USA > Illinois > History of the Thirty-fourth regiment of Illinois volunteer infantry. September 7 1861. July 12, 1965 > Part 6
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The Second brigade was camped at first on the Shelbyville pike, south of the town, but, February 7th, moved to about three-fourths of a mile west of the town, in an open field, not a great distance from the river, and remained in the same camp until the morning of June 24, 1863. Recon- noissances and foraging expeditions were frequently made in the vicinity of the Shelbyville turnpike, as far out as Guy's Gap and Coffee Hills, about seven miles from Murfreesboro. Several skirmishes occurred at those points dur- ing January and February, sometimes continuing two or three hours, but were attended with slight losses. One engagement occurred in the brigade which is likely to be remembered by all of the participants. It was an affair between the Thirtieth Indiana and Thirty-Fourth Illinois, the weapons used being snowballs, of just the correct specific gravity to produce irrita-
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tion, internally as well as externally. The battle raged fiercely. and some injudicious remarks very nearly led to a serious con- flict. which was avoided by the more prudent and deliberate comrades in both regiments.
These two regiments were first brigaded together December 3d, 1851, at Camp Nevin, Ky., and so continued until October 10th, 1863. It is seldom the case that two regiments become more truly attached to each other than these. Either would have sacrificed its last life for the other, and into whatever place of danger one went, there was as much solicitude in the other as if a part of its own body were endangered. Each relied upon the other as its surest backer in any emergency. Had we known that in the ranks of the Thirtieth there was a tall, raw- boned, muscular and energetic lieutenant whose name should in another war be known all over the world, it is probable that many would have taken especial notice of W. H. Lawton, who, as a major general, gave his life to his country in the Philippines, after having spent most of the intervening years in active army life on the frontier of his own country.
Shortly after the battle of Stone River, orders from the War Department remodeled the army at Murfreesboro, so far as to designate the troops under Gen. George H. Thomas as the Fourteenth Army Corps, and those under Gen. McCook as the Twentieth and those under Gen. Crittenden as the Twenty- First Army Corps.
An elaborate system of fortifications and magazines was planned and laid out, with the purpose of making the place a depot of supplies, as the base of future operations. The Second brigade was continuously employed in the construction of these defences until about the 7th of June. The fortifying was car- ried on by day and night shifts, each regiment alternating in night and day work, and some very creditable defences were the result of much hard work, but performed in such way as not to be burdensome on any regiment engaged on it.
On the 14th of February, 1863, Gen. Rosencrans issued an order establishing a " Roll of Honor," which should "point out to this army and the nation those officers and soldiers of this
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command who shall distinguish themselves by bravery in battle, by courage, enterprise and soldierly conduct, and also to pro- mote the efficiency of the service." The regimental . Roll of Honor" embraced five privates from each company, and ten corporals and ten sergeants from each regiment, all to be select- ed by their comrades in the ranks. These were to become a brigade " Roll of Honor," to be properly officered, the brigade "Rolls of Honor" to constitute the Ariny Corps . Roll of Honor." This proposed organization was very popular and at the same time complimentary to the army under Gen. Rosencran's com- mand, and was a very gratifying mark of his confidence in and respect for the men in the ranks, Those who were chosen by their comrades for the position were always afterwards looked upon by those who had chosen them with an added respect and deeper regard than ever before, and not an instance is now recalled where any of them ever disappointed the confidence of their comrades, notwithstanding the fact that the effort failed of accomplishment through an order from the War Department. Gen. Rosencrans, on April 14. by General Order No. 99. ordered: "That those whose names appear on the rolls of honor remain on duty with their respective commands, and that they be distinguished, when on military duty, by wearing a red rib- bon tied in the buttonhole or attached to the coat over the left breast." It was much desired that a list of the names of those so chosen should appear in this history, but all efforts secured the names of only fourteen of the comrades chosen.
Col. J. B. Dodge, of the Thirtieth Indiana, who took com- mand of the Second brigade, December 31st. when Gen. Kirk was wounded, remained in command until about the middle of May, at which time he went home on sick leave and Col. T. E. Rose, of the Seventy-Seventh Pennsylvania, assumed the com- mand. On the 20th of June, Col. John F. Miller, of the Twen- ty-Ninth Indiana, who had been doing excellent service else- where, rejoined his regiment and by virtue of his rank assumed command of the brigade.
Indications of a forward movement began to be apparent. and on June 23d, 1863. Gen. R. W. Johnson issued a stirring
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and patriotic address to the soldiers of his Division, and orders were duly issued to break camp on the morning of the 24th; and early in the morning the great "tarantula" again spread itself out and began feeling its way along the various roads leading from Murfreesboro in an east and southeasterly direction. The Second Division marched by the Shelbyville turnpike five or six miles, then turned to the left along a dirt road to Old Millers- burg, taking the Bell Buckle road, and soon encountered the . outposts of the enemy.
Several wounded Confederates were found at a house in the valley through which we passed before emerging into Lib- erty Gap. One of the wounded was a fine looking private soldier of the Fifth Arkansas infantry, which, with the Fifteenth Arkansas, it was learned, were camping in the Gap. The Sec- ond and Fifth Arkansas, in Gen. Liddell's brigade of Gen. Cle- burne's Division, were old acquaintances of the Thirty-Fourth Illinois, having opposed each other at Shiloh and again at Stone River, where the Second got the colors of the Thirty-Fourth after a fearful struggle.
The advance of our army was very little delayed by the enemy in our front. The force opposing us was much less than ours, and it yielded without much pressure. Our total loss for the day was 27 killed. 177 wounded and 2 missing. The enemy lost in two regiments as follows: Twentieth Tennessee, 9 killed, 24 wounded; Thirty-Seventh Georgia, 3 killed, 45 wounded. Both regiments were in Bates' brigade, Stewart's Division. These two regiments do not represent all the losses of the enemy, nor all of their forces engaged.
The Thirty-Fourth was not engaged during the day. The First brigade. Gen. Willich, was in the advance, and put out an extended skirmish line, advancing over the hills, through the underbrush, pursued the enemy through the mud and rain until evening, when the First and Second brigades went into bivouac and the Third brigade, from the rear, passed to the right and took position and threw out pickets to the front and right. The wounded were cared for in farm houses, and the troops, weary with the day's marching through med and rain, were under the
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necessity of enduring a night of discomfort from the chilling rain, which continued during the night.
On the morning of the 25th, a general advance was made, but greater resistance was encountered than on the previous day. It was ascertained that during the night the Confederate General Cleburne's Division had been brought up, and that always meant trouble for those in his front. Early in the morn- ing the First brigade relieved the Third on the picket line, the Thirty-Second Indiana on the left and the Eighty-Ninth Illinois on the right, the Second brigade in reserve.
About noon, a strong line of the enemy's skirmishers ap- peared in front of the Thirty-Second Indiana and the left of the Eighty-Ninth Illinois, but they were repulsed. After an interval of an hour, the enemy's line being re-enforced, made a second attack, in which artillery of the enemy took part, but this attack was also repulsed. Similar attacks were made upon other por- tions of our lines farther to the right, resulting in some losses in killed and wounded on our side. The stubborn resistance of our troops caused the enemy to withdraw across a valley about a half mile in width, and take position on the side of a wooded hill, with artillery in rear of their lines, farther up the hill.
At this time, Gen. Johnson ordered an advance upon the enemy's position. Col. John F. Miller responded promptly, and leaving six companies of the Twenty-Ninth and four of the Thirtieth Indiana, which had been picketing the flanks of the Division, united the remaining companies of both regiments under Col. Dunn, and with the brigade moved rapidly into posi- tion in rear of Gen. Willich's line and deployed into line of bat- tle, the Seventy-Seventh Pennsylvania on the right, the Sev- enty-Ninth Illinois next on the left, then the Thirty-Fourth Illi- nois on the left, just in rear of the Thirty-Second Indiana, which was in line of battle behind a rail fence. To the right and rear of the Thirty-Fourth Illinois, and about forty rods distant, was the Twentieth Ohio battery, Col. Miller and his staff being with this battery.
There was a delay of fifteen or twenty minutes, after the brigade was in line, and during this interval Col. Miller was hit
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in the left eye with a musket ball, and was borne from the field in a supposed dying condition, and Col. T. E. Rose, of the Seventy-Seventh Pennsylvania, took command of the brigade. At the command to advance, the brigade moved out in good order and proceeded only a few paces when "things began to come our way." . The entire distance across the valley was a cornfield, the young plants being about ten to fifteen inches in height. The ground, recently plowed and for twenty-four hours past saturated with the constant rain, was a mud hole on an ex- tended scale. The soil adhered to the feet until they became loaded almost beyond the possibility of moving. The regiment, without much attempt at alignment, proceeded as rapidly as possible across the field.
Maj. John M. Miller, being fleshy and "scant of breath," was obliged to return after a brief attempt to cross the field, and the command of the regiment fell on Capt. Patrick, of Company E. Several men of the regiment were hit while cross- ing, Lieut. Merrill, of Company F, being instantly killed by a bullet which struck him in the upper lip, breaking his neck. Near the farther side of the field was a ditch, into which some of the men fell exhausted, but in a moment rallied and contin- ued on a few rods farther to a rail fence at the foot of the hill on which the enemy held position. Here the regiment engaged the enemy for about forty minutes, and fired with a determina- tion to make up for the disadvantage at which it had been placed in such an advance, without a chance for self-defence.
At a point in front of Company A was an open space on the hillside, in which suddenly appeared a Confederate flag. George Phipps and Thos. C. Chamberlain, of that company, fired at the color-bearer, and the flag went down. The attention of other comrades was directed to the spot, and several persistent efforts to recover the flag were frustrated and the enemy withdrew. After firing ceased, several men jumped the fence and started to bring in the fallen colors, but they were called back by Capt. Patrick. The Thirty-Eighth Illinois and One Hundred and First Ohio, of Gen. Davis' Division, coming up in the rear of our lines as re-enforcements, a skirmish line was thrown forward by
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the Thirty-Eighth and the colors of the Second Arkansas, right- fully belonging to the Thirty-Fourth, were simply picked up by the Thirty-Eighth skirmishers and held by that regiment, although demanded by ours. We at least had the satisfaction of. getting even with the Second Arkansas for capturing our colors at Stone River.
The loss in the regiment was 3 killed and 24 wounded. The brigade withdrew from the front line, which was held by other troops, and retiring across the cornfield went into bivouac for the night. Nearly the entire day and night rain fell, causing the roads to be almost impassable for troops, artillery and supply trains. The day's loss to our army was 42 killed, 232 wounded and I missing; total, 275. Two Confederate regiments lost as follows: Second Arkansas, killed, 14, wounded, 35, missing, 10, total, 59; Fifth Arkansas, killed; 5, wounded, 10, missing, 7, total, 22.
The 26th was a day of almost continuous rain. The dead of the regiment were buried, and at night the regiment went on picket, and on the following morning started out to reach the Manchester turnpike, being led through woods and fields, and camped at night near Beach Grove, beyond Hoover's Gap. At II a. m. on the 28th, marched towards Manchester, reaching that place at 2 o'clock on the morning of the 29th. The road had been worked into a mortar bed by the teams and cavalry and infantry, which had theadvance, so that those in the rear waded in a soft slush of yellow clay mud, in which there was a liberal allowance of gravel. It is safe to say that nine-tenths of the distance made that night after dark, every step was made in an average depth of eight inches of mud. The night was in- tensely dark, which made it impossible to choose a way by the side of the road We had scarcely halted at two o'clock when a drenching rain set in, which, however, did not prevent the men from sleeping until morning, even though in many cases lying in water three or four inches deep.
The 29th and 30th days of June were spent in camp, the principal occupation of the men being an attempt to free their
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clothing from the sticky, gravelly mud of the recent wearisome night march. We were camped near the east bank of Duck river, a beautiful stream, on the east side of which there had been powder mills for supplying the Confederacy. One of the comrades found a lot of dirty lumps of powder in a small build- ing, and gathered a pile of it for the purpose of ascertaining if it would burn. He dropped a coal of fire into it and secured the desired information. It took a good deal of cotton and sweet oil to fix up his face in proper condition. Like the man who wanted to examine a mule's hind foot, "he was not so good looking afterwards, but knew a heap more."
Some extra baggage and a few sick were sent to the rear, and in the forenoon of July Ist, marched towards Tullahoma, and after tramping through the mud in the midst of dense for- ests, in a parboiled condition, arrived at Tullahoma at twelve o'clock at night. In the morning our Division was assigned to camps in and around the town, and preparations made for an extended stay.
The enemy abandoned the town, apparently, in great haste on our approach. A large lot of camp equipage fell into our hands, also 200 cases of ammunition and 542 barrels of whisky, and several thousand pounds of tobacco. Gen. Stanley, in com- mand of our cavalry, pursued the enemy and captured many prisoners. About July Ist, one of his brigades passed entirely around Gen. Bragg's army and destroyed the railroad and sta- tion at Deckard, and got away without losing a man.
The Fourth of July passed quietly, with the exception of a salute of 34 guns: that number being the national salute, the regiment could not lay claim to the honor of being noticed in that way. The regimental sutler having been escorted across the Ohio river by order of Gen. Johnson, our Division com- mander, for selling liquor contrary to orders, we were left with- out the means of procuring anything with which to celebrate, even in accordance with orders. Our regimental adjutant dis- covered later some method by which strict prohibition principles could be evaded, and under the excitement of his success and its results, was guilty of disrespect and insubordination towards
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Col. Dysart, and was given the alternative to resign or stand court-martial. He chose the former, and resigned July 10, 1863. His unfortunate habit was a source of great regret to every man in the regiment as well as to himself. He was capable and pro- ficient in the duties of his office, and under the natural condi- tions was genial and agreeable. Two or three years after the war he went to Nebraska and eastern Colorado, and while in the latter state became interested in a locality down the Platte river about 130 miles from Denver, and laid out and named the town of Sterling, now a thriving town.
The regiment remained in camp at Tullahoma until the 16th of August, with very little to vary the monotony of the daily routine. The weather was very hot, with a good deal of rain, causing considerable sickness. The number present for duty became so limited that company drill was not attempted, but the regiment was put into two squads of five companies each for drill, with an average of about fifty in each squad.
The news of Gen. Kirk's death at home was received dur- ing the first days of July, and produced profound sorrow, not only in the regiment but in the brigade. Col. Dysart resigned August 7th, and Lieut: Col. Oscar VanTassell assumed command of the regiment and continued in command until November 7th, 1864, when he was mustered out at his own request. He held the unbounded respect and confidence of every man and officer in the regiment, and his ceasing to lead it was a matter of pro- found regret.
The regiment was paid July 18th. An amateur theatrical company was organized by some young men of the Division, and played to crowded houses. The house, however, was not very large, and the stage paraphernalia was not of the modern, up-to-date article, but a good deal of fun was gotten out of it by the privates and officers, who were, under the conditions, obliged to abate somewhat the rigor of military discipline.
On the 15th of August, arms and equipments were inspected and at about four o'clock p. m. the next day the brigade marched to Elk river, crossing it at midnight, remained until morning in a drenching rain. An early start was made on the
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17th, passing through Winchester and Salem, and at II a. m. camped until the next morning; at 5:30 a. m. resumed the march, halting at 10 o'clock at night, after having made a leis- urely march of 15 or 16 miles.
On the 19th, the line of march led towards Stevenson, up Larkin's Cove to. the foot of the mountain, and on the following day commenced the ascent of the mountain. A good deal of "lubber lifting" at the wagons and artillery was necessary, and they were not all up until about five o'clock in the evening. We then continued on seven or eight miles and camped on top of the mountain. Some years previously a hurricane had passed over, laying the immense forest trees in parallel lines over a tract of ground ten or fifteen rods in width. These had been cut out of the roadway, leaving only space sufficient for teams, by careful driving, to pass through.
On the 21st, marched at 6 a. m. and descended the moun- tain on the east side, and marched towards Bellefonte, Alabama. The noon halt was made in a beautiful grove of large trees. The water supply was a large spring, or underground river. It was an opening in the earth, about 300 feet long, 50 feet wide, with banks S to 12 feet high, and was like a mortice cut down into the earth. The water was cool and delicious.
While halting at that place, a man in Company B fixed his gaze very intently in a tree top, and being asked the reason for it, said he was looking at a coon. Many of the men drew near and began to "rubber" (only they did not know it by that name). One of them discovered the hoax, but had the cheek to pass it on. and went to Col. Dodge (commanding the brigade) and asked permission to shoot a coon out of a tree-top. The colonel and his staff became interested, and. going to the spot began to "rubber" also. . The performance was too funny to last, and some of those standing near gave it away. It was not so funny when we swung out on the road a few minutes later and "hoofed it" to the tune of about four miles an hour until we reached Bellefonte, about three o'clock p. m.
On the 22d, the regiment was designated as provost guard 'by Gen. Johnson, Division commander.
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The march from Tullahoma was made with reasonable moderation, but was fatiguing, owing to the sweltering heat. which continued without abatement until the 26th, at which time there was the beginning of some relief in the early and late parts of the days. The camp at Bellefonte was named "Camp Von Trebra;" in memory of Lieut. Col. Von Trebra, of the Thirty-Second Indiana, an accomplished scholar and thoroughly military in training. There was considerable sickness among the citizens of the town, and they had the gratuitous services of Surgeon Hostetter, of our regiment, and the surgeons of other regiments. The town was the residence of Confederate Con- gressman Cobb, in whose house there was a very choice library, which was treated with consideration. Although examined and more or less read, no damage was done to it, nor were the books removed.
No troops except our Second Division were at Bellefonte, and our stay terminated on the 30th of August, and we marched towards Stevenson, halting for the night at Crow Creek; and on the 31st, passed to the right of Stevenson and struck the Ten- nessee river at Caperton's ferry; crossed over on the pontoon bridge and remained on the east bank of the river until the next morning. Davis' Division crossed over on the 30th, and moved out three miles and camped on the mountain. From this place the last items of surplus baggage were sent to the rear, and the wagons were loaded with rations for a long campaign.
September Ist and 2d were spent by the regiment in the place first occupied after crossing the river. Supply trains from Stevenson were passing on to the front, and on the 2d the Div- ision started on the march in a southerly direction, and the Sec- ond Cavalry Division crossed . the river and moved out in the same direction. We were not greatly pleased that our regiment alone out of the whole Division should be left behind for one day, simply to guard the pontoon bridge, but when we got orders on the morning of the 3d to remain with the pontoons indefi- nitely, and to make a line of fortifications for greater security, we were simply disgusted. At first thought it looked like pun- ishment, although we were not conscious of any justifiable
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cause, and could not believe we were considered worthless at the front, or we would not have been selected to guard so neces- sary and important an adjunct of the army with so few men in our ranks.
Within a few rods of the end of the bridge was a dense grove of large, tall trees, with no underbrush, and the making of a delightfully cool and shady camp was easily accomplished. It was very restful, after working on the fortifications a few hours in the hot sun, to retire to quarters where there was such refresh- ing coolness. In the course of three or four days the surgeon's call was quite largely attended, and there were some in quarters not able to answer the call. As the, days passed, the sick list grew to alarming proportions, the cases almost entirely begin- ning with chills, resulting in fevers. Some of the men volun- tarily moved their quarters out of the shade into open ground, and on the 12th the entire camp was moved a few rods into the sunshine, and no new cases developed, those who had been at- tacked soon recovering.
The wagons of the supply train, out towards the front, as soon as emptied were returned to Stevenson for reloading for the front again. Many of the citizens of the country were loyal Unionists, and had been deprived of all means of subsistence, many having been refugees from their homes These were taken to Stevenson and furnished with food and transportation north of the Ohio river. We were told by citizens that near our camp was a high precipice from which Union men had been forced at the point of the bayonet, for persistent refusal to enlist in the Confederate army.
The hatred between those of the South representing oppo- site sides in the war, was much more bitter than between North- ern soldiers and Confederates.
The principal incident during the stay at Caperton's Ferry was a night raid on the sutler. It was a movement from all directions, and executed in "one time and two motions." The surrounding brush and sand piles on the river bank suddenly became the depositories of sutler supplies, to be brought out in the "stilly" nights succeeding.
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