USA > Indiana > Vigo County > History of Indiana from its exploration to 1922, Vol II > Part 13
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THE BUILDERS
fine industrial program and put back its progress about a half century.36
36 House Journal, 1855, p. 31. "Many of the common railroad accidents of the day, which are caused by unsubstantial, tem- porary bridges, defective locomotives, badly constructed railways, improper signals, and carelessness on the part of employees, might be avoided, by subjecting the conduct of railroad compa- nies to the scrutiny of officers deriving their authority from the legislature. You are therefore invited to take into consideration the expediency of providing for the appointment of General Rail- road Commissioners, who shall be practical and scientific men, and who shall be invested with power to visit the different roads, enquire into and report abuses, and require compliance with the provisions of law. The companies having charge of roads that connect with roads in other States adjoining should be required to keep, in this State, an office for the transaction of business. It is confidently hoped that the present legislature will, without authorizing any unreasonable Interference with the affairs of railroad companies, provide, by the enactment of suitable laws, for holding to the strictest accountability all persons entrusted with the management of these corporations."
CHAPTER XXVI
THE CIVIL WAR
§ 129 RESPONSE TO FORT SUMTER
THE TELEGRAPH brought the news, Saturday, Ap- ril 12, 1861, that Fort Sumter had been fired on. No excitement in Indiana, before or since, has ever equaled that which swept over the State. Saturday night and Sunday men crowded around the telegraph offices to hear the dispatches concerning Sumter. Its walls were crumbling, its barbette guns were silent, dense smoke hovered low over the fort, ships of war were standing in the offing unable to cross the bar, Sumter's batteries were silent, flames were breaking from the portholes, men were out on a raft passing up buckets of water, two magazines had exploded, the fort could not be seen through the smoke and flames, a corner of the fort had tumbled down, the flag was down, a white flag was up. So the telegrams came Saturday night and Sunday. People were dazed at the tragedy, but by Monday had recovered their composure and the long, hard struggle was on. The churches of Indiana were loyal beyond question. The sermons on Sunday were calls to arms. August Bessonies, of St. John's Catholic, Indianapolis, especially revered by the foreign immigrants in the state, instructed his parishioners that they had one single duty to perform which was to support the flag. On Monday the people gathered from the country- side into the little villages and read the daily paper. As trains pulled in people crowded round for news.
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Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri were hanging in the balance. Especially were the people anxious concerning Kentucky and the southern border of Indiana.
The Irish citizens of Indianapolis met at the courthouse, April 16, and offered their services to the union. The railroads offered free transportation for soldiers and volunteers on their way either to the front or to training camps. The state was without funds but banks and individuals tendered loans for the crisis until the Assembly could provide money. Finally on Wednesday and Thursday telegrams and letters began to pour into the governor's office ten- dering troops for the support of the government. Union meetings were held in every county at which public speakers instructed the people concerning the issue and their duties. Resolutions were voted en- dorsing the union, condemning secession, and pledg- ing care and support to the dependents of those who enlisted. By Saturday, April 20, one week from the firing on Sumter, Indiana was sure of the united sup- port of its people and ready to settle down to the preparation for the contest. Few, if any, recognized the seriousness of the struggle they were entering. The younger men joined the army without hesitation, hurrying for fear some other company would be ac- cepted into national service first. The older men clenched their fists in anger at the insult to the flag. The women went to work at once preparing such sup- plies as they could. Hardly a company of soldiers left for the front without a banner presented by the women of the community.
§ 130 ORGANIZING THE ARMY
As soon as possible after the firing on Fort Sum- ter, President Lincoln issued a call for 75,000 three-
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HISTORY OF INDIANA
months troops to execute the laws in the seven states then in rebellion. The proclamation, dated April 15, 1861, reached Governor Morton in time for him to issue, April 16, a proclamation calling for six regi- ments. The governor had already anticipated the call by appointing Lew Wallace, who had served creditably in the Mexican war, adjutant general, Col. Thomas A. Morris, a graduate of West Point, and prominently connected with the leading railroads of the state, quartermaster general, and Isaiah Mansur, a merchant of Indianapolis, commissary general. Orders from the war department had fixed Indiana's quota at six regiments to rendezvous at Indianapolis. The Fair Grounds in what is now the north central part of the city were secured for the camp and named Camp Morton. None of these men had had experi- ence in the work but in a day or two Camp Morton took on the appearance of a barracks.
According to instructions of the adjutant general each company was to consist of 84 men rank and file. The officers, elected by the enlisted men, were to be a captain, first, second and third lieutenants. The organization should be perfected at home and the facts reported to the adjutant general, who, if the company were accepted, would notify the captain by telegraph to report with his company immediately. Such companies need not wait for uniforms nor arms but commence drilling at once and, if summoned, should report to the place of rendezvous where arms and uniforms would be supplied.1 These orders and the proclamation of the governor set men to drilling in every town and village in the state. Advertise- ments appeared in the papers calling for volunteers to joint companies then forming. The telegraph wires were busy for a week tendering companies to
1 General Orders No. I, Indianapolis Journal, April 16, 1861.
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ORGANIZING THE ARMY
the governor. It seemed that every man in the state was coming to Indianapolis whether called or not.2
By April 19 there were 2,400 men at Camp Mor- ton. The state quota, calling for 4,683 men, was filled as rapidly as the men could be mustered in. On Sat- urday, April 20, five days after the call, orders were issued to organize the six regiments.
There were men on hand then for six more regi- ments, which, after unsuccessful attempts to get in connection with Washington, the governor decided to organize and hold in readiness for a second call which he felt would soon be made. The telegraph lines to Washington were cut, northern troops were fighting mobs on the streets of Baltimore, rebel regi- ments were organizing in Kentucky and Virginia, threatening invasion across the Ohio and Potomac, and the northern arsenals were all stripped of arms.
The governor as early as January 28, 1861, had begun to look after arms. A circular to the county auditors elicited no information. An examination of the state quartermaster's books showed that there should be $200,000 worth on hand. Of these only a few, and they were worthless, were ever found.3 As soon as the Assembly adjourned Governor Morton
2 For a few scores of these telegrams, see Indianapolis Jour- nal, April 19, 1861, and following. See, also, Special House Jour- nal, 1861, p. 104, where a list of the first 124 companies is given, showing where they came from and the date of their arrival. The 124th company came May 1. The companies accepted in the first six regiments are given, with their captains, in Adjt .- Gen. Lazarus Noble's report, Jan. 8, 1863.
8 Terreil's Reports, I, 427. "They reported 505 muskets worthless and incapable of being repaired; 54 flintlock Yager rifles, which could be altered at $2.00 each to percussion locks; 40 serviceable muskets in the hands of military companies in Indianapolis which could be returned at once; 80 muskets, with accoutrements, in store; 13 artillery musketoons; 75 holster pistols; 26 Sharpe's rifles; 20 Colt's navy pistols; 2 boxes of
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HISTORY OF INDIANA
went to Washington where he got the promise of 5,000 rifles, but before they could be delivered the Civil war was on! He was compelled under the cir- cumstances to call the legislature into session. That body lost little time in authorizing the governor to procure arms for 20,000 men. Agents were sent to the eastern arsenals but without result. May 30, 1861, the governor appointed Robert Dale Owen agent of the state to buy arms. He succeeded within the next two years in buying 40,000 English Enfield rifles, 2,731 carbines, 751 revolvers, and 797 sabres at a total cost of $752,694.75.4
On the 27th of April the six regiments, numbered from the Sixth to the Eleventh, were organized into the Indiana brigade, under Brigadier General Thomas A. Morris and sent forward as soon as pos- sible into western Virginia.
After the three-months troops had been equipped and mustered in, there remained at Camp Morton twenty-nine companies and in various parts of the state sixty-eight other companies already organized. From these the governor decided to organize five regiments of state troops under the recent act of the General Assembly. On May 6, the Assembly, still in session, authorized six state regiments to be formed of the volunteers then at hand. These troops, organ- ized into infantry, cavalry and artillery, as seemed best, were to serve twelve months unless sooner called into national service. These regiments, num- bered from the Twelfth to the Seventeenth inclusive, were organized into a brigade under Joseph J. Rey- nolds, formerly colonel of the Tenth regiment of the three-months troops.
cavalry sabres; 1 box powder flasks; 3 boxes of accoutrements. This was the condition of the State's arms on the 1st of Feb- ruary."
4 Terrell's Reports, I, 433.
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ORGANIZING THE ARMY
In the meantime, May 3, 1861, the President called for 42,034 more men to serve as part of the regular army for three years, and 18,000 seamen. Under this call the secretary of war took four of the Indiana regiments, leaving two in state service. The four regiments left early in July. On July 18, the Presi- dent also took the two remaining regiments, the Twelfth and Sixteenth, accepting them for the re- mainder of their year's service and assuming all the expenses of organization. These troops were for- warded July 23 to General Banks at Pleasant Val- ley, Maryland.
Enlistment activity did not stop with the call of May 3. There were few people so hopeful as to be- lieve the armies then in the field could reduce the re- bellion. The military spirit was kept up. The state was divided according to congressional districts and a camp for organization and drill established in each.5 Commanders of the camps were usually se- lected from the district and when a regiment was re- quired some capable man from the vicinity was com- missioned to raise it.
Out of the excess companies at the disposal of the governor the Eighteenth regiment was organized and ordered to report to General Fremont in Mis- souri, August 17, 1861. In order to guard the south- ern boundary of the state more securely, orders were issued, June 10, 1861, to raise a cavalry regiment, the First, from the Ohio river counties. Conrad Baker, of Evansville, later governor of the state, was its colonel. Eight companies of the regiment left camp at Evansville, August 21, 1861, for St. Louis, and six companies left Madison, August 22, for
5 These camps were, in 1863, at Vincennes, New Albany, Sey- mour, Aurora, Richmond, Indianapolis, Terre Haute, Lafayette, Michigan City, Kendallville, and Kokomo.
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HISTORY OF INDIANA
Washington City, being assigned to the Third cav- alry, October 22.
During June, 1861, there were two more offers by the secretary of war to accept Indiana three year troops, June 10, the demand for six regiments was received and on June 22, for four more. General Orders No. 13 directed that in organizing these regi- ments there be 101 men in each company, consisting of one captain, one first lieutenant, one second lieu- tenant, one first sergeant, four sergeants, eight cor- porals, two musicians, one wagoner and eighty-two privates. The regiment was to be composed of one colonel, one lieutenant colonel, one major, one adju- tant (a lieutenant), one quartermaster (a lieuten- ant), one assistant surgeon, one sergeant major, one quartermaster sergeant, one commissary sergeant, one hospital steward, two principal musicians, twenty-four musicians for the band and one thous- and ten company officers and men, a total of one thousand forty-six.
By special request of the war department three of the new regiments were to be commanded by W. L. Brown, J. W. McMillen, and Sol. Meredith. Under this order Col. Meredith organized the Nineteenth at Camp Morton, Indianapolis, whence it left, August 5, joining the army of the Potomac at Washington four days later.
The Twentieth was recruited and organized at Lafayette under Col. W. L. Brown of Logansport. It was mustered in at Indianapolis, July 22, 1861, and left for the Potomac, August 2.
The Twenty-first (First Heavy Artillery) was or- ganized and mustered in at Indianapolis, July 24, 1861, under Col. J. W. McMillen of Bedford. It was assigned to duty on the east coast and reported at Baltimore, August 3.
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ORGANIZING THE ARMY
The Twenty-Second was organized at Madison, July 15, 1861, and mustered in at Indianapolis one month later under Col. Jeff. C. Davis, then a captain in the regular army. It was sent to St. Louis to join General Fremont.
The Twenty-Third, under Col. William L. San- derson, was organized at New Albany and there mustered in, July 29, 1861. It went immediately to Missouri but soon joined Grant at Paducah.
The Twenty-Fourth was organized at Vincennes under Col. Alvin P. Hovey, later governor of the state. It was mustered in, July 31, 1861, and left one month later to join Fremont in Missouri and thence to Grant at Fort Donelson. The Twenty-Fifth was organized by Col. James C. Veatch of Rockport at Evansville where it was mustered, August 19, 1861, and dispatched to Missouri.
The Twenty-Sixth was organized at Indianapolis and mustered in, August 31, 1861. It left to join Fre- mont at St. Louis, September 7. It was commanded by Col. William M. Wheatley of Indianapolis.
The Twenty-Seventh was organized at Indianap- olis and mustered in, September 12, 1861, under Col. Silas Colgrove of Winchester. It was assigned to the army of the Potomac.
These regiments, together with the First cavalry under Colonel Baker, completed the number required. They had been organized and sent forward in about six weeks. Two months from the time the secretary of war sent the request they were on the firing line. By this time the period of enlistment of the six three- months men had expired and they were returning to be mustered out. The government was anxious to re-enlist them and thus get the benefit of their exper- ience and training. General Orders No. 17 directed the officers. of the returning regiments to reorganize the regiments on a war basis for three years service.
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HISTORY OF INDIANA
The regiments were all reorganized by the last of September and back in the service, two regiments going to West Virginia, two to Kentucky, and two to Missouri.
Governor Morton urged that all the resources of the country be thrown into the war to end it at the earliest possible moment.6 The rebel troops were pressing into Kentucky so persistently that it seemed the state would be overrun. Governor Morton thought the prudent thing to be to fight in Kentucky rather than in Indiana. The seriousness of the strug- gle was becoming manifest. General Orders 18, issued August 12, in effect established a regimental rendezvous in each congressional district. As fast as one regiment was called another began forming. A committee of Germans asked permission to raise a German regiment and a committee of Irishmen asked for an Irish regiment. These were both authorized in August, 1861.
The Twenty-Ninth regiment had been raised by John F. Miller of St. Joseph county as a part of the Indiana Legion but as soon as it was organized it was mustered in, August 27, 1861, and ordered into Ken- tucky to protect Louisville.
6 Governor's Proclamation, Terrell's Reports, I, p. 333: "There is no curse like that of a lingering war. If, with the immense superiority in wealth, population and resources of the loyal States, their power was promptly exerted in anything like an equal ratio with the efforts made in the seceding States, this rebellion would be speedily extinguished. Let Indiana set the glorious example of doing her whole duty, and show to the world how much can be accomplished by the brave and loyal people of a single State. To this we are prompted by every consideration of hope, interest, and affection. All that we are, all that we hope to be, is in issue. Our cause is the holiest for which arms were ever taken, involving, as it does, the existence of our government, and all that is valuable and dear to a free people."
747
ORGANIZING THE ARMY
The Thirtieth was formed by Col. Sion S. Bass at Fort Wayne, mustered in September 24, and report- ed in central Kentucky, October 9.
The Thirty-First was organized by Col. Charles Cruft at Terre Haute, mustered in, September 15, 1861, and rushed into Kentucky to stop the threat- ened invasion.
The Thirty-Second (First German) was organ- ized by Col. August Willich at Indianapolis, of Ger- man recruits from all parts of the state. It was mus- tered in, August 24, 1861, and hurried into Ken- tucky by way of Madison.
The Thirty-Third was organized at Indianapolis under Col. John Coburn and on September 28, 1861, departed for Louisville. The Thirty-Fourth, of An- derson, under Asbury Steele left for Kentucky by way of Jeffersonville, October 10, 1861. The Thirty- Fifth (First Irish) was organized at Indianapolis of Irish volunteers from all parts of the state and under Col. John C. Walker passed into Kentucky, Decem- ber 11, 1861. The Thirty-Sixth of Richmond under Col. William Grose set out for Nashville, October 26, 1861. The Thirty-Seventh, of Lawrenceburg, under George W. Hazzard went into service along the Louisville and Nashville railroad in October, 1861. The Thirty-Eighth, of New Albany, left for Eliza- bethtown, Kentucky, September 21, under Col. Ben- jamin F. Scribner. The Thirty-Ninth (Eighth cav- alry) under Col. Thomas J. Harrison was raised as sharpshooters by special order of the war depart- ment, at Indianapolis, and early in September hast- ened into Kentucky. The Fortieth, from Lafayette, under William C. Wilson left for Kentucky, Decem- ber 31, 1861, for three months' service, later re- enlisting for the war. The Forty-First (Second cavalry) was recruited from the whole state, organ-
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HISTORY OF INDIANA
ized at Indianapolis, mustered in, September 1861, and left for Camp Wickliffe, Kentucky, December 16.
The Forty-Second was organized by Col. James G. Jones at Evansville, October 9, 1861, and after guarding the Ohio river a short time set out for Nashville. The Forty-Third was organized at Terre Haute, September 27, under Col. George K. Steele and sent to Spottsville, Kentucky. The Forty- Fourth, of Fort Wayne, was organized under Col. Hugh B. Reed, October 24, 1861, and six weeks later went to Henderson, Kentucky. The Forty-Fifth (Third cavalry) was composed of the six companies of the First cavalry sent east and four companies recruited in October, 1861. It was placed under Scott Carter of Vevay and sent into Maryland for guard duty. The Forty-Sixth was organized under Col. Graham N. Fitch at Logansport, October 4, 1861, and rushed to Camp Wickliffe, Kentucky. The Forty- Seventh, of Anderson, under Col. James R. Slack, was organized, October 10, 1861, and left Indianapo- lis for Kentucky, December 13. The Forty-Eighth was organized by Col. Norman Eddy at Goshen, De- cember 6, 1861, and left for Fort Donelson, February 1, 1862. The Forty-Ninth left Jeffersonville, Decem- ber 11, 1861, having been organized there, October 18, by Col. John W. Ray. It reached Bardstown De- cember 13. The Fiftieth was organized by Col. Cyrus L. Dunham at Seymour, September 12, 1861, and crossed into Kentucky on Christmas day. The Fifty- First was organized at Indianapolis, October 11, 1861, and left for Bardstown, Kentucky, under Col. A. D. Streight, December 16. The Fifty-Second was organized by Col. W. C. McReynolds at Rushville. Recruits came in so slowly that those who had en- listed in the Fifty-Second and those in the Fifty- Sixth were consolidated, January 20, 1862, and on February 7, sent to Grant at Fort Donelson. This
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ORGANIZING THE ARMY
was known as the Railroad regiment and came from all parts of the state. The Fifty-Third was allotted to the Sixth district but recruits failing there it was organized by Col. W. Q. Gresham, of Corydon, in the Third district. The men from the Sixty-Second en listed at Rockport, were added and the regiment or- ganized, February 26, 1862. March 13, it reported at St. Louis. The Fifty-Fourth and Fifty-Fifth regi- ments were originally called out, June 10, 1862, for three months to guard the prisoners at Camp Morton but when Kirby Smith invaded Kentucky they were sent to that state. In October the Fifty-Fourth was reorganized under Col. Fielding Mansfield and sent into west Tennessee to join Grant. The Fifty-Fifth was to be the Second German but not enough recruits offering, it was merged with the Fifty-Third. The Fifty-Sixth under Col. James M. Smith was to be composed of railroaders but failed and was merged with the Fifty-Second. The Fifty-Seventh was or- ganized at Richmond under Rev. Col. John W. T. McMullen and sent into Kentucky, December 19, 1861. The Fifty-Eighth was organized at Princeton in October, 1861, by Dr. Andrew Lewis but was placed under command of Capt. H. M. Carr of the Eleventh and ordered, December 13, to report to Buell at Louisville. The Fifty-Ninth was raised by Jesse I. Alexander of Gosport. He was ordered not to interfere with the regular recruiting stations but between October and January he completed his regi- ment, was mustered in, February 11, 1862, armed with Enfield rifles and joined Pope before Memphis. This regiment traveled 13,675 miles during the war.
The Sixtieth was raised by Col. Richard Owen at Evansville, but before it was complete was ordered to Camp Morton to guard prisoners, February 22, 1862. By June 20, it was ready and reported to Louisville. The Sixty-First (Second Irish) was to
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HISTORY OF INDIANA
be raised by Barnard F. Mullen but after waiting for recruits several months those present were placed in the First Irish (the Thirty-Fifth). The Sixty- Second, at Rockport, failing to organize was consoli- dated with the Fifty-Third. The Sixty-Third was to be raised by James McManomy at Covington by De- cember 31, 1861, but only four companies were full. These were used to guard rebel prisoners at Lafay- ette till May 26, 1862, when they were sent to Wash- ington City. Six more companies were added in July, 1862. The Sixty-Fourth and Sixty-Fifth were in- tended to be the First and Second artillery but for some reason the war department would not permit the batteries to be so organized and they remained independent during the war. Fritz Ameke, who had seen service in the German artillery, was in command of the Second artillery which was tendered General Buell but he declined it at a time when his army need- ed every support available. The refusal angered the · governor and probably cost General Buell his com- · mand.
The winter of 1861 and 1862 was severe. The peo- ple had neglected their work for the war and crops were short. Thousands of troops had been rushed to the front in the hot summer months, expecting to be far to the south before winter came where heavy clothing would not be needed.
In western Virginia, on the Potomac, in eastern Kentucky and in Missouri there was suffering among the troops. Their letters home discouraged enlisting.' The military movements had been anything but suc- cessful. The effect was such that the later regiments were organized with great and increasing difficulty. The spring of 1862 opened with the Union armies in motion, however, and the spirit of the people soon rose. Enlistments were beginning again after Mill Spring, Donelson and Shiloh when an order came
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ORGANIZING THE ARMY
from the war department to stop all enlistments as the end of the war was in sight. Efforts were made to have the order countered so that recruiting sta- tions might be kept open, and in Indiana this was done though from December, 1862, to July, 1863, comparatively few men offered. Governors of the loyal states urged the President to call more men to the service and end the war. Finally, July 2, 1862, he issued his fourth proclamation calling for 300,000 troops. The call was not opportune and there was trouble everywhere filling it. The Union generals had been outmaneuvered and their armies humili- ated, the farmers were busy with the crops and above all the first excitement of the war had worn away.
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