USA > Illinois > History of the 112th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry, in the great war of the rebellion, 1862-1865 > Part 6
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HISTORY OF THE 112TH: ILLINOIS.
the rebels would halt at Lancaster, Col. Henderson, with the 112th Illinois, made a detour to the left for the purpose, if pos- sible, of moving around the town and getting possession of the road between them and Dick's River, and cutting off their re- treat ; but the movement was discovered, and the enemy re- treated rapidly to the river, closely pursued by the Union troops.
The enemy crossed the river and made a halt on the oppos- ite side ; and as the 112th, which was now in advance, was crossing the river, the rebels opened fire with artillery. Col. Henderson deployed the regiment and advanced his lines rap- idly to ascertain their position and strength; but the rebels were not prepared to make a stand, and again broke and con- tinued their flight toward Stanford, with a loss of sixty of their rear guard, who were captured, and the Union forces followed in hot pursuit. It was reported that a Union force was at Stanford prepared to intercept the rebels there, and it was hoped their whole force on this road would be captured.
But the only Union force at Stanford was a train of twenty- six wagons, loaded with provisions and forage for the com- mand chasing Scott, guarded by the 32nd Kentucky regiment ; and upon the first approach of the enemy the 32nd Kentucky ingloriously fled and abandoned the train to the rebels. The flying rebels halted and ted themselves and horses out of the I'mion supplies, burned the remainder, with the wagons, cap- tured the mules, and continued their retreat towards Somer- set.
The Union forces hurried forward to Stanford, and arrived there in time to give the retreating rebels a parting shot, but too late to save the train. It was now 5 o'clock Friday even- ing. The main force of rebels was only two miles in advance, but the Union force was ordered to halt. Some corn was found in the country for the horses, but the men had nothing to eat except what they could purchase in town,-barely en- ough to keep soul and body together.
Since the command left Lexington the men had had no sleep whatever, except what they had slept on horse-back. From 5 o clock Thursday evening to noon Friday the command had marched seventy miles, had captured many prisoners and kept
67
AN EXCITING CHASE.
the enemy on the run. The road was strewn withi abandoned arms and ammunition, saddles, bridles, clothing and burning wagons.
At 8 o'clock Friday evening (July 31st) the order was given to advance, and the command again started in pursuit of the rebels. Marched sixteen miles to Waynesburg, and there halt- ed two hours, to sleep. and then marched again towards Som- erset. Overtook the rebel rear guard at Somerset and pursued tliem to the Cumberland River, at Smith's Ferry, near Waits- boro, and engaged in a severe skirmish and artillery firing, but the main body of the rebel force succeeded in crossing the riv- er. The Union troops.captured a considerable number of pris- oners and a large quantity of property. It was now Saturday evening, and the command was relieved from further pursuit by Wolford's brigade of fresh troops, and moved back a few miles and bivonacked for the night, hungry and weary. Sup- plies having been forwarded to Stanford, the command march- ed early the next morning (Sunday,) and arrived at Stanford at 3 o'clock, where rations were drawn-and eaten with a rel- ish.
The next day (Monday, Aug. 3d,) the command returned to camp at Danville,-having marched two hundred and sixty miles-captured five hundred prisoners, among them Col. Ash- by-and scattered hundreds in the woods, who were after- wards captured-and several pieces of artillery, and recover- ed a large herd of horses, about five hundred mules and nearly as many cattle, which had been plundered from the citizens ; and the Union troops had taught Scott and his raiders a les- son which they remembered during the remainder of the war.
All the horses of the Union troops were jaded and worn out, and some were completely ruined in this race, and soon after returning to Danville requisitions were made for other horses to supply their places. When the regiment moved back from the river, Col. Henderson's horse was so lame and foundered it could hardly walk. Serg. Doyle, of Co. B, offered the colonel his horse, which was accepted, and he took charge of the col- onel's horse. He was nearly a week in getting the horse to camp. Many other horses were in equally bad condition, and some even worse.
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HISTORY OF THE 112TH ILLINOIS.
On the return from the Cumberland, dozens of Union sol- diers' hats were picked up on the road, which had been lost on the night march from Stanford-fallen off while the men were sound asleep, and not missed until they awoke and found them- selves bareheaded.
On the 8th of August the 112th Illinois with the other troops at Danville, marched to Stanford. Here the brigade was re- organized to consist of the 112th Illinois, the 1st East Tennes- see, and the 45th Ohio, (mounted infantry) and the 8th Michi- gan Cavalry and 1st Indiana Battery. Gen. Julius White commanded the brigade and Gen. Carter the division.
Ever since the affair at Monticello, early in May, Capt. Biggs, of Co. C, had virtually surrendered the command of the company to Lieut. J. B. Mitchell ; and the captain resigned his commission on the 9th of August, and retired from the ser- vice. Lieut. Mitchell was promoted to Captain. Second Lieu- tenant A. P Petrie to First Lieutenant, and First Sergeant Homer Sherbondy to Second Lieutenant. Their commissions were not received, however, until the 17th of October follow- ing.
Gen. Burnside arrived at Stanford with the 9th Army Corps, on the 17th of August, and at once commenced active prepar- ations for the permanent occupation of East Tennessee,
CHAPTER VIII.
OVER THE MOUNTAINS-THE MARCH TO EAST TENNESSEE-RECEPTION AND UNION MEETING AT. ATHENS.
Tennessee was the last state to "secede" from the Union. It was not until the 8th day of June, 1861-nearly two months after the first mad assault of armed rebels upon the flag of their country-that the secessionists of the State, aided by the emissaries of the rebel government, succeeded in passing an ordinance of secession and uniting the State with the so-called Confederacy. Secession in Tennessee, as in most other South- ern States, was not the act of the people, nor the consequence of any disaffection of the people to the Union, nor of any just complaint against the National Government; but it was the result of a foul conspiracy, entered into by prominent South- ern politicians at Washington, who, while holding high official positions under the government, which they had solemnly sworn to serve and maintain, were secretly engaged in hatch- ing treason against the government and plotting its destruc- tion. If this be not treason-if Jeff Davis and his fellow-con- spirators be not traitors, then was Benedict Arnold a patriot, and John Wilkes Booth a martyr to the cause of liberty.
But, although Tennessee had formally withdrawn from the Union and joined the Southern Confederacy, the brave, hardy, loyal mountaineers of East Tennessee refused to transfer their allegiance from the Government of their Fathers to the slave- holders' oligarchy of the South.
No language can describe the sufferings of those people in
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HISTORY OF THE 112TH ILLINOIS.
consequence of their loyalty to the Union. They were de- nounced as traitors, robbed of their property, driven from their homes, hunted like wild beasts in the forests, confined in loath- some dungeons, hanged like felons, and-a greater wrong than all these-many of them were forced, at the point of the bayonet, to enter the rebel army and fight for a cause they hated, against the Union they loved. Many others fled from their homes, and, after many weary weeks hiding in the woods, escaped from their persecutors, and, nearly starved, half nak- el, crossed the mountains and enlisted in the Union army Several regiments in Kentucky were composed almost entirely . of "Union refugees" from East Tennessee. One prominent Union lady, ot good family, herself conducted men enough over the mountains, guiding them by day and concealing them at niglit, to make two full Union regiments. Hundreds of these refugees had not heard from wife or family for more than a year. Occasionally a letter could be sent home, by some bold adventurer who was returning, who rode into the neighbor- hood in the night-time and slipped the letter under the door of the house where it could be found in the morning ; and the good wife would know that a friend from the Union army had brought it, but she would have no means of knowing who. It might be a near neighbor, but she knew better than to make inquiries. The fact that she had received a letter was careful- ly concealed. It was almost dangerous for a Union family to breathe in that country, and the slightest sign of intelligence from the absent husband, son or brother might be attended with serious consequences. It was very seldom indeed that any communication could be sent north to their friends in the Union army ; and the Tennesseans in Gen. Burnside's army were impatient for the command to move, for the occupation of East Tennessee by the Union forces meant to them a visit home.
On the 17th of August the army moved from Stanford to Crab Orchard, where final preparations for the march over the mountains were to be made.
In the evening of the 18th the 112th Illinois Band serenaded Gen. Burnside ; and Col. Henderson and several other office r
71
CRAB ORCHARD TO KNOXVILLE.
of the 112th called on him at his headquarters, and spent a short time very agreeably.
Gen. White detailed the following officers of the 112th as members of his staff, and they served in the positions here named, under different brigade commanders, during the entire East Tennessee campaign, until the regiment was dismounted at Knoxville, in February, 1864 :
Capt. James McCartney, Acting Assistant Adjutant Gener- al. Lieut. Thomas F Davenport, Acting Assistant Commis- sary of Subsistence. Lieut. George W Lawrence, Acting As- sistant Topographical Engineer.
On Friday, the 21st day of August-on the same day Gen. Rosecrans, in command of the Army of the Cumberland, com- menced shelling Bragg's rebel army out of Chattanooga-Gen. Burnside marched from Crab Orchard with the Army of the Ohio, the 9th and 23d corps, for East Tennessee.
Before leaving Crab Orchard, Gen. White was transferred to the command of the 4th Division of the 23d Corps, and Col. R. K. Byrd, of the 1st East Tennessee regiment was placed in command of the 1st Brigade, of which the 112th was part.
With a wagon train nine miles in length, and one thousand pack mules ; with artillery, ambulances, and all the necessary equipage of an army, the march across the mountains was successfully accomplished, and about the first of September Gen. Burnside established his headquarters at Knoxville. The infantry entered Tennessee by way of Cumberland Gap, and proceeded to Knoxville. The division of mounted troops of which the 112th Illinois was part, marched by way of Wil- liamsburg, Jellico Mountain, Big Creek Gap, Montgomery and Wartburg, to Kingston, on the Tennessee River, where it ar- rived on the first day of September; and the next day Col. Byrd's brigade, including the 112th Illinois, proceeded to Post Oak Springs, seven miles west of Kingston.
Sergeant Lucius C. Niles, of Co. A, was drowned in the En- ery River, near Kingston, on the 31st of August. His body was recovered, and enclosed at night in a box and buried by moonlight.
At Jofield's cross roads, ten miles north of Williamsburg, Co. B, of the 112th, in command of Capt. Dickerson, was or-
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HISTORY OF THE 112TH ILLINOIS,
dered to halt and wait for the division supply train to pass, and then to follow the train as rear guard. The company re- mained there three days, in a country abounding with pigs, fowls, fruit and vegetables (and apple brandy), and the i pro- ceeded with the train, arriving at the camp of subsistence at Emery's Iron Works, eight miles north of Kingston, on the 4th of September, where the train was unloaded and the com- pany relieved, and the next day guarded another train to Kingston, and then proceeded to Post Oak Springs and rejoin- ed the regiment. On the 3d of September the 45th Ohio was detached from the brigade, by Special Order No. 59, Head- quarters 23d Army Corps, and temporarily assigned to the 4 th Division, then at Loudon, in command of Gen. White.
The rebels had retreated from Kingston upon the approach of the Union troops, after slight skirmishing, and retired across the Tennessee. They crossed the river by ferry, and in their hurry twenty men were drowned. They then sunk the boat to prevent its falling into the hands of the Union forces. Capt. Wright, with his company (F), was directed to proceed to the river and raise the boat, which he did; and at the same time recovered several dead bodies of the drowned rebel soldiers which rose to the surface with the boat, and which were decently buried.
Lieut. John L. Dow, of Co. A, of the 112th Illinois, was ap- pointed Provost Marshal of Kingston, and with an efficient guard at his command, managed the affairs of the town-civil and military-in a manner creditable to himself and to the satisfaction of his superior officers. He made himself im- miensely popular with the ladies by a liberal distribution of the contents of a large dry-goods store belonging to the rebel merchant Yost, who had abandoned his store and gone south with the rebel army.
Capt. Dunn, with Co. D, in command of Lieut. Griffin, and Co. G, in command of Lieut. Milchrist, proceedle l on a scout from Post Oak Springs down the Tennessee, and brought into camp forty sacks of flour and a considerable number of pris- oners. A detachment of cavalry from Rosecrans army arriv- ed in camp during the night of September 6th with dispatch- es. This was the first communication with the Army of the
73
AT PRIGMORE'S MILLS.
Cumberland, and the boys turned out and welcomed thiem with cries of "Bully for Rosy !"
The brigade broke camp and marched at 7 o'clock in the morning of the 7th, crossed thie Tennessee River by ferry boat at Kingston, and proceeded about three miles southwest to Prigmore's Mills, arriving there on the evening of the 8th, in the midst of a cold disagreeable rain storm. The mills were set in operation and were soon grinding food for the Union troops. Prigmore was an old rebel, and the products of his large farm were freely appropriated to supply men and horses with food. Among other supplies captured in this neighbor- lood were thirty head of fat beef cattle, of "rebel proclivities," which were slaughtered and the meat distributed to the Union soldiers. Notwithstanding the fact that Prigmore was a se- cessionist and a rebel, Col. Byrd issued an order that no rails on his farm should be burned. No sooner had the troops dis- mounted, however, than the 112th Illinois had a dozen or two bright fires burning, made exclusively of "top rails." Col. Byrd rode down the line in a fury, and meeting Lieut. Col. Bond, inquired in language more forcible than polite, if the 112th Illinois proposed to disobey his orders. Col. Bond re- plied in equally forcible language, "If every rail on this old rebel's farm was the cross on which our Saviour was cruci- fied, my men should burn every - one of them." Col. Byrd wheeled his horse and rode away, too greatly amazed to reply.
Col. Byrd had considerable trouble at Prigmore's, and tied up some of the men by the thumbs for foraging. He threaten- ed to tie up some of the 112th Illinois, but was informed by Col. Henderson that he would attend to the discipline of liis own regiment, and that no 112th man should be humiliated by such punishment. Col. Byrd's intentions were good ; but the men misunderstood him. He endeavored to save the corn and forage on Prigmore's farm for future use-to prevent it from being wasted-but failed to make his motives understood, hence the trouble. He was accused of personal friendship and sympathy for Prigmore, but that was doubtless untrue.
On the 9th of September a detachment consisting of Co. C, in command of Capt. Mitchell, Co. H, in command of Lieut.
74
HISTORY OF THE 112TH ILLINOIS.
Jesse Newman, and Co. I, in command of Capt. Wilkins, all in command of Capt. Sroute, of the 112th Illinois, was ordered out on a scout, and proceeded as far as Athens on the railroad, without finding any armed rebels. Athens is a beautiful town on the Virginia, East Tennessee and Georgia Railroad, sixty miles south of Knoxville, and its citizens were generally in- tensely loyal ond patriotic. They welcomed the advent of the Union army with joy, and tendered the detachment under Capt. Sroute a dinner in token of their friendship for the old Union. It is hardly necessary to add that their proffered hos- pitality was not declined. A Union lady informed Capt. Sroufe that the rebels had seized a National Flag belonging to the Union people there, and that it was in the custody of a certain rebel family in town. At her request the captain vis- ited the house indicated, and politely but firmly demanded the flag. It was surrendered to him and restored to its riglit- ful owner. The detachment returned to camp late the same night with glowing accounts of their reception at Athens.
On the 10th the whole brigade moved to Athens, arriving there in the afternoon, and went into camp on Forest Hill, about one mile from town, and in honor of the colonel of the 112tli Illinois the camp was named "Camp Tom Henderson."
Upon the entry of the Union army into East Tennessee, in force, the rebel troops had retired, without making serious re- sistance to our advance, and joined Bragg's army at Chicka- mauga. This was the first appearance of the Union troops in that part of the country, and the people along the line of mareli, Union and rebel, turned out en masse -- the Union peo- ple to welcome the boys in blue, and the rebel population to gratify their curiosity. The latter were evidently disappoint- ed. They had pictured the "Yanks," in their minds, as horri- ble looking creatures, blood-thirsty savages ; but, as one of them expressed it, "You 'uns look jest like other men." A camp visitor on Sunday said to one of Uncle Sam's soldiers, "You 'uns don't war them good close every day do you ?" An- other, a woman, with the ever present snuff-dip in her mouth, the tobacco juice running out of both corners, down over hier chin, indignantly inquired, "What for you 'uns come down here critter back to fight we 'uns?" Not all the women were
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THE LADIES AT ATHENS.
ignorant, however, neither did all of them dip snuff. There were few able bodied men in the country -- they were in the ar- my, Union or rebel. All the people, and especially the women , were radical in their political views-were intensely Union or intensely rebel-there was no middle ground upon which they could stand, nor any conservative principle upon which they could agree.
It may have been that the author looked with partial eyes upon the Union women, or that he was prejudiced against the "she rebels," but certain it is that he then believed the former were far superior in appearance, in intelligence and in behav- ior to their sisters of rebel proclivities. On the march over the mountains-through Southern Kentucky and East Tennessee -hundreds of Union women who had heard of the "Old Flag," but had never seen one, gathered on the road sides, as the troops were passing, and baggel the color bearers to show them the stars and stripes. Serg. John L. Jennings, the reg- imental color bearer, many times unfurled the colors of the 112th to gratify these loyal women, and patiently explained to them the significance of the stars and stripes.
The author met one Union lady-cultured and beautiful- the wife of a prominent Union officer, who had travelled over the mountains five times-a distance of over two thousand miles-had forded dangerous rivers, traversed dismal forests, climbed steep mountain ranges, by day and night, in storm and sunshine, attended only by a trusty negro woman, to car- ry information to the Union army in Kentucky.
At Athens the Union soldiers were greeted with a warm wel- come by the citizens. A large company of beautiful young la- dies, all dressed in white, bearing two elegant National Flags, marched out to meet the Union troops, and with bewitching smiles, amid waving handkerchiefs, greeted them with three hearty cheers for the good old Union and the bonnie boys in blue. The ladies carried beautiful bouquets of flowers, artist- ically tied with red, white and blue ribbons, which they be- stowed upon the boys with many wishes for the success of the Union cause. The boys responded with becoming spirit. Such a reception gladdened their hearts, gave them new courage and
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HISTORY OF THE 112TH ILLINOIS.
energy, and intensified their determination to free East Ten- nessee, and the whole South, from rebel dominion.
A large meeting of the citizens was addressed by Col. Byrd, Col. Henderson and others, who made ringing Union speeches, which were enthusiastically cheered by the people. A seces- sion newspaper office, which had been hurriedly abandoned by the proprietor, was taken possession of by the Union army, and Lieut. Boynton, of the 8th Michigan, brigade quartermaster, was placed in charge of the editorial department. Compositors were detailed from the regiments, and two numbers of the pa- per issued while the troops occupied Athens. The paper had been called the "Athens Post," but Lieut. Boynton inserted the word "Union," making it the "Athens Union Post, " and adopted as a motto, "THE UNION MUST AND SHALL BE PRE- SERVED."
The following is the report of the Union meeting, as publish- ed in the Post:
"PATRIOTIC GATHERING."
"Last Thursday. after our army came into this place, the citizens requested Col. Byrd to address them at some appoint- ed time, in order that the public might better understand the policy of the administration. Our enemies had entirely mis- represented our intentions. Col. Byrd appointed the next day (Friday), at ten o clock. In the meantime the citizens pro- cured the Methodist church, and sent out word as much as their limited time would allow, for the people to gather in and hear what was to be said.
At the appointed time Col. Byrd, of the 1st Regiment East Tennessee Volunteer Infantry, now acting Brigadier General of this brigade, Col. Henderson of the 112th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and Lieut. Col. Wormer of the 8th Regi- ment Michigan Cavalry, made their appearance. The band belonging to the 112th Illinois enlivened the occasion by spir- ited tunes of a patriotic and sentimental character. The house was crowded to its utmost, and everyone seemed anxious to learn the "Lincoln policy " It was also undoubtedly quite a curiosity to see and hear those dreaded "Yankees."
Not knowing that we would be able to publish this little sheet when the meeting took place, we did not take a report of
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MEETING AT ATHEENS.
the speeches made, and have to depend altogether upon our memory, which is somewhat limited. We would have been pleased to have published a complete report.
A. Blizzard, Esq., opened the meeting by a few appropriate remarks. He very feelingly alluded to the persecution he had submitted to for the last two years. He stated that it was the first time in that period that he had been permitted to address his friends at a public gathering. The liberty of speech which our government had, up to the breaking out of this war, given to the people had been taken from him ; he was obliged to go about with sealed lips. It gave him great pleasure to be once more under the protection of the old government he had al- ways loved so well, and to be allowed to speak his sentiments publicly and without molestation. He wanted the people to hear for themselves whether the enemies of our country had stated truly and fairly the policy which the Union administra- tion had adopted in conducting the war, in order to bring about an honorable and lasting peace. He spoke of the ban- ishment of Col. Byrd from his home and fireside, because he loved the Union that our forefathers had established and ce- mented with their blood. He was happy to meet him again on his own soil, and to have the honor of introducing him to the citizens of Athens on this occasion.
At the close of his remarks he introduced Col. Byrd to the audience, who stepped forward and said :
FELLOW CITIZENS .- I wish to say a few words to you in re- gard to the course our government has adopted, and to dis- abuse the public mind of the false statements made by public speakers and the disloyal press of the South.
It has been said by them that when we came among you we would destroy your property, desolate your fields, steal your niggers, and commit all kinds of depredations. That the "Yankees" were a cruel, barbarous race, and that they would insult your wives, mothers and daughters, that they would im- prison those who had in the least assisted in this rebellion. It is dfficult to state what they have not said about the inten- tions of our army, and what we would do when we came among you. We believe our actions and conduct will prove that, although we are soldiers and "Yankces," as they are
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