USA > Indiana > Johnson County > History of Johnson County, Indiana > Part 47
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for inspection, as an indication that we go to Washington-bosh of course.
What think you of the situation now. I have no opinion to express, no surmises to make. I have made up my mind to take what comes with as good grace as possible ..
Headquarters 2nd Brig. 3d Div. 18th Army Corps, July 14, 1864.
It has been very quiet along the lines for a few days-scarcely any firing at all. The line of rebel works captured by us (a portion of it) has been leveled within the last two or three days. Some interpret it as a sign of evacuation. Others say it means another change of base-that Grant is going to come the flanking process on them again by moving around south, etc., but no one seems to know anything. The 6th Corps is the only Corps, I am aware of, that has been sent to Washington. Why Grant is lying here idle, when nearly all of Lee's army is in Maryland, is more than I can say. I confess I don't understand his tactics. Our Brig. went to the front again last night --- they occupy their old position, form part of Turner's second line. Col. Dun- can was unwell and did not go out. I remained in camp with him. Expect to go out in the morning. I haven't seen any of the 7th boys lately. They are three miles to the left of us.
Headquarters 2nd Brig. 3d Div. 18th Army Corps, July 26, 1864.
You ask why we haven't taken Petersburg-simply because we couldn't: It is too well fortified and too stoutly defended to be taken from this side. The 19th and 6th Corps are arriving at Bermuda Hundred and are assigned
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to Butler's command. This force, I suspect, will be thrown between Rich- mond and this city and thus compel the evacuation of this place, but this is all conjecture, but if the movement over the river is to be entrusted to Butler, I have no faith whatever in it succeeding. He is the grandest humbug (I would say it were I a civilian) the war has thus far produced. Burnside is mining-we may attempt another assault. The mine is but a short distance to the left of our brigade; it runs out a distance of 450 feet, then branches to the right and left under their works like the letter "T." They intend to use 16,000 pounds of powder in blowing it up.
How are the elections going this fall. I fear Grant's want of success, Greeley's intrigues at Niagara, and the coming draft will make a deal of thunder for Copperhead orators. How do the people receive the proclama- tion for 500,000 more men? I suppose the "hundred day" men will be home in time for a chance with the rest-it would be too bad to slight them. My health continues good, in fact provokingly good, but I am thankful that such is the case. I have known some officers, by a little expert management, to get a leave of 20 days, during this campaign, whose health was probably as good as mine.
Headquarters 3d Brig. 3d Div. 18th Army Corps, Near Point of Rocks, Va., August 4, 1864.
Am well, but really haven't time to write. Division has been reorganized under Paine. We are in 3d Brigade, so direct accordingly.
Headquarters 3d Brig. 3d Div. 18th Army Corps, Near Point of Rocks, Va., August 5, 1864.
Grant's promised "startling combinations" have proved another startling failure. Our brigade occupied the front line on 30th during Burnside's fight. We were just to the right of the mine, but did not form part of the assaulting column. Had a good view of the day's operations. I was asleep when the mine went up, but saw it before it went down. The affair was a most humiliating failure; everything worked splendidly at first and with proper management we would not only have taken Petersburg but the most of the rebel force this side of the river. The blame I presume will be shuffled on to the colored troops, because their color happens to attract notoriety, but I know that they behaved as well, if not better, than the white troops. Their panic was caused by Bell's Brigade of Turner's Division 20th Corps giving away in utter confusion. This brigade was advancing to support the colored troops and broke 10 minutes before the colored troops did. I understand on
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good authority that Gen. Turner admits this. I am confident that the more the matter is investigated the less the blame will be attached to the C. T. It is reported that the 2d and 3d Divs. gth Corps refused to advance. I fear that there is some foundation for the report. The colored troops advanced into an exceedingly hot and scary place, and as they had never been under fire pre- viously, it was unwise to say the least to put them in such a place.
About dusk this evening, there was heavy firing over the river (we are now on Butler's front) it lasted about half an hour; don't know the cause of . it-all quiet now. Our Division is now commanded by Gen. Paine. Gen. Carr had command about a week; the Division has been reorganized, and we are now in the 3rd Brigade; the 4th, 6th & 10th regiments from the Brigade under Col. Duncan. I am still A. A. A. G.
Col. Thomas of the 19th U. S. Col. Troops on the 31st during flag of truce, got rather near the rebel lines, and was taken in. He was taken to Bushrod Johnson; when asked who he was by Johnson, he replied: "I am a Captain in IIth U. S. Infantry, Colonel of 19th United States Colored Troops, Commanding 2nd Brigade, 4th Div. 9th Army Corps, Army of Poto- mac." "Eh, we hang such fellows down here." Thomas demanded his re- lease, said that they had violated flag of truce, etc. Johnson said he must keep him, and sent him to jail. Thomas demanded paper, and wrote a remon- strance of 14 pages to Gen. Beauregard. While awaiting Beauregard's reply. he made friends with the provost marshal, and traveled all over Petersburg. Beauregard ordered his release, which he owes to his audacity and impudence.
Headquarters 3d Brig., 3d Div. 18th Army Corps, Near Point of Rocks, Va., August 21, 1864.
The 2d and 10th Corps recrossed the River James yesterday and today and passed to the left. They could not accomplish anything-in fact I judge it was only a feint to cover more important movements on our left. The 5th Corps moved out and seized the Weldon Road; this morning there was a furious cannonading in that direction. I suspect they have had a big fight, how it resulted, I can't say.
Our Head Qrs. are still near Point of Rocks, but only one regiment of the brigade is with us. This one regiment has been holding a half mile of Butler's line for the last four days. This P. M. we were re-enforced by two regiments so that we now feel tolerably secure again. During the opera- tions of the 2d and 10th Corps over the river, Butler's line was almost entirely stripped of troops; it was an exceedingly fortunate thing for us that the
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Johnies didn't know our defenceless condition. Two regiments of our brigade are at Dutch Gap, covering Butler's digging operations. These two regiments and the 16th N. Y. H. Art. had a little fight near that place with the rebs a day or so since. The 16th (white) broke and scattered like sheep. The darkies stood up to the work manfully. Our two regiments are the only troops now at that point. The Howlett Battery is on one side of them, a bat- tery in front, and one opposite the Howlett Battery. The consequence is they make Dutch Gap an exceedingly hot place. At the present rate of progress it will require two months to complete the canal-the distance from bank to bank is about 130 yards, and the bank is about 40 feet in height-the distance around is from 5 to 7 miles. Just now I hear the cars whistling on the Petersburg & Richmond R. R. Judge the rebels are running reinforcements down from Richmond to look after Warren. This is the first train I have heard on this road for some time.
Headquarters 3d Brigade 3d Division 18th Army Corps, Camp at Deep Bottom, Va., August 26, 1864.
We are having stirring times here now. Grant seems to be at work in earnest again. Yesterday and day before, heavy firing took place on the Weldon Road and report says it resulted very favorably to us. The 2d, 5th and 9th Corps are in that vicinity; the 10th and 18th Corps now hold the line from Deep Bottom to beyond the Norfolk R. R. Yesterday morning at about 3 o'clock, the rebs made an attack on Butler's line. We were awakened by a yell and volley of musketry. They made a charge on our picket line, but finding us prepared for them soon fell back to their old position. One division had been sent over the Appomattox the previous evening, which the Rebs had observed, and supposed Butler's line was being evacuated, and I suppose the attack was made to satisfy themselves on this point.
Gen. Wm. Birney arrived from Florida a few days since, with the 7th, 8th, & 9th U. S. C. T., and the 29th Com. Vo. (Colored). You may remem- ber that he organized our regiment at Baltimore. He was at our Head Qrs. a few evenings since-took occasion to say that he "believed he used to have to compliment me on the good trim in which I had my company." He has been assigned to the roth Corps-had command of a division of four brigades, three white, in the operations of the 18th Corps at this place a few days since. He is to have command of a Division of Colored Troops, and is very anxious to have our brigade in his division. But as Gen. Paine is one of Butler's pets, I have no hope of his succeeding. I should like very much to have the trans- (31)
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fer effected, for there are six regiments in the Div. at present raised in this Dept. under Butler's regime that reflect no credit on the Division, or colored troops in general, and I should like to cut loose from them.
Headquarters 3d Brigade, 3d Division 18th Army Corps, Camp at Deep Bottom, Va., September 1, 1864.
We are still at Deep Bottom and without a command. The 4th and 6th regiments are still at Dutch Gap, and the 10th regiment at last accounts at City Point doing guard duty. So Col. Duncan is left with no command except that Head Qrs. Guard. Consequently we are making matters easy as possible. We had two little alarms since coming here, but neither of them amounted to anything. We are on the extreme right of Grant's line, conse- quently know nothing of what is transpiring on the left. There has been hard fighting on the left, in which the 2d Corps was somewhat worsted. I see the 7th Indiana was engaged, but saw no list of casualties.
Headquarters 3d Brigade, 3d Division 18th Army Corps, Camp at Deep Bottom, Va., September 15, 1864.
Affairs remain quiet here. The work on "Butler's canal" progresses slowly; the rebels keep tossing mortar shells regularly during the day at the working parties-of late their practice has been much better than usual. Yesterday three men were killed and two wounded. Butler has lately erected an enormous "signal tower" about 140 feet high near us, at which the "Howlett Battery" sends her iron compliments. So far they have missed their mark and the shells whistle over us a half mile to the rear. I will add for ma's information that our Head Qrs. are sheltered from this battery, or at least so concealed that they can't discover us.
Last evening a sad accident occurred by which one of the members of our staff lost his life. About 7 P. M., Lieutenant Kingsbury went over to the Head Qrs. of the 6th Reg. While there, a shell which had been thrown dur- ing the day exploded accidentally, a piece struck Lieut. Kingsbury on the fore- head. He lingered unconscious until 2 o'clock this morning, then died. Today we had his body embalmed, and sent home. No news from the left- guess Grant is waiting for something to turn up. Recruits are said to be arriving rapidly at City Point.
Look out for something important from this quarter soon.
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Headquarters 3d Brigade 3d Division 18th Army Corps, Camp at Deep Bottom, Va., September 27, 1864.
We are still idle here. I am confident a move will be made very soon, but just how soon I can not tell. In the 2d Corps, the Quartermasters have had orders to have clothing etc. issued by the 28th inst., and are now in the rear ready for orders. Probably Grant will aim to strike a blow here about the time Sheridan reaches Lynchburg. We have had a splendid success in the Valley, haven't we. The Shenandoah is no longer the Valley of Humilia- tion. The Richmond Enquirer of yesterday acknowledges a defeat at Fish- er's Hill-says they lost 12 pieces of artillery, but predicts that we will get whipped back again, when we reach Lynchburg, as Hunter was. Sheridan is not Hunter.
Our brigade is still at work on the canal-think it is about two thirds completed. The rebs shell us furiously as ever-they disabled the dredging machine we had to work, so we must now depend on pick and shovel. If any other man than Butler had charge of it, I think it would have been abandoned long since. Presume Butler wishes to leave it as a monument to perpetuate his name and fame-it will require something of this kind. I think Mc- Clellan has few friends in the army here. Among the officers of our Brigade, I have not heard of a single McClellan man. Little Mc was very popular with the soldiers when he was relieved, but his affiliations with Copperheads since has ruined him. If we meet with no reverses before the elections, I have no fears but what Old Abe will succeed.
The final chapter in the life story of Captain VanNuys is found in a letter to his father, John H. VanNuys, from Lieut. Z. F. Wilber, Acting Assistant Quartermaster of the Third Brigade, written from Dutch Gap, Vir- ginia, October 2, 1864. It is as follows :
"Mr. John H. VanNuys, Esq.
"My Dear Sir: It is an extremely painful duty for me to write you. You have undoubtedly ere this received by dispatch 'announcing the death of your son. What can a stranger say to comfort those nearest and dearest to him. But of one thing I can assure you, that you and your lady have the heartfelt sympathies of every officer left in our Brigade, for Van as we called him was universally esteemed as a man and a soldier. He has no enemies, but many friends, warm friends. It could not be otherwise with one of his fixed principles, strict integrity and kindly heart. The death of no
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officer in the 4th regiment, or of this brigade, has created such a sensation, and we who were his daily companions will miss him sadly at our mess table and at our little circle around the camp fire.
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"Col. Duncan was wounded at the same time, and has been sent to the hospital, he will probably lose his foot, but before he went, he desired me to write you and what I have written I know to be his own as well as my feelings.
"As to his death, you have learned from the papers that the forward movement commenced on the 29th ult. As Quartermaster I was and still am at our old camp, with our baggage, teams, etc., but have the facts from officers of the staff who were eye-witnesses. Col. Duncan's Brigade was ordered to charge a line of rifle pits about two miles from Deep Bottom. It was about 6 A. M. He had but 600 men of his brigade with him at the time, but at it they went. They got within ten yards of the rebel works. Van's horse had been killed under him a few moments before, but he kept up with the column on foot, not with the column but at the head of it. We were driven back, the slaughter was terrific.
"On the retreat, Van was behind the column, nearest the enemy, and while in the act of looking back, a ball struck him in the throat, severing the artery, and on that beautiful morning he yielded up his life, another on the long list of Martyred Patriots.
"The affair did not take but fifteen minutes, but in that brief space of time, out of 600 who had started, 390 were dead and wounded. Col. Duncan took with him three staff officers; of these your son fell, Lt. Pratt lost a leg, and Col. D. was wounded, and four staff officers lost their horses, 14 officers out of 20 of the 6th U. S. C. T. and 6 out of 9 of the 14th were killed or wounded.
"Within twenty minutes our forces rallied and took the ground, but while the rebels held the ground, they had stripped your son of everything except shirt and drawers. He had on his person a watch and $175 belonging to Lieut. Kingsbury, who was killed 3 weeks ago, these the hounds got. Your son was ordered by Col. D. to take charge of Lt. K's effects.
"After the fight, hearing that your son was killed, I took an ambulance and got his body and took it to the embalmers who have embalmed it and it will start tomorrow. I have waited a day in hopes that Mr. Ditmars would arrive.
"Ths coffin is only a plain gov't one as I did not feel that you would war- rant me in going to the expense of a fine one here as their prices are enormous. I should not have put you to the expense of the steps I have taken, but he said
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when we talked of sending Lt. K. home that if he fell, he wished to be sent home.
"In conclusion, sir, let me say that I deeply sympathize with you. I have passed through severe afflictions, and know what they are. Only a month ago, I received word that my only child, a bright, beautiful babe of II months had passed to a brighter clime, and even as Dear Van sympathized with me then, do I with you. If he died young, he fell a patriot, and may the blood of his young heart poured forth so lavishly at his country's altar help to bind together again our Union stronger than ever."
In a little envelope postmarked "Old Point Comfort, Oct. IO" came a few days later the last message from the son, with a postscript in another's handwriting. . It reads :
"Headquarters 3d Brigade, 3d Division, 18th Army Corps, Camp at Dutch Gap, Va., September 27, 1864.
"This testament belongs to Captain S. W. VanNuys, Acting Ass't. Adj't. General 3d Brigade, 3d Div., 18th Army Corps. Should I die upon the field of battle, for the sake of a loving mother and sister, inform my father, John H. VanNuys, Franklin, Indiana, of the fact."
The postscript reads: "Mr. John H. Vanings: It is my painful duty to inform you that your son was killed on the 29th of the last month near Chaffins farm, Va. I have his testament. I will send if you wish it. From your enemy, one of the worst rebels you ever seen.
"L. B. F."
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CHAPTER XV.
PHYSICIANS AND MEDICAL PRACTICE.
BY R. W. TERHUNE, M. D.
The first comers to Indiana were mainly drawn either directly from Pennsylvania, the Carolinas or Virginia, or were of the fascinating band of hunters and frontiersmen of similar origin who had only a few years earlier begun the redemption of Tennessee and Kentucky from savagery.
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There were descendants of the old English colonists, Scotch and Scotch- Irish in abundance, Germans from Pennsylvania, sturdy Hollanders, Swiss, and last, but not least in quality of excellence, French Huguenots, inspired by traditions of noble blood and of heroic struggles for liberty and conscience's sake. No finer race ever lived than those that builded the Northwest. "Fifty years after the defeat of General St. Clair the skeletons of the Kentucky sol- diers killed in that battle were exhumed and out of more than seventy' taken from one grave two only were of men that had been less than six feet in height."
The pioneers that came to stay and to build homes and cities were not less robust and sturdy than the soldiers that had preceded them. They were the flower of the communities from which they came, and had both the will and power to subdue the wilderness. Woods nor wild beasts, nor swamps, nor storms, nor cold winters had any terrors for them, nor had any toil or peril that could be grappled with or subdued by brawn or physical bravery or effort.
In fact, when in health they usually enjoyed, with a sort of rough good nature, their hard and barren life. Coming to the new region, and building their homes on the high places near the streams, leading active lives, dwelling in houses that were of necessity well ventilated, and eating a nutritious food, they were immune to many of the ills that affected older communities.
Tuberculosis, which now slays its thousands, had not yet followed the pioneer to the frontier. Diphtheria and cerebro-spinal meningitis were then unknown and influenza and typhoid fever were scourges of the yet distant future. But all the country save the southwest part was a great marsh over which the dark shadow of a forest, dense and gigantic, had hung for ages.
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And in the insidious miasmata and noxious exhalations from the swamps and stagnant pools the brave pioneers had a powerful and invisible foe that stole upon them unaware and was more to be dreaded than all the tangible and physical dangers with which they could have been surrounded, for strength and bravery could not prevail against it. Intermittent fevers in all their stubborn forms seized upon the people and endured. Whole communi- ties fell victims to the universal malarial infection. "So alarming did the mortality become that by an act of the General Assembly passed December 31, 1821, Friday, the second day of the following April, was set apart as a day of public prayer to 'God Almighty, that He may avert the just judgments impending our land and that in His manifold mercies He will bless the coun- try with fruitful seasons and our citizens with health and peace.'"
"That same year, 1821, an epidemic of intermittent and remittent fevers set in the latter part of July in the new town of Indianapolis, and continued until some time in October, during which nearly every person was more or less indisposed, and seventy-two, or about one-eighth of the population, died."
"The fall succeeding the first settlement in the spring the scourge broke out on Blue river in Johnson county and prevailed to such an extent that there were hardly enough well people to attend to the wants of the sick ones."
For more than fifteen years after the first settlement of the country there was no abatement in the severity of the prevailing fevers. It is impossible to describe the sickness of those times in colors sufficiently dark to give a correct idea of the universal distress. From the first of August till the first of October all work. and business were given over to the care of the sick. Chills and fever were universal. Many persons recovered promptly, and some there were that remained in bed only while the paroxysm lasted. Par- ents sometimes had malarial "chills" or paroxysms every second or third day for weeks, with no appreciable increase in the severity of the seizures. But at times the mildest cases seemed suddenly to become malignant and danger- ous. Two or three very light paroxysms were sometimes followed by the sudden and alarming development of a congestive and pernicious type that ended in a "sinking chill" and death. Whenever such a grave condition mani- fested itself the patient was at once sustained by the most heroic treatment known at that time. External applications of mustard were freely used, and capsicum and brandy given without stint. Sometimes a quart of brandy was required to brace the failing heart and restore mobility to the stagnant blood.
It was some years after the first settlement of the country before physi- cians came, and when they did at last arrive there was so much illness, such
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widespread prevalence of disease, that many patients in distant and inaccess- ible parts of the country were unable to procure their services. So the sick were largely treated by domestic. remedies, a belief in the efficacy of which was not based on scientific knowledge or research, but was the result of the crudest fancies.
The secret recesses of the forest, where ferns and maiden-hair grew on the mossy banks of streamlets, where the dog-woods and wild roses bloomed in beauty, and the breath of modest violets and crabapple blossoms filled the air with fragrance, those recesses of the forest so exquisitely adorned for man's pleasure with the beauties of form, of color and of fragrance, were also the repositories of a botanical wealth of rare therapeutic virtue and power. However deficient the venerable and aged men and women of that day might be in all the learning of the schools, they were all deeply versed in the occult materia medica of the woods, for in the leaves and roots and flowering plants that had been scattered by the hand of Providence in such generous profusion over all the earth, they found a balm for every human ill.
. Boneset and burvine and quaking aspen and wahoo were used in chills and fever with the greatest faith and efficacy. In the languid springtime, prickly ash, burdock, sarsaparilla, poplar, dogwood and wild cherry barks, made up in whiskey and taken in the form of "bitters," lent invaluable aid to the lancet in cleansing and quickening the foul and sluggish current of the blood. In order to be effective, these barks had to be gathered from the north sides of the trees. Tansy bitters were a favorite morning dram and were held in high repute for their power in warding off the malarial miasmata of the times and strengthening one for a day's labor in the swampy woods.
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