fare, and they got somewhat restive, and were fully of the opinion that to preserve their own lives was the first law of nature. Somebody's hogs got in the way just then, perhaps by the direction of old
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Nick, and all at once pop, pop, pop went the guns. Some thought the enemy had come, and was charging on the camp. But the result of the noise was a good many dead hogs, and hungry men fed. But they afterwards paid the penalty of such disorderly conduct, some of them in getting sick and having to swallow Goodbrake and Bailey's prescriptions, and all of them in having enough of their pay stopped to foot the bill.
While here in camp the 4th of July came along, and was duly celebrated. The entire brigade was drawn up about noon, and listened to a most eloquent and appropriate address from the Rev. Dr. Bellows, of N. Y., who was just then visiting the camp as sanitary inspector. At the conclusion of the exercises, the whole force was requested to raise the right hand, and solemnly pledge themselves to serve the Union cause against all enemies whatever. The scene was a very impressive one.
On the night of July 5th, the regiment was notified to be ready to march next day at an early hour, and on the morning of the 6th they moved to the river landing, and went aboard a steamer, and in a few hours were at St. Louis, and entered the enclosure of the memorable arsenal, encamped, and received their arms, equipments, and clothing. They were armed with old U. S. flint lock muskets changed to percussion lock, and although the boys were not very well pleased with them at first, yet they proved a very efficient and deadly weapon, and some of them were carried all through the service.
St. Louis, at this time, was in a doubtful state of mind. There were many outspoken secesh among all classes, and street rows were common. Some of the 20th were passing along a street one day, when a lot of this gentry, who were in a livery stable, seeing the boys in blue, hurrahed for Jeff. Davis and the southern con- federacy. This was the signal for a charge, and that livery stable was cleaned out in a brief space of time !
After a three days' broil in St. Louis, the regiment again embarked, and after a pleasant sail down the river, landed on the 10th inst. at Cape Girardeau. This place seemed still nearer the enemy's land, and matters began to look like business.
On the night of the day on which they landed at the Cape, after the boys, who were very tired, (having had to unload the
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boat), had been about an hour in bed, Col. Erwin came around and said he wanted 26 men to go out and take a provision train, which had started for the rebel camp just before their arrival. Tired as they were, there were plenty of volunteers for the job. But Col. Marsh said they were too tired, and would not allow them to go. Col. Erwin then rallied a squad of the "home guard," and having armed them, set out. The guard had seen the train leave for the rebel camp, which was about 20 miles distant, but dare not interfere, as there was no force at the Cape to fall back upon. The expedition was entirely successful. Colonel Erwin returned during the night, having captured seven loaded wagons, five yoke of oxen, four horses, and eight prisoners. The train had a guard of twenty men-the balance escaped.
While at the Cape, J. E. Shields was appointed quartermaster ; J. F. Branch, wagon-master ; E. P. Smith, com. sergt .; James Hubbard, sutler ; and Albert E. Randall, postmaster.
The 20th laid an embargo upon the river trade, capturing con- traband to a large amount. It stopped the steamer Memphis, among others, finding on board a lot of medicines destined for the southern army, shipped by the loyal (?) house of G. & K., and secreted in trunks and valises.
Three companies of the 20th (B, C and I), also went on a scout to ascertain the strength of the rebel Gen. Watkins' command, from whom so much was feared and threatened. They returned and reported his vaunted force to be about 1,500, poorly armed.
About the 15th of July, word came that the notorious Jeff. Thompson was raiding on the Whitewater, about twenty miles away, and companies E and F were ordered for special service, with three days' rations. The boys were ready for the expedition, but the question of rations was a "little mixed." The government hard tack had been condemned, and rations of flour were issued instead. But there was no bread baked ahead, and all they had to take for rations was raw ham. Capt. Hildebrant, who was in charge of the expedition, reported at headquarters as ready for duty, with raw meat only, and was informed that bread would be supplied. But they marched at 10 o'clock at night, with very deficient rations, and were at Whitewater by daylight, and went into camp in the woods, well fagged out. During the next day,
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they managed to procure corn bread, and some potatoes, for which the captain paid out of his own pocket, and managed to subsist in this way two days. The expedition was one of those foolish ones, often made during the war, viz., sending infantry to catch cavalry. All through the war, our army was very defective in the cavalry branch of service, and inferior to the rebels. Gen. Scott, I believe, with all his skill as a general, was not favorable to cavalry. And then it was expensive !
On the return of the expedition, Capt. Hildebrant was placed under arrest by Col. Marsh, for taking his men on a march without bread, and for allowing them to forage. After two days, he was released, on demand of the regiment, who had learned the facts in the case.
This unpleasant circumstance brings us face to face with the fact-which we would gladly ignore if possible-that there were, for some time, in the history of the 20th, dissensions which injured it, and rendered association with it unpleasant to many. I shall touch as lightly as possible on this part of its history, and only so far as is necessary to vindicate the reputation of some of our Will county men.
Fremont was at this time in command of the department, and during the last of July, with his staff, paid the Cape a visit.
While here, the first death occurred in the regiment, the 1st sergeant of Co. A, from Champaign county.
It will be remembered that General Fremont, being somewhat more advanced in his views than the administration, had issued an emancipation proclamation, which, not being president, (having only once run for the office), and being only a department com- mander, was perhaps a little irregular. As a consequence, many negroes had come within the union lines, and there were a good many at the Cape. When this proclamation was overruled by the higher powers, of course there was trouble in the camp of the con- trabands, and many heart-rending scenes were witnessed by the boys, as the poor refugees gave way to their grief and fear, at thus being remanded to the tender mercies of the masters from whom they had escaped, believing that the " year of jubilee had come."
While the regiment was at the Cape, one of the members from our county developed into a first-class scout, or spy. I need
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not say that this is the most dangerous, as it oftentimes is the most useful, service which anyone can render the cause of his country. The fate of a spy, if detected, is death. The justice of this, so long as both parties and all nations make use of them, it is hard to see. But so it is-the man who undertakes this role runs the hazard of being detected and hung. Who has not wept over the story of Major Andre, spy though he was, and a British spy, too ! And who has not felt dissatisfied with the law which com- pelled Washington to order his execution, at the same time that he was, no doubt, employing spies himself? Much has been said about the morality of employing spies, and acting the part of a spy ; but they have been employed in war ever since the time of Moses.
The person to whom I allude as a spy in the 20th, was Albert J. Sanger, of Co. F, in respect to whom I have found the follow- ing in a soldier's letter :
"We have one of the best spies in the company that ever tried the swamps. It is A. J. Sanger. He can play the "sawney " to such perfection that the people believe him a fool. He is gone almost all the time. He has been eighty miles back toward the Arkansas line. He has been a prisoner in Thompson's and Har- dee's camps, but they thought he was a fool, and let him go. He goes out all alone, on horseback, with an old pair of saddle-bags, dressed in a blue linsey coat and butternut pants, calico shirt, and old straw hat, and is a regular who-haw-buck. When he returns to camp, no one can get a word out of him. He does not wish to be recognized. He went out a week ago, and has returned. He went into Arkansas, and was taken prisoner, and came near losing his horse, and narrowly escaped being shot several times. He was taken prisoner and brought before Jeff. Thompson, who told him that if he had no other business but to see his friends, he had better return, as the times were too hot for visiting. 'Besides,' said Jeff., 'I shall soon have possession of the Cape, and then no one will be allowed to pass.' This was just the information San- ger was after, and he told Jeff. he had been there, and he thought he could take it easily enough if he tried. But Jeff. did not take it so soon as he expected."
Just before Sanger took up the role of spy, a lieutenant from
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the 9th regiment had tried it, went into Hardee's camp, was arrested and shot.
July 23d, companies B, I and K, in command of Capt. Bartle- son, (it having been reported that 300 rebels were threatening an attack,) went out on a scout to look after them ; they went through Jackson, Whitewater and Dallas, and scouted over the country for ten miles around the Cape, returning July 28, with some prisoners, having marched 75 miles.
July 29th, Capt. Bartleson, with 25 men, went on the steamer Illinois, 25 miles up the river, and destroyed a ferry boat with which the rebs were running corn from Illinois to Missouri.
August 13th, companies B, C, E and F, and a section of artil- lery, in command of Col. Erwin, went to Hamburg, killed nine rebels, and returned with prisoners, having traveled sixty miles.
August 17th, Lieutenant Cleghorn, with 25 men, went on the steamer Luella, down the river, to Big Island, in search of rebel stores, and returned August 20th, with a boat load of horses and mules.
During the month of August, occurred the visit of some of our citizens to the Cape, and the scare which Jeff. Thompson got up for their benefit, as related in the home history of the time.
The Cape had now become a strong post and supplied with cannon, and it would have required a strong force to take it. Besides, the rebels had many friends in the town, who would have got cleaned out if they should attack it. Gen. Grant was now in command, under Fremont, of the sub-district, having his head- quarters at Cairo. Here the regiment remained until about the middle of August, being engaged, in the meantime, in building fortifications, drilling, &c., and in frequent expeditions, and eating Uncle Sam's rations. During their stay, they built the substantial earthworks, which commanded both the river and the town. The 20th was, some of the time, the only force at the Cape, and was consequently liable to an attack.
Sometime in the last of August, the regiment was moved out to Jackson, about twenty miles, with other forces from the Cape, for the purpose of aiding in a plan which had been laid to trap a rebel force under Pillow. This place was the residence of a rebel general, by the name of Watkins, a man of great wealth. Some
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of the boys were quartered in his fine mansion, and I fear were not as careful as they should have been of the house and contents.
Sept. 12th, the regiment went down on the steamer Illinois to Birds Point, where it remained until the middle of October. Dr. Bailey was left at the Cape in charge of the sick. There was much sickness, measles, &c. The seminary building, court house, and a church, were all used as hospitals. The various regiments which had passed through the Cape had left their sick, and the doctor had his hands full.
Hearing that Jeff. Thompson was at Fredericktown, a place between Pilot Knob and Cape Girardeau, Gen. Grant conceived the idea of cutting off his retreat. In consequence of this plan, the 20th regiment left Birds Point on the 16th of October, at mid- night, on the steamer Louisiana, with a section of Taylor's battery, under command of Lieut. White. The steamer Chancellor fol- lowed, with two companies of cavalry, in command of Captain Stewart. Before noon, of the 17th, they arrived at the Cape, and encamped just outside of the city limits, on the Jackson road. On the 18th, the force, which consisted of the 17th Ill., Col. Ross ; the 11th Missouri, Col. Plummer ; the 20th Ill., the two compa- nies of cavalry, and the section of artillery before named-all in command of Col. Plummer, of the 11th Missouri-started out for Fredericktown. It is proper to remark here that the 11th Mis- souri was really an Illinois regiment, being one of those that had been mustered in as a Missouri regiment when our quota was filled. The force aggregated in all about 1,700. Moving out, they marched the first day about thirteen miles, camping about four miles northwest of Jackson, on. the Dallas road. On the evening of the 19th, they reached Dallas, about half way to Fred- ericktown.
The regiment went into camp near the house of a southern planter, a secession sympathizer. The good chaplain called on the family, and finding that they were zealous Baptists, proposed hav- ing a prayer meeting after supper. This proposition was cordially accepted, and at the appointed hour the planter gathered his family and the neighbors, and the chaplain gathered the praying ones of the regiment, and they had a good, old-fashioned prayer meeting.
But all of the boys of the 20th, I am sorry to say, were not of
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the praying kind. Some-a majority, I fear -- were quite other- wise. At any rate, while the prayer meeting was going on, and the family were feeling safe and happy, and growing more char- itable in their hearts toward the Yankees, some of the boys took the opportunity of doing a little foraging on their own account. The result was, that many of the planter's chickens, and sweet potatoes, and a share of his honey, too, got into camp. The next morning, Sergeant Bernier very innocently went to the house to borrow a kettle to cook his potatoes in. The woman thought this pretty " cheeky." "A pretty set of christians are you Yanks," says she. "Some of you come here and pray, and talk very pious, while the rest steal my chickens, and potatoes, and honey ; and now you have the impudence to come and ask for my kettle ; " and she proceeded to pour forth upon the heads of the sergeant and the Yanks in general, a broadside of vernacular that must have nearly exhausted her vocabulary. The sergeant, though one of the bravest of the boys, beat a hasty retreat.
Of course the good chaplain was not in collusion with the raid- ers ; but the chaplain's prayer meeting became a standing joke in the regiment, and whenever rations were short, his brother officers were wont to suggest to him the propriety of holding another prayer meeting ; but the planters did not " hanker " after any more !
On the 20th, they approached within eleven miles of Freder- icktown, where they expected to cage the redoubtable Jeff. Strict watch was kept up that night. On the 21st, they resumed the march, and though many were footsore and weary, no complaints were made. They arrived in sight of Fredericktown about noon. The town was pleasantly located on high ground, the court house occupying the crest of the hill. They found the stars and stripes flying from the court house, and the place in possession of a force under Col. Carlin, which had come from Pilot Knob to aid in bagging Jeff. But Jeff. had captured a bearer of dispatches, and learned of the plot, and slipped out of sight. He formed a counter- plot, and intended to move out and intercept the force under Plummer, thrash them, and then return and do the same job for Carlin ; but
" The best laid schemes o' mice an' men Gang aft a-gly."
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Col. Carlin, believing that Jeff. had made his escape, and think- ing that pursuit would be useless, was resting himself and his com- mand in town. The inhabitants of the place were strongly secesh, and all the information that could be got from them was that Jeff. had left the day before for Greenville. Col. Plummer, however, to whom Col. Carlin had yielded the command, thought he would try and ascertain whether Jeff. was within reach. He accordingly organized a column for pursuit, consisting of his force from the Cape, and part of Scholfield's battery, leaving Car- lin's force in reserve.
But Jeff. had not gone far, but had formed an ambuscade, about a mile from town, just over a ridge on the Green- ville road, concealing his forces in a cornfield and some tim- ber, intending to draw on our forces and then open upon them. This plan would probably have been successful but for a " relia- ble contraband," who was sitting on a fence in front of a house, and who said to Capt. Stewart, who was in advance with his cavalry, " Don't go down dar massa, heap secesh down dar, seed 'em myself, not seben minutes ago." His statement, fortunately, obtained sufficient credence to bring our forces to a halt, and cause a reconnoisance to see if it was true. Just over the hill partly concealed by the timber and tlie cornfield, the enemy was discovered awaiting the approach of our forces. He had planted four field pieces skillfully concealed by the woods, and his infan- try and about 800 cavalry were well posted to pour a deadly fire upon our boys as soon as they came in range.
Thanks, first to a kind Providence, and next to the contra- band, this well laid plan was discovered in time. This "old darkey " does not figure in any official reports of the fight, but I have the account from an eye witness in the 20th, and I am only sorry that I do not know the darkey's name, that it might at least pass into this history. As it is, the credit of the affair must be set down to his poor despised race.
Col. Plummer soon placed his forces in order of battle. The section of Taylor's battery, and one gun of Major Scholfield's were duly planted. The 17th regiment took the centre, the 20th the right, and the 11th Mo. the left. Silence, solemn and deep for a few minutes, and then the ball opened by two rounds from Tay- lor's guns. The enemy replied. In a few moments our forces
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advanced, and the conflict became general. The advance force of the enemy under Col. Lowe, 800 picked men, was brought, by the skillful disposition of our forces, between the cross fire of the two wings, and the slaughter was terrible. Our cannon spoke twice to the enemy's once. The officers and men of the 20th all fought bravely in this their first conflict. Cols. Marsh and Er- win were both in the thickest of the fight, and the bullets flew thick around them, but they escaped unhurt. A cannon ball passed under the horse of Col. Marsh, and struck off the shoe of the horse of his adjutant. The fight continued for about three hours, and resulted in the discomfiture and retreat of Jeff. and his entire force, leaving over three hundred dead on the field, and many prisoners. Jeff. did not go to look after Carlin's force, al- though they were not far off, but hastened as fast as possible in another direction. Only about 1200 of our forces were actively engaged in the fight. That of the enemy is supposed to have been considerably larger.
A sad sight was this, the first battle field which had been seen by any of the 20th, save Lt. Col. Erwin, who had been in the Mexican war. The mangled corpses excited the pity of our men, although most of them were enemies of the Union. Old men and beardless boys, lay side by side, dead and dying. Col. Lowe who had been a terror to all Union men in the region, was killed.
Our forces chased Thompson four miles, capturing many. The entire loss in the 20th regiment, was three wounded. Two guns were captured from the enemy, one of which was brought in by Co. B., led on by its brave captain, Bartleson, Chaplain Button was highly commended for his kind offices to the wounded and dy- ing on the field, although while the fight was in progress, it was hard work for him to maintain his official character as a non-com- batant. When Co. B. was hauling up the captured cannon, he swung his hat and cried out, " give it to them boys, the Lord is on our side."
That we have not over stated the action of the 20th in this, its first encounter with the foes of the Union cause, which, alas ! had not hitherto had many successes, will be seen by the following ad- dressed to Col. Marsh by the commanding general :
HD. QRS., 2ND DIST. S. E. Mo., Oct. 31st, 1861.
COL .:- I am instructed by Gen. Grant, to extend to you and your com- mand his cordial welcome on your return from the field of battle, and of
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your victory. The reports that have reached him from Fredericktown, have filled him with the highest admiration for the valor and patriotism dis- played by you and your command, in that engagement. Amid the gloom that filled the country in the commencement of the reverses of our army at Leesburg, Fredericktown arose and threw athwart the cloud its bow of promise. It was your privilegeto be among the foremost of that gallant band who raised our drooping banner, and emblazoned it with victory. The im- portance of your success cannot be measured by an ordinary standard. It gave new life to tens of thousands of our discouraged soldiers. It has crushed out the rebellion in S. E. Missouri. It has restored the prestige of victory to our flag. And, not the least source of your general's gratification is the fact that you have brought back your entire command.
Very Respectfully,
WM. S. HILLYER, Captain and Aid-de-Camp.
COL. C. C. MARSH.
The officers and men of the 20th regiment felt at the time that the correspondents of the Chicago papers did them great injustice. They scarcely made mention of the part of the 20th in this engage- ment. One account was written as if the regiments from Pilot Knob did the fighting, while they really had no part in it. The battle was fouglit mainly by the 20th and 17th Ill., and 11th Mo., and the 20th was the only regiment that got a sight of Jeff. Thompson, and had to be stopped in their pursuit.
Col. Plummer, who commanded the forces engaged, compli- mented the 20th for its bravery, and tied the blue ribbon upon its flag, which was riddled with bullets. The boys after they deliv- ered their fire, had a trick of throwing themselves upon their .backs and then loading, and jumping up again and delivering their fire, and to this it was no doubt owing that they escaped with so few casualties. Our troops were so indignant at the people of Freder- icktown for their deception, that they were with difficulty re- strained from burning the town.
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