USA > Illinois > DeKalb County > History of DeKalb County, Illinois > Part 17
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Now commenced our disastrous retreat through White Oak Swamp. Wagon trains, ambulances, artillery, infantry, and cavalry, crowded every road and path through field and forest. All day and through the night the teamsters struggled and worked to get their loads through the mud, and over the one rickety bridge, while the wounded hobbled along,-a terrible procession. On this afternoon occurred the battle at Savage Station by our forces, under General Sumner, who covered our rear. Dense clouds of smoke and terrific explosions in- dicated the destruction of our stores at that point.
Next day our regiment was ordered by General Keys to conduct a train of seventy ambulances and many hundreds of
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wagons, loaded with wounded, to James River. They were loaded to their utmost capacity, while hundreds of sick and wounded hobbled along beside them, begging and beseeching to be permitted to ride. All through that dreadful night we moved on; harrassed by squads of rebel cavalry on our flanks, disputing our advance; forbidden to light even a lantern, lest we make a mark for the enemy; lighted on our road only by flashes of lightning, whose peals of thunder, mingled with the roar of the rebel artillery in our rear, added intensity to its horrors; often forced to dismount and pull the exhausted and wounded from under our horses' hoofs, where they had sunk upon the road, too much exhausted to crawl out from beneath the wheels of the train. The horrors of that dreadful night will never be known till those swamps give up their dead who sank that night to rise no morc.
About three o'clock next morning we reached the James River, near Haxall's Landing. The teams were driven into some wheat fields, and the tired drivers sank down for a brief repose.
Soon after General McClellan arrived, and went on board the gunboat Galena. Mrs. Fogg, an agent of the Sanitary Commission, who had occupied with Mrs. General Richardson one of our ambulances, and embarrassed us by their shrieks of terror on the march, now proceeded to use up the delicacies of the commission in a nice breakfast for themselves and some of the officers, while the wounded, fed on hard-tack and coffee, looked hungrily on.
A severe cannonading, heard in our rear on this day, we afterwards learned was caused by a contest with the enemy, known as the battle of Glendale, or Frazer's farm, and said to be the severest fight since Gaines' mill. The enemy was repulsed, but our retreat was still continued.
The commander of the gunboats concluding from the steep- ness of the banks of the river at this point that he could not protect us with his guns, we now moved down eight miles to Harrison's bar, through a country full of waving wheat fields,
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and rich in fruit and other resources. We occupied the Har- rison mansion for our hospital, and soon had two hundred of the wounded within, and the fields around strewn with thous- ands, tortured as much with hunger as with wounds. We soon found a half-dozen beef cattle, slaughtered them, hunted up kettles, made soup, and distributed it with hard-tack to the famishing men. Soon two steamboats from the White House arrived, with fifteen surgeons and six cooks, and the wounded were transferred to the hospital boats. During this day the roar of the battle of Malvern Hill was heard at our landing, and the wounded still came pouring in upon us, all day and the night following. The rain fell in torrents, making mud unfathomable, but relieving the distresses of the thirsty men.
Up to July 4th our camp was in the utmost confusion, but the wounded having been mostly sent off, some order was res- tored, our camp was fortified, and we had time to take a long breath.
The camp having become more systematized, the regiment was moved out about four miles, and kept busy in picketing and arranging the lines, while a number of our men were em- ployed as orderlies, carrying dispatches both by day and by night. In collisions with rebel scouts about this time several were wounded. General Farnsworth, suffering severely from a discased leg, received leave of absence on the 8th of July, and Major Clendenin took command. Some dissatisfaction had occurred between members and officers of the regiment, and several officers resigned, among them Adjutant Gifford, Captain Dana, Chaplain Matlack, and Captain Cleveland, whose loss was deeply regretted by most, if not all, of the regiment. A great many fell sick with dysentery and kindred diseases.
On the 20th a large detachment of the regiment, under Majors Beveridge and Clendenin, proceeded toward Malvern Hill, driving the rebel pickets and drawing their artillery fire. Sylvanus Brott had his horse killed under him, and was wounded by a fragment of shell.
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On the 22d another reconnoisance of the rebels' position on Malvern Hill was made by two detachments under Major Beveridge and Captain Waite, in which four of our men were wounded. On the next day Clendenin drew the enemy into an ambush, and, getting a cross-fire on them, emptied many of their saddles, and sent them flying in retreat, when a large force of rebel cavalry approaching, our regiment returned to camp.
On August 2d we reported to General Hooker, and moved out with a large force to repel an expected attack of the enemy ; but the expected foe did not approach. Next day Companies H and K penetrated far into the enemy's lines in the neigh- borhood of Malvern Hill, and some of our men, disguised, entered houses, and from their inmates gained important in- formation about the position of the rebels' pickets.
On the 5th a large force under Hooker, Sedgwick, Kearney and Couch, captured Malvern IIill, the rebels escaping by a road unknown to our forces. When their eseape was discov- ered, our regiment charged on their rear. The rebel cavalry broke and fled, but the infantry poured on us a severe volley, killing Sergeant Moss, of Company L, Duggan, of Company C, and severely wounding Lieutenant Colonel Gamble and four of our men. We captured seventy-five prisoners.
A detachment of our forces under Captain Forsythe had a sharp encounter with rebels about this time, and soon after Sergeant John A. Kinley, Ira Kennicott and Ira Pettys pen- etrated the rebel lines to reconnoiter. They were detected while climbing trees to get a good look-out, and the rebels advanced in line of battle, supposing there was a large force. They escaped barefooted, and without their coats and arms, after obtaining valuable information, but were very closely pursued.
Soon after our capture of Malvern Hill our army retreated from Harrison's Landing to Yorktown, the 8th bringing up the rear. The boys had been terribly irritated by Mcclellan's policy of protecting rebel property, especially by being forced
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to protect the property of one Bill Carter, living in that vi cinity, who had two sons fighting us in the rebel army, while his 1200 bushels of corn and fat horses were protected, and our horses were sometimes starving. When we left, by some mysterious stratagem, thrce of Carter's horses went with us, and did excellent service for us for a year after.
The army crossed the Chickahominy near its mouth, the 8th Illinois being the last regiment to cross, then passed gloomily through Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown,- the ground we had gained at such a fearful cost,-and on the 30th of August took shipping for Alexandria, where we ar- rived on the 1st and 2d of September.
The rebels' main army was now advancing rapidly on Washington, hoping to overpower our forces under General Pope, and capture our National Capital. The second disas- trous battle of Bull Run, and the subsequent one at Chantilly, were fought while we were in transit to Alexandria.
All was dismay. Treachery among our Generals, and tri- umph on the part of the rebels, seemed to be leading us to immediate ruin.
General Farnsworth joined us at Alexandria, with several new recruits, and we were at once ordered to Munson's Hill, where we performed duty as videttes and scouts. On the 2d and 3d we skirmished with the rebel advance, and had some men wounded. On the night of the 4th, as we were lying down on the ground, we received orders to march; passed across the Potomac, through Washington and Tenallytown on the north, and, marching all night, reached Darnestown, Maryland, at 10 o'clock A. M. But we were at once ordered out on a scout, although we had marched forty-six miles with- out food for ourselves or horses.
The rebels had gone up the Potomac, and were making dashes into Maryland, and it was our duty to repel them. The 3d Indiana Cavalry,-a splendid regiment, admirably mounted, each man furnishing and owning his horse,-here became associated with us, and during a long subsequent campaign became to us like brothers. 29
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HISTORY OF DE KALB COUNTY.
On the 7th a detachment of our regiment under Captain Farnsworth,-the model of the daring cavalry officer,-dashed into Poolesville, and captured two rebels with their accoutre- ments.
Major Dustin, who had been absent at home, and while there had been chosen Colonel of the 105th Infantry, now returned to take leave of his regiment. Colonel Farnsworth was put in command of the Cavalry Brigade, and Major Medill assumed the command of our regiment.
On the next day our brigade moved into Poolesville, after a severe fight, in which the enemy were driven from the field, leaving eight dead and twenty wounded.
On the 9th we moved toward Barnesville in detachments. One, under Captain Farnsworth, dashed upon the 9th Virginia Cavalry, drove them, and charging furiously upon them in their retreat, killed some of their horses, whose falling bodies, undistinguishable amid the clouds of dust, brought pursuers and pursued together in heaps upon the road. We captured eight prisoners and the rebel colors. On another road an- other detachment under Captain Kelley drove the rebels two miles beyond Barnesville, capturing thirteen prisoners. On this charge it is related that Corporal George M. Roe, of Company B, mounted on a splendid horse, well known in : Shabbona, in this County, as "Lamkin's Billy," and sold for incurable viciousness, dashed uncontrollable beyond a party of rebels, and when he finally was stopped, and the four gray- backs approached, with revolver in hand Roe demanded their surrender. One moved to get out his pistol, and Roe shot him; then, covering the others with his revolver, he held them in the road till Captain Kelly's company coming up, they were all taken prisoners. Captain Kelly had a personal en- counter with a rebel Lieutenant Williams, and gave him a mortal wound.
Our regiment halted at Barnesville, when the rebs again advanced upon our men, who were drawn up to receive them. Our artillery in the rear scattered them. One shot took off
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the nose of the horse on which Solomon Jewell, of our regi ment, was seated.
On the 12th we marched in a severe storm to Frederick City, meeting General Banks' Corps on the way, and encamped in sight of rebel camp-fires on the neighboring hills.
Moving forward again next day, we found the pass in the mountains defended by the enemy's artillery, and an encounter with our artillery and infantry lasted till noon, but ended in the rout of the foe, when our cavalry dashed forward in pur- suit. We dashed on to Middletown, where the rebs burned a bridge to impede our pursuit, and where the people received us joyfully, supplying us with refreshments. We forded the river, and again came up with them near South Mountain. A detachment under Major Medill went out on the Harper's Ferry road, and had a fight with a very superior force, in which we lost eight men wounded, and the 3d Indiana lost many more. F. B. Wakefield, of Company G, was captured by a party of rebels, who subsequently attempted to kill him by sabre cuts on his head. They left him for dead, but he subsequently returned to our lines and recovered; but in his subsequent career he amply avenged this brutal treatment.
On the 14th occurred the memorable battle of South Moun- tain, fought among mountain fastnesses, where cavalry could not be used. Posted in the rear, we watched the varying issues of the conflict with eager interest; and when at dusk Hooker's Corps gained the crest of the mountain, and put the foe to flight, we shouted with glad joy. Next day the enemy retreated, and we followed in pursuit, passing where every house, barn and shed was filled with neglected wounded men.
At Boonsboro a cavalry brigade under Fitz Hugh Lee made a stand. Colonel Farnsworth ordered a charge, and so impetuous was it that the enemy broke and fled. Several times they attempted to rally and form a new line, but our pursuit was too sharp. For two or three miles we kept up a hand-to-hand fight, in which great gallantry was displayed by both sides, and we finally scattered them among fields and woods, where they could not be followed.
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Pages might be filled with incidents of thrilling interest and daring displayed on this charge. One member of Com- pany B shot down a rebel who had his sabre uplifted in the act of striking down Colonel Farnsworth, while the Colonel was chasing another rebel, whom he shot from his horse. Fitz Hugh Lee was unhorsed, and escaped in a cornfield. We had twenty-four killed and wounded: among the latter was Cap- tain Kelly.
At another point on this day four men of the 8th Illinois- Brown, Morris and Maccham, under command of Sergeant W. A. Spencer-captured a rebel picket post of fourteen men, beside taking several other straggling rebels, all fully armed and equipped. The whole number captured that day by this detachment of the 8th Illinois alone was about five hundred. The history of the war furnishes no instance of a more bril- liant or more successful cavalry charge, nor of one that re- flected more honor upon this branch of our service.
On the 17th, our immense army having come up, the battle of Antietam commenced. We were ordered across the stone bridge over Antietam creek, to support Robinson's battery, which we crossed under a terrible fire, and were sheltered somewhat in a shallow ravine, over which the balls of both armies were flying. The armies swayed to and fro over a field which was repeatedly won and lost, and which was soon thickly strewn with the dead and dying. At the lower bridge, where Burnside was engaged, the slaughter was still more fearful. Night closed in, and we thought our army had won the battle.
Next morning, to our astonishment, no orders came for a renewal of the fight. In the afternoon our surgeons attempted to relieve the distresses of the wounded in a lane near by-to moisten their lips with a little water-but the rebels fired on them, and forced them to retire. As they left the field the wounded set up such a terrible wail of despair that the recol- lection of it has ever since haunted those of us who heard it. When they next visited the ground not one was found alive.
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From this lane, eighty rods in length, nearly one thousand dead bodies were buried.
On the 19th we received orders to advance, but the enemy had escaped across the Potomac, with all their stores.
On the 20th we crossed the Potomac at Shepardstown, but while fording the stream received orders to return, for the enemy soon approached, and a heavy artillery fire was kept up across the river.
We now lay quiet several days,-a much-needed rest.
On the 25th, under command of Colonel Farnsworth, we made a reconnoisance across the river, driving the rebels from Shepardstown, and capturing several prisoners of rank; and on the 29th we participated in another reconnoisance in force, under command of General Pleasanton.
On the 30th a squadron under Captain Waite made a dashı into Shepardstown, and had a lively skirmish. Soon after we dashed into Martinsburg, after driving the rebs with our cavalry and artillery for several miles, and capturing a num- ber of prisoners.
We were now far into the enemy's country, had gained valuable information, and soon learned from a Union man that the rebel commander was moving his army with the view of capturing our whole force.
The 8th Illinois, under Major Medill, acted as rear guard on our return; and as we left the town the streets were com- pletely filled with rebel cavalry, who poured in after us. Our artillery held them in check, but they advanced on each side of the road and in our rear. Our men, now thoroughly dis- ciplined by long service, behaved splendidly, and were highly praised, both by our superior officers and by the rebels. Some of our men were captured and paroled by the rebels. The rebel General J. E. B. Stuart told them that he knew that he was fighting the 8th Illinois, by the vigor and courage with which they resisted his charges; that he knew no good reason why he had not captured them; that they called the 8th Illinois the best, and the 3d Indiana the next best, cavalry
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regiments in the federal army. One rebel officer sent his compliments to Captain Clark, saying that he liked his style, but that saucy little cuss with him (Captain Waite) was a very devil.
After a long and perilous retreat night came on, and our little band of 800 men escaped in the darkness. Official re -. ports showed the enemy's loss to be one hundred and fifty men. Our regiment lost twelve wounded and four captured.
On the 3d of October occurred one of Mcclellan's grand reviews, President Lincoln being present.
On the 11th we were ordered in pursuit of Stuart's cavalry, who had started on a raid around the rear of our army. General Pleasanton accompanied us, and Captain Clark was in command of that portion of our regiment that was in con- dition to move. We passed through Hagarstown to Williams- port, then back to Hagarstown, then along the base of the Blue Ridge, then over it, and down into the valley of Mono- cacy to Mechanicsville. On we rode at a brisk pace all night, passing through Frederick City, to the mouth of Monocacy river, where, at nine o'clock, we found the rear guard of the confederates. They had captured at Chambersbury a large amount of our army clothing, and immediately exchanged it for their rags, thus deceiving our men. Captain Forsythe, with a few men, overtook a company of them, and on demand- ing who they were, was answered by a shower of bullets. There was a lively skirmish, and some of them were captured. But Stuart, with his main force, had escaped across the Poto- mac, with several hundred stolen horses.
We lay down in a field of grain, utterly exhausted, having ridden eighty-six miles in twenty-six hours, which was, per- haps, the best marching made by any command during the war; but we were depressed by our want of success. The mistake was in sending us after the great raider, instead of trying to intercept him. We marched back to our camp, and next day, without a day of rest, we were moved to Knoxville.
On the 17th Major Beveridge arrived, and relieved Major
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Medill, who had been in command during the whole Maryland campaign.
On the 27th, after a delay of a month since the great battle of Antietam, the army crossed into Virginia, and we, in ad- vance, drove the rebels into Purcellville, capturing three. This section of country was thoroughly foraged during our stay, and those secessionists who supposed we came there to protect their pigs and poultry were thoroughly undeceived.
By November 1st most of our infantry had arrived, and, as van-guard of a mighty army, we moved along the castern base of the Blue Ridge.
Next day we had a severe artillery and cavalry fight for several hours, near Uniontown. Samuel McGowell, of Com- pany A, was killed by a cannon ball, but so well trained were the horses that his riderless horse did not move out of rank, but continued to move with his squadron.
We next day moved forward, skirmishing sharply all day, to Ashby's Gap, where the rebels thought themselves secure, and on November 5th had a severe engagement near Barber's Cross Roads. Companies B and E made a brave assault on the rebel batteries, but they were defended by barricades of rails, and, not being supported by sufficient force, they with- drew. Desperate fighting,-charge and counter-charge,- followed, but the rebels finally fled, leaving many wounded and prisoners in our hands. William Mace and John Brown, of our regiment, were killed, and Josiah Richardson, Charles Plant, George S. Sager, B. F. Homer, E. H. Burdick, Mar- tin Fancher, James McConnell, and Harrison Hoker, most of them De Kalb County men, were wounded.
The army moved on next day, leaving the wounded, some thirty in all, in a hospital building at Markham Station, under charge of S. K. Crawford, Assistant Surgeon. The subse- quent adventures of these wounded are sadly exciting. Some days after this fight they were captured and paroled by two companies of Virginia cavalry, who robbed them of their clothing, money, and the barest necessaries of life, stripping
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them of their clothes, blankets, etc., with a cruel violence that drew from them shrieks of anguish. They carried off all of their provisions, leaving only five pounds of hard bread, and forbid the use of any fire wood to supply warmth to their naked and chilled limbs. Destitute of food, of clothing, helpless with wounds, and momentarily expecting death. what situation could be more deplorable ?
On the night of the second day after this raid of the brutal rebels, an old black woman appeared, loaded with provisions contributed by the negroes around the place for their relief ; and they were supported solely by contributions from the same generous source till the 16th, when they received per- mission from Stonewall Jackson to remove within our lines. They procured a broken-down hand-car, fitted it with an ex- tended platform, so that by close packing all could sit or lie upon it, and started for Siegel's headquarters at Gainesville, forty miles distant, Dr. Crawford drawing the car with a rope, while his attendants aided by pushing.
The road and bridges were in a terrible condition, and as they travelled in the night, they were in constant alarm lest their precious load should be precipitated into the abysses beneath them. After thirty hours' toil, they procured a little hard bread and coffee,-the first food taken since leaving Markham's Station,-and on the evening of the second day arrived at their destination, from whence a special train con- veyed them to Alexandria.
To return to our regiment. On the day after the fight at Barber's Cross Roads we moved toward Chester Gap, in hopes of preventing the escape of the rebel army through that pass. But we were too late, and returned to Orleans.
On the 7th we crossed the Rappahannock, and Major Bev- eridge, with a detachment of the 8th, had a sharp skirmish at Sperryville. Companies A and G, in another direction, cap- tured ten prisoners, the snow at this time falling so rapidly that the rebels did not discover our boys till too late to escape. On the 8th our regiment dashed into Little Washington,
BREVET BRIG. GEN! CHAS. WAITE OF SYCAMORE
(Tueago Lithographing Co. Chicago.
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fter a sharp skirmish, nearly capturing Wade Hamptonf or, whom, with his officers, a bountiful dinner had just been pre pared by the citizens. Colonel Farnsworth, with our officers, sat down, and with a hearty relish devoured the luxurious dinner prepared for his adversary. The fighting on this day was most gallantly conducted, and won for our regiment high commendation.
At Annissville we found a thousand rebel tents stored in buildings, and marked "Small Pox." Our boys, seeing through this dodge, took what they wanted, and burned the remainder, assuring the protesting citizens that it was abso- lutely necessary to prevent the spread of the disease.
General McClellan was now removed from command of the army, and Burnside was appointed in his place.
November 22d we reached the Rappahannock, opposite Fredericksburg, which place we had hoped to occupy beforc the enemy; but we found the rebels in possession of the city. Our regiment encamped at Belle Plain, the new base of sup- plies for the army.
On the 9th of December Colonel Farnsworth was made a Brigadier General, which made occasion for many promotions in the regiment. Surgeon Hard was also made Surgeon-in- Chief of the Cavalry Brigade, on the staff of General Pleas- anton.
On the 11th Fredericksburg was bombarded, and at night some of our troops crossed on pontoons into the city. Major Beveridge, in command of a portion of our regiment, crossed the pontoons next day under a heavy fire, and on the 13thı the terrible struggle at Fredericksburg really commenced. With what interest we watched it cannot be described. Cav- alry could take no part in such an assault on fortifications; but one-third of our regiment was under fire during most of the three days' fight. Our army was defeated, and retired across the river with fearful loss.
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