USA > Illinois > The story of the Fifty-fifth regiment Illinois volunteer infantry in the civil war, 1861-1865 > Part 39
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TES
CHAPTER XIII.
FROM GOLDSBOROUGH TO CHICAGO.
W HILE in camp at Goldsborough, on the evening of March 20th, a meeting was held with reference to clecting officers to fill the positions of lieutenant-colonel and major, the regiment not having men enough to entitle it to a colonel. The feeling in favor of an election to fill the exist- ing vacancies was the result of the official sanction given to such procedure at the time of re-enlistment as an inducement for the Fifty-fifth to join the brotherhood of veterans, and because those high in authority then recognized the unfitness of the existing field officers for their positions. The orders on that occasion, by their express terms only applied to the officers needed upon re-organization, but it was claimed by many that the elective right was impliedly vested in the en- listed men during the remainder of their term.
All the officers mentioned in the previous pages as com- missioned or elected to hold field positions in the regiment had by the casualties of battle or other causes left the service during or before the campaign succeeding the fall of Atlanta. Captain Henry S. Nourse, the senior officer, upon arriving in Goldsborough at the end of the Carolina campaign, had chosen to be mustered out, his term of enlistment having long expired. It is not clear how many officers participated in the effort to secure an election at this time. It is certain, however, that some, among whom may be named Oliver, Roberts and Ebersold, neither took part nor believed in it as
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AT GOLDSBOROUGH.
a matter of right or policy. Those enlisted men who saw fit proceeded on March 21st to express their choice for field officers, with the following result: There were seventy-eight votes altogether cast for lieutenant-colonel, of which John B. Ridenour received fifty-nine, Charles A. Andress eighteen, and Giles F. Hand one vote. For major there were only sixty votes cast, of which Francis A. Scott received forty- one, Robert Oliver ten, J. August Smith eight, and Charles A. Andress one vote. On April Ist, ten days later, there were reported one hundred and forty-three men present for duty. It is apparent, therefore, that but few more than half the regiment participated in this so-called election, and less than half voted for major. Some companies are reported to have taken no part whatever, and the result obtained no recognition from the officers of the army or of the state.
It was, however, in a measure a compliment to those who received the highest vote; they had fought their way up from the ranks, and it showed at least that they had the good-will of the majority of those who chose to go through the forms of an election. Lieutenant Ridenour had been made cor- poral in 1862, was grievously wounded at Shiloh, won his promotions subsequently step by step, and during his whole term had been always known as a thoroughly reliable sol- dier and consistent Christian.
All Fools' Day was noisily observed in camp. Every man who did not stay close in quarters and hold his peace became sooner or later the victim of some ridiculous joke. Disci- pline was for a time abandoned, even the officers joining in the frolic to the loss of all authority. Finally, the postmas- ter having prepared a quantity of letters, at dark shouted the ever-welcome call, "Come and get your mail." The soldiers cagerly obeyed the summons, and only discovered the decep- tion when they opened the envelopes at their quarters, by which time the cruel joker was safe in concealment.
On April 10th the army took up the march again in the direction of the capital of North Carolina. News of the capture of Richmond had just been received, and all were jubilant over the prospect of the speedy end of the rebellion. But when a dispatch came on the twelfth announcing that
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FIFTY-FIFTH ILLINOIS INFANTRY.
General Lee had surrendered his whole army to General Grant, the troops became crazy with enthusiasm. The long column from van to rear guard was soon in an uproarious, uncontrollable state of excitement that did not subside dur- ing the day. Every once knew that the long and bloody war was at an end. . Home seemed almost in sight. No wonder that an exultant joy took possession of each soldier's heart, and manifested itself in the wildest demonstrations.
On the thirteenth two men of the regiment captured four Confederate soldiers, who were "tired of war," and reported that Johnston's army was fast being depleted by desertions. Raleigh was occupied the next day, and the army marching through its streets and passing in review before General Sher- man at the capitol, presented a grand military pageant. Many citizens greeted it with demonstrations of joy, evincing their gratification that the close of the great conflict was near at hand. The ladies particularly were lavish with smiles and greetings of welcome, which the soldiers acknowledged by cheers as they passed.
The shocking news of the assassination of the President was received on the seventeenth, and cast a deep gloom over all the camp. Loud and angry expressions of hatred for the dastard who perpetrated the deed, and the cowardly traitors who sanctioned it, were heard everywhere. The same day General Sherman met General Johnston under a flag of truce to consider terms of capitulation for the army in our front. Owing to a disagreement arising between Secretary Stanton and General Sherman, the final surrender was not, however, consummated until April 27th, when orders were issued for the homeward march.
While in camp about four miles north of Raleigh the Fifty- fifth received a beautiful national flag, upon which were inscribed the names of the battles in which the regiment had participated. It was the gift of Chicago friends, chief of whom was Fred P. Fisher, a brother of our third adjutant, Francis P. Fisher. This appropriate gift was warmly wel- comed by every member of the regiment, at its formal recep- tion was greeted with hearty cheers, and a vote of thanks was unanimously tendered the donors.
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ON TO RICHMOND.
In the same camp, during the delay attending the arrange- ment of the terms of surrender for Johnston's army, the men who for a time had been subsisting exclusively upon the ra- tions furnished by government, began to weary of their monotonous diet. They had for so many months been feast- ing upon the fat of the land that hard-bread and salt pork palled upon their appetites. Foraging was, however, posi- tively forbidden by orders, early in April. The situation seemed to veterans to warrant the adoption of extraordinary and perhaps even questionable measures. A squad of men from the regiment went out about ten miles to a wealthy planter's and persuaded him to sell them a wagon-load of miscellaneous provisions, very cheap. He was permitted to accompany them to camp in order to convey the purchase with his own team and wagon, but was mildly enjoined to reply promptly to any inquirers who might ask impertinent questions about his load, that the soldiers had satisfactorily paid for it. This he did, the goods were safely delivered, and the expedition was proclaimed a glorious success.
The whole army of Sherman took up the march April 29th, bound for Washington via Richmond. The command- ing general had gone to visit Savannah and other points in the South in order to confer with various officers and settle matters pertaining to their departments. The corps and many of the division generals turned their commands over to subordinates and hurried in advance to Richmond and Washington for a festival of rejoicing over the triumph of the Union arms. The officers left in command entered into a friendly contest, as the newspapers of the day character- ized it, to see which could reach Richmond first. The result of this amicable race was a disorganized and fagged-out column of troops put to the severest test of endurance. Brigades would be ordered to take the road in the middle of the night in order to steal around other troops and get in the advance. There was more straggling and actual suffering from fatigue in this march, perhaps, than in any other during the Carolina campaign. Thirty-five miles a day were made by some commands. The first warm weather of the season had come, making the tramp doubly exhausting to the men,
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FIFTY-FIFTH ILLINOIS INFANTRY.
and several fatal sun-strokes were reported. Twenty-eight miles was the longest distance covered by the Fifty-fifth in one day.
The people, white and black, all along the route greeted us with demonstrations of joy. All seemed delighted that the bloody war was over, and their absent friends coming home again. The paroled prisoners congregated along the column and about the camps and freely discussed the cam- paigns and their future status under the government, about which they seemed deeply concerned. It was the universal expression that if the conquerors would allow the conquered their homes and equal rights with all in prosecuting their business they would be content. They did not expect a voice in the management of the republic which they had fought so hard to destroy.
But what a change has been wrought ! Our paroled pris- oners have now cqual voice with the patriotic victors in the control of the government against which they waged an unholy and bloody war, and for which their leaders have little love today. In the highest councils of the nation trea- son is lauded by the traitors who instigated the rebellion and who were governing spirits in the attack against the life of the grandest republic on the face of the earth. Patriotism blushes with shame at the humiliating spectacle. The ad- ministration is handicapped by the power and influence of its chief advisers, who were given their high authority by the votes of the paroled prisoners and apologists of treason. The Southern oligarchy has taken control of the government and the Northern patriots are supplicants at its feet. Union soldiers who sacrificed health in defence of their country are kicked out of place to make room for rebels they conquered. Maimed and diseased soldiers are sneeringly refused pensions by the chief executive. How long shall we bear these humil- iations at the hands of our old enemy? Comrades of the Fifty-fifth, let us remember the four hundred and fifty of our number killed and wounded by the men who now rule over us, and register a vow to wage as desperate a battle against them with the ballot as we did with the bullet.
Petersburg was reached on May 7th. Here the Fifteenth
.
433
THE GRAND REVIEW.
Corps was reviewed by General Howard, and a day's rest was taken and enjoyed by the men in visiting the immense forti- fications around that city, where Grant and Lee had contended so long. Marks of the desperate struggle were visible every- where. At the site of the mine we could see human bones yet strewn over the ground. But the wrecks of war only feebly illustrate its horrors. The army went into camp on the tenth at Manchester, opposite Richmond, where a two days' halt was ordered. The rebel capital and its numerous places of note were thoroughly inspected. Libby Prison and Castle Thunder awakened sad reminiscences and just wrath against the now fugitive authorities responsible for the infamous cruelty to our comrades therein confined.
The column was again put in motion May 13th, and pass- ing in turn the noted battle grounds north of Richmond, marched via Hanover Court-House, Bowling Green, Freder- icksburg, Stafford Court-House and Dumfries to Alexandria. Near the latter place we encamped at noon of the twenty- first, and began preparations for the farewell review, to take place at the Capital. On the twenty-third the Second divis- ion moved towards Washington and went into bivouac for the night at the southerly end of Long Bridge. The follow- ing day the Fifty-fifth took its assigned position in the column for the Grand Review. Its rank and file were ragged and visibly bore many marks of the hard campaigning they had endured; but they marched with a true and steady step, proud in the consciousness of having performed their whole duty to their country, and receiving as their honest due a full share of the plaudits tendered by the assembled multitude to the bravest of the brave.
A camp was established two miles north of the city, and the men improved the opportunity for visiting the public buildings and noteworthy places near the Capital, all tending to impress them with the greatness of our country. The recruits belonging to the One-hundred-sixteenth and One- hundred-twenty-seventh Illinois Infantry, upon the expira- tion of the term of service of those regiments and consequent muster-out, were attached to the Fifty-fifth. This nominally added eighty-five men to our thinned ranks-a re-enforce- 25
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FIFTY-FIFTH ILLINOIS INFANTRY.
ment which, however welcome, was useless, for the war was over.
At this camp sundry promotions in the regiment were an- nounced, and several commissions issued, as follows: Captain Charles A. Andress of Company I was commissioned lieu- tenant-colonel; Captain Giles F. Hand of Company F, major; John B. Tompkins, assistant-surgeon. First-Lieutenant John B. Ridenour of Company A was promoted captain; Sergeant Harrison II. Prickett of Company A, first-lieutenant; Ser- geant Isaac Wooding of Company D, first-lieutenant; Ser- geant David N. Holmes of Company F, first-lieutenant; Second-Lieutenant Peter Roberts of Company G, captain; Second-Lieutenant Francis A. Scott of Company H, captain; Sergeant Artemas C. Richardson of Company H, first-licu- tenant; First-Lieutenant Fred Ebersold of Company I, cap- tain; Sergeant Dorsey C. Andress of Company I, first-lieu- tenant; James W. Kays of Company K, first-lieutenant.
The Western army left its encampments June 2d, and pro- ceeded by railroad to Parkersburg, West Virginia, and thence by boats to Louisville, Kentucky, where camps were estab- lished and all expected to be speedily disbanded. At this point commissions came for those promoted, as previously named. These official documents arrived by mail on the twenty-third, and the recipients were at once called upon to "stand treat" in their respective companies. It had long been customary in the regiment for a newly commissioned officer to furnish his men, in honor of the assumption of his rank, with something delectable to the palate, if not exhila- rating to the spirits. Louisville could supply everything catable and drinkable, and the new officials had no excuse for not satisfying all tastes. The soldiers partook of the bounty furnished in camp fashion, and good fellowship reigned over the festivities.
The troops, present in great numbers, were paid off and discharged as rapidly as possible. The Fifty-fifth was wait- ing patiently for its turn to come, preparing papers for the final settlement of accounts with the government, when or- ders unexpectedly came for the Second division to get ready to move to Arkansas. This struck dismay to the hearts of
-
435
ORDERED TO ARKANSAS.
all. Ever since the organization of the old Second division it lind repeatedly been given extra marching and excessive work; and now with home almost in sight, to be sent South again for garrison duty was too intolerable to contemplate. The regiment was paid off on the twenty-ninth, and with the other regiments of the division took boat on the thirtieth for the voyage down the Ohio. The Fifty-seventh Ohio and the Fifty-fifth were embarked on board of the Pocahontas, a mis- crable old tub. The fleet was not allowed to land at promi- nent towns, but was held at anchor in the middle of the river, while the officers and boat's crew went ashore in skiffs. This was an exasperating sight to the men, and its frequent repetition added fuel to the smouldcring fire.
In approaching Memphis, Tennessee, where many of the regiments of the division had encamped for a long time three years before, the men swore they were going to land. When the city was sighted a cheer went up from all the boats, betokening some conspiracy. About noon the transports cast anchor in front of the town, which had a very inviting look to the men who had spent many enjoyable months there in 1862. The troops in large numbers were seen to collect on the bows of the boats. By some unforseen cause the anchor cables broke, or the rudder ropes gave way, and the steam having gone down the boats were soon floating help- lessly in the current. After drifting a few miles every thing was righted, and the fleet lay in the stream till night, when it moved up under Fort Pickering. It is needless to say that most of the men spent the night in the city.
Devall's Bluff, on White River, was reached July 3d. The "glorious fourth" was not very joyously celebrated, the troops awaiting transportation to Little Rock, which place they reached by cars on the sixth. The Fifty-fifth took pos- session of the old log barracks of a deserted camp near the city. The routine of camp duty, including brigade drill, was at once inaugurated here, which was sadly distasteful to the men. The weather was extremely hot, the brigade drills were voted a nuisance, and but few men were around when drill call sounded. It was a great hardship for veterans to play soldier, and they did not play it when they could avoid it.
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FIFTY-FIFTH ILLINOIS INFANTRY.
Frequent visits were made to the city, where the men found various sources of relief from the monotony of the camp. Late one night several were returning to their quar- ters, and when passing near the colored section in the suburbs, heard a series of unearthly yells, shrieks and groans breaking suddenly upon the stillness of the night. A rush was made for the house from which the noises came, and the men broke in without ceremony, expecting to interrupt or prevent a bloody tragedy. An old colored man saluted them upon their entrance with, "Please, mister sojers, dont 'terrupt de meetin'; we jes havin' a little 'ligious 'citement." The un- invited guests withdrew and the negro revival doubtless pro- ceeded with renewed fervor.
The following promotions were announced at Little Rock: Adjutant J. August Smith to captain of Company F; Ser- geant-Major John G. Brown to adjutant; Sergeant Theodore Shultz of Company C, to quartermaster; First-Lieutenant Harrison H. Prickett of Company A, to captain in place of John B. Ridenour, resigned at Louisville, Kentucky; Sergeant William McCumber of Company A, to first-lieutenant; Ser- geant Francis Bandfield of Company B, to captain; Sergeant Robert R. Elliott of Company B, to first-lieutenant; Sergeant C. F. Bennett of Company G, to first-lieutenant. Some of the officers had been performing for some time the duties of the positions to which they were promoted; which was also true of most of those who received promotion at Washing- ton. During the campaigns through Georgia and the Caro- linas the regiment had but fourteen commissioned officers present.
Time dragged heavily with the men, waiting for something to turn up. The question, "What are we here for?" was fre- quently asked. The camp was thrown into joyous excite- ment on July 31st, by the announcement that we were to be discharged as soon as the necessary papers could be made out. Earnest and vigorous work began, and was prosecuted day and night to completion, when the following order was read to the regiment :
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HOMEWARD BOUND).
HEADQUARTERS IST BRIGADE, 2D DIVISION, 15TH A. C., { LITTLE ROCK, ARK., August 13th, 1865. 1 General Order, N2. 40.
OFFICERS AND SOLDIERS OF THE FIRST BRIGADE :
I have the honor to congratulate you that the time has arrived when you will be mustered-out and sent to your homes for final payment and discharge. It is unnecessary for me to enumerate the many marches, bivouacs and skirmishes that you have been engaged in ; history will do that. In returning to your homes you will bear with you my best wishes for your future welfare, and my hope that you may be as good and obedient citizens in peace as you have been soldiers in war.
THEO. JONES,
Brevet Brig .- Gen'l Commanding.
The regiment, numbering nineteen commissioned and two hundred and sixteen enlisted men, including the assigned recruits, was mustered-out August 14th, and bade farewell to Little Rock the next day. The journey homeward was by cars to Devall's Bluff, where in company with the Fifty-sev- enth Ohio, the regiment embarked upon a stcamer for their last voyage together down the White and up the Mississippi river. When Memphis again came in view, the veterans remembering their many exploits and experiences there, greeted it with cheers. As the boat neared the well remem- bered landing a large pile of watermelons was discovered on the shore, and fearing lest the temptation might be too much for them, the men sounded an alarm cry of, "Take in those melons!" But their kindly warning was unheeded by those interested in the property. All crowded upon the side of the boat next to the shore, making landing difficult by call. ing the boat to careen seriously. The mate cursed as only a mate can, and implored the soldiers to distribute themselves over the boat if they did not want the boilers to blow them sky-high. "Let her bust," was all the consolation he got from them. Before the plank was run out half the men were ashore interviewing the melons, most of which accompanied them back upon the boat.
Chicago was entered by the regiment on the eighteenth in the midst of a rain-storm, and temporary quarters were secured at the Soldiers' Rest. The next day we marched to Camp Douglas where, as a final farewell to government
...
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FIFTY-FIFTH ILLINOIS INFANTRY.
rations, we were fed on sour bread and wormy meat. Our arms and accoutrements were here turned over to the ord- nance department. The parting from these drew out many strong expressions of regret, for they had served us through numerous hard contests, and, as long worn and tried com- panions, were closely associated with most of our memories of the eventful years passed in fighting for the Union. The paymaster visited us on the twenty-fifth, and the signing of the pay-roll receipts was the winding up of our military con- tract.
Notwithstanding the members of the regiment had all anxiously looked with longing for the day of final discharge, when the time for their separation came there were struggles with the emotions which showed themselves, although not in words, for no language can express the feelings of sorrow at parting between comrades whose regard for each other has grown from long companionship amid the scenes of a bloody war. We were citizens again, and each one after the parting words and hand-shaking took his individual way homeward to join the dear ones around the family hearth-stone, and enjoy the fruits of his labor in saving and purifying our gov- ernment.
The Fifty-fifth had been in the service four years, and how well, and at what cost, it had filled its place in the Grand Army of the Republic, the foregoing pages and the table of casualties will attest. The whole number of individ- uals that appeared upon its rolls during the war according to the Adjutant-General's Reports, was eleven hundred and ninety-one. Of this aggregate eighty-five were the recruits belonging to the One-hundred-sixteenth and One-hundred- twenty-seventh Illinois Infantry, temporarily attached to the Fifty-fifth in June, 1865, to complete their term of service. They came to the regiment some time after all fighting had ceased, and the disbanding of the army had begun. Their record properly appertains to the commands with which they first served. Sixteen more were unassigned recruits,-not one of them ever seen with the regiment. Twenty were members of the regimental band, and were discharged by order of the War Department before the field of action was
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CONCLUDING SUMMARY.
reached. Deducting these one hundred and twenty-one men, we find the correct number of those fairly considered members of the regiment during the war to be ten hundred and seventy. Nor did so many as this perform actual service or ever reach the front. At Camp Douglas, Benton Barracks and Paducah very many dropped out by resignation and dis- charge, and a few died of disease. Twelve recruits enlisted in 1865 joined the regiment after the last battle had been fought and the Confederacy had succumbed.
Any computation, therefore, of the proper percentages of regimental loss must keep in view the fact that considerably less than a thousand men ever served their country in the Fifty-fifth outside of the camps of instruction. Four hun- dred and forty-eight of this number were killed or wounded in battle, over one hundred of whom were reported as killed outright. Thus forty-two per cent. of the total number ever borne upon the rolls in the field were hurt by Confederate missiles severely enough to place their names in the battle reports-or certainly more than half of those who followed the regimental colors upon the soil of a rebel state. Others there were so slightly touched by bullet or shell as to decline to report themselves wounded. But fifty-five were captured by the enemy, and taking this into consideration, the heavy percentage of battle casualties is remarkable, and perhaps rarely equalled.
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