History of the Ninth Regiment Illinois Cavalry Volunteers. Pub. under the auspices of the Historical Committee of the Regiment, Part 38

Author: Illinois Cavalry. 9th regt., 1861-1865; Davenport, Edward Adolphus, 1834- , ed
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: [Chicago, Donohue & Henneberry, printers]
Number of Pages: 954


USA > Illinois > History of the Ninth Regiment Illinois Cavalry Volunteers. Pub. under the auspices of the Historical Committee of the Regiment > Part 38


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All that afternoon we fought Forrest, while we fell back gradually, and at Collierville we laid under arms all night with the enemy close by also under arms. In the night the regiment came in, and Forrest left with his train and conscripts. We were held thus till evening before we were started in his pursuit following bim, passing through Hudsonville, and drove his pickets into Holly Springs. On the morning of December 30th, we marched westward as far as Dick Taylor's plantation, where reports were brought in of Collierville being threatened by the enemy. Company ! was sent with dispatches (by way of Holly Springs


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for the Seventh Illinois Cavalry, and came near having a fight with some of our own men by mistake in the dark .


One funny occurrence took place here. When the advance guard came out near Holly Springs, they discovered a party of eight rebels, and charged them at once capturing two. One proved to be a Confederate soldier home on furlough, who was to have been married that night, and oh! how he did beg, "He must go back," and offered all kinds of inducements to let him go. Some of the boys offered to take his place, but that did not seem to satisfy bim, so we took him along, and his bride-elect had to wait. We returned to camp at Collierville, De- cember 31st, Forrest having made good his escape across the Tallahatchie River.


A. good deal of blame was attached to General Tuttle for Forrest's escape by the men, but they may not have known all about the circumstances in the case, during the fight with Forrest at La Fayette.


At Collierville we made several stands against him until we were flanked, when we would fall back and form a new line. One of those lines was formed in a little bottom with a high raffroad embankment upon our left. The most of the boys were behind a rail fence on the right of the road, while a few of us were behind stumps, trees, etc., on the left of the road, till we reached the em- bankment. those of us on the extreme left behind a chinap of bushes watching the enemy, as their line came out on the top of the hill. When we opened on them there was an officer on a gray horse riding down their line, and J. Eber- Hart, J. Mills, and myself were trying to down him, but as it was long range, we failed. The enemy flanked us on the right, and the command was given to " fall back,", but we were so interested in our game that we did not hear the order, and the first thing we knew the filing ceased altogether, and on looking around to see what the matter was, we found that we were alone, and a long line of the enemy charging up behind us.


Our file holder was coming toward us yelling and also swearing at us a little, for a set of fools, "come out of that." His name was Fin Broderick, and it was lucky for us he was a brave fellow or we would have been left with the enemy. Asit was we mide a rush for our horses, mounted them quickly and started. We could net scale the embankment: there was only one way open-right down the road parallel with the enemy's line. Eberhart slapped his old mare with bis hat saying, " Come old Sally, if you ever did any running in your life, now is your time." Away we went, the rebels closing nearer and nearer, and we Ingging our horses' necks, closer and closer. All along that line every fellow taking a pop at us until we passed the end of it, and struck the crossing and went flying across the railroad bank beating the enemy by about forty or fifty yards. Dashing up an open side hill we got nearly out of their reach, and slackened our pace. I rode in between Lieutenant Roberts (I believe) and another soldier, and we dropped into a walk. Just then, spat came a bullet striking the Lieutenant's horse in the hips, rendering him lame, alnost at the same instant as we turned our heads to see where the horse was struck, a bullet coming with a dull thud struck the man on my left right between the shoulders. He turned white almost instantly, and straightening up in his saddle, and turning his head from side to side over his shoulder, and catching his breath in grasps, " I-I Lgg g-g-guess it did not goin," and we just had to laugh, we could not help it, and after finding out to a certainty


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that it was a spent ball that had struck him (and it hurt too) the man also langhed.


February 11 the Ninth moved with the cavalry command of General Smith and Grierson toward West Point, Miss., and at Pontotoc, our regiment took the advance and moved swiftly southeast through Okolona, aud on to Aberdeen; struck the pickets north of town, and charged them at once, taking a number of prisoners, following the rest on a run charged over a covered bridge across the creek into town. Quite a number of troops were drilling on the bottoms and commons, and our attack was so sudden and unexpected that they scattered and broke in different paths and stampeded at once. Lieutenant Hillier with ten men pursued a party of twenty-five down the Tombigbec River bottom road. The Lieutenant and myself, outgoing the rest of our party, captured three prisoners. On our way back with the three mon, we came to an opening in the woods at the corner of a plowed field on our left, where we saw two rebels walking their horses through the plowed fields, trying to make the woods close by in their front. Two of our boys were after them, but the chances in favor of the rebels gaining the wood and getting away. I told the Lieutenant I was going to try a shot, but he thought it was no use as it was getting dark, and it was seven hun- dred or one thousand yards away. I said it would not cost much any way, and turning my horse sideways I fired with a Sharp's carbine at the leading man. striking him in the side and rolling him from his horse. The other man imme- diately reined in his horse and our boys captured them both. The man was not dangerously wounded. That I believe was the only time that I was positive of doing any execution, but as there was only one shot and that mine, I felt justi- fied in claiming him for my man. I am glad to say that he was not killed.


The cavalry command continued the march to West Point, and then had quite a severe engagement, and were obliged to turn and begin our retreat north- ward, the Confederates following us, and we continually fighting for three or four days until we reached the Tallahatchie River and reached our camp at Ger- mantown, Topn., February 20th.


EXTRACTS. [Contributed by H. A. Hawkins, Sergeant Company D., Ninth Ilinois Cavalry.]


Left Camp Douglas, Chicago, February 17, 1862, at 12 o'clock, M .; arrived at Benton Barracks, Mo., the next day. A large and very fine parade of the militiary at St. Louis on the 22d; March 1st the last battalion left for Pilot Knob. Mo., arriving there Sunday, the 2d, and staked tents in the mud Monday, the 3d, frozen hard. Tuesday, March 4th, there being a vacancy in Company D, the members petitioned Colonel Brackett to allow them to hold an election that he would recognize, but it was too late, thereupon the Colonel issued an order " that all promotions must be in their regular order."


On the 6th and 7th the regiment moved out on the march for Black River; four inches of water in the tents; occupied a large barn for the night; much rain; waited here two days for the water to subside, then moved on to Patterson.


March 13th crossed Black River into Hardee's old camp, and were welcomed by the Thirty-third Ilinois Infantry; weather much warmer; flannels a bardon. March 16th marched to the Little Black River Mills, twenty miles, to grind coru for rations.


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March 24th Major Wallis sent in command of a forage party, returned with some prisoners, horses, mules and grain. April 2d, heavy rain storm with high wind; blew down some tall trees and killed two horses. On the Sth, left camp for the Little Black, and then moved to Currant River, where, by order, Hardee's old hospital was burned. This was the first order to burn anything ever received by the Ninth. Then march on to Pocahontas and Bird's Point, and reached Jacksonport May 5th. At Bird's Point some of the boys found some meat and sugar hidden, and the Quartermaster paid forit. May 16th General Steele moved from this place, leaving Colonel Brackett in command of the post.


May 18, George F. Walker wounded while coming out of Augusta with dis- patches. Joseph Hickson and James Conner also attacked while bearing dis- patches; two horses killed. The men came in while Company D was making for the river. Before the arrival of the gunboats a female of the snuff-dipping persuasion put her head out of a window and called to a chap named Andrews, "Is that what you call skedaddling?" Andrews pulled his revolver and said, " I will make you skedaddle." She did not want to exchange any further compli- ments.


June Sth, Paymaster here to-day: June 16th, Lieutenant Benton, of Company A, started for St. Louis with dispatches; June 22d to 24th, the following troops ar- rived: First Indiana Battery, Third Iowa, Eighth Indiana, the Thirty -third Illinois, and the Eleventh Wisconsin; General Stecle also arrived; ponton bridge laid and troops crossed.


The Ninth Illinois Cavalry occupied this point continually, from the fifth day of May until the present date, June 26th, when the camp wasmoved back from the town. Theregiment kept pickets around this place for a week at a time. Horses were kept saddled ready to move. When a company came in from picket in the forenoon, they were allowed to unsaddle until near sundown, then all had to saddle up. Our rations consisted much of the time of corn meal, coarse ground. and fresh pork, some of the time without salt.


June 27th, stopped at Stewart's plantation, and found plenty of corn on the Robinson plantation, some three years old, also three barrels of molasses and sugar and a barrel of whisky.


Monday, June Sth, cutting through the " blockade" where trees bad bech felled across the corduroy road. Here occurred one of the sharpest-fought battles of the war. Only five hundred of the Thirty-third Illinois, and four small steel riffe cannons belonging to the First Indiana Cavalry against a large Confederate force: five of our men killed and thirty-five wounded: the enemy's loss one hundred and ten killed, and many wounded. The action lasted thirty minutes; no more fighting after this place was passed.


The regiment reached Helena July 14th. To give the reader some concep- tions of the hardships endured in the way of diet, imagine going to a slough or swamp for water to drink, and find your path beset with the water moccasin from three to five feet long, and not procured very easy then from among the big cypress. Dip your " Blickey," made from an old oyster can, and raise it to your lips, and take one swallow. It now scems but a dream, nevertheless true, as many of the Ninth Illinois found. could we even gather a part of the record of those buried at Helena. A few daysafter the regiment had camped on the point above Helens


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there was a detail for the regiment to report with teams for forage to the Third or Fourth Jowa. When the command had assembled we counted seventy mou, besides the wagoners, and the only officer a duty sergeant. The officer in com- mand of the expedition came up to me and asked for the officer in command, and I told him " We had none." He replied " Very well, fall in." Now a regiment going into the field February 16, 1882, with one thousand sixty-five men, and before the 10th day of August, only seventy men that could go on a scout, will give some idea of the effects of Arkansas swamp's water.


Looking back to-day and knowing the effects of drinking such poison, it seems a wonder that any are left to tell of the terrible scourge of fever the men went through. These times were something besides " playing soldier." A cam- paign has some life in it, but when men have to stand idly by and see such suffer- ing, and not be able to alleviate or avoid it, is a feeling one does not care to have repeated.


Angust 3)th, nearly half of the company have gone on the hospital beat to St. Louis; October 9th the regiment moved below Helena on the sands.


James McBride, Regimental Saddler, died October 13th. October 14tb the well men ordered out on the Clarendon road to the Beech woods, three miles from town. Here was the best water we ever got in Arkansas. A well had been sunk in the Chalk hill until a living steam of water was obtained, all of the men at this place were bearty. October 18th, promoted to-day to Orderly Sergeant.


November 6th, started on a scout: camped twelve miles from Clarendon. The coinnand divided here, returning on different roads marching towards Marianna. Ran into a yellow jackets' nest, which made things pretty lively, while the fusil- ade of hornets kept their " business end " in operation.


We moved- early, and soon the advance sent a courier stating that the "Johnnies " were in line. Captain Perkins told him to return to his command. and clear the road, which he did. In the meantime Captain Perkins gave the order to charge, and right well was the order obeyed, but as soon as the noise of the battery reached the cars of those in line, they charged to the rear. The next time they formed in line was at or near Mariana, but we could not get the battery anywhere near them. We moved ontowards La Grange, Ark. About the middle of the afternoon they made another stand. I think it was a Fourth Iowa officer reported them in line to Captain Perkins, and said, " What shall I do, charge them Captain?" Perkins replied "Charge them! Charge them! to hell, damn them." He turned his horse about, gave him the spur, and away he went charg- ing them to the Arkansas Brush, which was no casy thing to do, as both their horses and men were trained to that kind of business. We then moved on to La Grange, and forming in line on the right of the battery, and down the hills and were preparing to feed, when they charged up the road almost to the mouth of the guns, and the new Sharp's rifles were more than they could stand. After re- ceiving their contents, they fell back as fast as they could. The results of the day were nine prisoners and ten killed and wounded.


We marched this day forty miles, fell in line six times, and had three fights and there were six or eight of our command wounded.


November 27th, started to Delta, crossed the Mississippi, and moved at five o'clock A. M., marched all day, arriving at the Coldwater and the Tallabatchie.


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taking all their pickets, and gaining possession of the ferry before they could cut the rope.


Major Burgh was in command of the advance, and it must have been some- thing of a surprise to those rebel soldiers sitting quietly in camp to be greeted with shell and minie-balls, while smoking their pipes. Our force was set to building a ponton bridge, and the next afternoon moved over the river, and started on a good round trot and some of the time on a charge. . November 30th, burned two bridges, and tore up some of railroad track. December 1st, marched to within ten miles of Panola, having a skirmish while passing through Charles- ton.


December 3d. moved to Oakland; near there, in the advance, General Wasl :- burn and the First Indiana Cavalry, with four steel rifle guns, were ambushed. The General's horse was killed and six of the First Indiana wounded, then our battery came up and gave such free discharges of canmister and shell, that the rebs only got away with one gun and killed fifteen horses. One of our guns was dismounted here and we moved it into town and camped in line of battle.


December 4th, raining all day and returned to camp. The Fifth marched to the Tallahatchie crossing on the pontoon. General Washburn put his hand on every man of that command as he stood on the pontoon, placing his hand on the shoulder of each trooper to steady him, and not let one crowd another, until all were over, others of his staff were with him. As soon as we were all over, the bridge was destroyed, and we moved four miles to camp, this being the first night since the 28th of November that we could really sleep safe and not expect to be called during the night. Our sleeping on unginned cotton eighteen inches deep under a shed was a luxury. The pontoon we had was on the celebrated " Yazoo pass." General Washburn was very careful of his soldiers. When marching, he would not allow them to turn out for him if it could possibly be avoided, himself and staff taking the side of the road so as not to make it harder for those on the march. At the end of this campaign in Mississippi, General Washburn personally highly complimented Major Burgh for bis gallant conduct and the efficiency of his cononand.


January 2, 1863, ordered on a two days' stout, marcbing twelve miles to get between the picket line and La Grange. It was raining all this time. Suddenly a vidette caine in and reported the enemy in force. At 5 o'clock, moved north, and came to a house of feasting and dancing, and such a scattering for the rear of the plantation was seldom scen. Mr. MeCullock, a connection of the Confed- erate General (now our scout) with another soldier, came suddenly into the camp of the noted guerrilla band, he seeing their predicament shouted: " For God's sake send up the battery." Of all the saddle slinging that then took place, that beat all. Having thus diverted their attention they rejoined the command.


Our forces then moved forward as rapidly as possible with the howitzers, but the birds had Rown. All the houses here but one was burned and a considerable amount of corn and provisions was destroyed. There were some amusing scenes that night as standing in line near an enemy, but so dark that no movement could be made, some going to sleep and falling against their companion, who would fall against his neighbor, then in the daytime riding over the corduroy road, the horses' feet going down in the slush and spilling his rider into the mud. But all got off without any serious disaster.


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The reader of to-day may think this would be funny, but thirty-six to forty- eight hours of such amusement was what sent so many to carly graves.


We returned to Helena the next day bringing in ten prisoners


January 11th a part of the command marched across the country to the White River, while a large fleet of gunboats and transports moved down the river and around: a very bard and disagreeable march; heard firing at Arkansas Post; moved by way of Clarendon, and are short of rations. 14th, raining in torrents, and no breakfast; corn meal now a luxury. On the 15th reached the White River at Clarendon, and have rations; snow eighteen inches deep. January 20th. ordered to return; Company D, rear guard, was fired on at night, and coull have no fires during the night. All had to keep moving, as it was so damp and cold. Captain Cowen reported for duty February 2d, having been on the sick list, with the exception of thirty days, since July last. April 6th, Adjutant-General Thomas at Helena, to authorize the raising of ten regiments of colored troops. April 7th, ordered to Memphis. I do not think there ever was an order given to a regiment that was more welcome.


June 4th, received a furlough for thirty days, and take charge of the remains of Comrade John W. Wisner, who died to-day. July 7th, in St. Louis; the news of the fall of Vicksburg. In less than two hours it seems that the whole city is on the street. July 10th, arrived in camp. July 18th, Lieutenant McMahon, with twenty men from B and HI, sent out after some Confederate troops who had made an attack and captured some soldiers and seven railroad hands. The Lieu- tenant overtook the enemy, recaptured our boys, killed a lieutenant, wounded some and brought in four prisoners. This was the second officer we had killed, besides some soldiers, having captured also a number of prisoners from this rebel force.


August 13th, 1863, moved to Collierville, on to Bybalia, thirty miles; plenty of peaches, apples, watermelons, etc .; then on over the Tallabatchie River; on the 15th to Oxford and Water Valley (rightly named); forward to Coffeeville, with some skirmishing. Arrived at Grenada on the 18th. At this place mnauy acres of cars burned, and seventy locomotives disabled. One engine was brud up with as much steam as was thought proper and sent down the road. It met the troops coming from Vicksburg, and soon ran off the track. One of Company A's men had a band-to-hand fight with a rebel. and brought his opponent in with horse, saddle and equipments. Company D moved over the river, and was on picket northwest of Grenada.


August 20th, moved early towards Panola. This is the same territory we were in last December; crossed the Tallahatchie and camped. Here we cap. tured a prisoner; he was hid under his chimney: back to Germantown on the 21st. August 24th, moved to La Grange, Tenn., to the old camp of the Second lowa. September 18th, started on a scout; marched to Bolivar, crossed the Hatchie, on to Denmark station, Jackson and Montezuma, and the 16th to Poca- hontas. From the evening of the 13th to the evening of the 16th we had but one day's rations. September 18th, Company B detailed as couriers for General Sweeney. October 9th, Lieutenant McMahon, with eight men and myself, go to Colonel Rice's, as couriers to Davis' Mills.


On the 11th the General crossed Wolf River eight miles forward; heard the


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attack'on Collierville, General Sherman was there; moved back four miles; my- self and squad returned to La Grange with dispatches for General Blair. On the 12th marched to Hudsonville, a veritable cross roads, it was here that a second Iowa soldier, in moving a pile of bricks to fix a place for his coffee-pot, unearthed seven hundred and twenty-five dollars in specie, mostly in gold.


October 13th moved to Holly Springs. Our advance under Lieutenant Kelly saw a rebel vidette just giving his borse the spur for Holly Springs, the country being open the boys followed. There was one horse belonging to Louis Andrews that proved too fleet for Mr. Reb. After the first quarter he began to close upon the vidette. Hefired one shot from his carbine, while running, then drew his revolver and sent two more shots, and the Johnay pulled in his horse. , When the boys came up and asked him why he halted, he replied: " He had shot on both sides of my head, aud close over it, and did not dare to risk another shot." We moved within four miles of Chulahoma, and met Hatch's command returning from his fight with Chalmers.


Daring all the way from Collierville, myself and a squad of twenty men had been detailed to carry dispatches from General Sweeney to General Hatch, not & pleasant job for a dozen men to return where fifty had come in and some of whom had been captured. I shall not soon forget the starting ont, and meeting unex- pectedly a body of men, also the conversation between Generals Sweeney and Hatch. After the first salutation General Sweeney said: " Why did you not re- port oftener?" Hatch replied: "I did not think that the cinergency justified it as I have lost some men already." Sweeney's reply was: " I have a mind to place yon under arrest." " Well, I suppose you can act your pleasure about it, but I was acting under orders especially from General Hurlbut." This reply cut the General awfully. The 15th to the 20th of October moved from Chulahoma to Quinn's Mill; crossed the Coldwater to Early's Grove, and back to camp, bringing in a large amount of cattle. The 29th General Sweeney and Colonel MeCrellis had some talk over our company, the General wishing to take us with him, while Colonel McCrellis does not want the regiment separated. We were ordered to return to the regiment October 31st. November 3d marched to Moscow, and scouted till about the 7th, when the regiment was ordered to Corinth; scouted hereabouts for a couple of weeks, and back to Collierville the 22d. On the 25th again to Germantown to Hickory Withe and Quinn's Mill, which we burned, and went into camp sixteen miles from Fort Pillow: weather very warm, and while at Covington, the boys found five barrels of high wines and whisky, and some of the companies did not have enough sober men to take care of their horses for two days. We moved near Summerville and confiscated a lot of horses and mules and arrived back to La Grange, December 1st, where we corralled the stock.


We then moved out to Saulsbury, and camped within six miles of Pocahontas; moved back at 1 o'clock and skirmished with the enemy before light, driving them until we came to Big Gulf beyond Saulsbury. Our howitzers not having range enough to reach them, Colonel Hatch began to move by the flank: the rebels moved off farther south; our loss none: we captured nine prisoners.


December 4th, moved from La Grange to Moscow; here found the enemy in ambush. I was riding between the guns of our battery and had got part of the




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