USA > Indiana > History of the Forty-sixth regiment Indiana volunteer infantry : September, 1861-September, 1865 > Part 10
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17
The regiment marched to the Court-house square, and pre- pared to spend the night. The citizens furnished an abundance of coffee.
At midnight a courier from below reported the rebels in posses -- sion of several boats and a force sufficient to attack Shawneetown and Mount Vernon. About that time a railroad ferryboat, from Pittsburg, bound for the Mississippi, rounded to at the landing. It was new and capable of carrying a thousand men. The colonel impressed the boat, and, before daylight, the regiment was on board and on the way down the river, without the knowledge of the good people of Mount Vernon.
The rebel towns along the river were passed without molesta- tion, and the boats reached Shawneetown at 10 o'clock. Along the Illinois and Indiana side of the river the boat passed continu- ous squads of the legion rushing to the front.
At Shawneetown the people were all on hand. They extended a hearty welcome to the regiment. That point being safe, it was . concluded to go on to Sabine river, where the rebels were. A six-pound gun was borrowed, and the ferryboat again pushed out. The legion wanted to go, and it was with difficulty that they were kept off, so anxious were they for gore. The seat of war was reached at 2 o'clock. The rebels had fallen back, leaving a small force on the river. A small gunboat, the Fairplay, on which were- Lieutenants Washington Coulson and George Groves, of Logans- port, was shelling the rebels on the bank. After notifying the-
107
1
MORGANFIELD.
gunboat, the regiment landed and skirmished inland, driving the rebels before it. Finding no force that would stand, in an hour the regiment returned to the boat. The barges and boats of the rebels were destroyed. The three steamers captured by the rebels had been released by them. They were loaded with cattle for Sherman, and, when the approach of the rebels was noticed, the cattle were thrown into the river. The most of them were saved ;. those that swam to the Kentucky side were lost, except a few that. were subsequently recovered by the Forty-sixth.
The regiment returned to Shawneetown to arrange a raid inland. The ferryboat was returned to the party in charge, with thanks, and the regiment occupied the "Jennie Hopkins," one of the captured boats.
The regiment then returned to Mount Vernon, and became part of a force organized for a raid into Kentucky, toward Morganfield,. by General Hovey.
On the morning of the arrival of the regiment at Mount Vernon,. Dan Rice's circus boat came up to the landing. It made quite an imposing appearance. Its band played its most seductive airs, and the lady and gentlemen actors displayed their gayest attire. With the soldiers in town, the management calculated on a crowded house and large receipts. But in a little while the horses were. impressed to haul the artillery, and some of the show animals to mount the men. Lamentation abounded on the cirens boat that day, but the company still had hope, and went on with the prepa- rations necessary for a regular performance in the evening.
While at Indianapolis some designing men had imposed upon the boys a lot of advertisements, in the semblance of greenbacks. They looked very much like five-dollar bills. On the morning after the show the treasurer of the institution waited on the colonel with a package of the bills, and requested fifty dollars in lieu of it. His explanation of the transaction was that he had received them at the cireus entrance. He had marveled at the predominance of five- dollar bills, but had suspected nothing, and had promptly made change. The treasurer recapitulated the items in the company's bad luck, and promised to collect full damages from the govern- ment.
The preparations for the Kentucky raid were hastily made at Mount Vernon. A detatchment of cavalry militia came from Evans- ville by land, and a battery of four guns by the river. The coun- try around Mount Vernon turned out about 200 men on foot, and a
.
1103
THE FORTY-SIXTH INDIANA.
.company of cavalry. A battery of two guns went from Mount Vernon. To mount the cavalry and haul the guns, horses were impressed. Some were contributed. The Thirty-second Indiana, which was at Indianapolis for discharge, joined the expedition.
The cavalry marehed along the river opposite Uniontown. "The infantry and artillery left Mount Vernon on the 17th on the transports "Jennie Hopkins," "General Halleck" and the "Cot- tage." "These were found to be overloaded. A portion of the men was transferred to the circus boat, and she was compelled to make the trip. The company had recovered its good humor, and the members were waving adieus to the soldiers from their deck. "The band was playing patriotic airs, when the rush of soldiers on the boat changed the situation.
The expedition, with the Forty-sixth in advance, landed at Uniontown, and placed guards around the town. The circus boat came in last, and the company was again in good humor. The "band was playing and the ladies were waving their handkerchiefs. Horses were obtained to relieve the cirens company, when it made haste to leave for a more profitable country.
At 2 o'clock the column was on the march for Morganfield, eight miles distant. Rebels were met at different points, but they fled without a fight.
On the 18th, General Paine arrived with a force from Paducah, not knowing that General Hovey had left Mount Vernon. Major General Hughes, of the Indiana malitia, was also on the ground.
On the 19th, the colunin started for Henderson, twenty-five miles .distant. on the river. At Smith's mills a squad of rebels were met and captured. Henderson was reached at 2 o'clock on the 20th, when the motley collection of soldiers was disposed of. Boats "were sent to Evansville and to Mount Vernon. Trouble arose about the destination of some fifty negroes, who had followed the column to the river, The draft order was in force and the negroes were
good for substitutes. Both the towns named wanted the negroes, and the crowd went from boat to boat, as the inducement of either
boat predominated. Finally, it was discovered that a comely colored girl was the ruling factor in the business. The people of one town captured the girl and led the entire party to their boat.
The Forty-sixth remained at Henderson until 4 o'clock on the :21st, when it left that city and arrived at Evansville at 5 o'clock. William Dillon, of Company G, the only member of the regiment injured, was seriously shot in the leg.
109
LEXINGTON.
The regiment left Evansville on the morning of the 24th of August, for Louisville, which was reached before daylight on the- 26th. Just before landing at Portland a rebel prisoner fell over- board. It was never known whether he reached the shore or the. bottom.
The regiment marched the three miles between Portland and Louisville in a flood of rain, and found no quarters prepared for- it. Quarters were finally secured in some old barracks, formerly occupied by prisoners or passing troops.
At 9 o'clock on the 27th the regiment was loaded into box cars, which had just brought in a load of horses, and started for- Lexington.
At Lexington the post was in charge of a Kentucky regiment. as a provost guard, which was not remarkable for good discipline, cleanliness or general efficiency. As soon as the Forty-sixth had settled in camp the men polished up and a dress parade was had at the Court-house square. All did and looked well, and the next day the Kentucky regiment was relieved and the Forty-sixth put on provost duty.
A review was held by General Burbridge. Six regiments of infantry, two of cavalry and a battery were in line. The appear- ance of the Forty-sixth satisfied its friends.
On the morning of the 13th the regiment left Lexington for. Cincinnati, and on the 14th, in the evening, crossed the river and went on board the "Cottage, No. 2," and, at 11 o'clock, started up the river. The boat was crowded with military stores for the Big Sandy, and the accommodations for the men were bad. Com- pany B was left at Covington to bring up property unavoidably left. Arrived at Cattletsburg on the 16th, and the freight and Companies C, E, G and K were loaded on five very small steamers . and started up the Big Sandy. Companies A, E, D and H marched by the road. The former, after much difficulty from low water, reached Louisa, twenty-five miles, on the morning of the 18th .. The others arrived in the afternoon.
At Lonisa the stores and regimental property were loaded on push boats. Companies C and G first started with three boats, the men having been furnished with convenient poles for pushing, and, as the boats with their crews passed the soldiers on shore, those afloat were benefitted with instructions and advice unlimited. The men had no experience in this sort of navigation, and were not. expert in the use of poles. The propelling power would be
110
THE FORTY-SIXTH INDIANA.
unequally applied, and the vessel would turn around, go back, or get aground. The distance to be made in this way was forty-two miles.
On the next day, Company F shouldered poles and started with a boat, with instructions not to run into the boats ahead, and Companies I, E and K started along the bank. Companies A and HI remained at Louisa, as a guard. Company B arrived on the 19th and marched by land.
Rations and forage had been brought up by flats. From Louisa, there was no wagon road. The work of bringing up the stores was done, mainly, by the Forty-sixth. The men cheerfully did all the duty required of them, and it proved the hardest of their experience. They were wet nearly all the time, and without shelter at night. When the water was low, the men were com- pelled to get into the river and work the boats over shoals. The exposure and fatigue were constant. Some of the boats were ten days on the trip. The cargoes were wet by the rain, and spoiled. Lieutenant Brownlie had charge of a crew that was particularly unfortunate. He "stuck," a few miles below Prestonburg, and reported that the'rain had started the oats, with which he was loaded, to growing, and that there was a good pasture all over the boat from the new crop, growing through the sacks.
The Burbridge expedition started on the 28th of September from Prestonsburg. It was composed entirely of cavalry and mounted infantry, with two howitzers. There were no wagons or ambulances. The objective point was supposed to be Abington, Virginia, where extensive salt works were said to be in operation.
The Forty-sixth was to remain at Prestonsburg, protect the rear and bring forage up from Louisa. The duty of the regiment was not light. The river rose ten feet and wrecked every boat that was on the raging deep, and the storm-tossed mariners straggled into camp in a famishing condition. On the 6th of October the expedition began to straggle in. Generals Burbridge and Mclain, with their staff and escorts, came in and went down the river on a flat. The head of the column, under General Hob- son, made its appearance the next day. The expedition had failed, and with great loss. There were not less than 400 wounded, beside from 100 to 200 killed. The town seemed to be covered with wounded, particularly colored men. The Forty-sixth was again left to take care of the wounded and the prisoners, and ship out the forage.
-
111
PRESTONSBURG.
The last of the expedition had come in, and, with General Hobson, started for Mount Sterling and Lexington by the 10th. They left Prestonsburg covered with property, and wounded men and hundreds of horses were without eare. Boats from below were due, but it was found that boats bound up had been turned back by troops going down, and it became certain that only one could be depended on. In addition to a large amount of stores, there were 300 sick and wounded. The rebel prisoners numbered sixty. They had been hurried along with the cavalry, and were not in a condition to walk. These were mounted on horses, and, under guard, sent toward Louisa. The stores were piled up on the bank, to be shipped or destroyed, as became necessary. The erippled horses were shot. Rafts, made from old houses, carried some stores. The artillery was hauled off by horses and oxen. By the evening of the 11th everything was ont or loaded on a boat that had come up, and on the morning of the 12th of October the regi- ment, was ferried over the river and took np the march for Louisa, where it arrived at noon on the 13th.
At Louisa the regiment received orders to take charge of the post. On the 16th Company A was sent to Lexington, with the wounded, the sick, the prisoners and guns. On the same day the regiment was ordered to Cattletsburg, to take charge of that post. Companies F, D, C, E, H and G were left at Louisa, and B and ] marched to Cattletsburg by land.
On the 21st the regiment was relieved by the Sixteenth Ken- tucky, and had orders to go to Nashville, but another order, received at the same time, revoked it. Ou the 24th of November the regiment took passage on the fine steamer "Telegraph" for Cincinnati, and landed there the next morning. At 7 o'clock in the evening the "Major Anderson" was boarded for Louisville, where the regiment arrived the following morning.
The train for Lexington was taken at 3.30 p. M., and the regi- ment was in its old quarters at 11 o'clock.
The next day the regiment was put on provost duty, in differ- ent parts of the city. Before leaving Cattletsburg, the companies left at Louisa were ordered down.
From the last arrival of the Forty-sixth regiment to its dis- charge, its history was uneventful. The officers were on detached duty nearly all the time, either at Louisville or Lexington. Colonels Bringhurst and Flory were on military commissions or courts martial in both cities, and Captain Brough served in that capacity
112
THE FORTY-SIXTH INDIANA.
in Lexington. The companies were, generally, on special duty .. The rebel and Federal prisons were in charge of the regiment,. and all the guards were furnished from the regiment. Captain Chamberlain was appointed provost marshal.
The military commissions had jurisdiction over the guerrilla cases, and a large number of them were tried. Where the accused was convicted, the penalty was, generally, death, but the com- mandant at Louisville was too easily influenced to permit many executions. Two guerrillas were hung at Lexington and one at. Louisville. The Louisville commission tried the celebrated guer- rilla, "Sue Mundy." With a body of men, this man had been raiding over the State, murdering every soldier he found unpro -. tected. He was captured on Sunday, tried on Monday and hung on Wednesday. Mundy was tried on the single charge of shoot- ing a convalescent soldier returning to his regiment from the. hospital. The squad of soldiers were all butchered, but the one. man recovered and was able to testify against the murderer. The- trial lasted just one hour, when the condemned man was returned to the guard-house to prepare for the scaffold.
Mundy's proper name was M. Jerome Clark. He was young, well formed, and wore his hair long and in curls. The execu -. tion took place within the city, and many thousands were out to witness it. . Captain George Swope, of the Fifth Indiana Cavalry,. as provost marshal, officiated.
Immediately after the execution, an exciting scene occurred. As the immense crowd was making its way back, an enraged bull; took the middle of the road and disputed the crowd's passage. Pistols were fired at him, only to increase his rage. The people- in the rear, supposing that a "rescue" was on hand, closed up and increased the panic, and it was not until the animal was killed that. order was restored.
At Lexington, as provost marshal, Captain Chamberlain had two guerrillas to hang at one time. Anxious to give the con- demned all the time allowed-until 4 o'clock-he delayed proceed- ings as long as possible, but the chaplain, Mr. Green, abbreviated the exercises more than was anticipated, and, at the conclusion, there was still some time to spare. After consulting with the officers, Chamberlain asked the chaplain to make another prayer., which he did; but, before the conclusion, a man on a horse, with -. out a hat and waving a handkerchief, was seen riding furiously toward the place. He proved to be the aid of the post command -.
113
SABINE CROSS ROADS PRISONERS.
ant, with an order from General Palmer, postponing the execution twenty days. The reprieved man shook hands with his partner, and was shoved into a carriage, and the other was hung, just inside the time.
The reprieved man was again brought to the gallows, and again, at the last moment, reprieved. Subsequently, he was taken to Louisville, and the case was heard of no more.
On the return of the regiment to Louisville the courts sitting at Lexington were dissolved, and the officers composing them went with their regiments. A military commission had just found guilty and sentenced to death a man taken as a spy. At Louisville, as the president and judge advocate of the commission were stand- ing by the stove, they were astonished by the condemned man walking in with his budget on his back, and offering his hand for a friendly shake. He was ignorant of the result of the trial, and evidently had not considered the situation serious. He explained that, seeing the men leaving, guards and all, he "had come along with the boys." The officers took the man with them to supper, and afterward to the prison, where he was left in charge of the provost marshal. On the next day the officers visited General Palmer, represented the facts, and obtained a disapproval of the finding.
In December the Sabine Cross Roads prisoners began to come back. All bore evidence of the terrible treatment to which they had been subjected. They were given the furlough to which they were doubly entitled by their extraordinary service and suffering. They learned then, and they know now, that a grateful country will never forget what they did for it.
John McTaggart, of Company D, was shot in the left leg, at Sabine Cross Roads. The limb was shattered. When hit, MeTag- gart sought shelter behind a log, Near him, behind a tree, a rebel was picking off Federal soldiers at his leisure and in supposed security. Under a sudden impulse, McTaggart shot the rebel dead. Straggling rebels robbed McTaggart of everything except his can- teen, and finally a rebel cavalryman, with drawn saber, compelled him to give up that article. He was finally rolled on a blanket and carried and dragged over a mile to a rebel hospital. Here the limb was amputated, and for weeks he laid at the point of death. Becoming able to travel, he was sent down the river, and finally, after much suffering, reached New Orleans. In July, with an invoice of sick and wounded, he arrived at Indianapolis, and was
---
114
THE FORTY-SIXTH INDIANA.
switched off to a hospital outside the city. An officer while home on the furlough, hearing of an estray member of the regiment, went to the hospital and brought McTaggart to Logansport.
Chaplain Robb was captured at Sabine Cross Roads. Faithful to his duty, he was at the front with his regiment. When it was surrounded the chaplain rendered all the assistance he could to the wounded and suffering. When the fight was over, and the rebels began the business of gathering the prisoners, he looked for some invitation to march off with some of the numerous squads that were being herded and driven away, but he was left unnoticed, and he finally began to inquire about what time they would want to take him prisoner. Now, the chaplain was at a disadvantage in not being in uniform. He was dressed in a black suit, much pol- ished with wear. He was enveloped in a long black coat, and ornamented with a well-worn black plug hat. Naturally the chap- lain had not a belligerent appearance. After some importunity, however, Mr. Robb obtained an order to "fall in with that squad," and marched to Mansfield. After considerable correspondence and delay he was finally released and sent back. "Father Robb" will never be forgotten by any member of the Forty-sixth regiment. He was a practical Christian. He lived his faith. On the march, in camp, in hospital or in battle, he was with his men, devot- ing his strength and offering his life in the effort to benefit them.
After the return of the prisoners from their furlough, the regi- ment had an aggregate of 396 men, of whom 330 were present.
While at Cattletsburg, a Colonel Jacob, lieutenant governor of Kentucky, was brought from Lexington under guard, on his way out of the Federal lines, under a sentence of General Burbridge. The absence of the gentleman was desirable, so Captain Fitch, with a detail and a flag, conveyed him out to the rebels.
In February, three daughters of the rebel general Breekin- · ridge were escorted by Captain Fitch, to Prestonsburg, via Cat- tletsburg, where a rebel escort met them and conveyed them toward Richmond.
Elmore Shelt, of Company K, while on guard at the rebel prison, shot and killed a prisoner, March 24. An investigation exonerated Shelt and justified him.
Joseph Kilgore, of Company C, was shot and killed by a Ken- tucky soldier. while the latter was on duty. The responsibility was put on Kilgore. The deceased was in company with William MeGlennen, when the latter was killed by a guard at Algiers.
-
115
LOUISVILLE.
The assassination of the President created a profound sensa- tion. The regret expressed by the rebels was evidently sincere. They expected a more favorable settlement from Lincoln than they could from his successor.
Rebel deserters came in, in squads. Officers and soldiers were homeward bound in droves. The regiment had dress parade for the edification of some of them, to the gratification of all.
On June 5th the regiment moved from Lexington to Louisville, leaving the colonel and Captain Brough on court marshal.
Sherman's army was coming into Louisville at the rate of a thousand a day. A magnificent reception was accorded the general. On the 4th of July he reviewed the army, and it was a grand affair. There seemed to be no difference in public sentiment. The people of Kentucky were learning something.
An order was received from the war department requiring the wish of each officer on the subject of remaining in the service. No attention was paid to it. Men and officers wanted to return home, as the war was virtually over, but they wanted to go together. They had been associated together so long, and passed through so many scenes of death and danger in company, that they wanted to stay until all could go.
Many of the officers had enlisted as private soldiers. All had been promoted; the promotions were earned by faithful service. It was afterwards understood that the purpose of the order was to transfer a number to the regular army. Had it included the pri- vates, some advantage might have been taken of it.
The regiment remained at Louisville, Kentucky, doing light duty, until it was mustered out of the service. It furnished guards, orderlies and clerks at the headquarter departments, at stores and hotels. For a time the latter were withdrawn, when there was a general petitioning for their return. One extensive busi- · ness man wrote: " There have never been men in service in this city who have excelled these in prompt and efficient duty, universal sobriety and gentlemanly conduct."
A general officer, in response to a communication from the colonel, in relation to the discharge of the regiment, said: "The Forty-sixth has had the fortune, good or bad, always to please com- mandants under whose anthority it has been placed. Both on the field and in garrison, its officers and men have given such satisfac- tion as to have been given up with reluctance by those in command. This has now much to do in keeping the regiment in the service."
.
.
116
THE FORTY-SIXTH INDIANA.
The regiment was mustered out at Louisville on the 4th of September, 1865. It was transported to Indianapolis and there. paid off, on the 11th.
And so, the " Forty-sixth Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infan- try" passed into history. Its members having faithfully served their terms of enlistment and re-enlisted, were again merged into. the citizenship of the Nation. All felt proud of the record of their regiment, for no page of it brought discredit to its members. or the State.
CHAPTER VIII.
CAPTURED AT SABINE CROSS ROADS. - MARCH TO CAMP FORD. - THE CAMP .- TREATMENT. -- REMOVAL. -- ANOTHER MOVE. - THE HOSPITAL. -ESCAPES. - FLORY .- CARR AND GUESS. -- BAGLEY .- BACOME AND EVANS .- OTHER ESCAPES. -- EXCHANGE. - LIST OF PRISONERS.
THE MARCH TO CAMP FORD.
A FTER their capture, the prisoners were rapidly pushed to the rear. Along the road from the battlefield to Mansfield, four miles, the road was strewn with dead rebels and the debris of the battle. The wounded were being gathered up. The country was covered with temporary hospitals, to which the rebels were carrying their erowds of wounded,
At Mansfield 200 prisoners were crowded into the Court-house, :and at night were confined in a room not large enough for half the number. This room had been used by rebel troops for quarters, and was filled with filth - being in such a condition as might be .expected under the circumstances. The rest of the prisoners were corralled on a freshly plowed field, near the town, and compelled to get what rest they might, after a twenty miles' march and two hours' hard fighting, on the ground - saturated as it was with the recent rains. Nothing of any consequence had been eaten since . five o'clock that morning. Most of the men had lost their knap- saeks in the fight, and, with nothing except the clothing they stood in, hungry and exhausted, they began a long and torturing impris- onment. The cold north wind chilled the blood and benumbed the bodies of the captives, and they esteemed their sufferings great; but the time was to come when they could look back on this night as pleasantly passed, compared with many in their experience.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.