USA > Illinois > History of the Ninth Regiment Illinois Cavalry Volunteers. Pub. under the auspices of the Historical Committee of the Regiment > Part 42
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As the Second Iowa, who were in the advance, crossed Butler Creek, they were attacked by General Buford, at the same time that the Ninth Ilinois were at- facked by Forrest in the rear. Our position at this crisis was anything but favor- able. Our force did not number over twelve hundred fighting men. Shoal Creek, fearfully swollen by the copious rains of the past few days, separated us from the balance of the division. Our front and rear were beset by vastly superior numbers, while a little distance to our left lay the powerful army of General Blood. We were completely in the trap set for us by Forrest, and all the known outlets guarded with a sufficient amount of troops to preclude the hope of break- ing through them. Fortunately for us, the center of our column still command- ed a by-path that led to the old ford where Major Horton had crossed the day before. It seems that Forrest knew nothing of this ford, or he would have guard- ed it as he did all the other crossings. Major Horton, who commanded the ad- vance, saw at once our only hope of escape was in crossing Shoal Creck here, before Forrest should discover it. He therefore quickly threw the Second lowa to the front to hold Baford in check. Then, without waiting to communicate with Colonel Coon, he ordered Lieutenant Boget to take charge of the pack train and rush with all possible speed across this ford. He then sent an orderly to Colonel Coon, who was directing movements in the rear, informing him of the existence of this crossing and of his doings in ordering the train over. Colonel Coon approved of this promptness on the part of his subordinate in assuming re- sponsibility, and ordered the wagons to follow the pack train. These orders were obeyed with such dispatch that in less than one hour the encumbrances of the brigade were all safely over the creek. But how did the fighting part of the brigade spend this hour? Let the incessant roar of their faithful seven-shooters answer. Several companies of the Second Iowa were on picket, so that their fighting strength in the engagement was not more than one hundred and fifty men, and yet this little band were holding in check Buford's entire division. The men were dismounted and well covered in a strong position. At one time the enemy came upon our center iu a strong, dismounted charge, but as they neared
119
NINTH ILLINOIS CAVALRY VOLUNTEERS.
the cover behind which the Second Towa lay, they were received with such a tell- ing sheet of lead, that, great as was their superiority in numbers, their officers could not make their men (veterans though they were) face the storm, and they fell back in considerable disorder. Under cover of this momentary advantage, Major Hor- ton fell back and crossed the creek in safety, bringing off his wounded, five in number, with himt.
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While this was being done, the Sixth and Ninth Illinois were as gallantly doing their part in the rear and on the flank, where General Forrest was vainly attempting to break through their lines to the train. Captain Mock, with a bat- talion of the Ninth Illinois, got cut off from theford, and was compelled to break out in another direction. He managed to manoenver so as to defeat all attempts made to capture bim, until night covered his movements with a friendly shield. Deeming it safer to divide up in small squads, they separated into platoons, each acting independently, but all striving to reach the command. As these squads wandered about in the darkness, they often found themselves within the enemy's lines. At such times they would either play off rebels, or by a dashing charge cut out, as appeared most expedient. As these little bands struck the rebel lines in various places, no little alarm and confusion was created in the enemy's camp, for each squad was naturally taken for the advance of an attacking column. Hood's army was under arms. Staff officers and orderlies galloped in every direc- tion, while various trains, loaded with headquarter baggage, were in motion for more secure localities. Captain Mock came upon one of these trains, loaded with General Chalmer's headquarter luggage, and by a dashing movement captured it with all the mules and teamsters. Of course they could not take the train off, and it was abandoned, not, however, until Chalmers' large garrison flag, which was in the wagon, was secured and borne off in triumph; but even this was more than these gallant fellows could get away with, for it soon became entangled in the brush, and as speed was everything to them at this point they were obliged to abandon it. By daylight all these squads were safely over the creek. Some of them were in almost a state of nudity, having been captured and stripped by the representatives of Southern chivalry.
During that night, as be afterwards learned, General Rucker prepared a night attack upon our brigade, being, as he afterwards told General Hatch while a prisoner in our lines, confident of his ability to capture the most of the brigade. His men were all instructed to wear a white cloth upon their arms, so that they would know each other in the dark. Just as General Rucker was starting, he received orders from General Forrest to defer the attack, as he, Forrest, had another scheme which he hoped would result in the capture of the division. " Thus we were spared what would doubtless have proved an exciting, bloody fight, for our officers were on the alert and Rucker would have found that his task was not an easy one. Forrest's scheme for the capture of the division was defeated by Hatch, who, knowing the vastly superior force of the enemy, slipped out of the trap just before it was sprung.
Gen. Hood advanced towards Nashville with his entire army on the 20th of November, 1661. He now commanded one of the most magnificent armies ever put into the field by the Confederate govomneat. He had forty-five thousand infantry and ninety pieces of artillery, commanded by the best generals the
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120
IDSTORY OF THE
Confederacy afforded, besides fifteen thousand well mounted cavalry, com- mnde! by Major-General Forrest or the old war horse, as the rebels called him. Although Forrest was by profession a slave dealer, and entirely destitute of even the rudiments of a common school education; a barbarian, wanting in every qual- ification which constitutes a gentleman, yet it must be admitted that as a leader of cavalry he had few equals; he had none in the Confederate army.
Brigadier-General Hatch who had confronted this powerfal army for fifteen days with but forty-six hundred cavalry, now fell slowly back before them, being over forty miles from infantry support. It speaks well for General ITatch to state that during these fifteen days, he kept himself well advised of the movements of the enemy, with a loss of but one man killed, and that from his own body guard. In order correctly to judge the difficulties surrounding us on Shoal Creek campaign, the reader must know that during our stay here the rain fell in torrents, nearly every day, which made our enping grounds perfect quagmires, while the roads over which we were compelled to march and counter- march daily were so muddy as to render locomotion overthem next to impossible. Add to this the fact that we had no shelter from the rain save gum-blankets, and no rations for ourselves or forage for our animals except as we collected it in the face of a vigilant and vastly outnumbering enemy from the surrounding country, which was at best so poor as to afford but a stinted subsistence to the owners, who of course hid all they could from us; and that owing to a peculiar poisonous in- gredient in the mud in this region, our horses, which to the cavalrymen are first importance, took the worst of all discases, the greese heel, to such a fearful extent that seareely a sound animal could be found, while two-thirds of them were en- tirely unfit for use, and the reader will have some idea of the difficulties sur- mounted by General Hatch and his command, during his fifteen days' stay on Shoal Creek - a time not soon to be forgotten by those participating in it.
Taking a glad farewell of these scenes, Hatch retreated to Lawrenceburg, where it became necessary to make another stand to allow the infantry at. Pulaski longer time in which to evacuate that place. He bivouneked his command a little north of Lawrenceburg, placing a strong picket on the pike south of the town. The enemy attacked this picket with cavaby ou the morning of the 22d. Captain MeMannis with & battalion of the Ninth Hinois Cavalry, and Lieutenant Bandy with Companies D. F, I and M held this picket post so stubbornly that the enemy were compelled to bring up their infantry before they could advance, which they succeeded in doing about 2 o'clock p. s., when Colonel Coon went to the support of his pickets with the second brigade. The fight now raged with a good deal of fury until dark, the enemy advancing steadily. Artillery was freely used on both sides, the Sixth Illinois Cavalry gallantly holding the rear against repeated charges and flank attacks from the enemy. Hatch retreated that night about ten miles and camped, moving back the next morning to within ten miles of Pulaski, where he halted again. The enemy pressed the rear somewhat, but devoted most of his attention to a scheme for cutting us off from our support.
Early on the morning of the 24th we moved to Campbellville, where we were vigorously assailed by Forrest. This wily leader had here arranged a trap in which he expected to capture General Hatch and his commuand. Soon after the action began the rebel center gave way, with the hope of drawing Hauch for-
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121
NINTH ILLINOIS CAVALRY VOLUNTEERS.
ward, while a heavy flanking force should swing upon his rear and cut him off from the Franklin pike. This move was detected, however, by Major Schiuit- zer, who was on the left with the first battalion of the Second Iowa. Schmitzer conveyed the knowledge of this movement of the enemy to General Hatch just in time to enable him to change front. and by rapidly throwing the second big- ade upon the left, checkmate the attempt of the enemy to gain his rear. The fighting on the left with the second brigade, Colonel Coon, commanding, now became fierce and bloody. The Ninth Illinois, Captain Harper commanding, at first held the rear, and gallantly did these brave fellows hold in check the swart- ing hosts which Forrest hurled against them. The fighting was bloody in the ex- treme, but this little band of a few hundred heroes on scores of well-fought felds, fell back in good style, retreating or fighting, as ordered. They were overpowered and terribly punished, some companies leavinghalf of their number "on the bloody field. But as the Second Iowa, Major Ilorton commanding, re- lieved them, wesaw plainly by their defiant mien that they were far from being whipped.
Horton dismounted the Second Towa and threw them forward to check the exultant enemy. The boys had scarce time to take covering behind a neighboring fence, before the rebel column came down upon them in a charge calculated to ride down all that opposed it. The moment was a critical one. If they overpon- ered the little band of not over three hundred and fifty opposed to them, thes could gain Hatch's rear, and sad indeed would have been the consequence. But the boys who held that line of fence knew well the responsibility resting upon them, nor was the confidence reposed in them misplaced. As the rebel column advanced, it was met, by not well directed vollies, but a ceaseless sheet of mur- derous lead. The enemy are confounded, they waver and at last break in confu- sion. Scarcely, however, have the cheers of the victors told of their success, when other and even more powerful forces of the enemy's cavalry are discovered closing in still farther to the right. The order to retire is given, but as Majer Moore, who commands the right of the line, attempts to obey the order, he finds that the enemy already command the road in hisrear, completely cutting him off from his lead horses. Seeing the impossibility of escape by this road, Le foli back by the right and rear. Fortunately for him a neighboring bill screened him so that the enemy did not discover the advantage they had gained, and but a portion of their force followed him. With these he kept up a running fight until he succeeded, after a march of some four miles, in forming a junction with the First Brigade and was safe. After Major Moore was cut off, the brunt of the battle fell upon Captain Bandy, commanding Companies I and D. For a few minutes it seemed that these companies must be inevitably lost, but after thirty minutes fighting, in which all, both officers and men, showed the best of mettle, they succeeded in making good their retreat. The Sixth Illinois now took the rear. The fight raged until dark. when we reached the pike at Linn. ville. Hatch fell back that night to Columbia, which place was reached about mid- night.
We were now within the infantry lines for the first time for nearly a month. We here received a mail, the first for sixty-five days, or since we left White's Station. General Hatch crossed Duck River at Columbia, on the 25th of Novem ber, and camped for the night two miles from town.
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HISTORY OF THE
. An inspection of the horses was now ordered, the result of which showed that out of over four hundred horses in the Second lowa, less than sixty were serviceable, the balance being rendered unfit for service by the greese hech. General Hatch was now relieved with his division from duty at the front, and allowed to proceed to Nashville for a remount if he desired. But this did not suit his fiery spirit, as it would probably take him out of the balance of the fight; hence he obtained permission to move his division out into the country, northeast of Columbia, and press horses from the citizens.
Accordingly we moved out in the direction indicated, about eight miles, when we went into camp, while small squads scoured the country in all directions for horses. We remained here two days, during which time the boys had picked up horses in sufficient numbers to give us the best remount we had had since we veteranized.
On the evening of the 28th General Hatch moved out on the Shelbyville pike, where we laid in line of battle all night. Before daylight on the morning of the 29th he moved back to Mount Carmel and halted for breakfast. General Croxton, who was now in the rear, soon came up closely pressed by the enemy. Croxton was relieved at Mount Carmel by our brigade, Colonel Coon command- ing. Coon held the fortifications here for an hour when he was ordered to retire, which he did in column of squadrons. The enemy followed until convinced they could make nothing following a force armed as we were, which could be so readily thrown in line of battle, when they withdrew, leaving us to complete our march to Franklin undisturbed. It was a common remark by both officers and men, that our brigade was never better manoeuvered on a retreat than during this day's march.
We reached Franklin on the 29th of November. General Schofield, who commanded there, had not yet completed his arrangements for the evacuation of the place. A vast government train loaded with army stores was there.
As but a very small portion of General Thomas army was at Franklin, General Hood thought this his time to break the Federal power by a crushing blow. and the capture of this train. Hood assembled bis army and excited their cupidity by a description of the wealthy stores just before them. These deluded beings, who were almost entirely naked and poorly supplied with subsistence, were told that the coveted train contained the comfortable clothes and palatable rations always to be found in abundance at a well supplied post occupied by Federal troops. Hood told his bare-footed followers that this tempting prize was separated from them, but by a demoralized Fourth Corps, and that if they would strike one bold blow, it should be theirs. For many days our army had driven splendidly, and they supposed we were indeed whipped and demoralized. Schofield had constructed some very formidable breast works south of Franklin, behind which he placed his infantry-the Veteran Fourth Corps-under that skillful leader, Major-General Stanly, while Brevet General Wilson, commander of the cavalry corps, was ordered to protect the flanks. General Hatch with the Fifth Division, was placed upon the left flank. The enemy attacked the entire line at the same instant, but massing the heaviest force upon the center. Company K, Second lowa, Captain Bandy commanding, were on picket in front of the left when the attack was made. They fell back fighting, and were relieved by the
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428
NINTH ILLINOIS CAVALRY VOLUNTEERS.
Sixth Ilinois Cavalry, Major Whitzet commanding, just as they had expended all their ammunition-one hundred rounds cach. The Sixth Ilincis were forced back until they were protected by the guns of the brigade. The enemy now made a charge upon our brigade, which was handsomely repulsed by the Sixth, Seventh and Ninth Illinois, who in turn charged the enemy, com- pletely routing them at all points. The rebel center came down upon General Stanly in a style probably never excelled for determined bravery by any charge of the war. As they neared the works. the boys opened upon the assailants a fire so destructive that no living force could withstand it .. The rebels succeeded in gaining possession of the works in one place for a few seconds, but they were quickly repulsed and the battle was over. The contest had been very brief, not having lasted over an hour, and yet the enemy had lost over six thousand men killed, viz: Major-General Cleburne, Brigadier General, Gordon, Adams, Strahl, and Granberry, also two Major-Generals wounded. The Federal loss was but sis hundred killed and wounded.
We fell back to Nashville without further fighting, which place we reached ou the 2J of December. The cavalry crossed the Cumberland River and camped at Edgefield. We there found our tents and knapsacks, the first time we bad seen them since we left White's Station in September.
AN INTERESTING LETTER.
KOKOMO, COLO., June 17, 1888. E. A. Darenport, Esq.
DEAR SIR :-- Yours July received. Will state there is nothing " pro ct con " myself individually subsequent to muster out that would militate one way or the other, and have no inclination to become notorious.
I hope you are succeeding admirably with your historical facts, etc. I have been frequently solicited by your Secretary for funds to facilitate the work you have in hand. Providing matters result favorably with me as I anticipate I will respond as requested. I don't care much for money anyway. Just now Jam " broke." It may be within one or two weeks I may have thousands which is peculiar to a silver mining camp.
I am an old bach of fifty years, hale and hearty, and propose to live for the next Centennial because I failed to go to Philadelphia to witness the last. I don't propose to be " euchered " out of another. I will endeavor to be at Chicago next fall at " Grand Review " of the old brigade. General Hatch should be there to take command as in the halcyon days of yore. I observe in nearly every paper 1 get hold of in these Alpine regions some of the old soldiers are daily being mus- tered out, responding to the long roll, answering the last call from earth to all eternity. We hear no more the sharp whizz of the minie-ball nor the buzz of the shell, the soldier rests quietly in his last sleep. Those missles of death lie quietly in our arsenals, and peace and contentment rule supreme throughout the length and breadth our land. Dixie lies placid under the hot rays of a Southern sun, and her sultry, tropical, malarial districts are no more disturbed by the fierce conflicts of contending armies. Peace one more reigns, and thank God we were victorious. Foreign monarchies no more can sneer at " Free America, " whose Constitution granted human bondage in a land considered free and independent from shackb: gnawing into the vitals of human beings simply because their skins were dark. Fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters placed upon the huge block in the
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HISTORY OF THE
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market place, sold and parted never more to meet, the cruel lash of the slave driver with his ribald jests, are forever dumb. The Lagree system is forever .. abolished, and all thanks to our then worthy President, Abe Lincoln, for his war measure by i suing the great and glorious Emancipation Proclamation, there- by wiping out forever one of the most brutal and inhuman institutions that ever cursed the broad. free lands of the American continent.
One word in regard to my connection with the Ninth Illinois Cavalry: I had served one three year enlistment in the Fourth Wisconsin. My brother at Rock- ford wrote ine to come and enlist with him. I concluded to go into the service again, met him at Rockford, enlisted, and were duly assigned to the regiment in question. I observed many things peculiar to the regiment that I did not like. I went into the regiment an old and war-worn soldier. If I had been a novice in the modes of warfare I presume short comings would not have been so flagrantly portrayed, but never mind, my sympathies are with the Ninth yet, and may its record compare favorably with any regiment in the field.
Yours truly, E. DEVENDORF. LOSSES DURING THE CIVIL WAR.
From the 15th of April, 1861, to the 14th of April, 1865 ( when the order to stop enlistments was issued), the United States government " called for " 2,759,049 men. There were furnished 2, 656,553-a deficit of only 102,496, most of which would have been supplied in one month at the then rate of recruiting. Excluding re-enlistments, it is estimated by skillful actuaries that the Federal armies con- tained about 1,800.000 men. of whom 1,500,000 at various times were in active service. Of these 59,700 (very nearly) were killed in battle and 35,000 mortally wounded, while 184,000 died in camp or hospital. It is also estimated that at least 20,000 died soon after reaching home of discase contracted in camp-died before June 30, 1865-so the total loss is usually set at 300,000."
The most cautious and reliable Southern historians do not put their total loss below 925,000. By counting those who lost a leg or an arm or were otherwise totally disabled in a number of average regiments, North and South, we arrive at the conclusion that the thoroughly and permanently crippled by disease and wouuds in both armies were at least 340,000. Adding the deaths in the first year after the war, of those injured in service, we find that in four years the sub- traction from the virile force of the Nation reached the appalling aggregate of 1,000.000 able bodied men.
At the close of the war the government had 201 general hospitals, with a capacity of 136,894 beds. In these there had been treated June 30, 1865, 1,057,423 cases, in which the rate of mortality was a minute fraction less than eight per cent. This is the smallest rate in any recent war. In the Mexican War the mortal- ity in American hospitals was a fraction over ten per cent. in the Crimean War that in the British hospitals was twenty-three per cent., and in the French a frac- tion over twenty-four.
* While this table is approximately correct, it does not cover the number of the Union dead by 59,82%.
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425
NINTH HLINOIS CAVALRY VOLUNTEERS.
COMPARATIVE STATEMENT OF THE NUMBER OF MEN FURNISHED AND OF THE DEATHS IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY DURING THE LATE WAR.
MEN FURNISHED.
STATES, TERRITORIES, ETC.
WHITE TROOPS.
UNY SMOTIVS
COLORED TROOP4.
INDIANS.
TOTAL.
Alabama
2,516
2,576
345
Arkansas.
8,289
1,713
California.
15,725
15,725
573
Connecticut
55,804
5.55!
Delaware
11.236
95.1
12,284
11,912
1,353
15,534
215
Georgia
17
Illinois
255.007
1.817
259,092
34.834
Indiana
193,743
1,078
1,53.
196,263
26,612
lowa .
180 1
KANSAS
1×16
2.090
20.149
2.+30
Kentucky
: 1,743
314
23,203
25,750
10,774
Maine
61.9 3
5,030
101
70,107
9,398
Maryland.
33.000
0,325
5.718
46,638
2.982
Massachusetts
122.681
19,983
116.230
13,942
Michigan.
81.479
498
1.8-7
87.3564
144,753
Minnesota,
23.913
3
104
24,020
Mississippi
515
515
Missouri ..
1:0.616
151
109,111
13.525
Nebraska
3 157
Nevada
1,0:0
New Hampshire
32,900
8,129
1.753
70.814
5,451
New Mexico
0,581
6,561
New York
1000,561
05,154
4,125
3. 150
Ohio
301.814
3,271
5,092
313,180
35,419
Oregon.
1.910
1,810
145
Pennsylvania
815 05
8,612
337,036
33,14
Rhode Island
10.021
1,878
1,0:
23,236
1,321
Tennessee
31,002
01,032
6 .. 17
TexES.
1,965
1,965
141
Vermont.
32,549
619
120
50,258
5.94
Virginia ...
9 4
9 4
West Virginia
31.822
196
1.011
Wisconsin ...
91,029
133
165
12,001
Indian Nations
1,018
Colored Troops
$537
*00.337
+36,847
Veteran Reserve Corps
1,072
U. S. Veteran Volunteers , Hancock's Corps
U. S. Volunteer Engineers and Sharps'ters
U. S. Volunteer Infantry
243
General and general staff officers, U. S. Vols.
Miscellaneous U.S. Vols. (brigade bands),etc.
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