USA > Illinois > History of the Fiftieth Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry in the war for the union > Part 9
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In the meantime, General Pope, fresh from his victory at New Madrid. Mo., joined the army with thirty thousand men of all arms and was assigned to the left of the advance, his army being designated the left wing.
The days came and went until time dragged, and it was. therefore, a matter of congratulation when marching orders were received. With alacrity the Fiftieth took up its line of march, but from the start the movement lagged and dragged. Breaking camp on the 1st day of May, Monterey, thirteen miles from Shiloh, was not reached until the Sth, and here the divis- ion of which the Fiftieth formed a part, remained for several days. However on the first evening after arriving at Monterey the brigade commander discovered what seemed, at the time, to be a battery masked, and orders were issued to strike tents, and preparations were at once made to meet a force of the enemy. That night the whole command slept under a pelting rain. upon arms, ready for an assault, but when morning came, investiga- tion developed that the masked battery was nothing more than logs set up to resemble guns. Near this "masked battery" was the dead body of a Texas soldier. Upon examination it was found that he had between the lining of his vest a steel breast- plate, which made a good shield from front attack, but in an unguarded moment he had exposed his side through which a bullet had entered, thus ending his service. A letter in his vest evidently from his sweet-heart, written from her school-room at New Orleans, requested him, in love's most tender and endear- ing tones. to bring her some Yankee finger bones for a necklace.
Just as the regiment was going into camp before the mask
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od battery episode. a drove of fifteen or twenty sheep and sev- ·ral pigs, which had escaped the observation of the Johnnies, suddenly broke into view more directly in front of the 7th Illi- nois, which, owing to their expertness in foraging, wore the honorable title of "Cook's Crampers." As soon as the boys of the Fiftieth beheld the welcome sight a deployment was made, without orders, and the flock and drove was corralled, and, be- foro the "Crampers" knew it, the Fiftieth had fresh meat for dinner. From this time on honors were easy as between the two regiments,
Although in front of the enemy the command was not idle. General Davies, commander of the division, occupied Wery opportune moment in drilling by brigade and division. This was absolutely of importance for, by these means comman- ding officers became acquainted with each other, and the men grew the better educated in those formations and movements so necessary to the successful operation of troops in the field.
On the afternoon of the 13th a slight skirmish occurred near Monterey in which two men were wounded, the enemy be- ing driven off.
On the morning of the 16th, Alfred P. Zolman of compa- wy G, on detail at the ordinance quarters, was sleeping near a number of muskets leaning against a pile of ammunition. His "bunky," Henry King, was lying nearest the guns and, upon his rising first, Zolman rolled over into the place just vacated. Without warning, a decayed tree broke off about ten feet high, and falling, struck on the boxes of ammunition and, rebound- ing on the guns, slipped down directly on the head of Zolman, killing him instantly.
The several vacancies in the list of commissioned officers caused by resignations, sickness and wounds, produced consid- "rable speculation as to the succession, and the officers in com- mand were made up as follows :
General Davies commanded the division. The third brigade, of which the Fiftieth was a part, was commanded by Col. Baldwin, 57th Illinois. Capt. Smith, company B, was act- ing Colonel; Capt. Gaines, company D, acting Lieut. Colonel ;
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Capt. Hanna, company E, acting Major and Lieut. T. W. Let- ton, company C, Adjutant. The return, however, of many of the absent officers put a change upon the face. of affairs as will be hereafter noted.
, In the meantime Capt. Smith of company B, was strick- en down with sickness, and was forced to go to the regimenta! hospital. In the natural line of promotion he was entitled to be Major, but during his illness Capt. Samuel R. Glenn, of com- pany H, in some way, possibly through certain influences at home, forestalled him and received a commission as Major te date from April 28th, 1862, vice Major Randall, resigned.
Under the advice of Surgeon Kendall, and owing to il! health, Capt. Smith tendered his resignation which was after- wards, on June 1st, accepted.
Slowly advancing, the enemy stubbornly resisting, the column of which the Fiftieth was a part, finally reached a point within six miles of Corinth, and encamped on a ridge which was strongly fortified by well constructed intrenchments and breast works, and here it is proper to insert a bit of life history from the facile pen of the gallant McGillicuddy, entitled "A Brave Defender of the Flag."
"It has been truthfully said," the Captain writes, "that the unwritten history of the late war would prove the most in- teresting were it possible to produce it.
" The voice of history has been silent as to names and deeds of the real heroes of the war. Battles have been recorded with the names of those commanding the forces; and a roll of the regiments and of the officers taking part in them. Is it not fitting that a record be made of the rank and file that won them that the world may know who were the men who marched to the cannon's mouth ; who received its deadly fire; who step- ped in places of fallen comrades; who held the colors of their regiment or closed about to defend them; who charged the en- emy in the face of death ; who gave life or limb or health ; whe lay in hospital or in prison ; who now live to be honored of the nation they maintained or in whose death is perpetuated its in-
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ADJUTANT THEODORE W. LETTON.
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-titutions? To carry out the purpose of this prelude the fol- lowing sketch is given of one of the defenders of the flag.
In December, 1861, while in camp at St. Joseph, Mo., there appeared in our midst a remarkably strange and striking looking man of about thirty years of age; tall and slender with a ministerial appearance in dress and speech. He took quarters . at one of the principal hotels and registered from Fremont, Ne- braska. He introduced himself to the loyal and liberty loving people of Missouri through flaming handbills on all public pla- ees in the following announcement : "General Danes has arriv- ed in the city and wishes to raise an army of a million men to put down the rebellion at the expense of the rebels-to take no prisoners or show any quarters-to prosecute the 'Jim Lane policy.' Those favoring the above propositions are cordially invited to call at his headquarters."
"In those days of the late unpleasantness it was difficult for the average man to comprehend the full scope of the gener- al's proposition-that was prior to the day of "cranks." He lingered around. visiting the various commands in camp, eluci- dating his proposition, and confidently expecting an uprising of the loyal masses to rally to his standard. In his frequent visits to the commands he aroused a suspicion and many thought him a spy. Finally he brought up at the quarters of company K, Fiftieth Illinois infantry volunteers and expressed a desire of enlisting as a soldier. There being a vacancy no objection was raised to recruiting the general.
" Not to exceed an hour after his enlistment, our compa- ny quarters was visited by a sergeant and a detail of soldiers to arrest this man on suspicion of being a spy. As commander of the company, I informed the officer in charge of the detail that this man was now in the United States service and a member in regular form of my company, and from all I had seen of him he was a well behaved and a truly loyal man and in entertain- ing that opinion of him I refused to surrender him to the guard, and that was the end of it.
" The general ( as we always called him) proved to be an efficient and brave soldier; he had served under General Lewis ,
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Wallace in the war with Mexico, had been a brigadier general of militia in Nebraska, and expected rapid promotion in this service, but alas, he was prone to disappointment. He knew and talked too much for the average volunteer, and the boys did not take kindly to him. He was ever ready and willing to perform any and all duties when called upon.
" The best that could be done for him and keep peace in the company was to make him company commissary, to look after the drawing of rations. In this all had implicit confi- dence in him.
" On the 21st of January, 1862, our command was order- ed to more active service in the field, February 6th we paid our respects to the rebels at Fort Heury on the Tennessee river ; from there to Fort Donelson on the Cumberland river, where we had a four day's seige, then on to Clarksville and Nashville, Tenn., back and up the Tennessee river to Pittsburg landing, where on the memorable 6th and 7th of April. 1962, ninety thousand American boys, thousands of whom had not been out of the school room two months. stood up resolutely on an open plain and fired into one anothers unprotected breasts until over twenty thousand were stretched upon the ground. This is known to history as the bloody "battle of Shiloh."
" The subject of this sketch passed safely through the vi- cissitudes of theso campaigns attending faithfully and strictly to all duties imposed on him. April 18th. 1862, under the im- mediate direction of General Halleck, an advance on Corinth. Miss., was made, advancing cautiously by parallels, throwing up strong earth works as we advanced. While thus engaged a strong skirmish I'ne was usually thrown out still farther. at sufficient supporting distance ; this was continued from paralle! to parallel until May 30, when the rebels evacuated Corinth. and General Halleck's work was all for naught. May 20, 1862. while on the skirmish ling acting as sergeant of the guard. our subject unnecessarily exposed himself and was shot through the left breast. the ball passing through his body. coming out near the spinal column barely escaping the heart. He was' borne
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from the field and on examination the wound was pronounced fatal with perhaps one chance in a thousand for his recovery.
"He was positive himself that he could not live and pro- ended at once to give me detailed instructions as to the dispo- sal of himself and effects. I very carefully noted all his re- quests to the last, which was as to a large sized tree that stood in the line of his vision. Pointing to it, he said. "Bury me by that tree; cut it off eight or ton feet from the ground and square up the stump and cut deep into its face, 'Here lies Geo W. Danes, who died for his country without the least regret for the sacrifice he was making.'" I assured him that everything would be done religiously as instructed, and asked if there was anything further he wished me to attend to and on receiving the answer. po, I then assured him that under no circumstances could he die until reaction took place, which would not occur inside of two weeks. In this I was prompted by the doctors in charge to make this announcement to counteract the influence of his strong imagination, which they failed to control. I don't know that I ever saw such an expression of disappointment as mantled this brave soldier's countenance when I made this an- nouncement to him.
" The result was that in a few days he was sent to the general hospital at Cincinnati, Ohio, where through the good care of an army nurse he was restored to duty in active field service the following November.
" He is now a prosperous farmer near Wahoo, Nebraska the happy father of six sons, whose mother was the army nurse who watched and cared for him many months when he hovered between life and death in the hospital. Further than this, he is basking in the sunshine of a grateful country to the tune of eight dollars a month pension. He was a good soldier, a true . type of a good citizen.
" The old boys of company K, Fiftieth Illinois volunteers will never forget General Danes when he called for assistance to draw rations, repeating the call as often as fifty times a min ute, until the boys for sheer relief to themselves would comply- with his reqfest, and to get even with him for his annoyance
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would ask him if he really expected to raise that million of men he called for when he struck St. Joseph, Missouri. assuring him if it had not been for the kind offices of his captain he would have been shot as a spy.
"Long live George W. Danes. the brave defender of the flag, and his noble wife, the army nurse, is the sincere wish of his old commander."
On the 21st the brigade, excepting the 7th Illinois which was on the skirmish line, was ordered upon fatigue duty, which consisted of clearing the ground in front of underbrush and ob- structions which if left would assist to cover the enemy in case of attack.
Suddenly a strong force attacked the line of skirmishers. driving them back in confusion. The brigade on fatigue duty having left its arms in camp was of course compelled to fall back. What at one moment assumed the proportions of a panic was soon changed, through the coolness of the officers in com- mand. Lieut. Burnham of company C, called his men to halt. and swinging his sword, finally attacted the attention of a por- tion of the regiment and marched them back in good form, an act that brought order out of chaos.
It was current at the time that Lieut. Cooper of company HI, in his retrograde movement ran astride of a little hickory that had been twisted by cattle rubbing against it, and having become entangled by his sword belt and unable to free himself, commanded his company to "halt and hold this hill at all haz- ards."
In this skirmish company D lost a good soldier. private Matthew J. Nelson, who was wounded and never more heard from. His cap was found on the field and there was a report circulated that he was carried back by the enemy and after lin- gering a short time, died in a rebel hospital in Corinth.
About one o'clock on the morning of the 24th, Jacob Thomas of company D, while on picket duty, was shot by a rebel sharpshooter stationed in a tree. He had a close call for the ball cut its way from the eye back to the ear. The yell that rose up and escaped from Thomas' throat and mouth will never
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be forgotten by those who heard it. The stillness of the night was broken, the long roll was sounded, the Fiftieth sprang from sleep into line, and the excitement communicated itself to the rest of the troops and soon the whole command was in position to receive the threatened attack. When the cause for the alarm was made known the men disgusted, broke ranks and went back to dreamland. It cannot be said that any blame could possibly be attached to Thomas, for his vociferous shout was but the na- tural result of a very unhealthy surprise.
By this time the investment of Corinth had become com- plete. Slowly but as surely as the anaconda enfolds its victim within its deathly coil. so had the army under General Halleck settled itself around the rebel stronghold: Daily the symptoms of closing in for the death were prevalent, but each night naught came as a result of the day's operation save the loss of a few brave men. The spirit of battle held indisputed sway among the rank and file but, for some reason or other "Old Brains," as Halleck had been dubbed, preferred the slow, tortuous and te- dious way of conquering by pick and spade.
On the morning of the 28th the brigade, under Colonel Baldwin, was ordered to advance and after moving a short dis- tance was halted and the Fiftieth sent out to the front about an eighth of a mile. This movement developed the enemy's skir- mish line, which stretched along the edge of a cotton field. With the regiment was a twelve pounder brass gun that was stationed in the centre of the regiment by the colors. The enemy was driven back across the field, but rallying assumed the offensive. Whereupon the regiment was moved back, about one hundred feet, in the course of which Wm. S. Crafton of Co. E, was killed, and L. Purpose, corp'l Co. B. mortally, and W. T. Boyles, also corporal of same company; wounded. After a few moments the regiment was halted and ordered to lie down. In about twenty minutes the rebels on the other side of the field raised a mighty yell and charged for the gun. Col. Swarthout having returned was in command. As the yell of the enemy reached his lines he passed along quietly saying, "Keep cool. men, the devils are coming; remember Illinois; aim low; hold
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your fire till you see the white of their eyes." It is impossible to describe the stress and strain which a waiting line of men endures under such circumstances. One of the participants has well expressed it, he says, "How we waited, the grip on our muskets tightened until the strained sinews showed on our hands and wrists. See them come; hear them yell. Oh if we could only go and meet them how much better we would feel. Now two pieces on our right open fire and send grape and can- nister crashing through their ranks; they waver, they halt, but their officers bravely rally them and once more they advance. yelling like demons. On they come only to be treated as before and, broken and shattered, they fall back into their works." The ground thus occupied was held, and all night long the pick and spade performed their mission so well that when next mor- ning's sun rising drove away the shadows, it exposed to enemy and friend alike, a magnificent line of breast works within a half mile of the main line of defence around Corinth. There was a feeling universal in the regiment that it had been sent to the front without a due consideration of the consequences, and, therefore, that some one had blundered, making the loss a sac- rifice without any return. It was only through the nerve dis- played by the men and the well exercised judgment of the Col- onel that prevented the capture of a large part of the regiment. As it was the assault by the enemy was desperate beyond ex- pression. One of the most gallant men expresses his feelings in tersest form, he says, "My feelings here were that I was only one foot high, and every bullet was coming for me. I was sha- king like a leaf, my shoes full of water, when all at once a change came over me. Ike Ogle slapped me on the shoulder. a giant he looked like as he shouted, 'stand up here, you Yank.' Instantly I was all right, my fear had departed, fled, vamoosed. Can any one account for the change?"
In the evening after dark all eyes were directed to the sending up of rockets by the enemy; this evidently compre- hended but two things, attack or retreat, but the problem was solved the next morning by the number of explosions with- in the lines of the enemy, which clearly indicated evacua-
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tion. Early in the day a large force was ordered forward, of which the Fiftieth was a part, and marching unmolested up to and over the works, which we found defended by another mask- ed battery of logs, it was found that Corinth was deserted and the enemy away and in full retreat. In the words of Captain McGillicuddy. "All their tents, camp equipage and commissary stores were piled in heaps for the torch, but their hasty retreat prevented them from destroying but a small portion of what they left, and that was in the extreme south of their camp.
" There they burnt several commissary depots, and the depot of the Mobile & Ohio railroad, three miles south of Cor- inth. Their camp and line of fortifications were extensive and formidable, and if the rebel army feared the result in making a stand here, I am at a loss to know where they can select a bet- ter place. For in the language of Gen. Bragg. "It was their chosen place, well fortified by nature and improved by art, away from the Federal gunboats and seige guns, and for the first time in the history of the rebellion, that the armies had met on an equal footing." Here they expected to repulse Hal- leck, drive his army into the Tennessee river, and make their . way to our land of plenty. But the reverse was the result. They abandoned their stronghold, left hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of property in their enemy's hands, and in their retreat scattered their army. Verily, verily I say these secession and southern fighters are fast playing out."
The Fiftieth went into camp at a point called Price's breast works, near the Mobile & Ohio depot, and three miles south of Corinth. All the surroundings gave evidence of the great haste which must have attended the retreat. Everything in confusion : chaos supreme; quartermaster's stores, consist- ing of rice and molasses, bacon and other salt meats. clothing and camp and garrison equippage in great profusion, with here and there dead bodies to render the scene more ghastly and re- pulsive. But the halt at Corinth was of short duration. Pur- suit was the order of the day and for forty miles the enemy was driven with such success that thousands of prisoners were taken, the ground by highway and byway being strewed with the prop-
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erty of the confederacy, showing clearly the haste of the retreat, as well as the panic prevailing.
When Boonville was reached a halt was ordered and maintained for a few days. The service was delightful as com- pared with the month previous. Nature was adorned in her most beautiful garb, for June, loveliest of southern months, had come, and tree and flower, and song of bird attested to her ar- rival. It was a relief to feel free from threatened attack, by day or night, and there was no longer the dangerous duty of the skirmish line, moving through woods and swamps, or across open fields. In spirit the army was buoyant with hope and with the knowledge of duty faithfully performed. The seizure of Corinth, the flight of the enemy with all the attendant de- moralization, gave current force to the thought that the war for the maintenance of the Union was certain of a sure and crowned success. So the days at Boonville were happy days. and united with writing home and building bowers and avenues of shade as protection from the burning assaults of a midday southern sun. Just as comfort began to be the rule of the hour orders came to march back to Corinth, and one morning at two o'clock the command pulled out for a forty mile tramp. It was a movement unattended with any other results save those inci- dent to a dry, dusty and tortuous march. The roads were rough hilly and dusty ; the water was poor, and poor as it was, ex- tremely hard to get, hence the suffering from heat, dust and thirst was intense, and indeed almost unendurable, and many a strong man was overcome and compelled to drop to the rear to be picked up by the ambulance or wagon train. Just as the regiment had reached a spring for which it had been for hours looking forward to. who should ride up but the regimental quar- termaster, with a train of supplies consisting of provisions and whiskey, full rations of which were at once issued. Ah that was indeed "like the shadow of a great rock in a strange land." Back at Corinth again, the regiment entered upon the daily routine and round of camp and garrison life, made up of drill, police and picket duty. All possible care was taken for the comfort and health of the command, the constant study and
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FIFTIETH ILLINOIS INFANTRY. . 117
effort of the officers being to that end. Nor was this labor of love upon their part without splendid effect. Under their wise administration the health of the men became almost, if not fully restored. A spirit of contentment and subordination pre- vailed, health and sobriety went hand in hand. To be com- manded was but to be obeyed and with alacrity. The allega- tion is a safe one to make and stand upon, that among all the members of the Fiftieth there was not a single one who regret- ted his service, or the sacrifice he was making for the unity of the country. But while each honest heart dressed in blue nightly laid down to rest beneath the stars, or upon the picket line stood guardian over flag and sleeping thousands in the rear, there were base hearts in the north whose cowardice or hatred of the cause, impelled them to sow the seeds of discord and treason, whereby the nobler sowing of loyalty would be des- troyed by an ignoble and noxious growth, Hundreds of letters were received denouncing the war, pronouncing it a failure, de- elaring it to be an unholy effort to destroy the unhappy and oppressed children of the south. Asserting that it was not a war for the preservation of the Union but rather for the up- building of an abolition party. An assault against rather than for the preservation of rights vouched by the constitution and laws thereunder. In terms adulatory and specious the soldiers were urged to desert and come home, and protection was doubly assured them if they would but yield to the importunate plead- ings of those who claimed to love them. Never was effort so wickedly and persistently made, nor with such ill result to those who made it. Thank God the men who charged at Don- elson, who stood a wall of adamant at Shiloh, and whose flag had swept forward victorious at Corinth, were far beyond and above the blandishments of treason even though sent from Illi- nois. Their response to all such appeals were short, sharp and decisive. To them the call of duty was as a voice from God. High over all considerations of self. was the one great purpose of their lives. Never to lay down their arms until treason had been throttled to the death, and its putrid carcass consigned to the grave of infamy without hope of resurrection. And so,
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