USA > Indiana > History of the Sixth regiment Indiana volunteer infantry. Of both the three months' and three years' services.. > Part 13
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After the death of Colonel Baldwin. Colonel W. W. Berry, of the Fifth Kentucky. was placed in command of the brigade. and he was in command when we were forced to surrender the field on the evening of the 20th of September. We fell back square to the rear until we reached the summit of Mission Ridge. By this time the shades of night had again settled down over us. and the stars were shining brightly. I happened at the time to be standing near Colonel Berry, when an officer on horseback came rapidly riding up and asked the Colonel if he was the officer in command of the brigade. When the Colonel answered that he was. this officer turned and pointed. as I then supposed.
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HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT.
nearly north, and said: "Do you see that star?" I looked myself and saw a brilliant star in the di- rection he was pointing. "Let your general course be toward that star; move rapidly to the right along the ridge until you strike a road. You will take to the left on this road toward Rossville." He then put the spurs to his horse and rode rap- idly away. and the movement toward Rossville commenced. It was rough and rocky, over logs and stones, up hill and down, through brush and timber for, as well as I can guess now, about two miles. But weary, worn, tired and hungry, we sullenly dragged ourselves along, feeling a shame and disgrace that had never been experienced by the old Sixth before. We felt mortified, and while not a word was said, all knew that we were whipped and were retreating from the field. This was new medicine to us, although we had made the "Johnnies" take it many a time. But I will say to the reader that it was bitter, and did not go down very well. The Sixth Indiana boys did not like it, and, I am proud to say, never did take an- other dose of it during their service as soldiers.
But we strike the Rossville road and turn to the left as directed, and soon reach the village, a little place named in honor of old John Ross, an Indian chief, whose home used to be in the Chickamauga Valley. Here we found plenty of good water and rations, and after a cup of coffee we turned in for the balance of the night. We were called up early the next morning, and while at breakfast General
243
THE MARCH TO CHATTANOOGA.
Rousseau, our old brigade commander, came up through our camp, and with both hands extended, was trying his best to shake hands with every man in the regiment, and it was simply wonderful how the very presence of this old hero revived and in- spired a spirit of enthusiasm among the men. Ho was received all along the line with the most hearty greeting and cheers.
After coffee, and receiving forty rounds of am- munition, we again fell in ranks and took our place on the line. The whole day was used up in con- structing rather substantial works, behind which we took position and waited and listened and ex- pected to hear the familiar old rebel yell from the victorious enemy. The day passed away without the expected attack, and the night of the 21st closed down the curtain, leaving us once more en- veloped in darkness. About this time we received orders to keep on all our accoutrements, and at the same time were put to building fires all along the line. This was kept up until about 10 o'clock, or 11 o'clock, perhaps, and then by the light of those fires we started for Chattanooga. While the distance is only a few miles, yet it was after day- light when we arrived in Chattanooga. The move- ment of the army was so slow, owing to the crowded condition of the road, that it was tiresome in the extreme. We would start off rapidly and move two or three hundred yards, and then stop short and perhaps stand there for ten minutes- may be fifteen or twenty minutes-then spurt off
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HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT.
again for a short distance, then another dead stop for an indefinite time, and in this way we were kept on our feet and under our load all night. I promised Joshua Chitwood, a member of my com- pany, that I would carry his gun the balance of the way to Chattanooga and never say anything about it if he would nicely cook and let me help him eat a chicken he stole on the way back that night. Breakfast was a little late next morning, but Joshua, myself and the chicken were all there ; but somehow the chicken did not hold out quite as well as Josh and I did, although it was a good one. Still Josh and I did not find any fault with it, and called it an even deal.
After breakfast and a little rest the bugle once more sounded the fall in. This was only for the purpose of getting what was left of us up to- gether where we belonged. The different brigades and divisions had been not only badly shattered, but badly scattered. These different parts were brought together, suitable camping grounds se- lected, and once more we were ordered to " put up tents."
Now that the great battle is over and we have calmly settled down to rest and ponder over the results, let us, if we can, count the cost of life, also the misery and pain and suffering this terri- ble conflict has brought about :
Colonel P. P. Baldwin was killed on the 19th of September at the battle of Chickamauga.
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THE RESULTS OF THE BATTLE.
Captain Samuel Russell was killed on the 19th of September at Chickamauga.
Lieutenant-Colonel HI. Tripp was wounded on the 20th of September at Chickamauga.
The above are the only recorded casualties of our regiment among the officers. If there were others they are not recorded and I have no way of finding it out.
Among the rank and file there were men killed in Company-
A. Sergt. Alexander Joyce. September 19. Michael Connelly, September 19. George W. Rowlinson, September 20. Buell E. Spicer, September 19.
B. None killed in this company.
C. George W. Mounts, September 19.
James L. Reynolds, September 20.
D. Enoch MeFaden, September 20.
E. Josiah Graham, September 20. Charles Palmer, September 19.
F. None killed in this company.
G. Samuel Hiner, September 20. William Powell, September 20.
HI. Jacob Lacy, September 19.
I. Stephen Clapp, September 19. Lewis Gloyd, September 19. Ira Gordon, September 19. William E. Griffith, September 19.
K. John W. Arbuckle, September 19.
This makes a total of seventeen men and two officers killed at the battle of Chickamauga.
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HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT.
There were no officers wounded at the battle of Chickamauga except Colonel Tripp. as already stated. Among the rank and file there was wounded in Company-
A. None reported wounded.
B. Sergt. John T. Patterson, died January 13. 64. Thomas B. Monroe, wounded.
C. None reported wounded.
D. William Brush, September 20. Owen P. Scarf, September 20. John Steele, September 20; died December 13.
E. Levi Meads, September 20. William Perkins, September 20. George W. Tolson, September 20.
F. Oliver H. P. Rhoads, September 20. Solomon K. Ames, September 20.
G. John Anderson, September 19. Lafayette Campbell, September 19. Jarvy Hammon, September 19.
George W. Parvis. September 20.
James W. Parr, September 20. Robert Palmer, September 19.
Thos. Smith, September 19; died September 26, 1863.
John F. Pond, died February 19, 1864, at Nashville.
H. James Chandler, September 19; died October 1, 1863.
William H. Johnson, September 20. George W. Smith, September 20.
I. None reported wounded.
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THE RESULTS OF THE BATTLE.
K. Jonathan Burton, September 20.
Albion Jackson, September 20.
Peter Snyder, September 20: died October 11. 1863.
John Volmer, September 19; captured.
This makes a total of twenty-five men and one officer wounded at Chickamauga.
There was captured enlisted men from Com- pany-
A. Samuel M. Storms; captured and died in An- dersonville prison, September 16, 1864.
Scott Davis, captured September 20. Lewis C. Lame, captured September 20. Frederick A. Thomas, captured September 20. John McCarty. captured and died in Ander- sonville prison, November 6, 1864.
Thomas JJ. Todd, captured and died in Ander- sonville prison, August 24, 1864.
B. Thomas B. Monroe, captured : died in prison at Danville, Va., December 19, 1864.
Daniel Rowdebush, captured ; died in Ander- sonville Prison, Angust 20, 1864. Walter S. Twaddle, captured.
C. James Foreman, captured September 19. Edward MeEvenne, captured September 19. Lott Calbert, captured September 19.
D. John W. Allen, captured September 19. Charles H. Clark, captured September 19. James Duzan, captured ; died in Anderson- ville Prison, July 16, 1864. James Donahew, captured and exchanged.
248 HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT.
D. Albert G. Land, captured September 19. Hercules McGinnis, captured September 19. Carl A. Ramspot, captured September 19. August Schroerlucke, captured September 19. John V. Haynes, captured September 20. Benjamin R. White, captured; died in Rich- mond, Va.
E. The record shows none captured in this com- panv.
F. William Nocton, captured September 20. Owen Jones, captured September 20.
G. Cicero Rowe, captured ; died in prison at Dan- ville, Va., February 18, 1864.
H. None captured in this company.
I. Henry H. Chance, captured September 25. Samuel Miller, captured September 25. David D. Patterson, captured September 25. Richard A. Conner, captured September 25.
K. None, except wounded, captured in this com- pany.
This makes a total captured at the battle of Chickamauga, not accounted for as wounded and then captured, of 29 men ; and our total loss at the battle of Chickamauga, of the killed, wounded and. captured, would be :
Officers killed. 2
Enlisted men killed 17
Total. 19
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.
THE RESULTS OF THE BATTLE.
Officers wounded 1
Enlisted men wounded 25
Total 26
Enlisted men captured. £9
Making a total loss to the regiment of .... 74
General HI. M. Cist says of this battle: "All things considered, the battle of Chickamauga, for the forces engaged, was the hardest fought and the bloodiest battle of the rebellion. Hindman. who fought our right at Horseshoe Ridge, says in his official report that he had never known Fed- eral troops to fight so well, and that he never saw Confederate soldiers fight better.
" The largest number of troops Rosecrans had of all arms on the field during the two days' fight- ing was 55.000 effective men. While the return of the Army of the Cumberland for September 20, 1863, shows 67.548 present for duty, equipped, still, taking out the troops guarding important points within the department, the actual force was reduced to the figures just given. Rosecrans' losses aggregated : Killed. 1,687: wounded, 9,394: missing, 5,255 : making a total loss of 16,336.
" Bragg, during the battle, when his entire five corps were engaged, had about 70,000 effective troops in line. His losses. in part estimated, were 2,673 killed. 16,274 wounded, and 2.003 missing. making a total of 20,950.
"A full report of the rebel losses was never
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HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT.
made. To the enemy, the results of the engage- ment proved a victory barren of any lasting bene- fits, and produced no adequate results to the im- mense drain on the resources of his army. In a number of places Bragg's official report shows that his army was so crippled that he was not able to strengthen one portion of his line, when needed, with troops from another part of the field, and after the conflict was over his army was so cut up that it was impossible for him to follow up his apparent success and secure possession of the ob- jective point of the campaign-Chattanooga. This great gateway of the mountains remaining in pos- session of the Army of the Cumberland, after Bragg had paid the heavy price he did at Chicka- manga, proves that his battle was a victory only in name, and a careful examination of the results and their cost will show how exceedingly small it was to the enemy."
I might add decidedly to the interest of this lit- tle work by giving further comments, from differ- ent authors, as to the cause of our disaster, etc .; also, who was to blame, and how the mistake might have been corrected if the commanding general had used the proper judgment and dis- played the staving qualities of General Thomas, but I must refer the reader to larger works for this information, and confine myself to the ob- ject of this work, and that is to prepare in a con- venient form a small book, in which shall appear the name of every member of the Sixth Indiana
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THE RESULTS OF THE BATTLE.
Volunteers, showing his record as a soldier from the date of his enlistment to the close of his ser- vice. Such a book will be a nice keepsake. not only for the old comrades themselves, but for their sons and daughters, as well as the friends of the soldier.
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CHAPTER XV.
THE SIEGE OF CHATTANOOGA.
Our supplies cut off-Men starved to walking shadows-Thousands of horses and mules die-Bragg sure of an easy victory-Gen- eral Rosecrans relieved-Grant takes command-The capture of Brown's Ferry-Plenty of rations come pouring in-Plans for the Battle of Chattanooga-The problem changed-Sher- man is coming-The rebel President visits Chattanooga-The Union army reorganized.
The fortifications left by General Bragg were speedily strengthened by General Rosecrans, who, however, made no effort to hold Lookout Moun- tain or the river below Chattanooga. His aim was to hold his bridges at the town and present strong lines to' the enemy. For a few days Gen- eral Bragg threatened to attack, but soon posted his forces to besiege and starve the army which he had failed to overwhelm in battle. His lines ex- tended from the river below to the river above us, or in the form of a horse shoe, with both points resting on the river. This left us in a shape that we could neither get up or down the river. To the rear, the only road that was open, was over the rough hills, then down through Sequatchie Valley to Bridgeport, a distance of sixty miles, and everything in the way of supplies had to be
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OUR SUPPLIES CUT OFF.
hauled over these roads. To supply an army of forty thousand was a great undertaking even in good weather, but with the rainy season that soon set in, and the incessant hauling, wearing out the mules, the daily rations for the army were con- stantly growing less and less, and on the 1st day of October General Longstreet crossed the Ten- nessee and made a dash on our trains and captured a large number of wagons loaded with rations for our army. He burned over three hundred wagons and killed a large number of animals. This loss in wagons, with the roads becoming ahnost im- passable by reason of the heavy rains and the growing weakness of the animals, lessened daily the amount of supplies brought into the town, so that our troops were suffering for food, and were in danger of being starved out of Chattanooga. This was what Bragg was quietly waiting for.
To supply an army some forty thousand strong by wagon transportation, over rough mountain roads a distance of sixty miles. Bragg knew was an impossibility, and that unless other lines were opened up the evacuation of the place was only a question of time. As the forage became reduced the artillery horses, for which there was no im- mediate need, had their rations cut off, and they died in large numbers, starved to death. The sup- plies became so short that parts of crackers and corn, dropped in handling the packages, were eagerly seized and eaten, to stay the demands of
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HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT.
hunger ; and still the pressure was growing daily, and no one knew how it would ultimately end.
However, not for an instant was the idea enter- tained of abandoning the town. The Army of the Cumberland had won Chattanooga, and there they proposed remaining. I have heard of men stary- ing to death under various circumstances, and have even tried to picture in my imagination the pale, thin, death-like features of the victim as some horrible story of shipwrecked unfortunates have been portrayed to my mind.
But it was left for me to see, during the siege at Chattanooga, the poor boys of my own company starved into walking skeletons-pale, thin-faced, sickly looking men, so weak that they would stag- ger as they walked-detailed for duty, and that, too, when they could scarcely stand steady on their feet. I used to take a basket and go down in town and buy anything I could find for sale in the way of food, regardless of price, and distribute among those most needy. When we first went into camp in Chattanooga, we had some bacon. On all this bacon the skin is as hard as raw-hide leather. This is trimmed off and thrown away. One day I saw one of the boys with a sharpened stick picking around among the camp sweepings back of the tents, and I asked him what he was hunting for. He said, " When the boys had meat they used to throw the skins back there, and I am trying to find a mess." Not only he, but others, would hunt these meat skins, wash and chew them
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THOUSANDS OF HORSES AND MULES DIE.
as a sweet morsel. The old Sixth will always re- member Chattanooga. Many of the boys had the seurvy, while the foundation for many other dis- cases was laid while in camp here at Chattanooga. But this condition of affairs could not last long. Our condition had simply become critical, desper- ate ! Something must be done, and that quickly, as the Army of the Cumberland had a more to be dreaded enemy to contend with than the rebels. who had us nearly surrounded.
Feed for the artillery horse and mule teams was entirely exhausted, and they were led down under the river bank while still able to walk, and there allowed to die or be killed by the thousands. The men had also become too weak to do duty, and were in a condition to become an easy prey for any serious disorders or contagious diseases that might attack the army. Here again is another case where the patience and power of endurance of the soldier was exemplified. The Sixth boys bore their share of these trials and hardships like heroes, never for a moment doubting the ability of the noble old commander who saved the day at Chickamauga, and who was now our commander- in chief, to develop and mature some plan which would eventually deliver us from this desperate condition.
This condition of things developed the plans for the capture of Brown's Ferry, which were not only planned but just ready to be executed by the
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HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT.
author of them, General Rosecrans, when he was relieved of his command.
General Cist says : " On Rosecrans' return from a visit to Brown's Ferry on the 19th of October. where he had been with W. F. Smith, his chief engineer, making his plans for bringing supplies to that point, he found the order awaiting him relieving him of his command. Quietly making his preparations for his departure that night over the mountains to Stevenson, he wrote out his fare- well order, to be printed and issued the next day, and without even bidding his staff good-by, placed Thomas in command and started for his home in Cincinnati.
" When it was known that Rosecrans had been relieved, and that he had left the army for the North, there was universal regret that the troops that had loved and trusted him should no longer follow his skillful leadership. Every soldier in his army felt that he had a personal friend in . Old Rosy.'
".One of Grant's first acts on taking command was to telegraph Thomas to hold Chattanooga at all hazards. The commander, who had seen his troops on less than half rations for nearly a month, with steadily approaching signs of starva- tion, hardly needed an intimation that what had been gained by the sacrifice on Chickamauga's field was not to be yielded up without a struggle. Thomas replied : . We will hold the town till we starve.
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GRANT TAKES COMMAND.
" On the 24th of October, Grant, in company with Thomas and W. F. Smith, made a personal inspec- tion across the river of the situation with refer- ence to carrying out the plan of Rosecrans, for the opening of the road by Brown's Ferry, and, ap- proving of it, Thomas was directed to proceed to execute it."
General Thomas says that preliminary steps had already been taken to execute this vitally im- portant movement before the command of the De- partment devolved on him.
We have but one motive in making these quota- tions, and that is to show that the " plan " for the capture of Brown's Ferry, for the purpose of open- ing up a line by which the army could be supplied with the rations which they so badly needed, was the work of General Rosecrans, and had he re- mained in command of the army ten days longer, it would have been executed.
After all the preliminary arrangements had been made, Thomas placed Chief Engineer W. F. Smith, in charge of the expedition; and detached Tur- chin's and Hazen's brigades to do the work. Smith was directed to organize a picked force, armed from these brigades, to be divided in to fifty squads of twenty-four men each, under the command of an officer, who was to float down the river in pon- toons that night, a distance by the bends of the river of some nine miles. While across Moccasin Point from the river above to the river below is less than half that distance. The reader will
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HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT.
notice that this expedition down the river con- sisted of about 1,500 men, and would require some fifty boats each carrying the twenty-four picked men, their commanding officer, with three or four non-commissioned officers. And my recollections now, are that ten of these boats were manned by the Sixth Indiana, the Company K, to which I belonged, furnished the men for one boat, which was placed under the command of First Lieuten- ant G. B. Green. I can not now tell what officers of the regiment commanded the other boats, but each company of the regiment furnished an officer to command its own men. Moccasin Point is just in the shape of a horse-shoe, with the toe running up to the point of Lookout Mountain, except just room to allow the Tennessee River to pass between the two; and it was around this bend the boats had to pass, while the remnants of the regiments, which furnished the river force, closely followed by Turchin's brigade, went over the point, or, as it were, from heel to heel of the horse-shoe. Every- thing ready, the first boats "let go," at just three o'clock in the morning of the 27th, followed in quick succession by each of the others. The men were to lie down in the boats, and not a word to be spoken above a whisper, the boats were to hug the point as closely as possible and allowed to float perfectly quiet and without noise, and not a man moved, except the fellow who did the guiding of the boat and he lay flat down and used only a small paddle. The reader must understand that
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THE CAPTURE OF BROWN'S FERRY.
the reason for such secrecy was that about a mile below the point we started from, we struck the rebel pickets, standing all along the bank of the river in speaking distance of each other; and the very first indication of our intentions would have alarmed the entire rebel line along the river and would have defeated the objects of the expedition. The rebels did see the boats as they passed along down, but seeing no men about them supposed them empty boats drifting with the current, and gave the matter no further attention. A slight fog veiled the moon, and the boats glided noise- lessly with the current. Early dawn found us near the designated point for landing and the fore- most boat steered for the rebel side of the river, and as it neared the shore, the surprised rebel pickets fired a harmless volley and fled. In quick succession the boats landed and the men leaped upon the bank and ascended the adjacent hill to meet and drive back a small force that had hurried forward, in response to the warning volley. There was a sharp engagement for a moment, and all was over. The boats immediately brought over those who had come over the Point and we soon had a firm hold upon the hill. A heavy skirmish line was thrown out in front, while a detachment with axes went vigorously to work felling trees and constructing barricades and abatis. In two hours the defenses were such as to bid defiance to the enemy. This accomplished, the pontoon bridge was speedily thrown across the river, right in the
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HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT.
face of the enemy although they kept up a vigor- ous cannonading from their batteries on the front of Lookout Mountain. The entire Union loss in this expedition was six killed, twenty-three wounded and nine missing.
The Sixth had killed, in this engagement, Lieut. George B. Green, of Company K, and William J. Robertson, Company C, while John M. Curl, of Company E, was captured; also, Thomas O'Neil, of Company G, captured and died in Anderson- ville Prison, April 12, 1864. The rebel loss was six captured, and six of their men were buried by our boys. But we also captured twenty beeves, six pontoons, and some two thousand bushels of corn. The beeves were slaughtered and issued to the boys, while the corn was divided among the horses and the boys, and once more we had a "square meal," and as I never heard of any of them eating the pontoons, I suppose they were used for another purpose. After we got our lines thoroughly established we were ordered to go into regular camp, and did so over on the Brown's Ferry side of the river, but in a few days we were ordered back over to Chattanooga, and occupied our old camping ground again.
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