USA > Illinois > The story of the Fifty-fifth regiment Illinois volunteer infantry in the civil war, 1861-1865 > Part 34
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But it was past five o'clock, and before the Fourth Corps could get into position to envelope Hardee's doomed legions from the south, darkness closed down upon the day's work. .1; usual, Thomas's army, though sure, had been terribly slow. Two hours more of daylight and the whole of Ilar- due's corps would have been hemmed in by an overwhelming force, without hope of escape. During the night heavy ex- posions to the northward disclosed the abandonment of Atlanta, and the subdued bustle in the enemy's camps in-
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FIFTY-FIFTH ILLINOIS INFANTRY.
formed the pickets that Hardee was evacuating Jonesborough. At dawn Lieutenant Oliver, leading our skirmishers, encoun- tered his rear guard in the town, and the brigade began pur- suit, following the retreat five miles, when it was relieved by other troops. Knowing the country and all its numerous and excellent by-roads, the enemy readily escaped without further serious loss.
CASUALTIES IN FIFTY-FIFTH ILLINOIS VET. VOLS., NEAR JONESBOROUGH, GA., AUG. 31-SEPT. 3, 1864.
KILLED.
COMPANY. REMARKS.
TABOR J. THOMAS, sergeant.
C. Aug 31, mortally wounded by shell in right side and shoulder.
MAYHEW C. ATHEARN, sergt.
D. Aug. 3!, shot through head.
CHARLES T. BEERS, sergeant.
H. Aug. 31, mortally wounded in head.
JOHN HENSEY. H. Aug. 31, mortally wounded in left leg.
GEORGE W. CROCKER.
I. Aug. 31, right arm amputated.
CHARLES STOCKER,
I. Aug. 31, by musket shot.
THOMAS WILSON, corporal.
B. Sept. I.
JOHN CONNOR. WOUNDED.
K. Sept. I, shot in head.
WILLIAM H. LOWE, sergeant.
A. Aug. 31, in neck.
WILLIAM W. BONNEY, corp'l.
D. Aug. 31, in right foot.
WILLIAM M. GROUNDS, sergt. K. Aug. 31, in left shoulder.
GEORGE W. JACKSON.
G. Aug. 31, in breast.
CALVIN A. SONGSTER.
G. Aug. 31, in head.
SYLVESTER M. SHERMAN.
H. Aug. 31, in neck.
WILLIAM H. CRISS.
D. Sept. 1, in neck. F. Sept. I, in neck.
JACOB W. KEFFER.
WILLIAM F. RANDOLPH.
H. Sept. 1, in right arm.
ANTHONY HUGHES, I. Sept. 1, in right arm.
WILLIAM D. MAY.
D. Sept. 3, in hand and leg.
Sergeant Thomas was a brave, prompt soldier. His wound was a terrible one, made by a fragment of shell, but he lived three days. Athearn had not re-enlisted, and was looking forward hopefully to his return home in a few weeks. HIe was an unassuming but excellent sergeant. Beers was the quartermaster elect of the veterans. He had been seemingly elated by the excitement of battle, making jocose comments upon incidents of the fight, and loading and firing as though at target practice. A sharp-shooter's bullet passed through his cap from front to rear, just grazing the top of his skull. It was apparently a scalp wound only, but stunned him for a few moments. Suddenly he regained his senses and sat up,
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CLOSE OF THE CAMPAIGN.
exclaiming, "That was a close call for Charley," His life ought to have been saved, and probably would have been could he have had the care of our own regimental surgeon. He lived three weeks. John Connor was shot through the head just as he was about to be relieved from picket duty.
September 3d we were engaged in the hard labor of de- stroying the railway, a part of the soldier's trade which we had acquired to perfection. Ranged beside the track, the regiment or brigade would raise and throw over a section of the length of its battle line. The ties were soon loosened and collected into large square piles, across which the rails were placed. Being of pine, the wood burned fiercely, and the rails, soon white hot at the middle, were then bent against a telegraph pole until the ends met. Some provisions and forge were gleaned from the fertile region about. The enemy halted at Lovejoy's, three miles south of us, and we threw up works facing them, and remained in bivouac two days, returning to our old position upon the hill at Jonesbo- rough on the evening of the fifth.
September 7th we marched seven miles and went into camp near a creek behind breastworks built by the Confed- crates, where the congratulatory orders of the President and General Grant, and the order of thanks from General Sher- man were read, and we cheered ourselves hoarse over them. The next day we continued northward seven miles to East Point and laid out a formal camp in a belt of woodland, with the hope of enjoying a period of rest which all much needed. The Atlanta campaign bere properly ends. It was barely three months from the day the Fifty-fifth had entered the feld upon its return from furlough. The fearful attrition of these twelve weeks is well exhibited by a comparison of the morning reports at the beginning and end of this period :
Kenesaw. East Point.
Present for duty. § Commissioned officers. 25
13
Enlisted men .. 236
Aggregate 261
202
( Commissioned officers 30
22
Present and absent. ¿ Enlisted men 431
402
Aggregate. 461 424
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372
FIFTY-FIFTH ILLINOIS INFANTRY.
The casualties during the three months had been one hun- dred and thirty-five --- in number more than half that of the total present for duty at the date when the regiment entered upon the campaign. The proportion of fatal wounds is very noticeable :
Killed or mortally wounded, including four commissioned officers, 30 Wounded not fatally, including four commissioned officers,. SI
Captured in battle-enlisted men,. 15
During September the army rested in its camps about Atlanta. The brigade was located in a pleasant open wood- land, with cleared ground in its front. The men built little cabins for themselves, boards being brought from Atlanta for the purpose, and most were very comfortably housed. On the nineteenth company drill was resumed, and regimental and brigade drills were held for an hour and a half daily, five days in the week. With our war-reduced battalions it required a deal of preliminary consolidation before lines of sufficient length were obtained for convenience in the evolutions. The division commander, a graduate from West Point and pro- moted from the Army of the Cumberland, exhibited a greater fondness for parade, and was more insistent upon the rules of military etiquette than our former generals. He summarily arrested Lieutenant-Colonel Mott of the Fifty-seventh Ohio, one day, because his men shouted "hard-tack" when they saw the general passing, they being at the time on short allowance of bread for some reason. He ordered command- ing officers of regiments to take steps for filling all vacancies among the commissioned, and in pursuance of this order the following document was forwarded to the Governor of Illinois:
HEADQUARTERS 55TH REGT. ILL. VET. VOLS., EAST POINT, Ga., Sept. 15, 1864.
To his Excellency, Governor RICHARD YATES,
Springfield, Illinois.
SIR: I certify on honor that at a meeting of the veterans of the 55th III. Vet. Vol. Infty., this day legally held at East Point, Ga., Chaplain Milton L. Haney was unanimously elected lieutenant-colonel of this organization, vice Lieutenant-Colonel T.C. Chandler, resigned and dis- charged by S. O. No. 146, of Maj .- Gen. J. B. McPherson, dated July 3, 1864.
At meetings duly held at the same place and date, by the veterans of
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PROMOTIONS AND RESIGNATIONS.
Companies Band E of this regiment, Corporal John H. Fisher of Com- pany B was unanimously elected first-lieutenant of Company B vice First- Lieutenant George W. Eichelbarger, killed in action July 22, 1864; First- Sergeant Robert Dixon of Company E was elected captain of Company E, vice Captain William C. Porter, killed in action June 27, 1864 ; Sergeant John Warden of Company E was elected first-lieutenant, vice First-Lieu- tenant Oliver Erickson, killed in action August 3, 1864.
At the organizing election, held by order of Col. O. Malinborg, at Lar- kin's Landing, Ala., April 6th, 1863, Captain Francis Il. Shaw, Company C, was elected major ; First-Lieutenant Oliver, captain of Company C, and First-Sergeant Luther J. Keyes, first-lieutenant of Company C; since which time Captain Shaw has been dismissed the service of the U. S. by G. F. O. No. 9, dated August 11, 1864, of Maj .- Gen. O. O. Howard.
I have the honor to request that Chaplain Milton I .. Hancy, Lieuten- ant Robert Oliver, Sergeants Robert Dixon, Luther J. Keyes and John Warden, and Corporal John H. Fisher be commissioned at your earliest convenience in the grades to which they have been elected. I would re- spectfully call your attention to the injunctions of an order -a copy of which is attached hereto-received from my immediate commander; and in compliance therewith I carnestly solicit you to furnish the much needed commissions to the above named officers elect, and to those pre- viously recommended to your favor by my predecessor in command of this regiment, at as early a day as practicable.
I have the honor to be, sir,
Very respectfully, your obedient servant, HENRY S. NOURSE, Capt. 55th Ill. Vet. Vols., Commanding Regt.
Within a day or two after forwarding the above, the resig- nations of two officers in the Fifty-fifth were accepted, their physical condition incapacitating them for the hard service of the campaign about to open. They were Captain H. H. Kendrick and First-Lieutenant A. A. Whipple; both officers of fine personal presence, intelligent, genial and universally respected. Lieutenant Whipple was the youngest officer of the regiment at its organization, being then second-lieuten- ant of Company G. For some time he was detached for duty with the Signal Corps. Could he have remained in the service a few weeks longer he would have received commis- sion as captain; but the disabling effects of the wound in his head, received at the battle of Ezra Church, warned him that he must surrender to others the duties which he had modestly and manfully performed during nearly three years. Captain Kendrick, by soldierly merit, had won his position
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FIFTY-FIFTH ILLINOIS INFANTRY.
from the ranks, and had gained especial praise for the con- spicuous part borne by him in the battle of July 28th. Com- missions came two or three days later promoting Henry Augustine and Giles F. Hand to captains, and Sergeant John B. Ridenour to first-lieutenant.
September 22d a haggard band of fifteen men, ragged, unkempt, feeble, the pinched look of starvation in their faces, limped into our camp. It was the missing group of the cap- tured at Atlanta, July 22d. They reported that the sixteenth missing man in that action, John Smith, had died of his wounds in Atlanta, on the night of battle as before stated. The fifteen had been duly exchanged and returned from Andersonville, having been two days upon the road without food. Although they had suffered durance vile less than two months, nearly all of them were so reduced with starvation, and so disordered with unhealthful food and water, exposure, needless and malicious ill treatment, that they had to be sent to a convalescent hospital at Marictta, and finally further north, to recuperate. Moneymaker alone was able to report for duty at once with his company. Sergeant Gay, from his normal weight of nearly two hundred pounds had fallen away to one hundred and thirty-six. Many were afflicted with scurvy, some with rheumatism, others with night-blindness. The last was not uncommon among the prisoners, those who were attacked by it losing all power of sight as soon as it began to grow dark. Several of the fifteen did not recover in time to rejoin the command before the march to the sea, and were sent East via Cincinnati, Baltimore, Annapolis and Morehead City, finally to meet the regiment at Goldsborough, North Carolina.
The tale of Andersonville has been told again and again, but any pen must ever utterly fail to adequately convey such conception of the horrors of that prison-pen as those received who, gazing into the wan faces of the emaciated victims, listened to the unvarnished stories that fell from their quiv- ering lips, when just relieved from its tortures. A few items from the reminiscences of John W. Edwards and James W. Gay may appropriately find place here. Those captured on July 22d were marched that night to East Point, and "cor-
375
ANDERSONVILLE PRISONERS.
ralled," the Fifty-fifth Virginia Infantry being detailed to guard them. In the morning they were marched to Jones- borough, and thence were conveyed in freight cars to Macon, and finally, after some delay, to Andersonville, reaching the latter place on July 28th. They were said to number about seventeen hundred. From the cars they were first marched to high ground near some earth-works that overlooked the whole crowded interior of the prison-pen. Even at that dis- tance a fetid, sickening stench from it saluted their nostrils. Two hill slopes, twenty sandy acres, bordering a shallow, sluggish stream that ran through a broad piece of marshy ground, were fenced in by two timber stockades twenty feet in height, and encircling lines of strong rifle-pits, occupied by artillery as well as infantry. Within were thirty thousand patriot soldiers, starving in a land of plenty, denied even shade from the scorching sun, and fuel for cooking, although the countless stumps showed that a dense forest had been cleared away to prepare the place for its wretched occupants. Whether at sight of the unwelcome addition to their num- bers, or from other cause, the hooting and yelling of the seething mass of unfortunates rose to a deafening roar, and the commandant ordered a gunner to fire a shell over them. He was persuaded by the sergeant of artillery to allow the substitution of a solid shot, which was fired at a considerable elevation across the stockade, without, however, quelling the riotous din.
The newly-arrived captives now made the acquaintance of their jailer, Wirtz. They were drawn up in two lines facing each other, and every man was carefully searched. One of the prisoners stepped across the open space and handed some article to a comrade opposite, when the infamous com- mandant shouted to one of the sentinels to shoot him. The soldier hesitating, Wirtz rushed towards him with his hand upon his revolver, and again, with a string of oaths, ordered the sentinel to shoot the prisoner offending. At this point the officer in command of the escort guard interfered, and in forcible language admonished the blood-thirsty coward that the Fifty-fifth Virginia was not under his orders. Edwards had sold his watch to a lieutenant of the guard for one hun-
376
FIFTY-FIFTH ILLINOIS INFANTRY.
dred and fifty dollars in Confederate money, about one-half of its fair value, as he was afterwards assured. In the search this money was found and taken from him; but as he proved by the escort how he obtained it, he was fortunate enough to finally secure its restoration. The two lines were at last divided into companies of ninety men each. Then order was given for "a sergeant who could write to step forward from each company," as though penmanship was a rare accom- plishment. Naturally all the sergeants came to the front, which created considerable merriment among the men, and greatly ruffled the jailer's temper. A sergeant for cach ninety men was selected and instructed to record the names and regiments of that company, and to him was assigned the duty of drawing and distributing rations. For convenience, each company divided itself into groups of thirty, and these were subdivided into squads of ten, each having its chosen commissary.
For the first few days the daily allowance per man con- sisted of one-half pint of black peas, always gritty with sand; the same quantity of corn meal, the cob apparently ground with the corn; and two ounces of fresh meat, no allowance being made for bone. No salt was issued, and the meat was often half spoiled before it could be used. But salt could be purchased for two dollars per pint at the Winders' store within the stockade. Onions were sold at seventy-five cents to one dollar and a half cach. Eggs brought thirty cents apiece, and four could be had. at one dollar and fifty cents per pound. Tobacco was abundant, and more reasonable in price. A small bundle of pine splinters, about enough to cook one man's dinner, cost a dollar and a half. By building a little clay flue some cooking was done, but even the peas were often caten raw. After a time cooked rations were issued, consisting of four ounces of corn bread, two ounces of meat, and half a pint of rice, with two table-spoonfuls of molasses. Members of a mess would always conceal a dead comrade just as long as possible in order to draw his rations. Some attempted to appcase the gnawing pangs of hunger by the most indigestible and disgusting substances -- even ate the worms they dug from the rotten stumps.
377
ANDERSONVILLE PRISONERS.
The water of the stream was but the outflow of a miasmal swamp, and received the wash of the whole foul area at every rain; but it was all that could be had. Many wells were sunk, some to great depth, without reaching moisture. The drainage of bakery and slaughter-house added to that of the slopes defiled the flow more and more, until, when the Atlanta prisoners arrived, the water seemed to them horrible beyond endurance. The death rate then averaged about one hundred per day. Suddenly, on August 13th, a clear little spring gushed forth just outside the "dead line," not far from the northern gate of the stockade. A barrel was permitted to be sunk to receive it and a trough conducted the water across the "dead line." There a guard was stationed com- pelling all to approach by one path and take their proper turns in line. The flow was so abundant that rarely was any one compelled to wait more than ten or fifteen minutes for a drink, although there were sometimes hundreds of the thirsty in the path. This precious fountain was generally known as "God's water," or "Providence spring."
General Sherman effected arrangements for the special exchange of men belonging to his own department, and on September 20th the Atlanta prisoners were summoned into line, the roll was called, and they were sent by rail to Rough and Ready, and thence ordered to their several commands. It was rare good fortune that of the fifteen men from the Fifty-fifth not one died in the prison, for during the terrible fifty four days of August and September that they spent in 'Andersonville stockade, about one in six of its inmates per- ished.
On the third of October, being under marching orders, we began packing up our camp equipage, which we were in- structed to send to Atlanta, and all those unable to march were transferred to the Marietta convalescent hospital. Gen- eral Hood was leading a desperate raid north, and had already severed our railroad communications. The next morning we marched for the Chattahoochee and crossing at Vining's late in the afternoon went into bivouac about ten o'clock at night along the railroad near and south of Marietta. We had tramped nineteen miles. The following morning we
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FIFTY-FIFTH ILLINOIS INFANTRY.
moved across Nickajack Creek, where, behind a line of earth- works, we watched and waited until the afternoon of the eighth, when marching orders came and we moved to the northward of Kenesaw and camped near Big Shanty, in the night. The next day we lay at case behind a line of carth- works, and many who had not before had opportunity climbed the mountain and visited the rocky promontory upon which so much of our best blood was uselessly shed on the twenty-seventh of June. The explorers returned declar- ing with entire unanimity that our charge upon Little Kene- saw was one of the most foolhardy and hopeless of the war. October 10th, in the afternoon, we moved north to Ackworth, and the next day through Allatoona to Kingston, camping on Two-run Creek. This last was a hard day's march of over twenty miles. On the twelfth we reached the neighborhood of Rome, marching seventeen miles. We travelled nearly all night on the thirteenth, bright moonlight illuminating our road, and after thirteen miles were passed went into bivouac near Rocky Creek. The next day after slow progress for about sixteen miles, the division crossed the Oothkalooga Creek and camped near Calhoun. October 15th, at daylight, the column started north, but, crossing the Oostanaula at Resaca, it turned westward through Sugar Valley to Snake- Creek Gap. Here we came upon the Seventeenth Corps skirmishing with the rear-guard of Hood's army. The road was soon gained, but the numerous obstructions of fallen trees seriously delayed the advance. After a nineteen mile tramp we halted for the night near Villanow. The next day we passed beyond Villanow about seven miles and bivou- acked at Ship's Gap in Taylor's Ridge, where there was brisk skirmishing in our front and some prisoners were taken. Another advance of seven miles the next day brought us to Lafayette, where we crossed the Chattooga.
Here we turned south down the Chattooga valley, pro- ceeding fifteen miles on the eighteenth to the vicinity of Summerville, and about ten miles on the nineteenth to a point beyond Alpine. On the twentieth we marched into Alabama twenty miles to Gaylesville, and October twenty- first six miles, crossing the Chattooga, and halted at Little
379
MUSTER-OUT OF NON-VETERANS.
River, where we found the bridge burned, and went into camp. Here the regiment rested three days. Rolls were made out for the non-veterans and on the evening of the twenty-third they bade the regiment farewell, marching for Rome in charge of Lieutenant Jacob Fink. The parting be- tween comrades whose fellowship was now to be ended probably forever, who had during three long years shared danger and toil, hunger and thirst, despair and elation, side by side, was an affecting one. With softened looks and voices that refused to hide the emotion behind them, vet- erans and non-veterans shaking each other by the hand, in their rough but hearty way bade cach other God-speed, and separated. Partly by cars and partly by marching the com- pany reached Chattanooga on the twenty-seventh of the month, and on the thirtieth were mustered out of the United States service in due form. The muster-out rolls bore the names of one-hundred and sixty-two soldiers, from that day dropped from the roster of the Fifty-fifth Illinois.
For three days more these men were compelled to remain in Chattanooga awaiting transportation to the North. They finally reached Nashville November 4th after a dismal ride all night, upon the top of a train of box cars, in a freezing rain storm. At that city they were paid their final dues and furnished transportation via Louisville and Indianapolis to Chicago, which city they reached on Wednesday, November gth. Four commissioned officers,- Captain C. M. Browne, Adjatant F. P. Fisher, aud Lieutenants Jacob Fink and Wil liam D. Lomax,-were discharged at the same date with the enlisted men. Major J. J. Heffernan, Surgeon E. O. F. Roler, Captains John T. McAuley and Henry Augustine, and Lieu- tenant Joseph Hartsook were mustered out a few days later.
October 25th the division crossed Little River upon a reconnoissance, halting that night cight miles south at Leesburg, and pushing forward fourteen miles the next day to Turkeytown, where a force of cavalry was driven from its barricades by the Second brigade with slight loss. At a casual halt during this expedition Sergeant-Major Brown, hopeful of chicken for supper, wandered into a grove in rear of a dwelling, when a "bushwhacker" stepped out from behind
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FIFTY-FIFTH ILLINOIS INFANTRY.
a tree and fired both barrels of his gun at him, being but a few paces distant. For some inexplicable reason the bullets missed the target, and Brown being unarmed, abandoned further reconnaissance without delay, and supped thankfully upon army rations. This was the nearest approach to a casualty, in the Fifty-fifth, during the pursuit of Hood.
October 27th the division returned to its camp upon Little River and there remained until the twenty-ninth, when the return march for Atlanta began. Hood had escaped over the mountains and was obviously proposing to cross the Ten- nessee. His campaign against our communications had been brilliantly conceived and managed, though unfruitful in its results. It had dismally failed in its purpose to compel Sher- man's army to loose its grip upon the Empire State of the Confederacy. Hood was now given a "free pass" to encour- age his progress towards higher latitudes, and consigned to the ardent attention of General Thomas.
All the surplus ordnance stores, camp utensils, officers' property -- everything that could not well be borne upon the soldier's person or slung to the regimental mules,-had been sent back to Chattanooga in obedience to Sherman's orders. Upon coming back to the camp at Little River, it was found that important and much needed company papers, and Lieu- tenant Oliver's entire outfit, had by some oversight gone with the superfluities. The captain commanding the regiment anxiously sought leave for the lieutenant to go to Chattanooga to recover the property, but was firmly refused. Oliver then rashly volunteered to run his own risks and go without leave if his immediate superior would consent. The captain con- niving, the lieutenant started off on foot upon his desperate adventure, daring the danger of court-martial and prompt dismissal for wilful disobedience of orders, if detected; and the chances were altogether in favor of his being arrested before he could compass half the long journey.
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