USA > Illinois > History of the 17th Illinois Cavalry Volunteers > Part 7
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Thus have I truthfully narrated a: few of the many excellent qualities of a God fearing. noble, whole-sided pat- riot. Ile was and is an koser to t- and Comrades, I know you will join with me in wishing this Comrade well.
Late in the night we kit Leesburg. riding very slowly. As we uvared Cuba the long piles of cordwood was in some places a mass of glowing coals, is eth- ers, the flames were roaring. The next day we reached St. James, where Gen- erals MeNeil, Ewing, Fletcher and oth- ors awaited us, many gons drawn up near the R. R. track puinting westward toward a heavy column of the enemy, who had been marching on a road run- ning parallel with the one we had been marching on. Our rerimzat moved out in line of bottie, but the column of rebel- disappeared in the timber,and in All probability f. Il back to Vienna. We moved on down to Rolla, still in the rear, and arrived there soer time after darkoves when the rain in tan
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none of us are a haun : .:
At this than Glovesor Fletcher hay recently reserved forat Shwomen's antes near Atlante and cathe north to make a rare for the whitenatorial position : . the Re; Michs Laid sominated his
primer, was finally exchangel, ani for callant conduce was bevatted Brig. Ile went into south-east Mt convi via Arcadia, and became a vol- Just. er aid to General Thomas Ewire. who, with this little band of less than nine hundred men, (considerably less) bad est tel twelve thousand of Prices arty, killing more than their entire num- ber Plet cher was cheted by nearly forty the usand mosrity. He was principal- ly self educat. 4. hejns too pour to avad Himself of educational privileges. His people were prostivery in b-lief, while tuany of my readers will remen.be; that in the proclamation just after his in. augeral. said that "in Missouri no person should know any munster but Cod." Whether General Ewing was a nephe v of W. T Sherman. we do not positively know, but wherever he beluaved he was a very capable man. What became of those cattle? We never learned rus rather think they went into Prices army. yet they might have been diven into some lonely region, and kept - crered until all danger was past. It is barely possible they reached Rolla, where they would be safe. Comride .. before going further on the raid come with me back to Camp Kane, where in this history I have overlooked the first daughter of the regiment, our only fetade commade. On March 27, 1464, Conrade John B. Gill, of M. company then only nineteen years old, took the girl he loved the best, Miss Mary G. Ah Clane. then only seventeen years, and in the presence of the entire regi matu! were joined in the holy bonds of wedlock, by the Reverend Major Mat- lack. At the close of the ceremony w. cheered them to the aby dos. rade GEL, was born in Byron. O. t'n, Ill. as was his wife, or fi somme 1. by rather, who to show her po. tiotom and love for her soldier ben and to give his comrades pleasure be- carte in our presence, his wife. The trait of that naion is Sve daughter, and two sons, the eldest daughter bergs married. Comrade Gill is living in Ft Dodge. Dwa, in the grocery busi- ness, and is prosperous and happy. I handy box Mrs. Gill's pardon for nit putting her in the history where i. property belonged.( I make this repara- ton from no promptings, bat my own memory, claberate data bing kinglv furnished by Comrade E. P. Phillip's of M company ).
5th 1 mots Cavalry Relat ers.
eres is secured. All Lopes bitte] CHAPTER XXI.
Gur regimen in pait was ch or 4 by veterans of the Sth amel 12th 10: Loi. Vol. Cadres, some of S' meer man that has toon heter on tutti Bild .. This of course gave ne situata- gies over other regiments that were det .o happily elrenm-ian ed, oil; r. i. p]
way The mainity of the latter were god for nothing, but the other offer would stick by them. right of art;, .beeinse officers mu-t stick fourther."
One had a cowbell bought for him 's keep him awake while scouting of r basichackers, another changes his mi- form to citizens clothes while the bushwhackers are all around them. The next morning we start for J.H. .. son City, how many I dont know can. der General McNeil.). the 17th haring the post of danger. There was quite a little army of us. It has been said there was a race between us to get in- w. J. fferson City, a statement I dont Wiers. Price could not have got into a worse plare, for with the river at his back bis losses would have been heavy. and had he stopped to fortify he would never got out of there ouly as a prison-
er. The rain came steadily down max- ing it hard on all. particularly the Ar- tillery horses who in ascending some of the clayes hills would get stuck in
the mud. The Artillery men would lend an assisting hand and soon the horses would be toiling up the hill slowly dragging the heavy cannon and cassions after them. We Til mois heys
were favorites with them, owing doubt- Is, to the Leesburg affair They dub- bed us the Silver Greys, naming us af. tes the color of our Colonel's hair Our little gunner was along, visor of the . ap turned up, cherbs as may av eter. is we one day rode by them, their lor ... panting, he sang out, "hello yon ledly Leesburg fellows, we'er attachel t. you now. The 2nd Missouri Battery and the Saver Greys go together and ve calf-rope (take back ) notinng." His condades were laughing, while Se Gas shouting his open admiration at us. It was with brief hults a march of day and night until we got there. The wird might we crossed the Osage River. the Artillery was packed on the south side of the road on the west bank of the river. In crossing the bottom or
Car ling beside the river, we enenun- mnd of the consisbirey
camice the Milani tot of the. Waa J. F.cons city. camp ng i. the light timber ou the east side of the bad. What un suited mal Ars det. tin_ ready to tanke supper when che Ungle s mind. d. "bouts and saddles." "Harry! hany men! the rebs are .fr us." Every one junger as for his life. "get into The hete, hurry, leury for God's s. ... Burry." The Artillery went by tis Jefferson city ward on the run. what we soon were slowly following. The cting in my opinion had us just where they Wanted u . and where doubtless to : expected we would su. render with- ont battie. One General is reported Ax wanting to surrender, Brown. but C. lunel Beveridge absolutely refused taban us included, saying he could atol wouil rut his way out with us. This ended the entender business. We lay close to the city all night in line of battle I left Phil McRae :. t Rammak after Bill Anderson who was heading for Puces army. At this place Phil reenen ordeis to join us at Jef- fer- 1. City or in that region for we hai no carpets down or window eur- tains up of any place just then. For a day of tro phi vort- the Bush whackers het i ent Litter verv scarce, not over They were fleeing
from Phil Ve : e and his men and join- jug Pap P'r. .. They were afraid of Ph.lin or od y - . for at Cortraha Phil swure he wow tover take a bush- slasher premier. In less than ten days they knew he meant to keep his math. Hva man those boys mustered vat while a rth of the Missouri River we don't know, hast Major Johnson and bis lach were well avenged. Phil says he was only about six hours bebind at the Centralia Massacre. Besides find- ing the pahtis scalped and a bullet hole over the left eye, many had their throatsent fromi car to ear. some stuck in the thuait a, hogs are usually killed. Seeing this MeRae registered the above oth which was religiously kept. He slates that our hundred and fifty-three were killed there instead of one-hun- dred and ton. These comrades arriv- ed at Jefferson City as wet as drowned ratu, and the next morning companies Caml D were ordered out on a scout to see if they could find Price. These companies cuno up to the Orage River at the same time Shelby's rebel caval- ry appeared upon the further shore. Our boys holloved to them, inquiring who they were, and in response eame, "the 7th Kansas (union) Cavalry, which our boys unfortunately believed. An- other ford one mile above, to which
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to gibt thimethods my. besides inting ridtion ( tr . journey to LAbly was ist tiste, linee they fell lack river mein gott where the pad med . much travel was confusing to 400 Tl. y did not know aleit. 0 4 : 0 ahead. b bind orin thosepre ce Bit. .. armiy. While deta .Fre in el aire guard a volley was fired into them by four companies of Mis auri St ... Mi. litia, but owing to their clothingi. 19 hard to distinguish chem from the mn emy. They Ared them volleys at Off boy-, hitting n, one: shooting too high. Phil de-covering who they were rode among them cursing them as long as he could hold his breith. The Migjor said that he had been told by Capt. June: that the company C boys had been can. tured and that the enemy tried to foot him, and added, fire into the first wien he saw. Company C fell back about forty rods, but soon went forward to where the fighting was, and Phil met the Major he had "cussed a few minu- tes before," shot through the nosc. The Militia fell back when company C bell the enemy until the Militia had fallen "back about a half unile", when our boys fell back, our infantry (aking the Johnnies in hand. The remarks at- tributed to Colonel Beveridge at the council of war, I have from several sourees. not however from bim. I am thus particular in this from the fact that the infirmiti. s of advanced sgo, and the zeal of youth are not unfre. quently misleading, and as experience warus me to be careful, I will quote as authority for my information of Colo- nel Beveridge's position on the surien- der business, one Lieut. Pi.il. MeRas. i have other informants, lent we will let Phil. lead the forlorn hope, while the reserves will be ready if necked. This sounds very pretty. We real of the charge of the six hundred at t. ^ battle of Balaklava, the story of which has been iruwortalized by Tereyroa. "We were but six hundred, ber bery the for, We know not, we cared not to know." Our number we will put at five hundred. Five hundred out their way through fiom tw Ive to thirty six thousand of the enemy!
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Not athing. Pol
Em we fety pe willen Er . .. ar quente to que at the very best . two bar in the 17th Iumoi- Ca.al ... the wep S. K. Crawford a prin who. hoy no rank, all luis pianoles that bare ch Vine and siled to de heir du. que man who loved the boys auch man- Hjem ( As love, as I will power b fore I wa through wich thas history INun; Incive, > >- Speaking of Philip Melthe (prive bor he wash, dont fail to gather the facts in the episode south E JoBersim City, Men, where Phil with El command of two companies. en. uroenfricd a part of John F. Philips vap maod, bed quite a bench with them. You may remember about a song Ma- jor Miflick and asy Obterly composed in part on the subject. I have forgot- top all or nearly all of it. I may be »blo tothink some of it up for you. ights episode occuand just before This arrived up in Jefferson City. I . an now recall a couple of lines of it. When the friendly troops were firing aron each other; MeRae thinking Y'allly- command were rebels. Philips Taking Mo Bar's commend were pb- cis. no made Phil sa,: . Amintor lin of battle " since was heard tr say, We are Somlist Boy's tront UNmois. And I am Phi M.I ... " Very Truly,
March Tth. '86. CRAWFORD. When Pbil started on the raid he managed to supply his men with un. develothing, but he himself became short and about the time he got to the Dry wool the gray-barks began hop- pisz around. He took a rebel camp Atthe and taking off li- shirt and drawers. washe l and boiled them, and Suns then up to dry over the fire. Wiele any ware drying he fell asleep. u . p . Meued to find shirt and graw. cis : warmed up and scattered to the four winds of Heaven. 1 man " ai samy size went the balance of the trip -without s! it or drawers." West from Jefferson City about one > ile and a half we were ordered to Fruity. A large amount of cora food. 1. Was packed from an adjoining field. war . at homes. The (' and D hots in next to the ther, facing west neat to whom stre e m pantes E, F, G ani H. Companies [. K. L and Mi joined these at right angles, stending eastward. Before throwing up breast. vigne ve moved out south on the road
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being every time men. and don't! .. he thought it was in birli mous to
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bare not the beast doubt the curry were laughing at ne. or possibly think- tag we wished to draw them withme range of our ownmy - We haring something brandos ma lety . in Font 1 did not cut our way out, dit not fire a shot. Had Phil Fisher been in cotti. mand. or Pas. MeBlue, we, without much doubr. would have stirred them np a little, got whipped of course. Ar- tor playing Soldier a while we fell back arI fortified. under the supervision of Phil. Fisher, who. thank God, was with us - Soon the Jobunies drove in the Militia, who had taken our place -. The enemy planted their Artillery in the Fair Grounds and the battle open- ed, not on us. nor with us. Oh! no. we were simply spectators. The f ;ht was about a mile and a half to the cure of us. For a while the canton boomed It was Prices fear guard fighting wir hoy s. The Johnyies had eight killed, who want to sleep in the Fair Grounds. Ont Inss, trong. My informant vas the Res. Salzer sho Was one of the Militia ant for a samt- ber of star- wia aprister of the fros- p.I in tlas vielnit, wh .. firstly phy- sirian I was. A J. Saith w. coming to our relief with bs commind, and Price knew that is had only to wait a little when a thethe world is forent. honer he went wewould. we slowly following. Several ri var ney lotus been captured the night previne, but the statements i have teren si are so conflicting in this to tter that the rules of evidence ex bude the part. tions. One incident is worth mention. ing perhaps. A Sergeant and one man was captured while on the road run ning parallel with Jefferson City. a mile or more sonth.
had left their horses in a poplar thicket about eighty rods from the road. the Sergeant having only his te- volvers with him, the other hi- gun which was leaning against the fence in the angle. While talking. a body of a dozen rode up when the Sergeant said, boys you must go back to thecom. mand for soon as dark comes, orders are to fire on every one on the road. It is about dark now and you must go through the fence and back to the com- mand. Rob. All right.give me a chew of tobacco. The tobacco was handed
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wod with the .. isoners. Soon .he Gengine af stat rights e me up, each nav aring the opinions of the other. F. : j.d. sald. "you have the New York Till .ne by huit. ' Our boy retortins; "am ha e forgotten nothing Calhoun (ser apl or il" "You are correct." lo the hill ofjesite to where we ran, inen, the night we went into Jefferson Che var buss were taken, where an ex- et ! radiantly assembly was form ], Most haalt of whom wore a federal uni. karin, or a part of onc. With Lut lit- tle, in fact no trouble, our boys wont away together. The rebel pickers were off and our plekets only werelers on, but were not encountered. TX- overcoats covered their revolvers the sabers were strapped to the mine". The loss our bags experienced
Lew of tobacco. Others of our boys were captured, some of whom got av. . that might, others at different Ove got away on white river . Lis way to the 40th Ill. Infan. :: . ther fetched up in Andersonvide I --- un. Some are reported deserved of one at least I shall want furt'. - evidence. Ithink he fell into ti .. Fools of the Johnnies and probably co Posted to save imprisonment or perhaps death. He was a southerner vy birth, but a Cuion man of strong faith.
While: behind our breast-works INsh- niformed us that Gen. Pleasantup h. t arrived; a man under whom Vis .. r Nad serve i in the eastern army, who proved ac excellent oficer, though rear o all of our field officers were full .8 tight.
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iggy to the townity of A
wateraid to Boonville.
... Califoraty w . come ago by
Q. han lial of the one afor ever
the turning work hard of Pries. Vov showed grands way of two 'nga -- that be either lot a large ar- how that he was . r. kb-4, Kaddish att. The last he was not, and as to t ... Dy-t I think his actions fully wal- wanted is in the belief that the thirty. A thousand men be was reported to , was not overestimtel. Gar a tal er et this time cannot be told, bet ti were !; comparison very few. too r !" risk a general engagement, Jet. this is war guard was kept patty chan a, He main army.
About this time som thongit that Drie was going into I wa and his te. Afchy warrantel thay pil.of. but WILP BILL
i. v w rith as, and as he saved !: 4 ir rup are the second night from .... .. .. I vill Jeseribe Inu, giving : . thestory of a man whose bort is it belonged to the law and
El ana Man in Illinois, ont RMS Bo Chum Pe ria. company K was raised in the sam : ggiborhood and was personally ac- pusinted with the mother atal brothers and knew Bill slightly. He used t ". that the only mischief Ball ever od inio was fencing across a traveled vand one night for the people to dis. moment and remove the prets, that Bill h xd used for fencing. from their ruas.l. This beyich caper 'a the only erstbiet reported of him while at logie At the age of fittren he went. Btw the Rocky Mountains ami breame · tripper and hunter and leter a anide turr wwws traversing the lonely re. At tines his head-quarters
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un nước the chọn để Bih Killing X- a las and has entre eux, on the i've just lestore, the war. Me Kan. las pousted that he was the bally of 1. . Rocky Moratwins, and at Gue of twar mountain rendrevous Bill beat Site at circo practice .od threw bim while wresthe. The bully threatened tenerane , but I'd offered to fight him with rifles, pistols or knives, yet the bully swore revenge and would not fight. J. B. Stork. wow of Freeport, Ill. was working for the Pony Express Company at the time Bill was caught in a house mar one of the small sta- tions, by the's gate: He is my infor- want of this put of the narrative, saw ine dead mien. and saw Bill after the figli was over The mob burst into the room where Bill was, and when the icht way over only he was left 1.ty bat was severely wounded in muitoy seis. After he recovered from the wordis he shui in sto k for a wish in the southwest, hat qually be- came a spes for the I nion being usually under Cut .. or Strel All have read of hi, leets of waring at Prairie Giove ar. When cio -hoz the Arkansas river between the tro armies, deserting from Prise. coming to ne. Bill has previously been described. On the raid he nord for horses, the Last was the veritable "Binh Nell' two of the others were chestnuts, skh some white lers, one Ising considerable white in the fre. the other was a sorrel a part of Loth land legs living white. Nell was ,Dh all over. I saw ber after the rond. at Holla, though she was with us on the maid. When going into the en. Cap. . Times he Always took Nell.
We novel up to and through Cali- fritas following slowly Prices rear grund. this main army lay at Boope- wot . southeast of which lay Marmadu- ko. Division, southwest lay Cables Di- vision,making an animated inverted V. . Wat you walk into my parlor says the spader to the tiy?" and we walked in, the Brd batillion and perhaps the whole regiment. After dark we move eanti- ou-ly forward and camp near a farm h .... c. About a half mile northwest. the rebels can be plainly seen throwing Falls on the fires, whose games are wanting high F.Ating up the wizard hike scene. Fisher is moving silently around. Oare lowly . peaks. "Anoth- er Par'ks. ille affair, Major." "Why you
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ble. The ring - the les disenseted the top and
warned, and onderd back.
the men are aronsed, the vas!
not knowing how near wo ci Gb to ing cobbled ap. The en my were di- ready making the necessary mite capture ur. That night Bill ne. a rebel scout. One and there and Can but it was not W el Bill. Ac Lesing- tou he was antrung the robs dealing pat death with his revoivers, Was forced .. ed by someone who for his temerity lost his life. Bill sent him to che har py hunting grounds. It is written that William Hitchcock, alias WIRD Bill, has killed hundreds of mon : d never picked a quarrel with any ang being. He acknowledged that op weg a fighting man and weald d rend l. honor. Never giving an insult and never taking one. ) had the bogor to once take him by the hand. and I cou- sider it an honor (h! if I could only have done as mmc! for our country as he, but I have to fall back and say T did the best I could. Many saturated with sickly sentimentanty will shude. at this warin tru .] cartedloyalfellow. who daily Locam- a target for the enendes of our country, who held his bfe cheap where our flag was concerned. May he rest in peace. He was killed at Deadwood by an assassin who cropt np and from behind shot oar comprade through the base of the brain. bath was instantaneous. The murder . 3 .x hung at Sioux City. Thus died the seout of the phiins, our scont. Icould write hours of him, and with piracent sadness. T wish his remaiu- might rest in zone We love his memory. National Cemetery where the stars and stripes, the colors of fought for might float over him, whove we, when in the sere and yellow leaf, might storl vy his grave and recount his de ?!- . i've very and honor. The killing of the ten muen that belonged to the M.Kood- las gang in that awful fight chows the mans pluck as well as endurance. Bill was not the only but was the greatest scout we had.
Exp dennis th . where a bottle [. rozirz. the
: . .. n. D. S.Fab both of company There men tal lets st. Joseph, Des checonter 'ta thous- M. 1. wonder t in front a part of Dallas crossed the Mas ywi river : 'Sserwis part vem melig on the south bank Som where they prare ! in s' toi shot and shell. The 23] Missou- Fi Care Militia was there and drawn up in line of bottle. Or our ide Brig. Genl. Harding was in rommand. The I stile openadd on the north side of the tto. The woods including the town in a semicircular form in this direction were about a half mile distant. leaving a level open prairie on which the buck of the fighting took place. The battle lasted nine hours, our losses being one hundred and twenty. the rebel los- not being definitely known. One inform- wat says their loss was two hundred. bre this is a self evident mistake. The fos Cavalrymen present were mider the care or Lieut. Coi. Dennis J. Agnes Pho, one informant sags wanted toment he: war . brough the rebels! The web o: Balakhiva, Leonidas and his spartan band sinh into utter insignificante compared with such statements as the vnes refered to ab .ut cutting "our way out' in this history. We were fight. ing our brochete, our own fish and Mona, and if your historian did not ex- uvise great care, this history would be a très of bombastic efusions thor- ugly saturated with statement; that vista put Sancho Panza and Don Q. ', Hight. The school house at Glas- w x.seenved into a hospital, the hospital fag erveted, but the building was fired upon, though the rebels said th fevad not see the flag upon the 1. olding Finally the Lone Jack Bat. tory of the enemies brought forth the v hite nag from our side for men w. fr paroled, made their way to Berie- ville. from theare to Jeferson Cityand Muerto Beacon Barracks St. Louis.
Licat. Com. Hynes, Lieet Eihidg. mal P. Farage were the comr . fe- from bor regiment that became prisoners of
At this time the lich was farmial- ing many prisoners. At Jefferson City Ne dried war, at Bonneville,
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Killedby the waiter, but in the main Query 1. Pic conidi san ou :1. usand to : ) to Glo man. and ha .. troups enough left to h ld as in check . how many soldiers did i . le
Same nidignities was erved to e :- antes that favored the Ching cause but th a few weeks the costporub nt war .. turned with competed int rest . 10. 1 Until out parole pri mers reacting Jefferson City, they safeted want tor want of fort. on. soting ! t .4's eight hours proved with ut nantam ing a bit of food.
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3.1 Battalion and Acht Betart to within seven mile of M.And We moved very carebadly out obtained the information that Fried's army was passing through that j! we, or rather a portion of his arney, fue to was march- ing in three column . Thi. cohina was the one e ming from Hong site. Staff tastes were taking perday. mete skirmishes from Marshall be that areinits, the 3rd batt thon a a body took the first un- interrupted sleep they had for ten days and nights. Shopping na a hill a few miles west and a hotle south from Lex- 1+2mm. The reader will understand that we got out of the way of Prices army. or if he will take a map of Mis- souri, and note the following places he will readily see that we did -tha-www. Lexington, Marshall, Baonevilir. Georgetown, Independence. Posant- hill and Kansas City. The next di. many were sent to the Year. They had become tired hit the rest of us, but the most of theirexc . wewere frit. olous, mere pretense to avori dat; ord finger. They joined the ter . hote they stid uotil dang r ha !! pr ... I bc: the bravery. hepsism, and persona-i vis- rifee they exhibited darm. ( a tone that tried nam to their adbest, a to- cording to their statements truly come vig. truth. At this time General .1. J Smith was marching his men to the utmost to car assistance but they stop at Phasant Hill as we were rapidly leaving them. I suppose the reader mo-stands that Fisher had put the ard But they squarely ser -. therebel Mivistere ming from Boonestile who avoided us by deviating to the north nearly seven tailes. They could have Given es back but there would have resulted a big battle, which evidently
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