USA > Illinois > History of the Fourth Illinois cavalry regiment > Part 4
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Walker, wosby
Williams, Prentice N
Young, Andrew
Veterans: Cantrall, Amos A Dale, William
Elder, Leonard Scott, James
St. Clair, Albert G Taylor, William H
Wilson, Newton Young, Andrew
Recruits: Anderson, James A Bowen, Joseph C Cox, Jesse R Hall, William H Hohn, James W
Jackson, John A
Kager, Lathrop Pond, Irving L L Richards, William Taylor, William H Wood, Charles S Wilson, Columbus
REMARKS.
Died, Humboldt, Tenn., Nov. 7, '62 Serg't. Killed at Independence, Miss. Dec. 7, 1863 Re-enlisted as veteran Serg't. Died at Wonterey, Tenn., June 3, 1862 Corp'l. Discharged June 19, 1862; disability Died, Natchez Sept. 29, '64 M. O. Nov. 3, '64 as Corporal Discharged Nov. 1, '61: disability Mustered out Nov. 3, 1864 Re-enlisted as veteran
Transferred to Co. Bas consolidated Killed at Clover Hill, Miss., June 23, 1864
Transferred to Co. Bas consolidated Died Natchez Oct. 5, 1864 Transferred to Co. B as consolidated
..
Transferred to Co. Bas consolidated
Trans. to V. R. C. June 12, 1864 Died at Pittsburg Landing May 5, 1862
Died at Pittsburg Landing May 5, 1862
Never mustered. Discharged Transferred to Co. Bas consolidated
Re-enlisted as veteran Transferred to Co. B as consolidated Trans. to V. R. C. July 1, 1864
COMPANY M
Captains: George Dodge William E. Hapeinan Joseph E. Hitt
First Lieutenant: Samuel Allshouse Second Lieutenants: Edward H Daly Charles B. Throop Benjamin M. Gardner First.Sergeant: John H. Parker
Co. Q. M. Sergeant: Reuben H. Webster
Resigned May 16, 1862 Resigned Dec. 16, 1862 Mustered out Nov. 3, 1864
Mustered out Nov. 3, 1864
Resigned July 31, 1862 Resigned March 14, 1863 See Co. C as consolidated
Promoted 2d Lieutenant Co. I
M. O. Nov. 3, '64 as private
-
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.
NAME AND RANK,
Sergeants: Alfred H. Mead George D. Moore William H. Hill Samuel A Williamson
Corporals: Frederick R. Stewart Raynor K. Huntly Arnold J. Maddox George Grace Benjamin M. Gardner James P. Boothe Jerrod Marshall Franklin Baum
Farrier: William Sanders
Blacksmith: George R. White
Privates: Anderson, David Anderson, Andrew
Bay, David
Brown, James Benjamin, James Bishop, Daniel Camron, Malcom Clifton, Elias Crambaugh, John W Campbell, John C Craig, John L or D Cobason, John J Cox, Joseph L Carpenter, George R Dillon, Hiram Franks, George Ferguson, David Gratz, Paul Genung, George W Herbert, John W Hackerson, John Havens, Jasper
Hewett, Henry H
Hammell, Charles Hill, George H Hall, William H Johnson, Peter Johnson, Andrew Justin, Roderick Jennings, William Keich or Keith, George
Kelly, Alfred Kelly, Laird Lambert, William Lambert, John
REMARKS.
Died, St. Louis June 20, 1862 M. O. Nov. 3, '64 as 1st Sergeant Died on Tennessee river Mar. 18,'62 Mustered out Nov. 3, 1864
Re-enlisted as veteran Died, Savannah, Tenn., April 1, '62 M. O. Nov. 3, '64 as Sergeant Mustered out Nov. 3, 1864 Re-enlisted as veteran
Died Camp Butler Nov. 6, '61 M. O. Nov. 3, '64 as Sergeant Discharged May 6, 1862
Discharged July 26, '62; disability
Discharged March 30, '62: disability
Died at Benton Barracks, Sept.6,'63 M. O. Nov. 3, '64 as Corporal Died, Cincinnatti, March 28, '62 M. O. Nov. 3, '64 as wagoner Re-enlisted as veteran Mustered out Nov. 3, 1864
Discharged to enter naval service Mustered out Nov. 3, 1864
M. O. Nov. 3, '64 as farrier Discharged to enter naval service Mustered out Sept. 30, 1864 Mustered out Nov. 3, 1864
M. O. Nov. 3, '64 as Sergeant Discharged March 30, '62; disability Re-enlisted as veteran Mustered out Nov. 3, 1864 Discharged July 30, 1862 Re-enlisted as veteran Mustered out Nov. 3, 1864 Discharged Aug. 9, 1862 Mustered out Nov. 3, 1864 Transferred to Co. L Re-enlisted as veteran Mustered out Nov. 3, 1864 Re-enlisted as veteran Discharged Aug. 9, 1862 Died at Trenton, Tenn., Dec. 13, '62 Sergeant M. O. Nov. 3, '64 as Corporal Died at home Oct. 30, 1862 Mustered out Nov. 30, 1864 Re-enlisted as veteran
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NAME AND RANK.
REMARKS.
Discharged May 4, '63: disability Re-enlisted as veteran .6 .. Mustered out Nov. 3, 1864 Discharged Aug. 7, 1862; disability Discharged Aug. 15, 1962; disability Transferred to Regimental band Died, Cincinnati, O,, March 17, '62 Discharged May 1, '62: disability Died at Wound City in 1862 Mustered out Nov. 3, 1864
Discharged Apr. 2, 1862 Mustered out Nov. 3, 1864
Discharged April 1, 1862: disability Mustered out Nov. 3, 1864
Olson, Anderson P Phillips, John H
Patterson, Jacob
Robert, Charles
Roteneiller, Charles
Razor, Cyrus Rometch, Frederick
Smith, Samuel S
Smith, Anderson or A
Summer, Timothy
Spann, Jesse J
Sperry, Alonzo B
Stromer, Gustavus
Shadle, William
Stephens, Claus
Shadle, John
Von Schneider, Frederick
Van Order, Cyrus
Williams, Calvin Wilcox, Warren
Weldrodt, Christopher
Wiggins, David R Weis, Peter
Re-enlisted as veteran
Discharged Aug. 9, 1862 Died at Cairo Feb. 23, 1862 Mustered out Sept. 20, 1864
VETERANS.
Sergeant: Benjamin M. Gardner
Promoted 2d Leiut. Transferred to Co. C. as consolidated
Privates:
Benjamin, James A
Transferred to Co. Bas consolidated
Genung, George W
Havens, Jasper
Johnson, Peter
6.
Lambert, John W
Marshall, Henry S
Marshall, Jonn W
Patterson, Jacob
..
:
.
Mader, Gilderoy Marshall, John Marshall, Henry Mathews, Dempsey C Mathews, John wartin, vedad Martin, Austin Mulholland, John Mccord, Albert C Mercer, Douglass Meer, Joseph
Meer, Isaac McHenry, William McCullough, John A
Newman, Jesse
Re-enlisted as veteran
Re-enlisted as veteran Discharged June 10, '62: disability
Died Memphis Aug. 2, '62 Mustered out Nov. 3, 1864
Re-enlisted as veteran Mustered out Nov. 3, 1864
Discharged to enter naval service
Mustered out Nov. 3, 1864
Died at home in 1862
Re-enlisted as veteran
Discharged April 2, 1862
Discharged June 19, '62: disability
Discharged April 4, 1862 Re-enlisted as veteran
Re-enlisted as veteran Mustered out Nov. 3, 1864 .6
Discharged Aug. 9, 1862
Woodruff, Leroy
Yalter, Lyman Yahr, Charles
..
Justin, Roderick
..
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NAME AND RANK.
Robert, Charles
ยท Stewart, Frederick R Smith, Samuel L Stromer, Gustavus Van Schneider. Frederick Van Order, Cyrus Weis, Peter
Recruits: Brown, Dwight A Dunn, William H
Davis, Thomas H
Dailey, Rufus R
Eisenbise, Nicholas W
Fromm, Nicholas
Georges, Harrison
Keith, Price Martin, Alexander O'Brien, Micheal
Pull, Peter
Phelps, Joseph W
Richardson, Thomos C
Ridgeway, John W
Smith, Irving D
Summer, Timothy Wallin, Aaron Willfong, William Willfong, Andrew Young, Jesse B
REMARKS.
Transferred to Co. Bas consolidated
66
..
66
66
66
66
Transferred to Co. B as consolidated 66
66
Discharged Mar. 31, '62: disability Transferred to Co. B as consolidated 66
Corp'l. Died near Fort Adams, Miss., Oct. 8, '64; wounds Transferred to Co. Bas consolidated
Killed near Natchez Sept. 17, '64 Transferred to Co. Das consolidated .. Transferred to Co. B as consolidated 66
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Transferred to Co. Das consolidated Died Natchez Apr. 26, '64 Appointed comp. saddler
Martin R. M. Wallace was born at Urbana. Ohio, September 29, 1829. He enlisted in the Fourth Regiment Illinois Volunteer Cavalry as Major on October 12, 1861, and on January 5, 1863, was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. On June 3, 1863, he was promoted to Colonel. He was mustered out with his regiment on November 3, 1864, as Colonel. Sometime later he was given the rank of Brevet Brigadier General by act of congress for meritorious service. For eight years he was Judge of the Cook county court and Police Judge in the South Side courts for thirteen years. He died at his home in Chicago, Illinois, March 6, 1902.
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LIST OF DEAD IN FOURTH ILLINOIS CAVALRY.
BURIED IN NATIONAL CEMETERIES.
Below is a list of the dead of the 4th Illinois Cavalry that are buried in the different National cemeteries in the vicinity of where we performed the major part of our military service, as furnished by the superintendents of those cemeteries. The figures at the extreme right are the numbers of the grave, which is marked on the headstones and also on the registers.
"Unknown No. 568" in the Nachez, Miss., list was undoubtedly William Dale of Co. L as he was killed at the same time and place as Henry Brewer (June 23d, 1864) as the Adjutant General's report shows.
NATCHEZ. MISSISSIPPI.
J. S. Roberson, Co. D 4th Illinois Cav., died Nov. 19, 1864. .59 Harrison Gorges, Co. M 4th Illinois Cav., died Oct. 8, 1864. 60
John M. Ripley, Co. D 4th Illinois Cav., died Oct. 17, 1864. .61 Levi F. Connick, private, Co. H 4th Illinois Cav., died July 20, 1864. . 62 Ernest Kamminke, Co. I 4th Illinois Cav., died June 19, 1864. .63 Oliver Petie, Co. I 4th Illinois Cav., died April 14, 1864 64
William Marion, Co. C 4th Illinois Cav., died July 22, 1864 65
John Eichalty, Co. C 4th Illinois Cav., died June 26, 1864. 66
Henry A. Brokan, Co. C 4th Illinois Cav., died Aug. 18, 1864 .67 Isaac Stafford, Co. C 4th Illinois Cav., died Aug. 30, 1864. 68 Cyrus Timmons, Co. K 4th Illinois Cav., died July 22, 1864. 69
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N. Leitch, Co. D 4th Illinois Cav., died Oct. 31, 1864 70
Astings, 4th Illinois Cav., died Oct. 31- 71
Thomas O'Neil, Co. L 4th Illinois Cav., died Jan. 26, 1864. .270
Uuknown, 4th Illinois Cav., ... 568
Henry Brewer, Co. L 4th Illinois Cav., killed June 23, 1864. 573
This is a true copy as it appears on the records. R. C. TAYLOR,
Natchez, Miss., Feb. 18, 1903 Superintendent National Cemetery.
SHILOH, TENNESSEE.
Conrad Bradigan, Co. I 4th Illinois Cav., died April 1, 1862. . 2877
J. Cox .345
Elisha H. Dixon, Co. G 4th Illinois Cav., died March 25, 1862 1358
John Fitch, Co. L 4th Illinois Cav., died March 22, 1862. . 2398
Charles Griffin, Co. K 4th Illinois Cav., died April 11, 1862. .2911
Raynor K. Huntly, Co. M 4th Illinois Cav., died April 1, 1862. .2878
Samuel Kirk, Co. B 4th Illinois Cav., died April 27, 1862. . .935
Joseph W. Loucke, Co. K 4th Illinois Cav., died April 14, 1862 1194
Edwin H. Thomas, Co. I 4th Illinois Cav., died March 14, 1862. . .1216
John Vane, Co. A 4th Illinois Cav., died April 15, 1862. . 2934
This is a true copy as it appears on the records. JOHN W. SHAW. Superintendent.
CORINTH, MISSISSIPPI.
Marshall McGee, Co. H 4th Illinois Cav., died Jan. 10, 1862 3653
Hanson Tuesburg, Co. G 4th Illinois Cav., died July 1, 1862. .2291
J. B. Walker, Co. L 4th Illinois Cav., died Nov. 7, 1862 3309
Unknown, 4th Illinois Cav. 3524 1
This is a true copy as it appears on the records.
J. M. DICKEY, Superintendent.
VICKSBURG, MISSISSIPPI.
William Hight, Co. F 4th Illinois Cav .. 7445
Lander Bishop, Co. A 4th Illinois Cav., died June 11, 1864 7449
S. C. Fanning, Co. F 4th Illinois { av., died Nov. 22, 1863 10413
Alfred Lish, Co. D 4th Illinois ( av., died Feb. 11, 1864 1784
Newton Lyons, Co. C 4th Illinois ( av., died Dec, 9, 1864. 6297
A. A. Stephens, Co. F 4th Illinois C'av., died Jan. 2, 1864 7695
This is a true copy as it appears on the records. THOMAS SHEA, Superintendent.
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.
Arthur Green, Co. B 4th Illinois Cav., died Sept. 9, 1863. 807
Lycurgus Hyde, Co. I 4th Illinois Cav., died July 13, 1862. 971
L. Hayden, 4th Illinois C'av .. 453
Dwight Nichols, ('o. I 4th Illinois Cav., died Feb., 14, '65. .79
W. Prentis, Co. K 4th Illinois Cav. 1012
Cyrus S. Razor, Co. M 4th Illinois Cav., died Aug. 2, 1862. 947
C. S Acker, Co. K 4th Illinois C'av., died Jan 23, 1863. 954
John Burg, ('o. F 4th Illinois Cav. 746
George Coleman, Co. E 4th Illinois ('av., died Dec. 22, 1864 .501
Joe F. Finch, Co. D 4th Illinois Cav., died June 16, 1865. 359
H. H. Gardner, Co. E 4th Illinois ( 'av., died Aug. 10, 1865. 173
Mat Gillman, Co. C 4th Illinois Cav., died May 9, 3865. 265
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HISTORY OF COMPANY I, FOURTH ILLINOIS CAVALRY.
In writing the history of Co. I Fourth Illinois Cavalry I am laboring under great disadvantages, chief of which are the lack of records kept at the time. I believe that Captain Shepardson kept a dairy and as he was the ranking officer of the company and in command of the company the major part of the time, it should have contained a fair record of the operations of the company, but I have been unable to get word from him although I have written him twice for any material he might possess to assist in writing up a history of the company. Consequently I have had to depend upon the Adjutant General's report and my own personal diary principally The latter was intended as a record of events that I was personally engaged in without any thought of keeping a record of the operations of the company. It was often the case that a scouting party was made up of a detail of a few men from each company, under the command of a Captain or Lieutenant from one of the companies. If I happened to be on the detail I kept a record of the command and just merely mentioned the others if I learned anything about them. The Adjutant General's report is rather condensed and there are some typhographical errors and I believe other errors, for instance, Joseph Carter enlisted Sept. 10, 1861 and was discharged for disability April 24, 1862. Then his name appears among the recruits as having enlisted Aug. 13, 1861. His re-enlistment is given a date prior to his first enlistment but where his name appears on the non-commissioned staff his enlistment is given as Aug. 13, 1862, which is
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probably correct. I have also found several other mistakes.
Company I Fourth Illinois Cavalry was recruited at Earlville, LaSalle county, Illinois, in the months of August and September of 1861, by G. J. Shepardson and others. The company was made up of young men that lived in Earlville and vicinity. Sometime prior to going into camp there was an election of officers as follows:
George J. Shepardson, Captain; William E. Hapeman, First Lieutenant; Benjamin F. Hyde, Second Lieutenant; Joel Carter, First Sergeant; Marcus Servoss, Quarter Master Sergeant; Edward H. Simison, Charles S. Graff, Jerome B. Snyder, Phineas D. Parks, Sergeants; Charles R. Walsh, William Wilson, Hiram Moulton, Ephriam Hynds, George M. Toothill, Arthur A. Kavanaugh, Joseph Carter, Thomas Wilson, Corporals; Andrew J. Norton, Bugler.
The above are the original officers of the company but many changes were made during the three years and over of service. Joel Carter was discharged for wounds: Servoss, Snyder, Hynds, Joseph Carter and Thomas Wilson for disability; Charles Walsh transferred to naval service and Kavanaugh reduced to the ranks. All the balance received promotions except Captain Shepardson, and all lived to serve out their enlistment except. Lieutenant Hapeman who resigned as Captain of Company M, Dec. 16, 1862, and P. D. Parks who was promoted to Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant and discharged for disability July 8, 1862. B. F. Hyde was promoted to First Sergeant and from First Sergeant to probably Captain in the 70th Regiment A. D., May 2, 1864. E. H. Simison was mustered out Nov. 3, 1864 as First Sergeant. Charles Graff was promoted Captain in Second West Tennessee Colored Cavalry, Sept. 16, 1863. William Wilson was mustered out Nov. 3, 1864 as Regimental Quartermaster
Sergeant. Hiram Moulton and G. M. Toothill were mustered out at the same time as Duty Sergeants.
The officers of the Company at the time of the breaking up of the Regiment as near as can be ascertained from the Adjutant Generals report is as follows:
George J. Shepardson, Captain; John H. Parker, First Lieutenant; Andrew J. Norton, Second Lieutenant; E. H. Simison, First Sergeant; Otis Halstead, Robert Boston, A. H. Norton, G. M. Toothill, Hiram Moulton, Sergeants; E. B. Hyde, Charles Munnikhuizen, P. O. Avery, D. M. Nettleton, W. H. Warren, Corporals.
This list does not seem to be complete but it is all that I can secure. The names are put down at random and
E. H. Simison was born in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, October 15, 1863. His first enlistment was April 21, 1861, in Company B, Twelfth Illinois Infantry, where he served there months. On August 20, 1861, he enlisted for the second time in Company I, Fourth Illinois Cavalry. where he served three years being discharged November 3, 1864 as Orderly Sergeant. In March, 1865, he enlisted for the third time in Company K, Seventh Illinois Cavalry and was discharged in November 1865.
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there is nothing in the report to show the date of promotion of non-commissioned officers.
Sept. 11, 1861, Company I went into camp at Ottawa, known as Camp Hunter, where Colonel T Lyle Dickey was organizing the Fourth Illinois Cavalry Regiment and we became Company I of that regiment. Soon after going into camp an attempt was made to put another man in our company as Second Lieutenant, instead of B. F. Hyde. The officers of Company I made quite a stir and it was finally decided to withdraw from the Camp and join the Eighth Cavalry which was organizing at St. Charles. As soon as Colonel Dickey heard of our intentions he sent . word for us to keep our organization as it was and we were mustered into the United States service Sept. 26, 1861, donning our uniforms Oct. 26, 1861.
We remained in this camp until Nov. 4, 1861. The six weeks we spent at Camp Hunter were not eventful but we were kept very busy getting ready for the more earnest work, we were expecting soon to be called upon to perform. We drilled almost daily, both mounted and dismounted, but, as we had not drawn our arms, we could not drill in the manual of arms, although we did drill some with wooden sabres. On Nov. 4th we broke camp and took up our line of march in the direction of the sunny south and on Nov. 19 we arrived at Camp Davis, near Springfield, where we remained about ten days.
I will relate just one incident that occured while at this camp. Some one set up a saloon near our quarters and it was having a demoralizing effect on some of our boys. One day Lieutenant Hapeman took a squad from Company I and "cleaned the thing out, " spilling all the "booze" he could find.
We broke camp Dec. 1st and five days later we were put aboard the cars at Vandalia and arrived in Cairo the same day. Camp life at Cairo was monotonous and disagreeable in the extreme. Our camp was on low ground and mud and discomfort prevailed.
I find in my diary, commencing under date of Dec. 25th, an account of a target shooting contest. The target was a
life sized image of a man (Jeff Davis we called it) painted on a board, 200 yards distant. Each Captain was to detail thirty of his best shots and choose their own way of firing.
The First Battalion was called out first. Company A fired by volley and missed the 'board entirely. The best record of any company was six shots, not one of which would have hit in a vital spot.
On the 25th the Second Battalion tried their hand and seven shots hit the target, the best record of any company in the Second Battalion.
The 27th the Third Battalion tried their skill. Company I hit the target eleven times and beat the Regiment. We were complimented by Major Bowman who said "we came on the ground, loaded and fired in the best order and made the best shots of any company. in the regiment." But he did not know that we had found some powder and lead pipe in an old magazine and with this made up a lot of extra cartridges. Nor did he know that we had spent many hours shooting at snags in the Mississippi river, about a mile back of our camp. We had thus got a little handy with our carbines while some of the other companies had never fired a shot. Our squad was numbered off and each fired as his number was called. We were standing at order arms.
I quote further from my diary: Jan. 8, 1862- Received orders this evening to be ready to march at ten o'clock tomorrow morning. We are all in fine spirits at the prospect of having something to do, besides drill and do camp duty.
This trip into Kentucky from Cairo, around the vicinity of Columbus, was our first taste of real soldier life. We started with five day's rations and were gone thirteen days. Besides short rations, the weather was stormy and the roads horrible. Upon the whole it was a very rough introduction to soldiering. Although we had no fighting to do we were made to believe that we were in danger of being attacked at any time.
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We returned to our camp at Cairo the evening of Jan. 21st.
Below is an extract from General John A. McClernand's report of this reconnoissance:
Being in temporary command of this district it becomes my duty to sub nit the following report of the expedition which left Cairo, Illinois, to penetrate the interior of Kentucky in the neighborhood of Columbus, Jan. 10th to 21st, 1862. The expedition consisted of the tenth, eighteenth, part of the twenty-seventh, twenty-ninth, thirtieth, thirty-first and forty-eighth Regiments of Infantry, Swartz' and Dresser's batteries of light artillery, Carmichael's, Harnet's and Dolin's companies of cavalry attached to regiments, Stewart's cavalry company attached to my brigade and five companies of Colonel T. Lyle Dickey's Fourth Cavalry Regiment, numbering 3992 of cavalry, 1061 of artillery and 139 of rank and file, all under my command, and all Illinois volunteers, except Swartz' battery.
The cavalry which had crossed the river and camped at Fort Holt on the evening of the 9th marched on the morning of the 10th to Fort Jefferson. Captain Stewart with his company was in the advance. On arriving he detained in custody all persons found in that place and immediately sent forward pickets to guard the pass at Elliott's mill and other approaches from Columbus.
On the 11th I ordered a reconnoissance to Blanville by the hill road eight miles, then thence south on the road to Columbus to Waton's five miles and returning by Elliott's mill to Fort Jefferson nine miles. This reconnoissance was made by Captain Stewart in command of his own company and Company B with Captain Collins of the Fourth Cavalry. No armed enemy was encountered, but captures of L. T. Polk and Daniel Frieser, supposed to be couriers from Columbus, were made.
On the 12th I ordered a demonstration to be made in the direction of Columbus by six companies of cavalry commanded by Captain Stewart supported by the tenth and eighteenth Regiments of Infantry commanded by
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Colonels Morgan and Lawler. The Infantry crossed Mayfield's creek at Elliott's mill and took position there, while the cavalry advanced until they came within a mile and a half of the enemy's defenses, driving their pickets into camp and bringing in several prisoners with their horses. The rigor of the weather and the non-appearance of any considerable rebel force led to the belief that they were closely connected around camp fires within their intrenchments and indisposed to take the field.
It is believed that with suitable preparations on our part a favorable time was thus afforded for successful attack and the capture of Columbus. From this near approach the Cavalry returned by Putney's bend and Elliott's mill to Fort Jefferson, communicated with, and was joined by the infantry who formed their support.
On the 13th Lieutenant H. C. Freeman, engineer, with an escort of cavalry, explored the different roads leading from Fort Jefferson to Blanville and secured a strong position for an encampment, a half-mile south of Blanville on the road to Columbus.
On the 14th the whole force proceeded in two columns, by different roads, towards Blanville and encamped in such a manner as to command the approaches from Columbus by both bridges across Mayfield creek in that vicinity. The distance of this day's march was eight and one-half miles, over difficult roads covered with sleet. To prevent surprise, strong mounted pickets were thrown forward toward Columbus on the bride across Mayfield creek to Haywarth's mill three miles above Blanville.
On the 15th we advanced to Weston, the Fourth Illinois Cavalry and Dolin's Company under command of Lieutenant Colonel Mccullough making an early movement southwest in the direction of Columbus and repeating the near approach to that place, while Captain Stewart with his company pushed a reconnoissance quite to Milburn, taking the town by surprise and picking up a man from Columbus, from whom he derived much valuable information concerning the position of the rebel forces at that place. He learned from this source that our
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demonstrations toward Columbus had excited much alarm and induced the enemy to call in their forces at Jackson, Bouregard, New Madrid and other places. Two Mississippi Regiments, according to reports, have burned up their tents before their flight were joined at Weston by the Seventeenth Illinois. Colonel Cook and our whole force encamped for the night in line of battle ten miles from Columbus taking a strong position, commanding the approaches from that place by two roads, which here intersect the roads . leading from Putney's bend and Elliott's mill to Milburn.
General Payne's column followed and encamped at the same place the next day covering our rear and keeping open communication with the base of operations at Jefferson. *
The reconnoissance thus made, completed a march of one hundred and forty miles by cavalry and seventy-five miles by the infantry, over icy or miry roads, during a most inclement season, and has led to the discovery of several important roads which did not appear on our maps. It has also disclosed the fact, that, with proper crossing of the Mayfield creek at Elliott's and O'Neill's mills, also immediately south of Blanville and still above at Haywart's mill, no serious obstacle will intervene to prevent an army marching in several divisions by different routes upon Columbus.
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