USA > Illinois > Ninety-Second Illinois Volunteers > Part 14
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long line of infantry pushed forward and took the hill commanded by the guns at Reseca, immediately in front of the Ninety-Second. The Regiment was then withdrawn, and mounted and marched again to Lay's Ferry and Calhoun Ferry, on the Oostanaula, and exchanged shots with the enemy guarding those points, and re- turned to the cross-roads and bivouaced. On the fourteenth, marched to Lay's Ferry, sending Companies H and A to Cat- houn Ferry. A division of infantry, under the command of Brig- adier General Sweeney, of the Regular Army, made a crossing at Lay's Ferry, and, being heavily attacked, repulsed the attack of the enemy, but most unaccountably failed to lay the pontoons. The failure to lay the pontoons at Lay's Ferry, on this day, must have been a great disappointment to General Sherman; for, had they been laid, and a corps crossed and placed at Calhoun, on the road south of Reseca, it would have been very difficult for Johns- ton to have retreated from Reseca. We wonder that the General ot a great army can provide against little failures of this kind (nec- essary steps in the plan of the general campaign), which, failing, entail most troublesome results. Of course, it will be understood by the reader that the Ninety-Second Committee on Publication do not profess to know that General Sherman intended to place a corps at Calhoun ; we only know that if he had have done so, Johnston, if he escaped at all, must have escaped without a cannon, animal or wheel; in fact, his army would have been broken up and scattered beyond recall, if not in a body captured. In the night, of the fifteenth of May, the pickets at Calhoun Ferry being attacked, the Brigade moved out at eleven o'clock P. M., and the Regiment, of course, moved with the Brigade, and, at the Ferry, could distinctly hear the low, rumbling sound of Johnston's artil- lery and trains moving southward-it being made plain thereby that Reseca was being evacuated by the enemy. Information was sent to General Sherman, and a battery of artillery planted that opened fire at random toward the Calhoun road, leading south from Reseca. The firing of the battery was kept up for a long time, but no response from the enemy was elicited. The artillery and musketry firing in front of Reseca was continuous and ter- rifie. The morning of the sixteenth of May found Reseca de- serted by Johnston, and his army intact in full retreat south of the Oostanaula. The Ninety-Second escorted General Force to the head-quarters of Colonel Wilder, near Rome, Georgia, and re- turned to the Brigade; crossed the Oostanaula on the poontons at Lay's Ferry with the Brigade. While lying in the woods south of
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the Ferry the infantry advance was severely attacked by the enemy, but they were repulsed. Marched several miles, and camped for the night, the Regiment having marched forty miles during the day. Sherman's whole army was in motion in pursuit of John- ston. On the seventeenth, the Regiment did not march until two o'clock P. M., and marched only five miles. On the eighteenth, moved early, seven miles to railroad south of Calhoun, and waited for the Armies of the Cumberland and Ohio to pass through Adairsville; passed Adairsville a few miles, and bivouaced after dark. On the nineteenth, marched early, on a roundabout road, flanking the infantry columns on the right; passed through Kings- ton and camped, after dark, in rear of the infantry skirmish line, a few miles south of Kingston. On the twenty-first, the Regi- ment retraced its march to Reseca, to guard the railroad from at- tacks of the Rebel cavalry. On the twenty-second, the Regiment was divided, one portion marching east and one west of the rail- road, and camping together at night at Adairsville. Lay in camp at Adairsville, sending out scouting parties in all directions. ()n the twenty-fourth, reports came to camp of a Rebel cavalry col- umn at Cassville. The Regiment marched at five P. M., five miles toward Cassville, and sent the advance into the town. The Rebel cavalry had been there, and gone again, capturing a few wagons and straggling soldiers. The Regiment remained saddled all night: and, at ten A. M., next morning, returned to Adairs- ville, where the Regiment lay until the sixth of June.
On the fourth of June, George W. Marshall, Regimental Quartermaster, was promoted to Captain and Assistant Quarter- master of Volunteers, and Philip Sweeley, Quartermaster's Ser- geant, was promoted to Lieutenant and Regimental Quartermas- ter. Marshall was an efficient Regimental Quartermaster, and had earned his promotion. Sweeley was always faithful as a Quartermaster's Sergeant, and filled, with satisfaction to the Reg- iment, the position of Regimental Quartermaster.
On the sixth of June, leaving Company G at AAdairsville, the Regiment marched through Kingston, and camped three mile> south-west of the town, to do scouting duty along the Etowa River. On the eighth, Company I was sent, on a two days' scout. towards Rome. The weather was very warm. The Regi- ment lay in camp, scouting and patrolling the Etowa, until the thirteenth, living on the fat of the land. Cherries were ripe, and the woods full of huckleberries. On the eleventh, two of Arm- strong's cavalry were captured. On the thirteenth, the Regiment
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marched early to Reseca, sending scouting parties in all di- rections. On the fourteenth, sent scouting parties to Vilanow and Rome, and the Regiment marched on a roundabout road to Calhoun and on to Adairsville. On the fifteenth, the Regiment returned to its old camp near Kingston. On the sixteenth, Major Charles W. Newcomer paid the Regiment four months' pay. On the twentieth, Captain Albert Woodcock, of Company K, was promoted to Major, vice John H. Bohn, resigned, and Lieutenant Horace C. Scoville, who was taken prisoner by the Rebels at Nickojack, and was still a prisoner, was promoted to the Cap- taincy of Company K. On the twenty-eighth, Lieutenant I. C. Lawver, Regimental Adjutant, left the Regiment, being detailed as A. A. D. C. on the staff of Brigadier General A. Baird. The entire Regiment parted with Lieutenant Lawyer with great re- gret; he was an educated soldier and gentleman, and had won the respect and affection of the entire command. On the third of July, the Regiment marched to Adairsville, and camped on the old camp ground. On the fourth of July, marched early, to Res- eca, and lay there in camp until the twenty-fifth, sending out heavy scouting parties, and patrolling the railroad to guard it from being torn up by small bodies of Rebel cavalry. On the twenty-first. General Kilpatrick, having recovered from his wound, returned to the army, and took command of his old Division, to the great joy of officers and men, who were weary of guarding railroad -. and they knew that when Kilpatrick returned it meant active work. On the twenty-fifth, the Regiment marched to Calhoun. On the twenty-sixth, the Regiment adopted commendatory resolutions in compliment to Doctor Winston, who had resigned. On the twenty-ninth, Captain J. M. Schermerhorn, of Company G, was presented with a beautiful sword by his admiring friends in the Regiment. The Smith D. Atkins Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons was organized in the Regiment, under a Dispensation from the Grand Lodge of Illinois. On August second, the Regi ment marched at daylight, through Adairsville and Kingston, to Cartersville. On the third, the Ninety-Second marched at nine o'clock A. M., through Altoona Pass, and bivouaced a few miles southeast of Altoona. On the fourth of August, the Regiment was thrown in advance of the Division about three and a half miles, the Division being on the right of Sherman's army in front of Atlanta, where, near the banks of the Chattahoochee, it went into camp, and did outpost duty. The Rebels were constantly prowling about the picket posts of the encampment. While here.
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Nat. Davis, of Company K, Regimental Postmaster, was cap- tured, with the mail, while on his way to the Regiment from Di- vision head-quarters. On Sunday, the seventh of August, Orderly David Boyle, of Company H, was sent, with a report of the fight- ing strength of the Regiment, to General Kilpatrick. When on the road, a mile from camp, five armed Rebels stepped out from the bushes, and, with guns pointed at his breast, ordered him to surrender. David obeyed. The Rebels marched David three or four miles to the edge of a swamp, and there they lay concealed until about midnight, when four of them started to the Ninety- Second camp to gobble horses, leaving the fifth man in charge of David. David, playing possum, went to sleep, snoring lustily, but kept open his ears and one eye. After a while, the Rebel guard dropped away into slumber, and snored in concert with his pris- oner. Dave then silently rose to his feet, and, with the spring of a panther, leaped upon the guard, seized the guard's gun, and with it dashed out his brains. Dave then secured his trusty Spencer, untied and mounted his own horse, and started for camp. When about half way to camp, whom should he meet but those five identical Rebels, returning to where they had left Dave in charge of one of their number, as a guard, and each Rebel having a milk-white horse, captured from the musical command of Collen Bauden! By the light of the moon, Dave recognized the band horses of the Ninety-Second, and the Rebels recognized Dave. A race and a fight ensued. David abandoned his horse, and took to the swamp, and succeeded in eluding his pursuers. The next day, David came into camp, minus hat, coat, shoes, and shirt, the very picture of hard times.
The Ninety-Second Band was made up of the very best musical talent in the Regiment. Collen Bauden, the leader, was modest, almost to bashfulness; and his soft hazel eye told of a heart as kind as a woman's: there was music in his walk, look, and gesture. No discordant note, but silver melody alone, breathed from his horn. All the Band boys were fine fellows, morally and physically, and, under Collen's instruction, they became experts, and, as a Band, second to none in Sherman's Army. Their horns were German silver, and their horses milk. white steeds. Like all musical people. the Band regarded them. selves a degree above the common crowd. They did not belong to the plebians of the rank and file of the Regiment; hence, when the Regiment went into camp, the Band was accustomed to pitch their tents a little way out: and the Band, in its whims,
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was humored, as all musical people are. On the night of the day that Orderly David Boyle was captured, four of David's capturers crept into Collen Bauden's command, and led away four of his milk-white steeds! The next morning, the Band boys. chagrined that the Rebels had stepped over them while asleep. and led away their best horses, repaired to Major Woodcock, the Regimental Commander, and, with woe-begone faces, related their grievances. They asked for more horses at once. The reply was, "A fighting man cannot be dismounted for the pur- pose of mounting a non-combatant; the Band must go on foot." Before nightfall of that day, it was amusing to see the Band boys, like wayward but repentant children, come creeping under the wings of the Regiment for protection. A heavy camp guard was thrown around the camp; and, about two o'clock the next morn- ing, the Rebels were seen approaching the Regiment, probably in quest of more white Band horses; but the hawks missed their game: the chickens were nestled snugly in the breast- feathers, close to the Regimental heart. The guards fired upon the Rebels. In about five minutes after the volley, the Regiment was in line, ready for fight. From indications seen the next morning, two or three of the Johnnies must have been wounded. A day or two afterward, the dismounted Band boys were on mules. Where they got them was a query. It was generally understood that no Ninety-Second man went on foot longer than two days; that is, not if he understood himself, and he generally did. A charger, in the form of a horse, mule, or donkey, was pretty sure to fill the vacancy within that time.
On Monday, the fifteenth of August, 1864, at one o'clock in the morning, reveille was sounded in the camp of the Ninety- Second, in compliance with orders from Division head-quarter .. After grooming and feeding the horses, and making a breakfast of fried " hard-tack and sow-belly," and coffee, the Regiment moved into line, and awaited the coming of the rest of the Di- vision. At four o'clock A. M., they came up. The Division, the Ninety-Second leading, marched to a point within half a mile of the Chattahoochee, opposite Sandtown. The town was held by a small force of the enemy, on picket duty. The immediate object of the movement of the Cavalry Division was to lay a pon- toon across the Chattahoochee, opposite Sandtown. The Ninety- Second was ordered to deploy on foot, and to charge to the water's edge, under the cover of a battery, on an eminence in rear of the Regiment, which was to shell the town during the
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forward movement of the Ninety-Second; but, while charging to the river, the shell from the battery fell short, bursting, and tear- ing up the earth in rear and front of the Regiment, scattering the dirt over the men. The idea of being killed by friends was terri- ble; it reminded the boys of the time when the Ninety-Second drove the Rebels over and off from Lookout Mountain, and our own Brigade battery recklessly tossed its shell into the advance; only there the boys knew it was a want of information, for Wil- der's battery was always ably managed; and now it was a want of sense in the gunners in not elevating their pieces: there was no glory in such a death. The men of the Ninety-Second stood even such a fire, without a break or curve in their battle-line. A little cursing from Kilpatrick caused the artillerymen to elevate their pieces, and fire with more care. Luckily, none were in- jured. The Regiment mnoved to the water's edge, throwing several volleys across: the shell from the battery dropping nicely into the town. The Rebels, panic-stricken, fled like frightened deer. A pontoon boat conveyed some of the Regiment over the river; all went to work with a will, and, by noon, the bridge of boats was completed, and the whole command crossed. The day had been beautiful, the sun shining brightly. A thunder-storm now rolled up, and poured its waters copiously on the command, which moved on in the direction of the Montgomery and West Point Railroad. When near Fairburn, the Rebels made a stand : but a charge, in which the Ninety-Second participated, swept them away. The Yankees then burned the depot and Rebel stores, cut the telegraph, and tore up some track, and fell back some three or four miles. It was night. The Regiment, wet from the drenching rain, without tents or blankets, lay down on their arms, in line of battle, and slept until the break of day, on the morning of the sixteenth. The Division moved back to within three or four miles of the river, and struck a road leading toward Atlanta. The Ninety-Second brought up the rear. As the command crossed Camp Creek, the horses were watered, thus consuming an hour in crossing. Corporal C. O. Trask, with a detail of men, was stationed in the road, on an eminence south of the creek. A force of Rebel cavalry, ten times the number of the Corporal's squad, noticing the little band acting as rear guard, dashed their horses into a charge. For a moment, the boys were bewildered, and about to retreat; the Corporal sprang forward, shouting to his men, " We must stand; we belong to the Ninety- Second; we can whip them." The boys did stand. Bravely they
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volleyed the charging column, broke it into confusion, and the Rebels went back faster than they came. After crossing the creek, the Division moved, on a road, eastward, until within four and a half miles of the railroad, between East Point and Atlanta. where, running against the Rebel army behind their earthworks, the Division backed out, and returned to Sandtown, crossed the river, and went into their old camps, both men and horses suffer. ing from fatigue. On Wednesday, the seventeenth, the men and horses were allowed to rest.
About two weeks previously, General Sherman ordered General Stoneman, with five thousand cavalry, and McCook, with four thousand cavalry, to march-the one from the left flank of his army, the other from the right flank-and unite at Love- joy's Station, and there destroy the railroad. Stoneman did not reach the road, but was captured, with about a thousand of his command. McCook reached Lovejoy, but was heavily attacked, and obliged to retrace his steps, losing about five hundred of his men captured, among whom was Colonel Harrison, of the Eighth Indiana Cavalry, well known in the Ninety-Second. General Sherman then told Kilpatrick that he might try his hand. Monday and Tuesday of this week, the Regiment had been constantly in the saddle, with but little sleep at night. Thursday they were ordered to put themselves into first-rate fighting condition; to provide themselves with all the Spencer cartridges they could possibly carry, with several days' rations, without tents, blankets, or other incumbrances, to be ready for the march.
On Thursday, at six o'clock in the afternoon, the command formed. It consisted of Kilpatrick's Division, and also the bri- gades of Colonels Long and Minty, and the Chicago Board of Trade and Tenth Wisconsin batteries, numbering in all about five thousand horsemen. The Ninety-Second, under the command of Major Woodcock, was given the place of honor, the advance. After crossing the Chattahoochee, and getting well under march, night spread her mantle of darkness upon the land. After cross- ing a creek, the advancing Ninety-Second descried the camp-fires of the Rebels in and near the road. " Attention-trot-march!" and " charge!" were the commands. On the keen run, the Reg- iment went in; the shouts of the men, as they madly dashed for- ward in that reckless charge through the darkness, echoed and re-echoed among the hills. They swept over the advance pick. ets and guards of the enemy, dashed through their camp, driving the flying Rebels before them like autumn leaves before the wind.
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Onward they rode, sweeping the enemy before them, until they drove them beyond the Montgomery and West Point Railroad. The men of the Ninety-Second then halted on the iron track, and awaited the arrival of the command. Along the road where the Regiment charged the Rebel dead were scattered. Among their killed was a Lieutenant. He, with some men, was stationed at an advanced post. The charge of the Regiment in the darkness fell upon them like a thunderbolt. The Rebel Lieutenant had just written a letter to his wife. One of the boys snatched it up. It was crimson with the Lieutenant's blood, Among his ex- . pressions were the following: "The Yankees are encamped not far from here. We are liable to have a fight at any moment. I may never see you again. I commend you, my dear wife, and our little ones, to heaven's protection." Tears blinded the eyes of the Ninety-Second boy as he read to his comrades the letter. In the charge the Ninety-Second had several men wounded, and many horses killed. The Division fell upon the West Point and Montgomery Railroad track like a devouring cloud of locusts upon a grain field. The men, standing as thick as they could stand along one side of the track, took hold ot the rails and ends of the ties, and, by main force, lifted the track up bodily and turned it bottom side up. They built fires, and, heating the rails in the center, twisted and bent them. They toiled until the rosy light in the east told of approaching morn. The bugies then sounded " to horse." Kilpatrick said to the men: "This is not the road that we are after ; we want the one that runs southward from Atlanta." The bold riders mounted and were away, the Ninety-Second still leading.
As the sun was rising in golden glory above the eastern hills, a roll of musketry in the rear of the column announced an attack in that direction. The shells from the Rebel artillery came richo- cheting along and bursting near the Regiment. Kilpatrick, who at that time was sitting on the fence in front of a log house ques- tioning a woman about the roads, looked up, and addressed Major Woodcock, in command of the Ninety-Second, saying: "That means fight. Move your men rapidly to the rear, and assist in the engagement." General Kilpatrick's order was obeyed. In a few minutes the Rebels were driven in disorder and put to flight. The Regiment was then ordered to march by file upon the left flank of the marching column, a space of four or five rods to be maintained between each file. The enemy, save what had been routed in the rear, were upon the left, between the command and
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Atlanta. The road wound along through the woods, and it was thought the enemy might lie in ambush. The Ninety-Second flankers were to draw the fire and engage the attention of the en- emy, while the command got ready for action. Stumbling over logs, scratched and torn by briars, often entangled in the wild vines, the Regiment struggled along; but the toil and fatigue to both men and horses was very great. They were obliged to keep up with the column marching rapidly on a smooth road. In that toilsome manner the Regiment marched until it neared Flint River. Here the Rebels were massed to dispute the further march of the command. Our artillery was placed in position. The Chicago Board of Trade and the Tenth Wisconsin batteries for a while threw their shells lively. A shell storm rained upon the Rebels, while the command charged them in front. This was more than they could endure. They broke and fled in wild dis- order. The command then crossed the river, and moved into Jonesboro. The road they were after was reached.
It was Friday evening. The sun had set. The torch had been applied to the depot, and all public buildings, and very soon the little town was a sea of fire, and the heavens lurid with the flames of the burning buildings. No time to wait-no time to eat-no time to rest-the whole command fell to work. No railroad track was ever more effectually torn up, or faster. The railroad ties were piled up and set on fire, soon becoming burning log heaps ; the iron rails were then laid on them, and when they showed a white heat in the center, the rails were twisted like an auger. Sometimes the men would seize the iron rails by the ends, after they were red-hot in the center, and bend them around the trees in ox-bow shape. The destruction of the railway track went con- tinuously and rapidly forward until about eleven o'clock at night, when a Rebel brigade of infantry made a bold attack from the south. The Ninety-Second was ordered to leave their work of destroying railroad, and double-quick to the point of action. The men had not time to don their blue jackets, which they had thrown off in the hot, fiery work of destroying the track; but, seizing their trusty Spencers, and leaving their horses, they dashed for- ward on foot to the point of attack. The cavalry were giving way under the heavy fire. The Ninety-Second rushed in, stum- bling over the dead cavalrymen that lay along the line, and, in obedience to orders, the Ninety-Second laid down. The darkness of the night showed sheets of flame rolling toward them from the guns of the enemy. The men of the Ninety-Second gave them
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better than they sent. They pumped fire at the enemy in volleyed thunder from their repeating rifles. The Ninety-Second alone against a brigade of four or five thousand Rebel infantry! The Ninety-Second checked the advance of the enemy, and held them at bay for nearly three hours. The balance of the command worked faithfully, destroying the track, while the enemy were be- ing thus held. Lieutenant G. R. Skinner, of Company D, a Brigade staff officer, came up to Major Woodcock, in command of the Ninety-Second, with orders for the Regiment to fall back a few rods to a rail barricade, built for them by the cavalry. He remarked, " I do not see how men can live any length of time under such a fire." The Regiment noiselessly fell back to the barricade, as ordered. After a while, the enemy slackened up their fire; but a broken sputtering of shots showed them still in front, but afraid to advance. To the north of the town, the loud scream of locomotives and the heavy rumbling of trains could be heard. Kilpatrick's men knew that regiments of Rebel infantry from Atlanta were being hurried toward them as fast as possible. The men of the Ninety-Second were so overcome with fatigue, that it was almost impossible for them to keep awake. The officers moved up and down the line, shaking the men, charging them that their own lives, and the lives of the men of the command, depended upon their keeping awake. About three o'clock A. M., on Saturday morning, the twentieth, orders came to Major Wood- cock to keep his men in position fifteen minutes longer, when. without noise, the men were to fall rapidly back to their horses, mount, and follow after the command. The Regiment saw the rest of the command mount and move away. For fifteen minutes longer they held the Rebels; then, as ordered, the Regiment moved noiselessly back, mounted, and rode rapidly until they overtook the rear of the column. Many cavalrymen lay upon the ground insensible with fatigue and sound asleep. The Ninety-Second men tried to rouse them, told them of their danger, and tried to get them to move with the command; but they were as immov. able as statues, and, in a few minutes afterward, were picked up by the Rebels. AAlycrah W. Latham, of Company K, was shot through the heart; several of the boys were wounded. The com. mand moved rapidly east of the railroad until it struck a road leading to Lovejoy Station ; into it the command filed, and toward Lovejoy they marched. When near an extensive cornfield, the command halted for half an hour, and the jaded animals were given a feed of green corn. Then the command mounted and
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