USA > Illinois > Whiteside County > History of companies I and E, Sixth Regt., Illinois Volunteer Infantry from Whiteside County > Part 9
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Upon the first inspection of arms. company E was found to be in the possession of ten rifles in excess of the number with which they arrived in camp. No one ap- peared to know where the extra guns came from, but for years it had been customary for the individual mem- bers of this company to see to it that supplies of every description were plenty and so far they were successful; but there was a time coming when they. with all of their ingenuity in foraging would be sadly in need of the necessi-
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HISTORY OF COMPANIES I AND E.
ties of life and they would be powerless to aid themselves.
Under the first call of the President of the United States for volunteer troops from the various states, the regiments from Illinois were mustered into the United States service in the following order :
( I ) Fifth Infantry. Ill. N. G., May 7th, 1898.
(2) Third Infantry. Ill. N. G .. May 7th, 1898. ( 10:30 p. m. )
(3) Sixth Infantry. Ill. N. G., May 11th. 1898.
(4) Battery A, Ill. N. G .. May 12th, 1898.
(5) First Infantry, Ill. N. G., May 13th. 1898.
(6) Second Infantry, Ill. N. G., May 16th. 1898.
(7) Seventh Infantry, Ill. N. G., May 18th. 1898.
(8) Fourth Infantry. Ill. N. G .. May 20th. 1898.
(9) First Cavalry. Ill. N. G .. May 21st. 1898.
The commissions of the officers were made to cor- respond with these dates, except in the case of the Third Infantry, where the commissions of the field and staff were dated May 8th, for the reason that these officers were mustered in after the business hours of the 7th and near the first hours of the 8th. and to prevent any future dispute as to the seniority of the commanding officer, or the priority of muster in.
The first order to move an Illinois regiment was re- ceived on May 13th, Colonel Culver, commanding the Fifth Infantry received orders direct from the War De- partment, to proceed at once, with his regiment to Camp George H. Thomas, Chickamauga National Park, Geor- gia. An hour later, Colonel Fred Bennitt, commanding the Third Infantry, received telegraphic instructions from Washington to proceed to Camp Thomas.
Both regiments immediately broke camp and made hurried preparations to leave Camp Tanner. Joy was
ILL
LIEUT, COL. EDWARD KITTILSEN, Sixth Infantry,
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ORDERED TO WASHINGTON.
depicted on the countenances of the men of these two regiments as they hustled about. The Fifth boarded the cars the morning of the fourteenth. The Third following it a few hours later.
Monday May 16th, Colonel Foster received orders to prepare his regiment for its immediate departure for Camp Russell A. Alger, near Falls Church, Va. Cheer after cheer rent the air as the joyful news passed from mouth to mouth. We had heard so many conflicting rumors about our destination that it was quite a relief to at last receive definite and final instructions.
Arrangements for transportation over the Wabash railway were made as soon as possible. but it was the afternoon of the day following that we broke camp.
The closing hours at Camp Tanner were busy ones for the officers and men alike; writing letters home occupied the fleeting moments of many of them for a time. Then there was the packing up and discarding of numerous articles that had accumulated in our brief but interesting stay at Camp Tanner. Clothing was hurried to us and by noon Tuesday the men were fairly well equipped ex- cepting arms. These were issued to us after breaking camp and just previous to boarding the cars.
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HISTORY OF COMPANIES I AND E.
CHAPTER VIII.
We boarded the cars at 4:30 p. m., Tuesday. May 17th. We were very pleasantly surprised to note that the cars arranged for were all Wagner sleepers. By accident one of the cars assigned to Co. I was the "Maine." The boys in this car as a rule were very proud of it, and it attracted a great deal of attention along the route and a great many comments were made in re- gard to it. a few of the superstitious ones telling us we would never reach our destination in this car, but we ar- rived safely nevertheless.
A porter had been sent out with each car. Toilet articles were furnished, and at about 8:30 in the evening the porter arranged the berths,-two men in the lower and one in the upper. This was giving us advantages of which we had never dreamed. and you may be sure the boys were not long in turning in. The sight of snow- white bedding, feather pillows and spring mattresses caused us to think of home, and its comforts.
A train had been made up for each battalion, making three sections of thirteen or fourteen coaches each, the Ist battalion, Companies E. I. A and F. including regi- mental officers car, being on the Ist section. It was II :45 p. m. before we steamed away from our old camp and nearly every one was asleep.
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SCENES ALONG THE ROUTE.
The boys were astir quite early the following morn- ing. as all had settled their minds on missing nothing of interest while enroute. We found we had crossed the border line and entered Indiana about four o'clock a. m. We were taking a north-easterly course. passing through LaFayette. Logansport. Peru and Ft. Wayne.
Over three weeks of camp life had placed us behind. When we entered Springfield very little had been accom- plished in the way of getting in crops. On getting out on our trip we found all had changed: small grain of all kinds had a good start in several places, everything was green. all around was beautiful and very pleasant.
We were surprised to see so many log cabins and worm fences. A great many of the buildings were new. The primitive style of building yet clings to these people. As a rule the section of Indiana through which we passed was very poor and stony. The cities were excellent. but the country surrounding them looked very desolate. At Peru we found oil wells in operation and the towers could be seen as far as the eye could reach. Entering Ohio at 12:15 p. m. we found the same condition prevailing here as in Indiana. Arrived at Defiance Junction at two o'clock : this is a town with a population of about 10,000. They had turned out in large numbers to greet us. We were told it was the largest crowd congregated in the town for some time. Veterans of the civil war were nu- merous. a number of them having been members of Illi- nois regiments. We were treated very kindly.
Taking the Baltimore and Ohio railway here we passed in a south-eastern direction through Fostoria. New- ark and Cambridge. At Bellaire, just before crossing the Ohio river. our train was divided into two sections to pre: pare for erossing the mountains.
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HISTORY OF COMPANIES I AND E.
The commissioned officers of each company had been requested to remain with the Colonel and his staff in the rear coach. Not having been notified of the dividing of our train, this left the first section. comprised of Co's E and I without an officer. This occurred about one o'clock in the morning. Col. Foster placed Capt. Colebaugh in charge of the first section. This was very easy to do but not so easy for the captain to reach his post of duty as we were some miles ahead of them and going right along. Our train was telegraphed to wait, and after a fifty mile run was caught near Bellton, West Virginia, Capt. Cole- baugh taking a half mile sprint between trains.
He had been instructed to keep the boys in their cars and no one was allowed off the train when stops were made. This had been the order from the starting point. and the boys began to feel the effects of being cooped up in such close quarters. But it proved Col. Foster thoroughly understood what to do under the circum- stances, as the section following us, bearing the 3rd bat- talion, allowed their men to get out at Alexandria, Va., and the consequence was one hundred and fifty of them could not be found when the train pulled out and they were left behind. They were fortunate in the fact of an- other section following them. which they boarded; only for this they would have been placed in an unenviable position as no one seemed to know whether they missed the train by accident or design.
We were soon among the mountains of West Vir- ginia, and to those of us who had seen nothing but a few hills in our native State it was grand. The road-bed be- ing about half way up the mountain side and in most pla- ces having been blasted from solid rock, below us we could see tiny villages and small streams. Railroads
MAJOR FRANK ANTHONY, Surgeon Sixth Inf.
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SCENES ALONG THE ROUTE.
were also in these valleys: they with their engines and trains appeared to us as toys.
Looking up on the opposite side in some places the mountain side was nearly perpendicular with great over- hanging rocks which looked as though they were ready to topple upon us at any moment. Small streams came dashing down. the water being as clear as crystal. We crossed innumerable streams. all rushing along at a ter- rific pace. We passed through a number of tunnels, the longest one being about one and one-half miles in length. It was so dark it was thick. and the smoke crept in around doors and windows until it became stifling.
Once in a great while we would see small farms on the mountain side with men at work on them. We won- dered a great deal how they could do anything on those side hills until we learned they were all built right or left- sided according to the side of the mountain on which they were born and raised. A man living on the left side could not work on the other side, and vice versa; one leg being considerably shorter than the other and built accordingly. They have what is called side hill pants with one short leg. We had often heard of them but never knew to what usage they were put until ex- plained to us by a friendly train man.
Apparently these people knew nothing of our com- ing, as we went spinning along we would see a man or woman at work near the house who would look up and catch a glimpse of a flag and the brass buttons, then they would run into the house and out would come a whole village, who would stare at us until we were out of sight.
Negroes were becoming more numerous, some vil- lages being composed entirely of them, A great many
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HISTORY OF COMPANIES I AND E.
of the old time farm houses still stand. They are low and rambling, with verandas nearly surrounding them. They are very picturesque.
We were held some time at Grafton to allow the second section to come up. We had the car of provisions but the Quartermaster was on the rear train and we could get nothing to eat until he arrived. We were de- layed some time here. The second section passed us in order to have Col. Foster ahead to make necessary ar- rangements when we arrived at our destination.
Soon after leaving Grafton we crossed into Mary- land, going almost directly east to Cumberland. About twenty miles above Cumberland we struck the Potomac river, following along its banks to Harper's Ferry. Be- tween Cumberland and Harper's Ferry we skirted an- other range of mountains.
On this division we took a twenty mile ride down a very steep grade; brakes were all set and yet we went down with a rush and roar around curves and over bridges. At one moment the coaches appeared to be al- most over, the next they would go back with a lurch and on over to the other side. We arrived at Harper's Ferry at 10:00 a. m., Thursday, May 19th.
We were given only ten minutes here, and then must stay on our cars, so it was impossible to learn much in regard to this old historic place. One of the most beautiful scenes on the whole trip was here. To the east, and just in front of our engine as we stopped, was a great bare cliff, the largest one seen; about its center was a black hole, the mouth of the tunnel through which the B. & O. railway runs direct to Washington. On either side of us as we stood on the bridge which crosses the Potomac. could be seen prominent cliffs on which
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ARRIVAL AT CAMP ALGER.
were perched summer hotels and resorts of all sorts.
We were switched on to a branch of the B. & O. at Harper's Ferry and taken southwest along the foot of the Blue Ridge mountains to Strasburg. Va .. a distance of fifty-three miles. In this section of Virginia the lay of the land made us think of home. The soil is of a thick red clay and we were informed produced excellent crops.
Leaving Strasburg about four o'clock in the after- noon on the Southern railway we crossed the Blue Ridge mountains, going nearly east to Manassas. As we were entering this place we saw a large monument near the railway which the trainmen said marked the spot where soldiers who were slain in the battle of Bull Run were buried. The location of the battle-field proper lies about three miles to the north of Manassas. We took a north-easterly course from here to Alexandria. on the Potomac, about ten miles southwest of Washington. Here our train which had been divided at the Ohio river, was once more coupled together and we were pulled out to Dunn Loring, which lies almost directly west of the Capitol about twelve miles. thus taking a two hundred mile ride to cover a distance of fifty miles. We afterward learned that this side trip was caused by the size of the Wagner sleepers. they were too large to pass through the great tunnel at Harpers Ferry.
We arrived at Dunn Loring about nine thirty. p. m .. May nineteenth, and lay in the cars all night, disem- barked in the morning and remained there until two o'clock in the afternoon awaiting the arrival of the re- mainder of the regiment. Captain Lawrie visited Camp Alger in the morning. for the purpose of selecting a location for our regiment to establish a permanent camping ground.
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HISTORY OF COMPANIES I AND E.
The delayed sections of our train bearing the second and third battalions arrived shortly after noon and we formed and marched out to camp, a distance of about three miles; it was very hot and the roads were dusty. A number of the boys fell out along the line of march, and some of them were taken to the hospital where they remained several days.
We immediately set to work getting our camp out- fits together and putting up tents and had bareley com- pleted the task when it began to rain.
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MAJOR WM. T CHANNON, Sixth Infantry.
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CAMP ALGER.
CHAPTER IN.
Camp Russell A. Alger was located eight miles south and west of Washington. D. C. The camp grounds contained about six hundred acres. and bordered on a large tract of timber land. A small stream coursed through the edge of the woods and was practically the boundary line of the camp grounds. Many stirring in- cidents occurred in and about this neighborhood during the civil war. and the old residents entertained us by re- lating tales of those eventful days.
When we arrived in camp we found little or no preparations had been made to receive us. although sev- eral days had elapsed since the War Department had or- dered the regiment to this camp. Very little if any complaints were made by the men. yet it did appear to us that the National government was less energetic in the matter of taking proper care of its troops than was the state of Illinois.
We were not long in determining that the evil lay not so much with any one person in particular. but was caused by the red tape process which we met with. This obstacle. or at least it appeared as such to the vol- unteers. confronted ns at every turn throughout our ser- vice. It was undoubtedly a necessity and will always remain so in the handling of large bodies of troops. but
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HISTORY OF COMPANIES I AND E.
it caused no end of inconveniences for us and we were slow to become accustomed to its tedious methods.
Our rations were short and the water was bad and of poor quality. These conditions existed but a short time and when the work of supplying the troops had followed its channel and terminated with us we imme- diately felt its effects and were well fed from that time on.
General E. B. Williston was in command of the camp for a short time but was succeeded on May 24th by Major General William M. Graham. The troops at Camp Alger were designated as the Second Army Corps.
The Sixth Massachusetts, Eighth Ohio and Sixth Illinois infantry regiments formed the Second Brigade. The First District of Columbia Infantry broke camp and marched out the day of our arrival: they had been or- dered to Camp Thomas. Troops were arriving almost hourly and soon numbered ten thousand. Among them were the Sixth. Eighth, Twelfth and Thirteenth Penn- sylvania; the Seventh. Eighth and Seventeenth regi- ments and one battalion of colored troops from Ohio: the First New Jersey: Sixty-Fifth New York: Sixth Massachusetts and Sixth Illinois Infantry. Later an in- fantry regiment from Missouri, and one from Kansas came in, with a squadron of Cavalry from New York and then the Seventh Illinois. By the time these troops had all pitched their tents Camp Alger presented a lively scene: a city of tents had risen as if from the earth, stretching away to the left until lost in the distant woods which at intervals broke into the camp grounds.
A great many of the troops were without uniforms and few had received arms. The New Jersey regiment was equipped throughout by the State: the Sixty-Fifth
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FIRST DEATH IN THE SIXTIL.
New York made a decidedly strange appearance as every man wore sergeant's stripes on his trousers, and they were jokingly referred to as the regiment of sergeants. One company in this regiment was composed of and of- ficered entirely by negroes, and it was admitted by the other men of the regiment that this company was by far the best drilled in the regiment.
Private Lonis Bloodsoe of company A from Rock Is- land died of an acute attack of typhoid fever during the night of our first day in camp. The next afternoon the last tribute was paid to the dead soldier. Chaplain I. N. Keefer. of the Eighth Ohio. in the absence of Chaplain Morgan, conducted the simple funeral service of the ar- my ritual.
Standing out in the company street. he led the boys as they sang "Nearer My God to Thee." then followed the reading of the XCI psalm: the bugle corps sounded "taps" and then the usual escort and the pall-bearers, chosen from among his comrades of company A. fol- lowed by the entire company. carried the body to Falls Church. from which place the remains were sent to his home for interment.
Such was the death and funeral rites of the first volunteer soldier of the Sixth Illinois who forfeited his life while serving the flag. In the few short weeks of his soldier life he had won no laurels for deeds of gallantry: no glorious achievements were his, vet he died an American soldier, serving his flag and his country. No higher tribute than this can be paid a citizen of this Republic living or dead. He had given his all. following the Stars and Stripes. in a cause of justice and humanity; giving his aid to bring to an un- happy people that of which they had had visions for
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HISTORY OF COMPANIES I AND E.
years but as yet had never realized, but he as an Amer- ican citizen knew its full value and loved better than life itself: that for which Old Glory has ever proudly waved in defence and stands as an unquestionable emblem. sweet liberty. One more name had been added to the already long roll of honor of dead American soldiers and sailors whose lives had been sacrificed on the alter of their country.
The day following we received the sad tidings of the death of Lieutenant Cole of Monmouth, Ass't Sur- geon of our regiment. He died of pneumonia at Hope Hospital, Ft. Wayne. Indiana. May twenty-second. His illness was contracted at Camp Tanner. He started for Camp Alger with the regiment, but his condition grew steadily worse and when Ft. Wayne was reached Colonel Foster ordered him removed to the hospital. He lingered along, hovering between life and death but a few days, then he too forfeited his life. He breathed his last serving the flag he loved. The sweet notes of the bugle call coming soft and low from an un- known world had "sounded "taps," and his life-light which had been burning so brightly was snuffed. and he was mustered out.
There was but little sickness as yet in the regiment Some few of the men were slightly indisposed having contracted hard colds while at Camp Tanner and aggra- vated by the long journey to Camp Alger. Rushing the men into an unprepared camp had not bettered their condition and three privates, one from compony M. one from company K and one from company L were sent to Fort Myer Hospital the second day in camp. This act- ion was considered necessary as their condition became alarming and Major Anthony felt unwilling to assume
MRS. ELECTA E. SMITH.
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AN ANGEL OF MERCY.
the responsibility of nursing these men back to health with the limited resources at hand at the time.
Among the first visitors at camp after the arrival of the Illinois troops was Mrs. Electa E. Smith of Wash- ington, formerly post-mistress of Sterling. From the first hour of her presence in camp she took a deep in- terest in our boys and more especially the boys of com- . pany E. It was she who found the soldiers lying in the hospital without cots or bedding of any description. She lost no time in calling the attention of the Illinois Sena- tors to the condition of affairs and urged them to bring their influence to bear on the War Department to pro- vide better accomodations for the Illinois boys.
Senator Cullom paid a visit to our quarters and in- spected the regimental hospital and hurried to Washing- ton. where he had an interview with the Secretary of War, who promised that everything possible would he done for the comfort of the men. Senators Cullom and Mason. and Representatives Hitt and Marsh were on the ground several times and labored to provide the Illinois troops with everything possible. The wives of these gentlemen were also frequent callers. and always came laden with articles and delicicies for the hos- pital patients.
Cots and mattresses were soon forthcoming and Major Anthony and his assistants secured a supply of drugs and medicines. The regimental hospital became thoroughly equipped for the time being, and the unfor- tunate soldiers who fell victims to disease were given the best of treatment.
Mrs. Smith gave the boys of company E a royal spread the first Sunday in camp. Tables and table linens were conspicuous by their absence, but the eat-
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HISTORY OF COMPANIES I AND E.
ables were abundant and made up of everything. The dinner was served in an informal style but she tried hard to console the boys for the sickness and death of their comrades by ministering to the inner man. Her influence was continually brought to bear on the Wash- ington officials to provide well for the men, and Colonel Foster and Major Anthony expressed the sentiments of the men of the regiment in a few well chosen words. She was looked upon as the mother of the regiment. Certain it was. she was our good angel, ministering to the wants of the sick and speaking words of encourage- ment and cheer to everyone.
It was very amusing to walk about among the east- ern regiments quarters and hear the remarks of their members regarding the boys from Illinois. We were looked upon as cow-boys, rough riders and reckless shooters. We were asked a great many times about cow-boy life,and bear hunting, and if the Indians were all peaceful at home. As we strolled about we over- heard such remarks as: "Those fellows are ficm Illi- nois, away out west, nice fellows but h- - 1 when they get started; they would just as soon shoot as not. and we had better look out for them.
We were a little non-plussed at first to know whether they really thought as they spoke, but we soon saw they were in earnest and we did every- thing possible to mislead them and keep them of the opinion that we were really bad men. Company G of Dixon gave an exhibition of an Indian war dance at intervals. Wrapped in red blankets. they would hop around, whoop and yell, beat the drums and hold a pow-wow. This farce never failed to draw a large crowd of interested spectators. At night the parade
1
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ILLINOIS COWBOYS.
grounds were alive with would be Indians, howling, groaning and carrying the sport to the last stretch of their imagination in a supreme effort to leave a lasting impression with our comrades from the east that we were terrors.
Many of the boys had had their hair clipped close to their head on account of the continued hot weather. One of them. a member of the Sixth Illinois band. was sitting in the shade of a tree on the outskirts of the camp ground one afternoon. He had thrown his hat on the ground and was puffing hard on a corn-cob pipe. While in this position thinking of incidents which had occurred in the past few weeks, he was aronsed by the eurious actions of a soldier who had approached him quietly and was slowly walking around the tree against which the wondering Illinois soldier rested. The sold- ier was evidentally a private from one of the eastern reg- iments.
After gazing at the reclining figure a moment. his eyes became glued on the uncovered head of the musi- cian, and after a short pause he said, "Say comrade, how did you get those big scars on your head?" The man from Illinois grasped the situation like a flash and re- plied. "Well you see it was this way, a couple of years ago the Indians out our way got riled about something, I don't remember the cause now: at any rate they got troublesome and a dozen of us young fellows started out on their trail to corral them. We soon ran across them and in the mix-up two of our boys were killed and I was knocked senseless."
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