USA > Illinois > History of the 112th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry, in the great war of the rebellion, 1862-1865 > Part 2
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But at last all was ready ; and on the 8th of October, 1862, the regiment marched out of the old fair ground, nine hun- dred and forty strong, and embarked on the cars for Cincinnati Col. Henderson having been ordered toreport, with his regi- ment, to Major General Wright, commanding the Department of the Ohio, with headquarters at Cincinnati.
CHAPTER II.
THE MARCH TO LEXINGTON-CAMP ELLA BISHOP-SICKNESS AND DEATH OF MEN-RESIGNATION OF OFFICERS.
At midnight of October 10th, 1862, the regiment arrived at Cincinnati. Col. Henderson was here ordered to report at once, with his regiment, to Major General Gordon Granger, in Covington, Kentucky ; and accordingly the regiment marched across the Ohio River on a pontoon bridge, to Covington, where Col Henderson reported to General (franger at 2 o'clock on the morning of October 11th. Gen. Granger ordered him to encamp his regiment at Covington, and draw the necessary supplies and transportation, and prepare as raqidly as possi- ble for active service in the field.
Here, for the first time, the men spread their blankets on the ground and lay down to sleep, with no roof over them but the starry heavens, and no bed under them but old mother earth-a new and strange experience to many of them; but they afterwards became accustomed to such "lodgings" and preferred to sleep on the ground, it not too cold or wet, rather than in beds. And here, too, the "boys" had their first expe- rience with the government mule. The regiment was suppli- ed with fifteen wagons for the transportation of its effects- five for "headquarters," including hospital and quartermas- ter's stores, and one for each company-each drawn by six mules. The mules were obtained at a government corral in Cincinnati, and were as wild as the untamed mustang. Most of them had never been haltered, and it required several men to manage one mule, and nearly a whole company to harness and hitch up a team of them.
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THE GOVERNMENT MULE.
A mule is a mule the world over, but there is no mule like a government mule. His kick is like a stroke of lightning from a clear sky ; and then the malicious brute will appear so meek and penitent, and wear such an innocent, injured look about him, that one can hardly comprehend that the lightning blow that laid him out came from the heels of such an honest look- ing animal. The mule was an important factor ingthe prose- cution of the war ; he deserves credit for his patriotic devotion to the Union, and for his unflagging zeal, his patient endur- ance and his untiring services in behalf of the Union armies.
The government armies were fed and clothed, and supplied with arms and ammunition, and hospital stores, drawn, in many cases, hundreds of miles, over rough and hilly roads, through narrow, mountain passes, by the ever ready, ever willing, hardy, patient government mule. Even the brand up- on his shoulder, "U. S."-(Uti Supra -- As above)-indicated his amiable and kindly disposition. And during the war every highway and byway in the South bore testimony to the mule's self-sacrifices to the country-the air was thick with evidenc- es of his unselfish devotion to the Union armies.
At Covington the 112th Illinois was brigaded with the 33d Indiana, the 77th, 97th and 108th Illinois regiments-Col. Col- burn, of the 33d Indiana, commanding the brigade; and on the 17th of October the brigade was ordered to Falmouth, Ky. Moved at noon of October 18th and marched nine miles.
October 19th, marched ten miles. The 112th Illinois was detached from the brigade and orderel to proceed to Big Eagle, Ky., as guard to a supply train of fifty wagons. Camp- ed at Snow's Pond, a small body of water in which the team- sters watered and bathed their mules, and of which the men filled their canteens and used the same for drinking and cook- ing purposes.
October 20th, (Sunday), marched seventeen miles, over a hard, stone turnpike. After the regiment had encamped for the night, and all the men, except the guards, had gone to bed, an alarm was given, and the men were ordered to fall in- to line at once to repel an expected attack. The boys tumbled out and fell into line in double quick time ; but great
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+ 18
HISTORY OF THE 112TH ILLINOIS.
was their indignation when they afterwards learned that it was only a ruse of the officers to try their mettle.
October 21st, marched twenty-two miles, to Big Eagle, which place was reached at nine o'clock in the evening. Here we found the 22nd Wisconsin regiment, which proceeded to Lex- ington the next morning.
October 22nd, remained at Big Eagle. On this, the first march of the regiment, some of the men, though new soldiers, proved themselves adepts in an art of war not laid down in the books-foraging. The regiment was composed principally of men who were not only honest and conscientious, but were men of honor and high principle, who would deem it an unpar- donable insult to be accused of taking property, under any cir- cumstances, not belonging to them. But there were some who did not deem it dishonest to take such articles of food-chickens, pigs, vegetables, honey, etc.,-as they could find in any South- ern State, while a very few seemed to think themselves licens- ed to appropriate to their own use any and everything they could find, and they accused the officers of disloyalty who de- nied them that privilege.
Kentucky was a Southern State, and many, probably a ma- jority, of its citizens were secessionists. Thousands of its best and bravest young men were in the Confederate army. But the State had not seceded from the Union. It was still one of the States of the Union, and as such, its citizens were entitled to the protection of the Union armies. Its govern- nient claimed to be neutral, rendering aid and comfort neitli- er to one side nor the other. While this position was unsatisfac- tory to the Unionists, it was better than open and armed re- bellion ; and it was the policy of the general government to conciliate, as far as possible, all the Border States, and keep them from joining the more Southern States in their attempt to destroy the Union. It may have been unwise, but in time of war a passive enemy is less dangerous than an active ene- my. Again, there were many true Union men in Kentucky, and if soldiers were permitted to leave their commands and forage indiscriminately, they would be as likely to rob these, their friends, as the most bitter rebels. But there were more weighty reasons for stamping out, right at the start, this evil
19
DISCIPLINE.
practice. There is nothing more destructive to the morale and (fficiency of a regiment than indiscriminate foraging. Instead of a regiment of drilled, disciplined and effective soldiers, it be- comes a mob of unruly, worthless marauders.
Col. Henderson was justly proud of his regiment of men, ard he was determined to make it worthy of the pride of its offic ers, and its friends at home, as a regiment of sol liers. There were comparatively few refractory men in the regiment, but a few such soon corrupt and destroy the efficiency of the whole. The men were just from the pursuits of civil life, unused to military restraint, and did not understand the real necessity of strict discipline. But Col. Henderson was equal to the emergency. He talked to the men-appealed to their pride and self-respect, to their sense of honor as men and soldiers engaged in an honorable cause ; and in rare instances, where the case demanded it, he threatened severe punishment, in language so forcible as to leave no doubt of his intention to in- flict it if his orders were not obeyed. Of course there was some grumbling, some irritation, and even some misrepresen- tation of the Colonel's motives ; but in time the most persist- ent forager saw and admitted the justice of the Colonel's po- s tion and the wisdom of his course.
And right there, at Big Eagle, was laid the foundation of the proud record made by the 112th Illinois in its three years' service in the field-winning golden opinions from citizens and soldiers for its good conduct in camp, its orderly appear- ance on the march and its steady bearing and courage in ac- tion, of which every member of the regiment was justly proud, and none less so than those very men who were loudest in their denunciations of the Colonel for insisting upon obedience to just orders and the enforcement of proper discipline. And during the three years service of the 112th not a man of the regiment was subjected to any humiliating punishment-not a man was disgraced by being "bucked and gagged," "tied up by the thumbs," or by the imposition of any other unreason- able punishment-the natural and legitimate sequence cf starting right.
October 23d, moved from Big Eagle at 3 o'clock in the morn- ing, with the train, and marched fifteen miles to Georgetown ;
20
HISTORY OF THE 112TH ILLINOIS.
and on the 24th marchied to Lexington-twelve miles. At Lexington, after several changes of camp, and considerable delay and uncertainty as to its destination, the regiment went into winter quarters at "Camp Ella Bishop."
The camp was named in honor of a spirited Union girl cf Lexington, who, a short time before, hadd efiantly waved the Union flag in the faces of the Confederate troops who occupi- ed the city, and proclaimed herself for the Union "now and forever." Enraged at her audacity they quickly surrounded her and demanded its surrender. Coolly wrapping the flag around her shoulders, she declared she would die before she would surrender the glorious Stars and Stripes to rebels, and dared any single follower of the stars and bars to attempt its capture. After a short parley the rebel soldiers withdrew and left her mistress of the situation.
At Lexington the 112th Illinois was brigaded with the 45th Olio and 18th and 22nd Michigan regiments, under the com- mand of Brigadier General Green Clay Smith, until January, 1863, when Colonel Doolittle, of the 18th Michigan, was plac- ed in command of the brigade ..
The 112th remained in camp at Lexington, performing va- rious duties-among which was considerable provost duty -- and engaged in squad, company and batallion drill whenever the weather would permit, with a daily dress parade, and an occasional review, until March, 1863. It was a rainy, dreary, disagreeable winter, and many of the men, unused to camp life, suffered severely. There was much sickness in camp and many deaths ; and some inefficients were weeded out and dis- charged from the service. On the 13th of March, out of ( 59 men then in camp-many being on detached service-300 were on the sick list. The first death in the regiment was that of John F Negus, of Co. F, who died at Cincinnati, Ohio, on the 17th of October, 1862. To March 31st, 1863, the number of deaths in the regiment was thirty-two. The following are the names of the men who died up to that time :
Co. A-William W McMillan, Squire S. Pope and Truman A. Woodruff.
Co. F-John L. Adams, William M. Creighton, George Mil- ler and George W Oziah.
21
DEATHS.
Co. D-Andrew Body, John W Mahon and Chorodon E. Wheeler.
Co. I-Samuel Barnhart and Herman Hinkle.
Co. C-Joseph J Hoover, John N. Sellers and Joseph E. Waters.
Co. H-Hans Cornutson and Nels Nelson.
Co. E-Corporal William G Wilkinson, David Barrett, Thomas Colwell, James W Ratcliff, William E. L. Smith and Russell White.
Co. K-Corporal Henry J. Buckols, Moses Bensinger, Adam Whitehead and James Wilson.
Co. G-Daniel Corlett and Michael Millen.
Co. B-Spencer Elston, Jeremiah Sargent and William P Wilson.
When the regiment moved from Lexington, a considerable number of men were left sick in the hospitals, some of whom died, others were discharged, some were transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps, and a few were detailed and remained at the hospitals as nurses; but a majority recovered from their sickness, much of it caused by inactive camp life, and rejoined the regiment early in the summer, and participated in its campaigns and marches until the close of the war, or until they were disabled by other causalties.
There were also numerous changes of officers of the regi- ment during the winter and spring of 1863.
January 13th, Dr. Wesley Phillips, of Burnt Prairie, White County, Illinois, a young physician, but one who proved him- self capable and faithful to his patients, was appointed Second Assistant Surgeon of the regiment.
January 31st, First Lieut. Christian G. Gearhart, of Co. K, resigned, and Second Lieut. Edward H. Colcord was promot- ed to First Lieut., and First Sergeant Jacob Bush, of the same company, was promoted to the second lieutenancy.
February 1st, on account of a severe injury caused by a fall of his horse, which produced hernia, Major James M. Hosford resigned, and Captain Tristram T. Dow, of Co. A, was pro- moted to Major.
In Co. A, First Lieut. Asa A. Lee was promoted to Captain ; Second Lieut. John L. Low was promoted to First Lieut., and
22
HISTORY OF THE 112TH ILLINOIS.
First Sergeant James P McChesney to the second lieutenancy.
March 5th, First Lieut. Jackson Lorance, of Co. F, resign- ed. Second Lieut. Robert E. Westfall was promoted to the first and First Sergeant James G. Armstrong to the second lieutenancy
March 22nd, Surgeon Spaulding resigned, and First Assist- ant Surgeon L. S. Milliken was promoted to Surgeon of the regiment.
March 31st, Capt. James B. Doyle, of Co. B, resigned. First Lient. J. C Dickerson was promoted to Captain, Second Lieut. John Gudgel to First Lieutenant, and First Sergeant B. F Thompson to Second Lieutenant.
March 31st. Capt. A. W Albro, of Co. G, resigned. First Lieut. James McCartney was promoted to Captain, Second Lieut. Thomas E. Milchrist to First Lieut., and First Sergeant William L. Spaulding to Second Lieutenant.
Also, same date. Second Lieut. Elisha Atwater, of Co. H, resigned. and First Sergeant Jesse Newman was promoted to a lieutenancy
April 12th, Capt. Joseph Wesley, of Co. K, resigned. First Lieut. Edward H. Coleord was promoted to Captain, Second Lieut. Jacob Bush to First Lieut. and First Sergeant Samuel W. Weaver to Second Lieutenant.
May 14th. Dr Charles De Haven Jones, of Geneseo, was ap- pointed First Assistant Surgeon, and entered upon his duties with the regiment.
Nothing of special interest occurred while the regiment was at Lexington until about the first of March. The officers, with few exceptions, applied themselves diligently to the study of military tactics, and imparted to the men the knowledge thus obtained ; and it was not long before the 112th gained an en- viable reputation for excellency of drill and movement .and for the steady, military bearing of its men. And right here it may be proper to state that in this regiment there was not that diff- erence in general intelligence, in military knowledge, or in so- cial standing, between the officers and enlisted inen, that was apparent in many other regiments. The officers owed their position to the suffrages of the men. They were citizens of the same communities ; and the officers were elected in some in-
23
INTELLIGENCE OF THE MEN.
stances without any knowledge of, and without any regard to, the necessary qualifications. It was found that a few of them, who were "good fellows" and popular among the people at home, were not fitted for the positions they thereby secured, and made inferior officers, but a large majority of them prov- ed to be excellent selections.
But the men were not mere machines to be moved and maneuvered at the will of others, without thought or knowledge of the reason for such movements ; they endeavored to and did study and understand the objects of the different movements, and so were enabled to execute them with precision, and took pride and pleasure in the perfect drill and discipline of the re- giment.
It is not too much to say that in every company of the regi- ment there were enlisted men who were as competent to perform the duties of commissioned officers as the officers of their com- panies, and only lacked the opportunity to prove themselves equal, and in many cases superior, in general intelligence, knowledge of military affairs and ability to command, to their officers.
CHAPTER III.
OUR FIRST CAMPAIGN. PEGRAM'S RAID INTO CENTRAL KENTUCKY.
The I12th Illinois was about to enter upon its first campaign -a bloodless one it proved to be, and in the light of after ex- perience, a ridiculous one : but it was a stern reality to the regiment at the time, and tried the patience and endurance of officers and men ; and whatever mistakes and blunders may have been made, the 112th was in no wise responsible for them.
Many times during the winter Union refugees from East Tennessee had brought reports from over the mountains that the rebels were making extensive preparations to invade Ken- tucky in early spring, and the Kentucky secessionists predict- ed that the Union army would be driven from the State.
Buckner was reported to be securely posted in the mountain passes south of the Cumberland, with a force of from twenty to twenty-five thousand men, waiting only for the approach of spring to commence a forward movement. If this were true, his force outnumbered the Union troops nearly two to one, for the latter, including all arms, did not exceed fifteen thousand men in the whole State. The strength of Buckner's army was probably greatly exaggerated, but he had the advantage of a superior force of cavalry, many of them Kentuckians, well mounted, and thoroughly acquainted with every highway and by-way in that region of country, and with all the fords and
25
GENERAL SITUATION.
ferries on the numerous rivers, and passes in the mountains, bold riders and daring raiders as ever robbed a citizen or sacked a town,-numbering about five thousand; while the Union cavalry and infantry combined did not exceed two thousand.
The Union lines extended nearly the whole length of the State, from northeast to southwest; and with the numerous bridges and crossings to guard, and passes in the mountains to watch, it was an easy matter for the rebel cavalry to elude the Union pickets, break through the lines and make frequent inroads into the interior of the State.
The blue grass region of Central Kentucky offered an invit- ing field of operations to the rebel raider. It abounded with good horses, mules and fat cattle, and stores of provis- ions, which were "confiscated" from friend and foe alike for the use of the rebel army. Many of its most influential citizens were avowed secessionists, or secretly sympathized with the South in its war against the Union, and gave freely of their means to aid the Southein cause. Its young men, imbued with the spirit of adventure, were easily persuaded to join the ranks of the dashing cavaliers.
A considerable number of these troops were representatives of the "first families" of the blue grass section (thoroughbreds), and they were sure to meet with a warm welcome, and obtain valuable information from their friends and neighbors at home ; and there were many beautiful women-most bitter secession- ists- who smiled sweetly upon the bold rebel raider, listened attentively to his narrative of personal adventure, and incited him to greater exploits in the warfare against the Union.
Early in February a force of rebel cavalry under Col. Clukes entered the State, and made its appearance in the vicinity of Richmond and Winchester, and threatened Lexington ; and several times the town was greatly alarmed and the troops were called out to repel an expected attack. Re-inforcements We e hurried f. rward to threatened points, and all the roads leading into the town were strongly picketed and daily patroll- ed.
One by one the regiments at Lexington were ordered away, until all were gone except the 112th Illinois, and Col. Hender-
26
HISTORY OF THE 112TH ILLINOIS.
son was in command of the Post. Other troops soon arrived, however; among them the 100th Ohio without tents, which was taken in and cared for by the 112th.
On the 23d Capt. T. T. Dow, with a mounted force of about twenty-five men, of the 112th Illinois, proceeded out on the Winchester Pike on a reconnoissance. Seventeen miles from Lexington, they encountered a rebel cavalry force of 250 men, -part of Morgan's command-and immediately fired into them. Capt. Dow and his little command were compelled to retreat before the superior force of the enemy, and were cut off, completely surrounded, and made prisoners of war.
They were robbed of hats, boots, gloves, overcoats and mon- ey and other valuables, and on the morning of the 24th were paroled and permitted to return to the Union lines. The next day a rebel squad, consisting of Capt. Morgan (John Morgan's brother), one lieutenant and fifteen men, was captured six miles from Lexington, and brought into camp. Morgan was wearing Capt. Dow's gloves, and they were returned to him with thanks for their use.
The following are the names of the men captured :
Co. A-Capt. T. T. Dow and Edwin Demott.
Co. F-Henry C. Ackley and George W Rhodes,
Co. D-Corp'l Leander Woodruff, Edwin W Brown, Frank- lin Buckley. Oswin Cahow, William Eastman, Edward O'Brien and Joseph E. Patterson.
Co. I-John Hamilton and Randolph M. States.
Co. C-Thomas Anderson, William P Decker and George B. Lower.
Co. H-Serg. Lewis Norton. John D. Bennett, Alfred Ham- ilton aod Amos Thompson.
Co, K-Moses St. Mary.
Co. B-Nicholas Hill.
During Capt. Dow's absence he was promoted to Major of the regiment, to fill the vacancy caused by Major Hosford's resignation, and entered upon the duties of that office upon his return to the regiment in the following April.
The men were sent to Parole Camp, at Benton Barracks, St. Louis, Mo., on the 4th of March, where Joseph E. Patterson of Co. D, died, and the rest remained until their exchange, on
27
CAPTURED AND PAROLED.
the 10th of the following September. The regiment was then in East Tennessee, and they were sent forward by way of Nash- ville ; but when they arrived there, the regiment was besieged in Knoxville, and they returned to Lexington. From Lexing- ton they went with a wagon train to Cumberland Gap, and tbence to Tazewell, and from there to Bean s Station, where they rejoined the regiment on the 14th of December.
On the same day that Cap :. Dow and his men were captured, Stephen B. Otis and James A. Chase, of Co. D, were on pa- trol duty on the Richmond Pike, near Lexington, and were ap- proached by a squad of mounted men wearing Federal over- coats, whom they supposed to be Union soldiers. Otis halted them ; and one of them inquired if he had seen any rebels. He replied that he had not. "What would you do," inquired one of thom, "if a rebel officer should command you to surren- der ?" He replied that he would not surrender. "Well," said the man on horse-back, throwing open his coat and displaying a Confederate uniform, "I am a rebel officer, and I command you to surrender." Quick as a flash Otis brought his gun to his shoul ler and fired, and the rebel officer tumbled off his horse, severely wounded.
The wounded officer proved to be Major Steele, a brother-in- law of the notorious John Morgan. Otis was also slightly wounded in the thigh, and he and Chase were both captured and taken to the rebel camp. Major Steele sent for Otis and he was taken to the Major's quarters. Steele inquired why he had shot him, and Otis replied, "I thought you intended to shoot me. and I thought I would take the first chance." "Well," said Steele, "you are a brave soldier ;" and he requested the guards to take good care of him, saying that he deserved good treatment for his bravery. They were paroled the next morn- ing and returned to Lexington, and were sent to Parole Camp at St. Louis, with the men captured with Capt. Dow. On his return to the regiment Otis was promoted to corporal.
About 8 o'clock in the evening of March 1st, Capt. Doyle, of Co. B, and Capt. Albro, of Co. G with the officers and men of their companies, and one hundred men detailed from the other companies, were ordered to report at once to Col. Saun- ders in the city The detachment was mounted, and accom-
28
HISTORY OF THE 112TH ILLINOIS.
panied by one section ( two pieces) of Law's battery, and march- el at midnight towards Winchester. They arrived at Win- chester at daylight and drove a small rebel forces out of town. The detachment was here joined by a detachment of the 45th Ohio (mounted) infantry and of the 2nd Kentucky caval y un- der command of Col. Runkle. The whole force, under com- mand of Col. Saunders, then proceeded toward Mt. Sterling. When about half way to Mt. Sterling they encountered a rebel cavalry picket force of about one hundred men, and charged upon them and drove them into Mt. Sterling with such speed that the rebel troops in town had no time to get into position, but were swept along and driven pell mell out of town and across Slate Creek.
Two regiments of cavalry were raised in Mt. Sterling and vi- cinity-the 2nd Kentucky Union, and the 2nd Kentucky rebel. The rebel regiment was in town when the Union troops made the charge upon them. Among the Union forces was Major -- , in command of a battalion of the 2nd Kentucky Union cavalry. The Major's home was in the outskirts of town, and his mother resided on one of the principal streets in the hea. t of the town. The old lady heard a great confusion outside, and running to the window, threw it open, and saw a battalion of the 2nd Kentucky rebel regiment riding headlong down the street, closely pursued by the battalion of the 2nd Kentucky Union regiment, her son at the head. urging forward his men. She was wearing an old-fashioned "poke" bonnet. and leaning far out of the window and taking off her bonnet and swinging it in the air, amid the rattle of carbine and pistol shots, the clashing of sabres and the yells of the men, she cheered on the Union troops, and shouted to her son at the top of her voice, "That's right John, give it to 'em ! Go for 'em, John ! Give it to 'em, John ! They're rebels, John, give it to 'em !" John did "give it to 'em," much to the old lady's satisfaction ; but he was wounded in the onslaught, although not severely
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