USA > Illinois > History of the 17th Illinois Cavalry Volunteers > Part 6
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11
rattling of dishes could be heard. the huge dog, a gift from Lou, came and Sait hesi-le ile prone ngure. Thus for hours ho lay. until the father warned by the deve of night brought his son in, who without a word passed to bis roon, their room, above. Here was his slate, there his Algebra. a pile of his esays there his picture on the wall. Here the best they had slept in for weeks at & time. Trump tratip. all aight Weby. while belas ao occasional num of voices could be heard. Ta the small hours the mother came, when wich soothing words she tried to confort the troubled . son, who in wild dispair eried while standing before his room-matos picture. Poor Lon! Mother! mothier !! The long pout up storm burst forth, the fa- ther hustened upon the scene, who sit- tin . there for hours with his son talk- ing to him antit he became quiet. When our boy r. turned from the wor, bronzed and when before he sat down, he sprang t, the room alove, their room. his room, when again the ery rang forth. "Lou, oh Lou!" Father and brother quickly had him out of there. & room he never again entered, nor looked at bis friend, pieture, never again saw a book or paper that he had Lundled. Louis father sent the par- tieulars of his sons death to his north- e'n friends, but our comrade never re ceived the message from his rate, bis people wisely refraining commanica- ting the death bed message. This boy and his partuer in three days at Bed- ton Barracks, counted their grids about eleven hundred dollars, the money ras expressed home. while a ramor was st.crtri that their money was lost in St.
Louis. Again at fronton they made large gains and want the money north. Here one of the o.heer, mistrusted them and warned the other bare not to play with them, a warring they did not heed. The boys kept their own coun- cil. It must be recollected that army hfe is not civil hfe. That speculations w. re rife in some form or other and vard playing was a matter of course, though not all gambled by any means, but betting was the common way of Fucking ones opinions. Gambling as a por fesion is quite different. The
progressive oucher parties of today are in my opinion, when all things are con- sidered, much worse than the army gunidling. But I am willing to admit that I am easily prejudiced in favor of the soldion.
CHAPTER XVIIT.
there were colored trouge and those who & # been house servants were really J'.inguished from former dell hat.do by the pompons airs they hat .vnily wore. All however Ich they were Irre. Thinking " Massa Linker . powclass 1. tion had severed their bonds for the taninuly of the millones of ft Ling. maring, thinking gone, that had der? him on. Here one of our boys Was 14:3 away to rest. followed by the bint- ¿ of the muffled drums, the volby
r the grave, that 'was all. We missed "I am the resurrection and the Bife," but then he was only a private soldier. I wonder if some did not think that no privates ever entered Il.a. ven? Some visited the huge reservoir that contained the water that supplied the camp, and tales were counnon th it murdered soldiers wwie th wwwnin here, and we were drinking che polluted water. But one morning we fell in line, and "hy forrs, right wheel. for- ward, march" an! ne march, for the last time out of Benton Barracks, Along the line of the Battallions march flags wore flying, bandkercheif- were waving. with here and there an interest that betrayed the people's sentiments. On we went, presenting a gladsome sight t. t' so who loved human nature, or tib- erty and justice. Our splendid pie- signes coupled with the extreme youith of the most of us, our ruddy checks. our bright eyes twinkling with merri. Mient, made us a most gladsome sizht. At our head rode Beveridge, who. with. his iron grey hair looked as much our father, as the Eagles upon his shoulders made him kok like uar Colunet. H. rode caluily at the heid. putting me in mind of King Arthur aan his kunights. The most of the corag mites officers can be relied upon to make tools of them- selves in such a place. It wonla te, close up there. when we were cine 1 up, when we, everyone of us, was fer. forming every movement with peri et exactness, our horses doing every thin- just as we wanted them to. The fools were not all in the ranks. We finally arrived at the union depot and in an incredible short - pace of time had our borsos loaded, our regimental property alo, aud soon we were ou the road to Jefi rson City, the Capitol of the great 3tato of Missouri, where another state PF eu was. We were very heavily
1
1
.r. south 4 11. 0. 1:
macht of the Same time a low rat Hore was the hume at the lietol Gen. Sterling Prive, or more famiforl; Stora as Pap Price, a man whose arm was shot off by some of its on the .
Here company I cant
tinying, ami
learned # he never forgot. Mejor Fid put his foot on him justin time to stvoarimpus. As it was the bad decentin the company had everything pretty much their own way. the good ches of course doing duty for all. The Her men were in this, though I be- Beve . was a-
bu-ing. or attempting to abuse, without ratise or provocation, one of the young. At any rate the storm blew vier. but it was a close call. He found that his backers io that company were of the meaner soit, and that arbitrary power had depirted. and the next man that tried it lost his commission, and came near losing his lite. Here very little drilling was done, no duty worth mentioning. Those who had no revol. vers, here purchased then. Reming- tons of large size and along the river bank moch pri ficing was going on, though y ry andly one became a good shot with the posed. Two exceptions in our company, and only two, that were quick and skilled with the revol- ver, one having the Remington, the other Colts army. Suine of the revol vers when first thed, would explode every chamber. the bullets flying in all d'rections. This was attibuted to
their being oiled with turpentine, when finished by the workmen. No one was seriously injured in this manner. The low spon learned to load and fire a climber at a time, until all had burned powder. after which, they were safe. One or two unimportant scouts was here made, nothing occurring worthy net :. West of Jefferson is a beaut- tiful country as eyes ever beheld, broad tle, nadailating .prairies, with some belt, of timber of the hardwood varities sutheient forever, if properly cared for, to furnish the people with fuel and Facing. At, and in the immediate weinity. the soil was a yellow elay, with cobble stone hilly, a soil fit for nothing but to riise rebels on, in this respect vieing with the elay hills of Georgia, the swamps of Lonisiana, and the barren sauls of South Carolina, which would raise rattlesnakes,and wa- termellons as well. Our stay here was of about three weeks AInration. when, one bright warm morning. in columns of fours. we marched out southward. past
net ::
:
haps thirty rods. while the el low water w.s .hout three f . t As we arrived on the east h. nl ther shore, Majer Fisher cas . to whom he was talking, vers ca perhaps a little angrily. ministered the Oath of zikgiv
him and then asked him how me: y times he had taken it before. the citizen come from Idon't kiew but presume some of war thinkes brought him. His answers could acc have been very satisfactory. cleo the Major would have spoken in a kind r tene. Our route lay over a very red. region, che valley being arable, tou bage hills or small mountains big filled with . aluable mineral do post .. Ahaost every day, citizens wood le brought to the columns by the Genkers, citizens they found in the wood: in lonely regions. They were evidently watching our movemouts, ai i bad they been friends would not nave jacked means of making that fact manifest None were retained by us. The reond day out, while marching through the dense woods, the heat oppressive, we were startled by two reports of u gut. All was consternation. The mes ht 1- dled together in a mass like a flock of sheep. Had a well directed volley ben fired into us, the effects can be ren lily imagined. Fisher crowded his hot-A with a rush among us, and so a lad Nos. 1 and 2 upon the left side of .1. . road, three and four upon the right -toc. I saw. with exquisite pain. the art. r inefficiency of every commissioned of- eer with us, except Beveridge .. . ! Thx- e. Soon George Sutherland,and Jony D. Strong, appeared with three citizens who had attempted to eserpe. phd alo they had found over a half mily form the column, but with no gu s. Amain was the oath of allegiance admini.+. red and the column moved slowly un with three lines of flankers upon eitherside.
CHIAFTER NLN.
Another hoant.ful st- in of water
the famosade. not so large ne the
.. with saudy buttom and shores. . the south bank was the remains
L'a t ential residence, windows, doors, roof and doors gone. A part of the walls, which were composed of # con- . rt. orttered, or turn down.
No cleming here in the heavy timber. save
the grounds. the plantation, I learned, was about one mile further to the West. Here we're broken trellises, crosses, and sup- ports of all kinds for rose bushes, and all kinds of creeping and trailing flow- ere sail vines, now smothering in a A: use growth of grass. While botan- izing. the Haring of the bugle called ust, the column, and we reluctantly left a spot where refined and cultured 's lies had made this a paradise in a wilderness, an oasis in this uncultivat-
ed ragion. We wondered if artillery had been used upon these walls. An hours march brought us to a hamlet that bore unmuistal pable evidences of having been the scene of a conflict. or, peilaps conficts. A church that stond at our right, ona knoll among the trees, was minus windows and doors, the floor ani walls testified to having served as a hospital. As wy came down the hill Some horsemen were just disappearing in the wood beyond, the smooth even stride, and rapid speed of their horses, showed the blood that was in them. As well might one chase a sunbeam, for the runaways knew every cowpath, every hill, hallow and cave, while the heavy timber with the thick green leaves prevented one from secing far, hence, after a short run after them, their trait was lost. There were evil rigns enough to keep us on the alert,and but for our watehfulness. and prompt action, we would, I think. have been ambushed. As we approached Rolla, a violent rain storm came up which issued for hours. As we need the Post we drew up in line, waiting for orders, while the rain poured down. It seemed we sat there two hours when we marehed through Rulla, out to Coup Seivel, mated for General $.ic I, about two miles south of the Post of: # hill that sloped north. south and east, + rminating in respectable ravines. Star dog, and other tents were soon up, and -
though everything, including the
wild untreat ame . but chiny are tat!w things compare i vitb » bucking barst. The latter could make it may- erately interesting for the rider, while the spectator would watch and wonder how long before the curb and spur would tame the horse. Don't think gentle reader that Couldrymen are thrown, that I weer saw. unless che ri. der was an waidrihed reeroit. H .. c some drilling was vene, . mine scon: : : and pickut duty donc.
round of picket roste took a thirty .. . mile ride. I. making the firand Bound one experienced plenty of bard riding. Here emiupany K, was ordered to gather up the drafted men in the region of Jamestown and Strelsville, and hurry them into lolla, where they were pa! to work on the defences of that smjes. tant place. Roila was the terminus of the R. R. for south and western Ma- souri. All was hurry and bustle. Anxiety was depicted ou many conu- tenauces. A heasy scouting party was sent out south-en-c of Radla, under Fisher. After riding some three miles from camp he had di the column and told us that we were hitse br hire a fight at any motuest, and to keep clos- ed up. None were showed behind the rear guard. Flanders were kept out and we were kept ready for a lebt, but we saw m' thing bat citizens who were looking extremely anxious. At this time a frightful tattle was going on ut Filet Kanly or rather the night pre- vious Gereral Ewing had retreated, af- ter killing three tin es lus own number of wien, from the Kingb to Leesburg. his men fighting lite veritable devils. We will descrilu country att tous nev- er to be forgotten felt, when we take charge of this pla .. We returnnd without capturing anything but ovne over ripe eggs, which were htt to .br their fragrance in the wood by the roadside. The next forenoon wa-
spent by Dr. Crawford in eliminating the sick and those who thought they were sick, from the boys, after which we tiled out of Camp Seigel, uover to returu. The sceund Battallion hal ar. rived, and gone into camp cast of pa- rade ground, where we moved up. Toward evening we marched out, and with this move, our connection with the Price Raed begins. Colonel Bev- eridge in command, and Phil Fisher along to keep the 3rd Battalion in coun- tenance. Our route land, first, almost chrectly north, through fight sceond growth, a country that was then sparse-
un shades of .. .. i Ihn we to the ; d .ana chronigl. .. borot Eh Bir worth, The dos- he was salami ty only a star Les. and i. r. jurcheat brough for var to discover the first outlines of close ni .. just- While ofdirtly marching sich. in the datke we, about Hour alle - faren ( Have ran into the rebel picketand. . 'rel at us and rin. As the columns I need. those in the rear kept marchi up until we were bunched upin 4 !! . 4. in a nice position for the rebel, to open upon us with grape and oatis- ter. Very carefully did we move until Cuba was reached. where about one-huif huile north we went into camp, sotie of us cataping in the enclosure of a ned farm house white painted, orher. took the road and barn and yard. When morning came, Major Fisher took live turn of company K, and dug a grave under an onk to the left a little, and in trout of this house. The grave w :s not dug very deep, but deep encheL to cover a rebel. Then we were caked in the house, in the parlor of which, on beds. laid on the floor, lay a dead Johnnie. Shot through the breast by the head of this house. The day he-
fore this reb enme to the house and de- manded food. He used insulting lan- guage to the lady of the house, whose husband put a revolver ball through him. The blood had sonked through bedding and carpet. The husband uf- ter shooting the reb, ran through the baek door and into the woods, maliny bis escape to us, and now was protin .; us to Ewing, who was surrcanded by the enciny at Leesburg. We carry.d the reb out, laid him in the grave, a long board over him, and covered bim u2.
.
1. " .PESIFN,
CHAPIAR AV.
Karel. Noga dr & was brand : ta
nera' note c 'er thi dist; fali lea d. ed brute an insulter a defenech w no- turned from the at to
our Deres, cad retracts wat steps to
Bo enti. of Cida when we took the : eget, running umdich with the IN R. Tue trick was torn ap in places 'ull eight; rods in capth. The no tul. "i paformed thi part et their desil. very well. The dut was ery
We. and the day warm. ... again entered the timing when a cloud rf aust a full half nale wide . . .. !! , but the noise was inder. Hu ile An iuniDense Grove uf cato cashin. through the brush, titen ay - wedo; mon, each man keeping up demir.nal Hadloving at the cattle, argine : hem on jih clubs. They were so tale kly rot- red with dust that they were of one color Litle that were te ny hurried from the Semity of the Rebel army. Here we cara northward, the flankers on vither side thicker than a heavy skir. 'sh line, our earbines resting upon our thighs, when, "Holt"" "Forward, .kondy men, keep your lian." Fisher is with us. Great God! the column watch we see through the trees has o.ired, and we are going into battle. Mark! "Hurrah. hurrab. burrah!" Yoits. hurrah, azain, and again; it seems they will never have done cheering. "Get to the colau men" we move on, a train of cars is before us, aroaad which u.en ar swinging their hats and hurr.hiz Tiro men. Ewing and Fletcher, on top of the d. pot tury toward one and' or sed clasp hands, while the hurtate cou- tinge. Soon we give that envoted the. Is band three rousing Hamais cheers King Arthur and his Kushi- are there just in time, have penetratei. these five hundred, the well army -12 bless you boys, we've had a h -lof a C'inp." ".Now let the sons of l- ---- x « otic." "Bully for you. ""Guri for you. "they cant take us now." Cinuon b .. ] been planted to rake us, when a 17th by, who was in there, on the train th- suite to Rolla, cried out of r finde sake hold on. that is Colonel Beveridge, I know him." Mep. horses, Bags and all, are thickly coated with du. t. A large mon an artillery sergeant, expeed the little Guidon with the Bankers on the left, which the branches on the times
I'm glad you come, we've had an total Neidera, this hetle band ha fought about thirty-sie thersand nel. it has been written that there was
ei da hunund of them.
They were
moth Lechars, nor do I believe there was eight hundred even after we join d
them. The brave follows belong in our history, where we will put them whou we reach Piles Knob. I said we had poucoratel Prices army, how I will prove it. Take your map of Mis- buri, and put your finger on Leesburg. Now up the R R. north-east to Frank- hn, where the enemy were, to Suris- ville, plenty of them there, where one nt our companies went through them that night, to Vienna, north-west a e Jamn of rebs. there, and at Cuba a column followed us there, setting fire to the R. R. property, which was burn- ing when we came back. Yes we were in the center of Prices army, but to Leesburg, there had been a fight.a few dead horses Jay hard by. while a few Tods away a little house had a little ye low dag upon it, which told its tale. We moved north of the track where the umler; oath had grown close up to the station, when his who were posted upon the de put crie ! out here they come ! We sprang for our horses, the infantry tumbled into a recently dug rifle pit, the artiklerists jumped to their guns, hat only a few Johnnies appeared, d. rose an open Geld, but as rapidly dis- appeared From the top of the depot the conted rates could be seen moving around to the suath and west of the station, and we were brought to and min ded with Ewings heroes. We confi- un. by expected to fight, and pile rail- ral tie, up. so as to impede the promis movements when he tries to evan and take us. The large artillery wigeatit was lustracting his men, each . ne having a number, or being known hy a member. Oac of the gunners was a hoy about sixteen years old, light hur. blue eye-, rosy checks. He had the visor of his cap turned up. and hoked as though his mother had re- cently scrubbed him with soap and wa- ter. for his checks fairly glowed. It
was said that he had no superior as a shot with a riffed cannon, in the ser- vice. This was 2d Missouri Battery. or a part thereof. As night fall. pick- ets were put on, every post being fired upon, bat no one was hurt. The cars were loaded with clothing and other army material, to which we were told to help ourselves. Some availed themselves of the opportunity and
like a pir
horse might every om rÈ t ".
with him, one of which he canl. I ... tewporised with very well. Asav .. he made a disgusting cshthitica ! himself. The cars were set on the by us to prevent the property from Falling into the hands of the rebel. "ha wan done under the supervision of thpt. Reuben Baker, of F company, a Ne- acter well worthy of discription. was he and his boys that barnet the. property and was the last to lease Leesburg, except the pickcis, wh .. were left to be captured, but they were driven in and came to the column nr . run. Captain Baker w is a pijgi -ter of the gospel in Jollavis county, in The early part of the war, and was neur known to pray for Jeff Davis and hix legions. 1: 1x reliably reported to me that he gave copperheads Hen to". umbia froto the pulpit, and nach thorougly arroused his sermons would assume a decided politici to ... ... ... He was, and is, a man of warm hoert and generous impulses. Was ... . our very best officers, and is one s Illlinois very best citizens today. Lic still a minister, now a resident of US tawa. I believe the Captain
Aholitineist -- I hope so at any rat. ... Hle stuck by his men fi st. last wie w of the time. and does today. The tro: religious service ever held in our regi- ment was in Capt. Butts com. piny.C ..... Baker, of F, preaching from Ist Ihrer 3-15: "Be ready always to give a te. . son of your hope." In this sermon he gave reks. copperheads and their spis. İ
pathizers the d -1. Hle preach & bear- ly every Sabbath to us, doing in st. respect much better than our Char" ... While on d tached duty at Pat. .
he was invited to preach in a metheny. hood where they were nearly att i .... ... whackers. The Union poop :: :. th Post tried to dissuade him from ces -- ting the invitation, saying the job would kill him if he went up Ware .. preach. He took about thirty of in. buys with him. The distance was phont eight miles. "There wasa big crowd and the hardest looking people I ever stood before." laid his revolver on the til give him, and said he would shout t .... .. person that attempted to leave hof. n he got through, withont his pe"L.ts: ..... One woman asked to go que bert t. : * was through talking. He did Notin a. the last of it while he was with tar boys at Parterson.
1
خذـ
partyla Secured. AMAJOR DOTA CHAPTER AAL
When the Zad D.ccalion left St. I. m. for Glasgow, Cont Baker was For in the hospital, a very sick non As op is he could be moved he was sent where for many works he was amely ill. For eight weeks he Livre he was, fren able to walk
around. In this condition he started ojet. his company at Glasgow. When . e nilived he toand 15 or 26 of his a. s .n the Calaborsa, who, while on a rail. had taken some rebel property. The Captain was very much excited ver : his and in less than an hour had boys out of there and in the com- pany. This prostrated him very much. Most of these boys had been his par- :bioners or Sunday school scholars. and he felt as though they were his chil- Jren. besides the Capt. believes that Charity never fail th. The boys Had done just right. I wonder if this was some of Matlack's work? But I min not through with the Capt. oh, no. El : caso in a letter to me, "A better iot of boys never went into the army chan cor. pany F." At Leesburg.about uro miles of camp fires were built. which cansed the Johnnies to think a Why fores had arrived-and they fell 1ck, having companies F, and G, to de-troy the property. At Rol'a, our comrade mixed his religion with patri- tivm, but they mixed well, in fact. they at that time were about the same ching. He was ou detached duty at the Military Court. He was invited by the people to deliver an address to the Sunday school on Christmas eve. He consented with the understanding that ue was to have one-half the room ; the rid court house) for his friends. In Rolle was a large school of colored children, taught by a lady by the name of Hoeton, a mife of a wini-ter who' ". a friend of Capt. B -- s. He invi- ext her and her pupils to occupy this reservel room. The school came and parked in "like Sardines." the boys afri the balance, Col. Beveridge and No: Matlack were also present. When tp pious? white souls arrived and saw the blacks, many hft. but the house o a packed full. It was the first time white, and blacks together had wer- :1. pred God in Rolla, At Lawrence ho openly mid it was wrong to send the boys on the Plains, but counciled nh. dienee to orders. Several of his Wet Lere remained bat dil tot join
-1 : apt.
Le 'Thi.
For studying some tim wwer the matter, he seat back word that Capt. Baker would not see them, But Reverend Ren- ben Baker would. The conference was hola anl Reverend Baker, assisted Captain Baker in getting his but - out of that scrape. by the "Rev. B.l.r preaching a good deal, and Captain Baker' Being a little. (We will. dur- ing this history, clear the boys from all blame, in the Lawrence affair ) He commanded the 2nd Battalion from Lawrence, or rather from Topeka. to Fort Laruard. He kept oat a heavy line of finkers with orders that if wol- ves, or buffalo's, or anything attached the column, the men must shoot them ant bring them in. The pigs and chickens were very belligerent and the men hund many derce encounters with them, but . ur boys cam. off vietors. To protect the column, the boys were lib- erally supplied with ammunition. At Pawnee Rock, the Capt, with seven or eight men, while riding in advance of the columan came upon some Freight- ers who had an Indian they were going to hang, after they lead taken his Pouy. The Captain remonstrat ! quoting scripture. plead and beaved, but they said they would bang him in spite of the Capt. At this juncture the head of the column appeared, when these Infains quickly sub-idel. The Endian was a friendly one. well known and os. teemed by the settlers. Capt Baker does not know of any oficer having anything to do in getting the ben out to fight Indians, or on the Pl:14s.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.