USA > Illinois > History of the 112th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry, in the great war of the rebellion, 1862-1865 > Part 26
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Early on the morning of the 21st the command was again in motion, and marched rapidly toward Wilmington, driving the enemy's skirmishers without serious difficulty The enemy destroyed the bridge over Mill Creek, six miles above Town Creek, which caused several hours delay, but early in the af- ternoon the command reached Brunswick Ferry, opposite Wilmington. The west channel of the Cape Fear River, where it passes around Eagle Island, in front of Wilmington, is call- ed Brunswick River. The island is about a mile wide, a low marsh, crossed by a narrow road. The Wilmington and Man- chester railroad crosses Brunswick River to the island, and thence crosses the Cape Fear River to the city. The rebels burned the railroad bridge, and it was still smoking when our command arrived. They had a pontoon bridge across Bruns- wick River at the ferry, which they attempted to destroy, but
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AT BRUNSWICK RIVER.
were in too great haste to succeed. The boats were recovered and a detachment ferried across to the island, and a field bat- tery of rifled guns, which was placed in position to cover the movement, threw its shells across both rivers and the island into the city
Henderson's brigade was placed in position fronting to the rear, and constructed breastworks to guard against a possible attack by Hardee, who was reported to be advancing from Charleston ; and the remaining troops were engaged in re- pairing and relaying the pontoon bridge. Heavy columns of black smoke in the city indicated the destruction of naval stores and preparations to evacuate the town.
Hoke, on the other side of the river, resisted Terry's advance so stubbornly that it was supposed he had been reinforced, and would attempt an aggressive movement ; and Gen. Schofield directed Gen. Cox to send part of his command to reinforce Terry Accordingly at one o'clock in the morning of the 22nd, Henderson s and Moore's brigades marched for the mouth of Town Creek, where boats were directed to meet them and fer- ry the troops across Cape Fear River. After proceeding sev- eral miles, Henderson's brigade was directed to return to Brunswick Ferry, and the brigade countermarched and pro- ceeded about two miles back, when another order directed Gen. Henderson to proceed down the river in accordance with the first order ; and the brigade arrived at the mouth of Town Creek at daylight the following morning. Moore's brigade crossed the river and joined Terry : but Gen. Henderson was directed to hold his brigade on the bank of the river and await further orders. But Hoke, instead of commencing an aggress- ive movement, had retreated during the night, and at daylight the Union army marched mto Wilmington.
The leet sailed up the river with flags at every mast head, and at noon a salute of one hundred guns was fired, to doubly celebrate the day- - the day of victory and Washington's birth- day -- and there was general rejoicing among all the Union troops, Another Confederate stronghold had fallen ; the "last breathing hole" of the rebellion had been closed : another stone had been removed from the foundation of the Confederacy,
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HISTORY OF THE 112TH ILLINOIS.
and ere long the temple of secession would tumble in ruins up- on the heads of its projectors.
On the 23d Henderson's brigade returned to Brunswick Fer- ry, arriving there at noon. The 112th Illinois was detailed to guard the pontoon bridge, and the rest of the brigade crossed over to Wilmington. The regiment went into position cover- ing the bridge, and built strong works in front and on the flanks to guard against attack.
At 4 o'clock in the afternoon of the 26th several sharp loco- motive whistles in the direction of the picket post, near the railroad, startled the camp, and Lieut. Col. Bond, command- ing the regiment, directed the Adjutant to ride out and ascer- tain what it meant. He found a locomotive and train of cars just outside the pickets, displaying a flag of truce ; and on go- ing out was met by Major Lay of Gen. Hardee's staff, with dispatches from Gen. Hardee to Gen. Schofield. The Major explained the nature of the dispatches, and requested the Ad- jutant to carry them to Gen. Schofield. Gen. Schofield was absent from hs headquarters, and Major Lay and his party remained until the next afternoon, waiting for a reply, becom- ing verv impatient at the delay, in the meantime, and necessi- tating several trips to Gen. Schofield's headquarters at Wil- mington by the Adjutant of the 112th.
The object of the visit was to arrange for an exchange of prisoners, which was satisfactorily accomplished. On the 28th a large number of Union prisoners were brought down the river to Wilmington and exchanged, among whom were Lieut. H. G. Griffin and Quartermaster George C. Alden of the 112th Illinois ; and on the first day of March a train load of ten hundred and fifty men was brought into the camp of the 112th Illinois. They were in box cars too dirty for human oc- cupants, and the condition of the men was too horrible to re- late. The prisoners were from Florence and other points threatened by Sherman s army as it advanced northward, and the Confederate authorities were compelled to send them in for exchange to keep them out of the way of Sherman. Among them were a number of our comrades, members of the 112th Illinois, who had been captured in Tennessee and Georgia, and their surprise and joy may be imagined-it cannot be express-
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AN EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS.
ed-when they found their own regiment at Wilmington to re- ceive them. They did not dream the regiment was in the East, and when they so unexpectedly met their old friends and comrades, many of them wept like children. The condition of these prisoners was deplorable. They were as black as tar ; alive with vermin : a majority of them helpless: many verg- ing on insanity ; others, who had been wounded, were actually rotten : and all were emaciated and halt-starved. The Con- federate officers excused their condition by saying that these wore the worst cases; but the men denied this, and affirmed that they were the best cases, and that the worst cases could not be moved. They were sent to the hospital, and some of them were sent home on furlough. A majority were too fee- ble to travel, and many of them died in the hospitals.
Gen. Henderson informs the author that he visited the hos- pital in Wilmington, the next day, and counted sirty newly filled coffins, containing the remains of exchanged prisoners who had died in one night : and this death rate continued day after day
The causeless war upon the Union may be forgiven : North- ern and Southern soldiers may meet in fraternal friendship ; Northern and Southern politicians may clasp hands across the "bloody chasm," and affirm the existence of political rec- onciliation ; Northern and Southern ministers may preach the gospel of peace and good will toward all men ; sectional strife may be ended, sectional wounds be healed, and the people of the North and South join hands in a common effort to advance the prosperity and happiness of the whole country : all this is well, and as it should be. But the curse of God and man should rest forever upon the heads of the men guilty of the cruel and barbarous treatment of our Union prisoners of war. That is a crime never to be forgotten nor forgiven. Not the people of the South; nor their brave soldiers who fought in the ranks, nor the officers who led them to battle are respons- ible ; but the head of their pretended government and his se- lected tools and agents, in military and civil offices, are res- ponsible ; and every one of them should have been hanged, for murder, if not for treason. When the exchange train pulled out of our lines to return south, not a guard accompanied it-
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HISTORY OF THE 112TH ILLINOIS.
every one of them had deserted-and they were glad to escape from the rebel army The Confederate officers filled the air with curses, loud and deep, but it did no good. Their guards were safely concealed, and were sent to Wilmington, willing prisoners of war.
On the 26th of February Gen. Cox was detached from his command at Wilmington and proceeded by sea to Newbern, to take command of the troops there and open a line of commun- ication and repair the railroad from Newbern to Goldsboro, by way of Kinston, which he succeeded in accomplishing after considerable hard fighting. The 3d Division was thereafter commanded by Gen. Reilly until he retired from the army, and then by Gen. S. P Carter until the end. Gen. Cox soon after took command of the corps, and Gen. Schofield com- manded the Department of North Carolina.
On the 27th Col. Moore's brigade returned to the west side of the Brunswick River and went into position near the 112th Illinois, in anticipation of an attack from the south by Hardee with the skeleton of Hood's old army
On the 28th the troops were paid by Major G. P Sanford, to Dec. 31, 1864.
At 3 o'clock in the afternoon of March 4th the 112th Ihnois broke camp, crossed the rivers, and joined the brigade in Wil- mington. Col. Moore's brigade was relieved by a brigade of Terry's corps, and also returned to Wilmington. On the 5th of March the 2nd and 3d divisions of the 23d Corps --- the 1st Division being at Newbern-were ordered to be ready to move at daylight the following morning, and all were busy during the day making the necessary preparations. Moved at seven o'clock on the 6th, and marched sixteen miles on the Newbern road. Moved at daylight on the 7th and marched eighteen miles. Lett the Newbern road to the right and took the Kin- ston road. Our route lay through a flat, swampy country, sparcely inhabited, thickly wooded with pine; the principal, if not only, industry of the few inhabitants being the gather- ing of turpentine. This was done by cutting notches in the trees and dipping out the turpentine with wooden spoons. Traveled thirteen miles on the 7th without seeing a dwelling house.
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LAND OR WATER?
Moved at 7 o'clock on the 8th, and marched twelve miles. On the 9thi moved at 6 o'clock and marched sixteen miles. On the 10th moved at 5 o'clock and marched thirteen miles. Mov- ed at 2o'clock on the morning of the 11th, and marched fourteen niiles, over the worst roads ever traveled by man, and through the worst country on the continent. Our route all day was through swamps covered with water from three inches to three feet deep, and it was doubtful whether the country was land or water. Camped at night on the Newbern and Kinston road, near the Trent River about seven miles from the latter place, near the command of Gen. Cox, who had driven the enemy back to Kinston.
The march from Wilmington, of nearly one hundred miles, through swamps overflowed with water, and creeks, was the hardest we ever made. The water and sand ruined the men's boots and shoes, and nearly every one was bare-footed, and their feet sore and swollen. At 11 o clock on the 12th the com- mand moved two miles toward Kinston and went into camp. The command remained in camp on the 13th. The enemy evacuated Kinston on the 14th and the National troops occupied the town. Henderson's brigade moved three miles and occupied a position on Southwest Creek, three miles from Kinston, on the Newbern and Goldsboro road.
On the 15th heavy details from nearly every regiment were set to work repairing the railroad and building a wagon road over the Neuse River. The command remained here, repair- ing and perfecting lines of communication from Newbern and Wilmington, and accumulating supplies, until the 20th of March.
On the 19th heavy cannonading was heard in the direction of Goldsboro, which was supposed to be Kilpatrick's cavalry, but which we afterward learned was the battle of Bentonville, between Sherman and Johnston, fifty miles away.
The men were supplied with seventy rounds of ammunition on the morning of the 20th, and at 7 o'clock moved out on the Goldsboro road and marched thirteen miles. Moved at 5:30 on the morning of the 21st, toward Goldsboro. The command was delayed nearly four hours during the day, but reached Goldsboro at nine o'clock in the evening, having marched
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HISTORY OF THE 112TH ILLINOIS.
twenty miles in a heavy rain storm, over muddy roads, and went into bivouac for the night. Heavy cannonading heard west of Goldsboro was evidence that Sherman was not far away
On the 22d the 3d Division of the 23d Corps moved into po- sition on the north side of town and constructed heavy works. Received news of Sherman s victory at Bentonville. On the 23d of March Sherman marched into Goldsboro, "bummers" and all, and again was reassembled the grand army of the West under its old invincible commander. In the afternoon Sherman reviewed the 23d Corps and expressed himself as greatly pleased with its appearance, and glad to again meet its officers and men.
A train of cars arrived at Goldsboro on the same day of Sherman s arrival, and supplies were received by rail, and al- so by water to Kinston and thenee by army wagons to Golds- boro. The Wilmington railroadl was also repaired and put in operation, and supplies brought forward by that route.
On the 24th the 1st and 2nd divisions of the 23d Corps re- turned to Kinston to guard the railroad-the 3d Division re- maining at Goldsboro.
And now the work of accumulating supplies and preparing for a new campaign, which it was intended should give the re- bellion its death-blow, commenced in earnest. ( fficers and men were enthusiastic and confident that the end was near at hand. Gen. Grant held Lee in his iron grasp at Richmond and Petersburg. The 4th Corps, under Gen. Wood, was at Bull's Gap, fifty miles northeast of Knoxville, to prevent Lee's escape into East Tennessee. Sherman, with an army nearly equal to Grant's, was prepared to intercept his retreat south, and altogether the outlook for an early termination of the war was indeed cheering ; and yet it came sooner than we then ex- pected.
CHAPTER XXVI.
THE FALL OF RICHMOND-A JOLLY CELEBRATION. TIIE MARCH TO RALEIGH-LEE'S SURRENDER-ANOTHER JUBILEE. NEWS OF THE ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN.
SURRENDER OF JOHNSTON-OCCUPATION OF GREENSBORO. THE WAR ENDED-PREPARING FOR MUSTER OUT.
At Goldsboro the 17th Regiment of Massachusetts Infantry was added to Gen. Henderson's brigade. It was an excellent regiment; but the eastern and western boys did not always agree, and several quarrels were indulged in between the New England "Yankees" and the "Hoosiers" and "Suckers." Truth, however, compels the statement that the Hoosiers and Suck- ers were most frequently to blame.
Col. Stiles had been promoted to Brevet Brigadier General, and was in command of a brigade in the 1st Division. He en- deavored to have the 63d Indiana-his own regiment-trans- ferred to his brigade; but every officer in the regiment pro- tested against the transfer, and the 63d remained in Gen. Henderson's brigade.
On the 3d of April Capt. Jolin L. Dow, of Co. A, 112th Illi- nois, was appointed Provost Marshal of the 23d Corps, and served as such until mustered out of service in the following June.
Sherman's army remained at Goldsboro, accumulating sup- plies, refitting and making preparations for the contemplated final campaign of the war, until the tenth of April. On the 31st of March Gen. Henderson's brigade was ordered out on a
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HISTORY OF THE 112TH ILLINOIS.
reconnaissance and encountered the enemy's cavalry pickets within two miles of camp ; drove them about three miles, up- on their niain force ; killed one and captured three, and re- turned to camp at dark.
Sherman's part in the final combination was to move his whole army north of Raleigh, and thence to Weldon on the Roanoke River; and on the 5th of April orders were issued for the new campaign to open on the 10th ; but on the 6th news of the evacuation of Richmond and Petersburg was received, and that Lee was pushing toward Danville, which changed the plan of the campaign.
The whole army was wild with excitement. Bands were playing, cannon roaring, rockets screaming, bon-fires blazing, and soldiers cheering. All was noise and confusion-a gener- al uproar, a grand jubilee ; a fourth of July celebration, a merry Christmas, a happy New Year and a hearty Thanksgiv- ing, all combined. Men who never smiled, laughed ; men who never prayed, thanked the good Lord for signs of peace ; men who never sang, shouted "hallelujalı," men who never drank got drunk.
Capt. D. K. Hall, our brigade Quartermaster, obtained a liberal supply of milk and whisky, and invited all the officers of the brigade and the 112th Illinois band to assemble at Gen. Henderson's headquarters. The invitation was accepted, without a single exception. Music, speeches and punch flow- ed freely. All were happy and jolly, if not mellow. Gen. Henderson was suffering with a sick-headache, and after mak- ing an excellent speech retired, and did not further participate in the celebration ; but his staff officers more than made up for his absence.
The Colonel of an Indiana regiment, who has since attained National notoriety, was called upon for a speech. With great difficulty he got upon his feet, and said : "Fellow so'gers and c'rmr'des ; I can't find wo'ds to 'xpress my feelings on this 'portant 'casion. I can only say, in the classic language of that great and good man, Davy Crocket, of whom you've all heard, 'Let's take another drink.'" And all took another drink.
Dress parades were at a discount that evening; and it was
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"LEE HAS SURRENDERED."
no wonder that the officers of the 112th failed to keep step with the music, and that all the boys laughed heartily at their lu- dicrous attempts to do so. The music was all wrong-the band was tipsy
At daylight on the morning of the 10th, the advance of Sher- man's army moved out of Goldsboro on the Raleigh road. It encountered the Confederate rear guard. but drove them easily and rapidly. The 23d Corps moved at noon.
The Army of the Tennessee-the 15th and 17th corps-was on the right ; the Army of the Ohio-the 23d and 10th corps -in the center; and the Army of Georgia-the 14th and 20th corps-on the left, moving on parallel roads. Kilpatrick's cav- alry corps moved on the flanks.
Marched seven miles, and went into camp for the night at nine o'clock in the evening. The roads were in a bad condi- tion, and bridges were gone which had to be rebuilt, and the command made slow progress. The advance guard of the corps captured about one hundred prisoners during the after- noon.
On the 11th the command marched about eleven miles, by easy stages, halting frequently to repair bridges, or for the men to rest, and camped near Smithfield. At 8 o'clock on the morning of the 12th the column was agam in motion, but had proceeded only a short distance when a great commotion was seen and loud 'cheering heard in front. Very soon the cause was learned. A staff officer was seen coming down the road, swinging his hat, his horse on a gallop, the men running to the right and left, as he approached, to give him the road, and throwing their hats in the air as he swept along the line. On he came, nearer and nearer, until we could hear the glad mes- sage he was bearing ; "Lee has surrendered ! Lee has surren- dered !" he shouted, as he rushed on to carry the good news to those in the rear.
The whole army was electrified. No pen can describe the scene that followed. The men were wild with excitement. Cheer after cheer rent the air; men turned somersaults like glad school-boys ; rolled on the ground, and cut innumerable strange antics, and yelled and shouted and cheered until they were hoarse.
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HISTORY OF THE 112TH ILLINOIS.
The 3d Brigade moved into a field, near some tall timber, and stacked arms. Almost in the twinkling of an eye a tall, straight tree was telled and trimmed, and raised near the road, with the stars and stripes floating at its head. The men as- sembled around the flag and Gen. Henderson was seized, and carried on the men's shoulders and placed on a horse, near the "liberty pole," and he made them a thrilling, patriotic speech, from the saddle. The bands played and the men sang, "The Battle Cry of Freedom," "Marching through Georgia," "When Johny Comes Marching Home," and other "War Songs," and then more than a thousand voices. accompanied by the band, sung the Doxology
William D. McGaffee, of Co. I, who was on duty at regimen- tal headquarters, drew a large cotton sack over a mule, com- pletely concealing the animal from view, and pinning a large placard upon either side of the sack, reading in hastily con- structed letters, "A Blessing in Disguise," led the mule along the lines. This travesty upon the Southern manner of ex- plaining the many defeats of their armies was greeted with cheers and shouts of laughter.
Gen. Sherman at once gave orders to drop all trains and push forward as rapidly as possible to and through Raleigh in pursuit of Johnston's army .- the only Confederate army of any considerable strength remaining in the field. Johnston himself was at Greensboro, towards which point his army was retreating.
Sherman's advance moved into Raleigh on the morning of the 13th in the midst of a pouring rain storm. The 23d Corps arrived there at noon on the 14th. On the 15th Johnston sent in a flag of truce and proposed to surrender. Sherman offered him the same terms Grant had given Lee; but Johnston pro- posed that their agreement should include all the Confederate armies in the field. The negotiations that followed led to an agreement ; but it was disapproved by the government at Washington.
On the 17th the first news of the assassination of President Lincoln was received.
The army was infuriated at the appalling intelligence, and fears were entertained that the men would seek vengeance up-
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FROM AN UNKNOWN WRITER.
on the citizens and property of Raleigh. Gen. Henderson's brigade was moved from the east to the west side of the city to protect the town against the infuriated soldiers, and no man was permitted to enter the city. These fears were, perhaps, groundless ; but the sorrow which filled the hearts of the men was accompanied by a terrible determination to give no quar- ter to the enemy when they met him upon the field of battle. The horrible murder of the President was intuitively connect- ed with the rebellion, and the aiders and abettors of the war against the Union were held responsible for the crime. Had Sherman's army encountered Johnston's Confederate army, at that time, the latter would have been swept from the face of the earth like chaff before a cyclone.
On the morning of the 18th Gen. Henderson found the fol- lowing note pinned to his tent :
"To COL. HENDERSON,
"Dear Sir :- Most all the braves wich you leat away from home, from their family and beloved coun- try, acknowledge Mr. Linkin, our late President, as the best of the state of Illinois, but you are next in rank. The majori- tat of your Regt. would sacrifi themselfs for you. I have no better way to explain mein gratitute towards you.
"Private H. 112th Regt."
The hand-writing and the punctuation of the note indicated that it was written by a man of more than ordinary intelli- gence, while the spelling shows that its author was not fully acquainted with our language. It was probably written by some one of the many brave and patriotic Swedes in the regi- ment-men who had risked life and limb upon many a well- fought battle field in behalf of their adopted country; but, al- though Gen. Henderson made diligent inquiry. he was unable to ascertain the writer, and to this day does not know the name of his admirer. It is a well-merited tribute of respect and es- teem, coming from the ranks, of which the General may well, and does, feel justly proud.
On the 18th negotiations for the surrender of Johnston's ar- my were resumed. On the 20th, 21st and 22nd Gen. Sherman re- viewed the army-the 23d Corps marching in review on the 21st ; and on the 23d he issued orders terminating the truce ao
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HISTORY OF THE 112TH ILLINOIS.
noon on the 26th, and for all the troops to be in readiness to move at that hour.
On the 25th Gen. Grant arrived at Raleigh. On the 25th Johnston proposed another conference with a view of surren- dering his army; and on the 26th final terms of agreement were concluded by Grant and Sherman on the Union side, and Johnston for the collapsed Confederacy ; and Grant telegraph- ed to the National authorities at Washington that Johnston had surrendered to Sherman-another illustration of the Great Commander's unselfish generosity.
The duty of receiving the surrender of the Confederate ar- my, taking charge of its arms, and issuing paroles to the men was committed to Gen. Schofield, commanding the Department of North Carolina.
This was performed at Greensboro, where Gen. Schofield and a small detachment of the 23d Corps went for that purpose. Capt. John L. Dow, of the 112th Illinois, was appointed one of the commissioners to carry out the terms of the military convention ; and on the first day of May, under the immedi- ate direction of Lieut. Col. Dow, Inspector General of the 23d Corps, the Confederate army was paroled ; and the last great rebel army disbanded. The men were furnished with rations and transportation by Gen. Schofield, and returned to their homes-a majority of them far happier at the termination of the war, though their cause was lost, than they would have been had it continued.
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