USA > Illinois > History of the 17th Illinois Cavalry Volunteers > Part 9
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: to : . -
: our trend
;; th flinois tavaly Volunteers,
CHAPTER NXIX.
the big ben terribly besten. The rt for das he takes the lonirt a.l fi awen. They dread our s .- di gre my watching wrath ward
when new I have full chance at him. WasNow diesely on their rear, only a les i os, but ver conta les are coming as fi as they can. Our horses obtain : f. w hours re-t. but the saddies are weten moved. It is a raw cheerless ni_1.t. bu many of us citch snatches of shep bing in front of our horses with their balters tied to their parsons. After a halt of perhaps four hours, we start on, and thet day perforin the big- sat days march on record, if we are vorreiily Informed. We move out eur- is, to the Ing. Soon we hear the boom of a gun, when we start onr horses on the run in the dircetion of the soand. Soon we come upea budles of rope that 1. 1 been thrown from the enemies waydas, harnesses, grind-stones, boxes sad barrels of merchandise, and every- thing from a clock to a spinning wheel, cadery taken from the stores they bad brated. For many miles, were these mitidos strewn over the prairie, the toss bolog cast fran the wagons r Lin: the teams were on the run. Our Frigale is in front ortil the janction is made with Curtis's troops, when for few hours they are ahead of us. As wo ascend a bill we Look back and sec miles of trumps, our boys, who that day help to firmly establien onr flag as the embletu of equal rights before the law, of liberty an I justice --- a veritable jew. ccf liberty live by us, and respected by all nations. We are hungry, oh so Joingry! For seven days the most of uz bave kal mithing but corn picked From the Bells, after Price's army had When what they wanted, and it was gon picking too, mace we came upon a Uut of carcases of cattle, ebont a dozen. the rebe Is bail killed them and cut off the most of the ment, we pick the bones, not having time or wood for a fire, we eat the raw tucit, flere Liny- ri nant Phil. MeRa., who is commaand. lg both companies. C & D, which he dia during the raid, sent one of his commissioned oficers to the rear. Phil. Thought that his courage, like Bob Acres, bri voved from his fingers ends, and thet did not cait Phil. who was ou O ir afrance
Yola
Parent heswww king the. : w. whol a mile we are umin in
ve mods to the left. ... King of the The bening or ide in wit-
inte and Isolated lo filing. Hurrah. brett Prices wagon train. tPlon the La He mul - bonne prestito duir ni- Well' by , me four hundred
"nos driven by negroes whose conn-
hht a es ate -allow with fright, while pa well just enough to make them Wink that their from is scaled. They .eu rid of "Massa Linkams + jours."
mi vainly look for the horny they are did we possess. On, on. still an we Arves. a muere handful of us. Some mr keved out a few scart out, loking Lily out for their personal safety. i. y did not get hurt. Beveridge still . The head, using the spar to his berse to keep her to her work. Wild Bill with us. lis horse running with a img easy stride, the front of his broad canned hat standing up out of his 'e of vision. Fewer and fewer we
.. come, not much more than a good wat for our Generals. Here we ยท on- to a long Lili, not sterp. a porth. vert but it t.les our horses fearfolly. Lost heads are hanging on the runb. tradied by our bridle hand. We look animais around, but no faltering by this little band. It is what we enlist. dior. We know that Price has po
wollery-we barrowed that. We pe ch the bill. Great Heavens what a g .!! Price has his army prawa np in a of battle facing ust, the north, no frost about oue half aile in length, time after time almost as far as the eye can reach. Wetalter -- then C. lonet Be : ridie's "Attention! Battalion! ou 1.f. front into line. March! ' We are * ing seventy to one. Dr. Claw! - usher to the front followed by Dr. Dow, many words in front. This be las as very much, for we were boys from -werten to sweety misthy, are not you Vally cell rehant. W. more and ne halted when we part the lead into Ti, n from o ir carbiner. Tiro moun-
tain lowithers, about the size of a see- " o of store pipe, are throwing shells wir us at the enemy. We are still on to cattemos I f .. Suddenly the rebels
crowd in .id be p to pour a stream of : al inty that carrying band. The Hoveniers throw shells at them, our aun ing r.l. They can not stand it but sheel on the run back to their live Mattin which is breaking by f are An Negotias We cannot follow. Car horses are tired out. Thirteen tr ins company K, fifteen from C, about that from D. About one hun- Ar.4 of. our regiment was there, not mich il any more. We have killed rei- all day long. The width of the rebel colauch on the ground makes it louk as though it had been shaven and repeatedly rolled. A number of inter- esting incidents occurred. One being the slight wounding of one of our boys who rode out to capture a gritty reb who only bad a sabre for a weapon and a male for a horse. Our boy bring generous took him with the sabre, but not until he had lost a little of his own Hand. The rebel eventually recovered but he was severely wounded. Some
of war bay- would occasionally stop w il give a wounded reb a drink of wat- er out of his canteen. lesseving his own saill -apply for that day. We
dismounted from bor horses and could scaredly . and. From before daylight to snn n" hour high, we had been in the saudie and nend'y all the time rid- ing on the run. I heard it said that we had made ninety two miles that day. and in the history of the world it had never been eqa ded. I have also seen it. that we made but seventy miles that We crossed the counties, of' J . Anna, Cass. Bates and nearly across Viruon, which I think cannot be far from ih minety two miles. We proved that Mannuri General was mistaken as regard- our houses, and as for the baby Fut piev'og. to this by tien. Pieasan- ton's orders the companies had inscri- bed on their Guidous the battles of Ouige, Big B'er and Independence.
All did Lood work for their country, and our fighting rreo.dis as good as any. It we were not in as many bai- des, that was not the bays fault, they went whereordered, and were always auxions to meet the enemy.
That day Mejor Fisher was in com- mand of the rear guard, but when he saw the debris of battle.he turned over the command to a subaltern and hast- ener to the front. His own powerful cheatunt dropped, when be dismounted a soldier and came on, getting to us just as the rebel army was going over the hill on the retreat. In the list
much too fast for heavier can. to put
bist hundreds now living know that L have maker under. tated than virtu tell the truth. In that little dy ... just described. on the prairie tour miles south of Fort Scott, the loss to the tu. emy was great, We were partly armed with Sharp's or Spencer carbine & that would bill a mile away. When hit b; one of their ounce balls, he was bady bart. The boys kopt coming ny va! were continually asking for our .!.. and no end of questions. Some get a little sleep. for we expect a repetir eu the murrow. It is a cold raw night and the thieves get in their work upon the tired fighters. Shane! When dan arrives we are wet through from the heavy dew. Horses have been sto len aud there is much unpleasantuess.
A fresh column met Price coming in from the direction of Furt Scott. Thiscolumn bad plundered every village within their reach, bad cleared the Kon- sas line of horses, eattle and sheep. This comparative fresh colmumun bad started to change our right the evenin .: previous, but they lacked norve. Th. next morning we follow on and pi-4 hundreds of abandoned sheep. the poi- rie is again covered wich plander.
The grand is thickly strewn with shells which they have thrown from their wagons. Dead rebels thrown from their Amba- lances in great numbers. Soon we meet with arms abandoned by individ. uals. Yagers enfield rifles and mmc- many valuable- double barreled shot guns, kegs and even barrels of gte- powder. The remment of their wayon train is found burning, south of Mari- as des Cygnes, hundreds of quartersof beef just billed are here piled up ha- doned so soon as our guns began to roar. Our advance struck their rear at Newtonia where a heavy battle ix fought. We are on the left Int .... headed for the scene of battle and pet there after dark just as the battle is over. About righty dead rebels iay behind a brush fonce. They hredov:r our boys who sat on the horses. but the returning volley killed the cighty who fell there in line. The rob's Bet int. the woods. The little village was fill- ed with wounded, and our doctor work long into the night, unul the wounded are cared for.
CHAPTER XXXL wir] ve will comth to this history ur own perciel knowledge, ad- . ig wine che contados may sendt in. Out. 29. 1801. We leave Newtonia tai's morning with ordets to go to smtpheld. Mo.
We pass through the towns of Me- Vernon, and Little York, and reach Springfield the 21st. We went into ca .povar towa, and onch a camp, we !: d nu "deg tents" for the men, and only one 9 foot square tent for the officers, winter set in and -Valley Forge" times, was enacted over again. That night I tried to keep warm in the rent by keeping a fire at the door, the smoke kept blowing in and with only ons blanket for two we had a sorry might of it and one I shall never for- Rer. The horses, jaded and starved to mere skeletons, with a small ration for their suppers. were tied around pro- mistourly (what few we had left.) to trues, stubs &c, the men wrapped in ponchos or blankets, of very seedy appearance, with no prospect of hear- ing 'Boots &: Saddles" in the night, had ling down promiscuously for an all ights sleep, the fist in 20 da . During the night a snow storm set in, amitin the morning P. ground was covered with 9 inches of snow. as I Jeol out I wonder where the boys are, Ican see mounds (like graves) of the show and at one end a hole, yes, 'tis 2 fec, under that mound lies a comrade who has had a good nights sleep. and a eand warm covering, his breath mak- ing a breathing hoie, but the poor an- iwals who have carzied us so far. and for so long a distance, on less than one sixth rations, how have they fared? Seren of those faithful creatures will Fever carry another erirade, they are sleeping never to waken for they are From suf in death. As the sun comes np the eyes melts enough to make it why, we weit the town, and are shows the pl ne whore brore Gon. Lyon teil. In the afternoon the wind this and crisps the show. what will ie do tonight? as I was a privilederd . [links toour kind ofcers.] I "). twee maysend mounting our hotel? Fr Almond cut across the :'. 119 the Lion house, no, cant stop Parte, in the, the next one is a large ges " gott will stop We put out
sets ur
:
fighting thet.r. :. ... vi one room) with fate p .... Da. b.d. we pile on the Me logo, poi then all three pile into that bire feathes be.i.
Are not we happy and comfortable? " A king in his passe is pre oder than we." the boys saut.
But what's the matter? why don't you go to step, boys?
Stop your scratching : ne scretebes another scratches. all scratch the fit gut so but, lighting up the moon. . he day, that we are unconfortall. . the fact is the warm bed bas bitche lout the little white que-always to be found in the seairs of s.blir upder clothing when ou act .. " duts wr b. marchas without des -3- fax: out of bed and extra the same, we sen, well that bd vis alive with Grayhacks, ho 5.4:2 1, ort arcand that fact, there were triton . in it.
We sLook the sheer and jumping in, tofore another . gatlin . und gut to work we were shop . Is! an. did not. awike ubili annan ve H. :: had a good breakfast and ref ..... . "> camp.
Nowwith 1864. The ( Frem La ir . better horses thor the it, chil Lad them, and toilay they stare Font' with what men Lad barses, waba was orly a few from each Co. and they filo .. on after Price into Arkansas
I was put in charge of chad way Inue, having a horse, shu the b. i. a in rank loft in the Co. and .. il disposantel men of the Bugi. .. for Rol :: Mo.
With my hore I em! hoy boys corry ming thi 2., hui tunk it very al www. oniy mi !. miles that day. .... .... some, and atwee tet in the road, and how .... . Nov. 5th. Marche . tomten mak4 and camped. Thing we made miles.
- ing of the int the a nih --- thanh comme tiver, and what ente I'nda springs where we caner d. Non. MA. Went If weles and put
frete wejand wenton to Lit- the Pina to camp.
1
in. I want to take of their stripes and reluse them to the works.
Nov. 16th. Order !; Seresins Tra Stensland came bact and took co: .- w.d. We ret, nothing being uunc but to keep up the five picke: post- aroma ! RAMS cach a mile And .. . One right one of the & parts was drie. en in, a detachment of the Moth war sent out, and after exchanging a few shots the rebels f.d.
One day all the troops were order. I out, they were formed into a large hollow square, in the center was a pres a vagon came in containing a box which set a prisoner, he had deserted inun both armles, and now he is fake o'it with his hands and feet find 1.d .s good at with his back to the 38.ent ti u the pet rix turn are matched up this we are loaded all but as they He saw which has the blank offer pu - the bitch cap er' w heal and ! : o of the prisoner. then mert i back and said to the art. radt, aim, fire, five of them shot ani the balls hit the prisoner, le alip? wa the post His head hoping to one site a Surgena farle his palen, says. dead, the oth man stepped an rat hisgny within a foot of the pre opery heart and fired, killing bum inst .it's He was placed in a box and carried a- og for burial, the tromme were auth- od to their quarters and the thousand ... nt citizens who had come to see the quintino, settori their homes. * : 9th. det . . and Mr . BRG
i ... Ist. The bys commence in i will want & quarters. Der, 381. Went to Liode Pins on a . ... . d returned next day. the 10th. Order- case to go to San vis, bit were countermanded. Our toinnel was he brew red for meritous services.
!!. time on the great
o Pring we will publish the It- uth them to show how they were
Waseca. Minn . May 15 15-2 CHPBADE MALLORY :- I received your card tonay asking me to give an .amount of my capture by the rebels e .th Jobs. Sinford, from J. fiersen Cuy. ar orders were to find out whether he Holds were moving away from 'iri: gh ition of het. We were taken away from the conq any (G) by Capt. Kelly, and given our orders by some officer. (I dont know who it wis.)
Wy atoted out on one of the roads al after going a short distance ve Salted, And I was sent ou alone. I
Weut until 1 could see the enemy's pickets and camp fires, when I stope.l and listened as I had been told to do, " bear if they were moving their waron train. I heard wagons moving, sad thought I would go back and re- port, I turned and had gone bael but Afew iods when I met sime troops sving towards the rebel camp: think- ing them to be our men I asked where they were going, they said. to can p; I told them they had better nov 20 that way any farther, they then asked ". . want regiment I belonged to, and I nudli them the 17th Ill. Cavalry, they .vi role all around me by this title and when I told them what I beloved in their guns were aimed at me quita :- 6 lash, and I was told to hop iny ; is on which I had in my hand aimed At dem. as I discovered who they were s soon as they did me. They made we di- mount and walk into camp, not Ferro- far away as I had been out and They told me I was not going back the same road I had went out, and was getting into another partof their eat.p. They asked me how I came to get to the wrong road, and I told them I Joiet have been asleep.(but dont bina ! war, although very sleepy, having byen on guard the night before.) they wok all my arms and equipments be- fore we went to camp, and on our arri- val ut their camp. took all my clothing bus mig shirt and pints, then I was . fra to Gen. Jeff Th mapson's Head- . .. ers, and he questioned me about :hr files we had in Jefferson City, who os it rainand. and was very partieu- . in the estivas aste the number
r infrecvent, or not, after he hai noked ail che questions he want a to they took me back to one of the lines. it res ju wa sting day lig it, they asked une il Is thisd anything to ret, and of cuttse I told them yes, they give me a big East and told me to help myself out of a big ox they had inst killed. 1 rut what I wanted red broiled it on the fire, and was having things pretty nice, when the order was given to march from there.
The Rebels were on the retreat ind I had to run most of the time to keep up, as they commeneed to make fore. d marches the next day, I was put along with other pri-oners, they had taken Some ML. S. M. wear the little place called California. After marching out of Boonville they stopped us and brought some Niggers up to where we were, and told us they wanted to show 1> some of our relation, they then commenced shooting them and killed every one, about 15, I expected when they were all shot that we would get it, but we didn't
We made a long march that day and I lumglar foot and almost naked sufficed terribly. my feet was cut and so bruised that they bled at every step.
The nights were cold, and alter me- king a running werth alt day. to sleep of the bore gio in I without any pro- tection from the enli, made me feel a httle old aan I have not felt all right since.
I was jarolled on the bank of one of those creeks in south west Mo.
Sime of the Missouri Militia was parolled at the same time and started la me, as I did not know the geography of that conotry I went with them un- til they branched off for their homes, and I kept in the direction of the river until I crashed into Jefferson City. I was a hard looking sight when I did reach there, what few cloths I did have was completely worn out, I was sick and very Imac, and I tried to pet some clothes from the proper authority. but as I had no requisition I could not get any. I then went to the Provo Mar- shal, and as quick as he saw me he told me if I wanted to live long I had better go to the Hospital, he gave an order and wat an Ambulance with me to the Hospital.
Here I was taken care of, wasbed up and given clean clothes, had a run of the fever, and when I got over that they tried starving mie about as bad a4 the Red's did, but the Dr. said it was best. After my feet was healed up [
like m.s .it.
I was soon e changed and returned to our Co at 1b3. , Mo. Arrived a few days before the troops there were o"Jered awe, (Jan. 19, '05.) Ever jours, T. BROWN Estridge, K.n., Des. 18. ISS1 FRIND Ina :-- I will try and comply with your request and send you . sketch of my life as a prisoner with the Johanies.
It will be necessary for fue to com. mence this narrative on the eventful night in 18Ck (Oct. 13th ) that Co. fr was sent out on vidette enty from Boonville, about ten miles I should judge.
On arriving there and coming to a halt, we dismounted by order of Capt. Kelly, he then gave the order, thet, not a man should go to sleep, and ob, How hard we tried to obey car kind oficer, but it was next to impossible. expecially in my case for I souber struck mother earth than my arm ran through the bridle rein and ! was wrapped in the arms of sweet slumber, to he woke up very suddenly by being sut up in the middle of the road with Cap. shouting in my car, didn't I tell you not to go to sleep you little enss? Cap. then went on up the line," on his returu, my neighbor, Eh Dunn, was sleeping so streeti. that Le could have been heard for a halt mily that night, it was so still, he was ar- gently stood upon his feet in the road and informed that it was against or- ders. Passing up and down the line Cap managed to liven us up by doing quite an amount of cursing and jerking the members of Co. G.
In the wee small hours of morning we were ordered to remount and return to the vicinity of Boonville, where we were permitted to unsaddie and rest short time, lulled to sleep by the ene- my's gans, and I think that that little rest was very much needed, especially by our Capt. who done such goa' qu on guard that night, pacing his leat and snatching men baldhen ?- d.
That morning after a seanty In. ' .! Hard-tack and S.B, we were ordered to fall back to California, a8 WO WoCE out of rations and consequently hed so fall back to our supply train.
Volant vers.
mute happendi viem Jam dertien, Gur Gates and alter ation hed to the marquard ! i.g. a .lind about a hat mile, was The magic, presto change, we total of by about thirty of the Conies. then it wes the tall common- Henret. After exchanging shots a safe the Rebels marie a charge of us. It was here our comrade Gov. He's got the name of "Pisgah Learer" for nie lea: s. he began to look for a better position, and expied it, as he though's art se a small cloning in vune du ber, le at once proceeded to wweups it. Having no further use for Vi hors. he kindly left him with us. ir causing derive said field to the time- bor ] do. ' think I ever witnessed such a display Enerd. perhaps persuaded inte by muiunie balls and shouts of ladt! you Yankee sou of a .... . But wy belt for Gange, that position was too good to loose, there was a point anea l and he made it. (Ilis wisdom saved him from capture, for a short tis after he came to the company, whit.aya -beet. We had been out foriging with Richard Hipwell Co L. had just left a nice supper table, -but he left ro grab to speak of-and got- ben back to the road, when George G. wint by like a streak of greased light- ning. We took the hint and followed, etJ although he was a foot and we on ber-back, yet we did not catch him autil be reached the command. Ed.) We were surrounded and invited to sarieoder and get down from our horse; after taking in the situation ata glance 1
*. concitolel i could be better to do W. vore rain and there captured 1.5 the Zni Arkansas Rebel Cavalry. After being relieved of our horses and everything of note that we had, we etwbronce honored with the com- 3"104, at least it looked that way, as we striking out thead on root, they follow- ing it the rear with drawn sabres. For show hive wike we les the charge, then we were reduced to the ranks and Jul- ins and [:p. : Liken up behind the B lang: 2. Our new positions were on the back of tam pretty reed traveling rab-, and je this way we rede to Boonville, walking over army matters. Le wald not agree viry well, and at 12 p. m. we arrive ! in Boonville.where wy rested two Hours, then, at the hu- on call we were everel ont to the ad-
antit am . the
of Rap Pare's com i slucht may be had 50,00 10, but I suppose 20 you : El be near-r the 1.cts.
The prisoners were there fatte into a - pad of .but 20 and tan be drew cour bist cations frota the Co fot. erate army, consisting of a half pint, f Hour and a piece Final Manches > quan this was one days rations to but hat
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In our squad we were lucky un ich to have an old cobyed man that we called aucle Ned heartel ar popul .... sary and couk for us, on going into compat night wade Med would get the water while we built the fire. then he would take his dishpan, which con- sisted of an old barnum handker- chief, put about ten rations upon it mixed up with water, rolled it out and marked is off in sinal squares, each mans part, then we would produce the meat that we drew in the morning ated had carried in our ve [ pocket all ivy, with oue hoe-cake rolled around . st. . k and a se and stick to - a patto at we could manage to smoke one and warm the other.
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After supper all hands for bed, to Uture of a task than to take the one blanket which they had provided for two men, and that resembled a screen door with the net work minus and the fraute left.
A number of times they gave us opportunities to join thent, then it was that they would levar our minds freely expressed, they would then curse us and come down not severe on ns. As the days proved on, ont re- tious were cut short rard they cani-t. ed of two cars of corn every night to the man, this they would bring the a sack and say: "T. . ou gentlemen d nt like cere you can try the cute. "
Several times did Da.c Porl. T .! and others of Bul Anderewax prix call amount to talk inu .. Tout world converse like a man, Dave Und Ainal- By offered the guards, in the us over to him, and he would muster to ont, you know their mode of mustering out, (to shoot.)
Finally at Lexington, during the figat, l ingroved the opportunity which presented itself, when the guards were mapping. I ... .. i vat iroce under their care about 9 o'clock in the foregoon, walked arsunu among the Johnnies for awhile conversing, I was careful not to be in a hurry so as to excite suspic-
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I. " nem City with mary & Wirt in a het. there I found the eso mid 4.el Join Me Allister, who kindly took ie in charge and done all they could for we, let as I said before I was th- Wate ! rwas in ale application at the Bigit, but could not get in, to- tebi of poor medicine- and bandases
portation toschonis and receiving i- went theme. Though the kindness ar some triemal. I re-ned some clothing. and after a few days of recruiting ! proceeded to Rolla whore as you all Lnow I joined my ofl comrades.
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