USA > Illinois > Military history and reminiscences of the Thirteenth regiment of Illinois volunteer infantry in the civil war in the United States,1861-65, pt 1 > Part 27
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Commodore Porter's mortars have not been used for nearly forty- eight hours. Poor fool, he might as well give up the vain aspirations he entertains of capturing our city or exterminating our people, and return to his master. to receive the reward such a gasconading dolt will meet at the hands of the unappreciating government at Washington.
After two days the said city was captured and Porter's fleet was at the wharf ; some gasconading on the part of the editor, Mr. Sword, it seems.
Death of Lieutenant Colonel Griffin. General Smith's impetuous division seems singularly unfortunate. He has lost many gallant men during the siege whose deaths are a great public calamity. Lieutenant- Colonel Griffin, commanding the Thirty-first Louisiana Regiment was killed on Saturday. He was a popular and efficient officer. May the soft south winds murmur sweet requiems over his name, and the twilight dews fall gently like an angel's tear-drop and moisten his turfy bed.
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٢٠٠ إليتب هادة لك دهرومايش ك
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EXTORTIONERS.
If aught would appeal to the heart of stone of the extortioners with success, the present necessities of our citizens would do so. It is need- less to attempt to disguise from the enemy or our own people that our wants are great, but still we can conscientiously assert our belief, that there is plenty within our lines, by an exercise of prudence, to last till long after succor reaches us. We are satisfied that there are numerous persons within our city who have breadstuffs secreted and are doling it out at the most exorbitant figures to those who had not the foresight or means at their command to provide for the exigency now upon us. A rumor has reached us that parties in our city have been and are now selling flour at five dollars a pound, molasses at ten dollars per gallon, and corn at ten dollars per bushel. We have not as yet proved the fact upon the parties accused, but if proven, let a brand not only be placed upon their brow, but let it be seared into their very brains that humanity may scorn and shun them as the very portals of hell itself.
We have heretofore refrained from alluding to a matter that has been a source of extreme annoyance and loss to our citizens. We refer to the lax discipline of some of the company officers in allowing their men to prowl about day and night and purloin fruit, vegetables, chick- ens, etc., from our citizens, and in the majority of cases from those whose chief subsistence is derived therefrom. This charge is not con- fined wholly to those at the works, but is equally, if not mainly attrib- utable to the wagoners and those in charge of animals. Several cases here come to our knowledge, where the offenders have in open day- light entered the premises, seized the cattle and other things and defied the owners to the teeth. We are pained to learn that an esteemed citizen of our Vicksburg, Wm. Patterfield, was under the necessity in protecting his property, to wound one or two soldiers and take the life of another.
We fully appreciate the fatigue, hardships and privations to which our men are subjected. But on inquiry it may be found that our city is second to none in contributing to those gallant spirits who risked life and limb to make us the most honored people on the earth ; but such conduct is base ingratitude. A soldier has his honor as much at stake as when he is a civilian. Then let him preserve his good name and reputation with the same jealous care as before he entered the ranks. But so long as this end is lost sight of, we may expect to chronicle bloodshed among our own people.
GOOD NEWS.
In devoting a large portion of our space this morning to Federal intelligence, copied from the Memphis Bulletin of the 25th, it should be
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ILLINOIS VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
remembered that the news is the original truth, whitewashed by the Federal Provost-marshal, who desired to hoodwink the poor Northern white slaves.
The former editors being rather proslavery were arrested for speak- ing the truth when the truth was unwelcome to Yankeedom, and placed in the chain gang, working at Warrenton where they now are. This paper at present is in duress and edited by a pink-nosed, slab-sided, toad-eating Yankee, who is a lineal descendant of Judas Iscariot and a brother germain to the greatest Puritanical sycophant, howling scoun- drel unhung-Parson Brownlow, yet with such a character this paper can not cloak the fact that Gen. Robert E. Lee has given Hooker, Mil- roy & Co., one of the soundest whippings on record, and that the " glorious Union is now exceedingly weak in the knees."
In the following paragraph we have a measure of exalting that was rather premature.
GEN. ROBERT E. LEE.
Again we have reliable information from the gallant corps of Gen- eral Lee in Virginia. Elated with success and encouraged by a series of brilliant victories, they have marched through Shenandoah Valley, Maryland, into Pennsylvania and are threatening Washington and are within a few miles of Baltimore. To-day the mongrel administration of Lincoln, like Japhet, are in search of a father, for their old Abe has departed for parts unknown. Terror reigns in their halls. Lee is to the left of them, the right of them and all around them, and daily we ex- pect to hear of his being down on them. To-day Maryland is ours, to- morrow Pennsylvania will be, and the next day Ohio will fall. Success and glory to our arms ! God and right are with us.
That day in which Ohio was to fall General Lee and army were in full retreat and Vicksburg with its whole garrison, the editor who wrote these lines, included, had surrendered and were once more under the stars and stripes.
ON DIT.
That the great Ulysses, the Yankee Generalissimo, surnamed Grant-has expressed his intention of dining in Vicksburg on Saturday next, and celebrating the 4th of July, with a grand dinner, and so forth. When asked if he would invite General Joseph Johnston to join him, he said : "No, for fear there might be a row at the table." Ulysses must get in the city before he dines in it. The way to cook a rabbit is "first catch the rabbit."
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HISTORY OF THE THIRTEENTH REGIMENT
The rabbit was caught and cooked and the dinner had at the time suggested, viz .: in the stronghold of Vicksburg.
A ROYAL WEDDING.
Mid the din and clash of arms, the screech of shells and the whistle of bullets, which are a continual feature in the status of our beleagured city, incidents of happiness often arise to vary in a cheery way, the phases of so stern a scene. On the evening of the 28th ult., with gaiety, mirth and good feeling, at a prominent hospital in the city, through the ministerial offices of a chaplain of a gallant regiment, Charles Royall, Prince Imperial of Ethiopia of the Barbirago family, espoused the lovely and accomplished Rosa Glass, Archduchess of Senegambia, one of the most celebrated Princesses of the Laundressind régime. The affair was conducted with great magnificence though, as is usual in troublesome times, the sable element was predominant :
The foe may hurl their deadly bolts, And think we are affrighted ; Well may we scorn them, silly dolts, Our blacks are now united.
VICTIMIZED.
We learn of an instance wherein a "Knight of the Quill " and a "disciple of the black art" with malice in their hearts and vengeance in their eyes, ruthlessly put a period to the existence of a venerable feline, that has for time not within the recollection of the "oldest inhabitant," faithfully discharged the duties to be expected of him to the terror of sundry vermin in his neighborhood. Poor defunct Thomas was then prepared, not for the grave, but the pot, and several friends invited to partake of a nice rabbit. As a matter of course no one wound the feel- ings of another by refusing a cordial invitation to dinner, and the guests assisted in consuming the poor criminal with a relish that did honor to their tastes. The "sold " assured us that the meat was delicious and that pussy must look out for her safety.
When Vicksburg fell the rebel commissary department reported as having on hand : bacon, 38,000 pounds ; rice, 51,000 pounds ; sugar, 92,000 pounds ; salt, 428,000 pounds ; peas, 5,000 bushels.
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ILLINOIS VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
These had been held in reserve, as they had hoped to break out of their imprisoned condition.
General Johnson had written to General Pemberton on July 3d, " I hope to attack the enemy in your front about the 5th and your co-operation will be necessary. The manner, and point, for you to bring the garrison out, you must deter- mine. Our firing will show you where 'we are.' If Vicks- burg can not be saved, the garrison must be."
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CHAPTER XXV.
SHERMAN'S CHASE AFTER JOHNSTON, WHOSE SPEED SEEMED TO SHOW NOT ONLY RIGHT AND LEFT WINGS, BUT ALSO WINGS IN HIS REAR.
E will now use some extracts from several diaries.
Sunday, July 5th, 1863 .- Our division took the road at 2 a. m. to reinforce General Sher- man who is after Johnston. The day was exces- sively hot. Passed through the fortifications that had been erected as our rear line. We came fifteen miles and camped just at dark.
July 6th .- Spent most of the day in a very pleasant camp. We found blackberries in great profusion and they were sought after and enjoyed. This kind of fruit was without 'doubt a great preserver of health during the siege. Much for- aging was done during the day. Came two miles to the Big Black river.
July 7th .- Started early, crossed the river on pontoons, came twelve miles and camped near Bolton. The heat and dust was very severe on the army. Many men were sun- struck and some died from the heat. We passed General Tuttle's division. A kind providence gave us a shower of rain this evening.
July 8th .- Skirmish with the enemy on the part of the cavalry was carried on. Our division started in the afternoon and marched some ten miles to the vicinity of Clinton. We are laying in line of battle. Losses for the day small. The
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ILLINOIS VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
Fourth Iowa skirmished into town taking a number of pris- oners and killing and wounding some.
July 9th .- General Johnston who was opposing our ad- vance wrote :
FELLOW SOLDIERS : An insolent foe flushed with hope by his re- cent successes at Vicksburg confronts you. Their guns may even now be heard at intervals as they advance. It is at once the mission and duty of you brave men to chastise and expel this enemy from the soil of Mississippi. The country expects in this, the great crisis of its destiny, that every man will do his duty.
General Johnson knew they could not do this, but it seemed necessary to whistle to keep up any kind of courage.
INVESTING THE JACKSON.
On July roth we closed up to Jackson, the State Capital, and found it well fortified. As fast as the troops and guns could be gotten up, the investment went forward extending the lines from the river above the city to the river below. During this time there was constant picket firing and the use of artillery. Sometimes it was furious and there were sallies on the part of the enemy, and charges on the part of our troops with consid- erable loss. On the thirteenth General Lauman's division made a charge and was repulsed with severe loss.
By this time General Sherman had brought up sufficient forces to make a demonstration on the opposite side of the river and the enemy's rear. General Johnson was too shrewd to have the same trick played on him that had cooped General Pemberton in Vicksburg.
On the 16th a part of our regiment was sent to the front to dig some rifle-pits. A fight had been going on to the left of us and this drew the fire on us and we had some close calls from bursting shells.
WATER SCARCE.
The drinking water was bad and scarce, the only good water being found in cisterns ; these were soon used dry, some of the men going as far as three miles to get it, and
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HISTORY OF THE THIRTEENTH REGIMENT
some of the boys paying as high as fifty cents for a canteen- ful. There were some houses with cisterns at our advance lines, and between the two lines. These were sought after for the water. I myself took a load of canteens before daylight on the morning of the 17th and went to one of these houses to fill them; and some of our outposts were there. I remem- ber to have heard one of the boys say, "I believe the rebs have left the works and the city, but I don't feel quite safe to run over to the lines to make sure of it." An hour later the venture was made and the works were found to be empty.
A DOCTOR'S HOUSE.
This house that I visited for water was a fine brick one near the main Jackson and Vicksburg road. Of course it was aban- doned by the rebel doctor. He had a fine library in it that had been thrown about in bad shape. As it was one of our picked posts, it was badly riddled by the rebel shells. I heard afterwards that the owner. a doctor, sought to have the United States pay him for the damage done to his property. Uncle Sam has paid many a bill with no more show of justice in it than this.
THE ORDER FOR THE EVACUATION.
As I said, General J. E. Johnston was too shrewd to be caught in a net. The following is a circular letter issued by him dated July 16th and tells how they went out into the open country to the East.
"The time having arrived when in the opinion of the commanding General, the safety of this army renders neces- sary a retrograde movement, the following order will be ob- served.
"The right wing of the army consisting of the division of Major-Generals Loring and Walker, with batteries attached to them, will retire by the upper Brandon road, crossing the Pearl river on the upper bridge at Carson's Ferry.
"The left wing composed of the divisions of Major- Generals Breckenridge and French, will retire by the old
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ILLINOIS VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
Brandon road, crossing the Pearl river on the bridges near the lower end of the town.
"The artillery in or near the trenches will be moved by hand for at least a half a mile to the rear, where they will be limbered up and moved without delay by the routes desig- nated.
"The artillery will be moved at 9 p. m., and every ar- rangement must be made previously to insure punctuality.
"At 10 a. m. the whole of the Infantry force, with the ex- ception of the skirmishes and pickets in advance, will march out from the trenches rapidly and noislessly by brigades.
"At I p. in. the whole line of skirmishes and pickets will be drawn in and follow as quickly as possible."
This program was carried out and daylight found us con- fronted by empty works, a few stragglers and wooden cannons ; these and the town were our only trophies. If we wanted Gen- eral Johnston and his army we would have to go further on our march, as they had left the "old stand." The evacuating forces set fire to the business part of the town, much of which was consumed. Many men surrendered themselves as prison- ers of war, doubtless not caring to keep up the strife or wish- ing like the men taken at Vicksburg to have a chance to get home.
July 18th .- Received orders to have three days' rations in haversacks and to march after the retreating army. Our regi- ment with others moved into town and laid in the street all night, delayed by a difficulty at the bridge. The next day we started to Brandon, a town twelve miles out. Having gone about nine miles our forces were resisted and quite a fight en- sued in which several were killed and wounded.
Our regiment formed line and were ordered through a vast corn-field on the right of the main road, where the fight- ing was being carried on. In this field the heat was intolera- - ble and it did seem that we would have died of suffocation, if a kind providence had not just then sent a brisk rain that wonderfully relieved matters.
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HISTORY OF THE THIRTEENTH REGIMENT
The advance was pushed and by dark we were in posses- sion of the town, the enemy having gone on to the east.
What the purpose of General Johnston was may be learned from the following dispatch to General Chalmers, dated at Brandon, July 17th. He says : " General, I was compelled to abandon Jackson last night. I shall halt within fifteen or twenty miles of this place unless driven farther."
He was not driven farther, so we may infer he halted.
On the 20th many prisoners were picked up, and many of the paroled prisoners from Port Hudson, that had surrendered on the 9th, came into town. Part of the town was burned and our troops began to tear up and burn the railroad. Our regi- ment was a part of the detail, and the work was thoroughly done. A whole regiment would form in line on one side of the track and just lift the thing up bodily. Then it would be knocked to pieces, the ties piled up and the rails put across them. As the ties burned the rails would become sufficiently heated to bend and so become useless.
FEEDING ON GREEN CORN.
One feature of this campaign was, that the army lived largely on green corn, just then in season. When the army stopped for dinner it would just strip acres of it for a single meal.
It would be cooked after this fashion. A fire would be kindled between two rails, and the corn with husks on would be laid upon the fire. By the time the husks were burned off the corn would be cooked by the steam and be in a delicious state to be eaten.
TROUBLE WITH VICKSBURG PRISONERS.
The rebel authorities seemed to have had great trouble in handling the prisoners taken at Vicksburg. They wanted to put them into the field again at once, but the men were set on seeing their homes. After much discussion between Gen-
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ILLINOIS VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
eral Pemberton and Jefferson Davis, Mr. Davis consented to give furloughs. It was the only thing they could do, as the men were all scattering. General Pemberton issued an order allowing the furlough, but calling for a prompt return of every man.
We faced these same men on November 24th, 1863, on the side of Lookout Mountain. Whether they had been properly exchanged or not I can not say. The rebels them- selves questioned it, and on that account were less valiant in the defense of their strong position.
On July 21st .- We were again camped in Jackson. On the 22d a body of Union citizens appealed to General Sher- man to garrison the town and hold it, but the destruction of public property began which showed that this was not the plan.
On the 23d .- Our division left the place and headed toward Vicksburg.
On July 27th .- We were located in a fine camp near Black river bridge and our camp equipage was sent for that we might settle down for a rest.
Vicksburg and Mississippi river were now in our posses- sion, fairly won, and yet not without a great price. The graves of thousands of brave men were scattered all the way from Cairo to the Gulf; about Vicksburg they were to be seen at every turn. But this could not be dwelt upon, for the work was not yet finished.
While our regiment did not lose many men in the campaign that closed with the siege of Vicksburg and Jackson, yet this is noticeable that in the weeks that imme- diately followed, the death rate of the regiment was very large. This shows that the services performed were most severe and were paid for with the lives of brave men.
July 30th .- It was announced that five per cent of the well men were to be given furloughs, while many more of the sick were sent up the river, and where they were able many of them were sent home. Drills and other camp duties were taken up and gone through with.
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HISTORY OF THE THIRTEENTH REGIMENT
August Ist .- Colonel Partridge returned from his home.
August 3rd .- Lieutenant Dement resigned and is going home. He has been regarded as one of the best officers in the regiment. Major Bushnell and Lieutenant Patterson started for home to-day.
Quiet reigned. It was a time of rest. All men went home who could secure furloughs, and they had good times. The sick languished and many died.
On September 19th and 20th was fought the very severe and memorable battle between General Braxton Bragg and General Rosecranz near Chattanooga and known as the battle of Chickamauga. Our forces were defeated and driven into and shut up in Chattanooga.
From this event or rather the strained condition just before the battle, sprung the call that took us from our rest and ordered us to new fields of marching and strife. On September 22d the order came for the Fifteenth Army Corps, of which our regiment formed a part, to move at once. All things were soon astir. The camp that had become quite home-like was broken up, and by 5 p. m. we were on the march toward Vicksburg. When at Vicksburg we found that we were to go up the river again.
At noon on the 24th we pushed off from the city, and, most of us, looked back on the city we had won, for the last time.
The city has become prosperous and is now by far the most populous in the State. The campaign for the capture of this place was a most brilliant one and will doubtless be regarded in our history, as it now is in Europe, as one that exhibited the highest order of military genius.
Before leaving the field finally (the most memorable to our regiment of any in. which we served ), I will take the liberty to introduce an article that was taken from the National Tribune, and by instituting a comparison between Vicksburg and Crimea, show somewhat the magnitude of the campaign that resulted in the capture of this stronghold.
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VICKSBURG VS. THE CRIMEA.
In reply to invidious comparisons made by soldier-haters of the size of our pension roll with that of Great Britain, we have repeatedly made the assertion that during the war of the rebellion we lost more men killed upon the field of battle than England has in all her wars since the days of William the Conqueror. We have also said that the Crimean war-the only time in the last three-quarters of a century when England has "fought anybody with breeches on "-was not so much of a war, all things considered, as a single one of our campaigns-that against Vicks- burg, for example. England's share in it fell far below in magnitude of the operations, the numbers engaged, and the loss of life, to either the campaign against Richmond or that against Atlanta. We will now present some figures to demonstrate this.
The Allied Armies landed in the Crimea on the 14th of September, 1854, and on the 21st of that month the battle of the Alma was fought. Kinglake gives the losses as follows (and there seems to be a singular unanimity in all reports on this subject):
BRITISH LOSS.
KILLED. WOUNDED. SI
MISSING. TOTAL.
Officers
25
Sergeants
19
IO2
19
Rank and file
318
1,43S
362 1,621
2,002
French official accounts give their loss as 1,339.
At the battle of Balaklava the loss of the Allies is given as :
English
426
French
52
Turks
260
738
Russian loss 627
At the battle of Tchernaya the losses were :
KILLED. WOUNDED. MISSING. TOTAL.
French-
Officers
19
61 1,163
146
Men
172
1,224
1,56I
Sardinians-
Officers 1
65
I35
200
Men
1
Russians-
Officers .
27
85
Men
3,329
4,700
3,356
4,785
8,14I
1
1,761
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HISTORY OF THE THIRTEENTH REGIMENT
At the battle of Inkerman, Kinglake gives the loss of the British as : Killed and wounded .
2,357 39 officers being killed and 91 wounded.
The French loss : 13 officers and 130 men killed. 36 officers and 750 men wounded.
The Russian loss :
10,729 killed, wounded and prisoners. Giving their killed as 2,9SS.
On the ISth of June, 1855, the English and French made their first assault upon the " Malakoff" and "Redan." It was unsuccessful.
On September S, 1855, the second assault was made ; the French capt- ured the Malakoff, the English failed at the Redan. The French left attack also failed. Sebastopol fell next day. The losses on the two days were :
June IS, 1855.
OFFICERS.
KILLED.
WOUNDED.
MISSING.
English
22
78
French
37
96
17
Russians
16
153
Total
75
327
17
MEN.
KILLED.
WOUNDED
MISSING.
English
244
1,209
French
1,274
1,644
270
Russians
78I
4, 826
Total
2,299
7,679
270
Grand total, officers and men, 10,717. .
September S, 1755.
OFFICERS.
KILLED. WOUNDED.
MISSING.
Russians
59
279
2.4
French .
145
254
IO
English
29
129
I
Total
233
662
35
MEN.
KILLED.
WOUNDED.
MISSING.
Russians
2,635
6,964
1,739
French
1,489
4,259
1,400
English
36
1,914
176
Total
4,475
. 13,137
3,315
Grand total, officers and men, 21,857.
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ILLINOIS VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
The figures given during the period of the bombardment show that the weekly loss of the English army alone would range from 150 to 270 per week, this proportion being largely increased on the occasions when the Russian troops made sorties. The casualties for the 7th and Sth of June, IS55, are given at-killed and wounded, 3, 282.
Summary :
The French government gives us the losses in their army during the two years of the war -62,492 men.
The English loss was :
KILLED IN ACTION. 15S 1,775
DIED OF WOUNDS.
DIED OF DISEASE.
Officers
51 1,870
55
Men
15,669
1,933
1,921
15,724
Grand total .
19,578
Discharged for wounds or disease and not dying in service
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