USA > Indiana > History of the Sixth regiment Indiana volunteer infantry. Of both the three months' and three years' services.. > Part 3
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them as patriots against traitors, as heroes against hirelings. On one side fighting to perpetuate the life of the Nation, and the preservation of the Union, while on the other side they were fighting to perpetuate human slavery. and threatening a total destruction of the Union and everything that should be dear to an American citizen. Philippi being the first battle of the rebellion. and consequently the first opportunity that any loyal men had for testing this question as to who were the cowards, the Sixth. in company with the other regiments of the brigade, determined to set- tle the matter right there at Philippi. The result is a matter of history. The rebels were defeated and driven from the field, suffering considerable loss in arms, ammunition and army stores, with many prisoners.
One historian, speaking of the battle of Phil- ippi, says that " on the morning of the 2d of June a movement was made by the troops under General Morris, forming a part of the force of this department, to dislodge the rebels, under Colonel Potterfield, who held Philippi. in Barbour County, Virginia, with fifteen hundred to two thousand troops. The command was divided into two di- visions, under Colonels Kelley and Lander, and the plan was to attack the place at four o'clock in the morning, Colonel Kelley in the rear and Colonel Lander in front. Storm and darkness, however, caused the combination to fail. As Lander ap- proached Philippi a woman fired two shots as an
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HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT.
alarm, and then sent her little boy across the mountains to give Potterfield notice. Kelley missed his point, and instead of coming in on the Beverly road, above the town, to cut off the rebel retreat. did so below the town, and much behind time. Thus the enemy were apprised of the move- ment, and were enabled to escape with slight loss, leaving their camp equipage and a number of small arms behind."
While leading a charge, Colonel Kelley received a shot and fell. He was carried to the rear, and received prompt attention. The enemy retired to Leedsville, two miles distant, where they were again vigorously attacked and repulsed. In ac- knowledgment of his bravery on this occasion, Colonel Kelley was appointed Brigadier-General of the Western Virginia troops.
The rebels falling back upon Beverly, received large re-enforcements, and again advanced toward Philippi, taking part under General Garnett at Laurel Hill. On the 11th of June Colonel Wallace, with the Eleventh Indiana Zouaves, left Cumber- land, Maryland, for Romney, Hampshire County, Virginia, twenty miles distant, where were sta- tioned five hundred secession troops. After a sharp conflict he completely routed them, seized a quantity of stores and ammunition, and returned to Cumberland. The rebels retreated . toward Winchester.
The rebels were now concentrated in considera- ble numbers in Western Virginia. The Allegheny
65
ROUTE TO THE FIELD OF BATTLE.
Mountains running in a Southwesterly course from Cumberland to Covington, Virginia, presented a wall through which the rebel forces could escape into Eastern Virginia only at the Cheat Mountain pass. This was held at the close of June by a considerable force under General Jackson.
From Cheat Mountain the road proceeds north- erly, and parallel to the mountain range, through Huttonville to Rich Mountain, which was held by the rebel Colonel Pegram, with three thousand men and some five or six guns, and was strongly entrenched. From Rich Mountain the road passes through Beverly to Laurel Hill, held by Brigadier- General Garnett. Thus the enemy held three strong positions, and had, in all, probably fourteen thousand men.
On the 6th of July General Morris received orders to move his whole force to within a mile of the enemy's fortifications at Laurel Hill. On the 10th sharp skirmishes took place between his advance, composed of Indiana and Ohio troops, and some Georgia troops belonging to Garnett's force : the enemy's cavalry attacked, and were re- pulsed with a few rounds of shell, and General Morris so disposed his troops as to guard every outlet from Laurel Hill except that which leads to Beverly. In the meantime the column under Mcclellan pursued a route more to the west, and arrived near Rich Mountain on the 10th of July.
On the 11th Brigadier-General Rosecrans ad-
5
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HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT.
vanced with his column, composed of Indiana and Ohio troops, and by a forced march of eight miles through the mountain reached the turnpike. three miles in the rear of the enemy, at Rich Mountain, defeated his advance guard, and cap- tured two guns. General Mcclellan, advancing in front, completed the defeat of the rebels, who lost all their guns wagons, etc. Rosecrans immedi- ately pushed on to Beverly, following the flying enemy. The loss on the Union side was twenty killed and forty wounded.
On the 12th Colonel Pegram, with six hundred rebel soldiers, surrendered unconditionally to General Mcclellan.
While these events were taking place, General Garnett, at Laurel Hill, hearing of the approach of Mcclellan, to Beverly, left Laurel Hill in great haste for Cheat Mountain pass, in hopes to pass Beverly before MeClellan should reach it. On the morning of the 12th the evacuation was discovered, and the Ninth Indiana, of Morris's division, imme- diately advanced in pursuit. The rebels, when within three miles of Beverly, met fugitives from Rich Mountain, and returned toward Laurel Hill, whence Morris's force was approaching, thus putting them between two fires. They, therefore, took the road to the right, which goes through Leedsville to the Cheat River.
General Morris, who had been in front of Laurel Hill, pursued a mile or two beyond Leedsville, and then, at 11 o'clock p. M., halted, until 3 o'clock A. M ..
67
ROUTE TO THE FIELD OF BATTLE.
when the pursuit was resumed, amid incessant rain. The enemy, meantime, struck the Cheat River, and pursued the mountain road down the · valley. Our advance composed of Sixth, Seventh and Ninth Indiana and Fourteenth Ohio regiments, about two thousand men, pushed on, guided through the mountain gullies by the tents, camp- furniture, provisions, and knapsacks thrown from the wagons of the rebels to facilitate their flight. Our troops forded Cheat River four times, and, finally, about 1 o'clock came up with the enemy's rear guard. The Fourteenth Ohio advanced rap- idly to the ford, in which the enemy's wagons were standing, when suddenly the rebels, about four thousand strong, opened a furious fire on them with small arms and two rifled cannon from the bluff on the opposite side of the river, about two hundred yards distant, where they had been concealed. The firing was too high, cutting the trees above the heads of the men. Our men re- turned the fire with spirit, meanwhile, two pieces of the Federal artillery came up and opened on the rebels. The Indiana troops then advanced to sup- port the Fourteenth Ohio's left, while the Seventh Indiana crossed the river between the two fires, and came in on the enemy's right flank. The rebels soon Hled in great disorder, leaving their finest piece of artillery.
On the 13th of July at the next ford (Carrick's), a quarter of a mile further on, General Garnett attempted to rally his forces, when the Seventh
68
HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT.
Indiana came up in hot pursuit, and another brisk engagement ensued. General Garnett was shot dead, when his army fled in confusion toward St. George to escape into Northern Virginia. They were pursued a few miles, but as the Union forces were much fatigued with their forced march of more than twenty miles, with but little rest from the march of the previous day, General Morris refused to let them pursue further.
Among the fruits of the victory was the capture of the rebel camp at Laurel Hill, with a large amount of tents, camp-equipage, baggage wagons, a field camp-chest, supposed to contain all their money, two regimental flags and a large number of rebel prisoners. The losses in these four en- . gagements were as follows :
UNION.
Killed .
Wounded.
Killed.
REBELS. Wounded. Prisoners.
Laurel Hill
4
7
25
40
15
Rich Mountain.
20
40
50
100
110
Beverly .
600
St. George.
13
40
60
140
300
Total .
37
87
135
280
1,025
·
In the above engagements, the Sixth Regiment had not a single man killed or wounded. There was, however, one poor fellow captured. The Fife Major, Mr. William B. Fletcher, of Indianapolis, for some cause, which is not given, allowed him- self to fall into the hands of the enemy. As Mr. Fletcher did not carry a gun, and was, perhaps,
69
ROUTE HOME AND RECORD.
not required to be " right up" on the front line, it is fair to presume that he lingered a little too long at some old farmer's chicken roost, or may be had his eye on a pig, or who knows but what he was swinging on some old farmer's yard gate, holding sweet communion with one of Virginia's bright- eyed daughters. But whatever the cause may have been, it was not regarded as a very great offense by either the rebel or Union boys, as there is no record of his ever being court-martialed by the one, or shot by the other, in fact the record shows that Mr. Fletcher was exchanged, and returned home and was mustered out, as his term of enlist- ment had expired. The record further shows that except Joseph G. Scott, who died on the road as he was returning home, July 25th, and Nicholas. F. Wallace, discharged for disability on May 30th : also, Omer F. Beadle, who died May 16th, of fever, at Indianapolis, and John Sayers, who died at Grafton, West Virginia, June 24th. The balance of the Regiment returned home and was mustered out at Indianapolis, August 2, 1861.
The Record shows that Thomas T. Crittenden, who was Colonel of the Sixth Regiment in the three months' service, re-entered the service as Colonel of the Sixth Regiment, in three years' service.
Hiram Prather, who was Lieutenant-Colonel of the Sixth in three months' service, re-entered service as Lieutenant-Colonel of the Sixth Regi- ment in three years' service.
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HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT.
John Gerber, Major of the Sixth, in three months' service ; re-entered service as Lieutenant-Colonel Twenty-fourth Regiment, in three years' service.
Geo. W. Wiley, Adjutant of the Sixth, in three months' service; re-entered as Adjutant Thirty- ninth Regiment, in three years' service.
Charles Schussler, Surgeon Sixth, in three months' service; re-entered service as Surgeon Sixth Regiment, three years' service.
John W. Davis, Assistant Surgeon Sixth, in three months' service; re-entered service as Assistant Surgeon in Twenty-fourth Regiment.
Philemon P. Baldwin, Captain Company A, in three months' service; re-entered the service as Captain in Sixth Regiment, three years' service.
Samuel Russell, First Lieutenant Company A, in three months' service; re-entered service as Cap- tain in Sixth Regiment, three years' service.
Augustus H. Abbott, Captain Company B, three months' service ; re-entered service as Major Sixth Regiment, three years' service.
Allen W. Prather, First Lieutenant Company B, in three months' service ; re-entered service as Captain in Sixth Regiment, three years' service.
William C. Wheeler, Second Lieutenant Com- pany B, in three months' service ; re-entered service as Captain in Thirty-eighth Regiment, three years' service.
Charles Childs, Captain Company C, three months' service; re-entered service as Captain in Sixty-fifth Regiment, three years' service.
71
RECORD OF PROMOTIONS.
Richard W. Meredith, First Lieutenant Company C, three months' service ; re-entered service as First Lieutenant Fifty-second Regiment, in three years service.
Alanson Solomon, Second Lieutenant Company C, in three months' service ; re-entered service as Second Lieutenant Thirty-ninth Regiment, three years: service.
Thomas J. Harrison, Captain Company D. in three months service ; re-entered service as Colonel Thirty-ninth Regiment, three years' service.
Thomas Herring, First Lieutenant Company D, in three months' service ; re-entered service as Cap- tain Thirty-ninth Regiment, three years' service.
William R. Philips, Second Lieutenant Company D, in three months' service : re-entered service as First Lieutenant in Thirty-ninth Regiment, three years' service.
Jeremiah C. Sullivan, Captain Company E, in three months' service ; re-entered service as Colonel Thirteenth Regiment, three years' service.
Rufus Gale, Second Lieutenant Company E, in three months' service, was promoted First Lieuten- ant and afterwards Captain in same company ; re- entered service as First Lieutenant Thirty-ninth Regiment.
William C. Moreau, Captain Company F, in three months' service; re-entered service as Captain in Third Cavalry.
Robert Allison, First Lieutenant Company F. in three months' service; re-entered service as Captain Fifty-seventh Regiment.
72
HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT.
Hagerman Tripp, Captain Company G, in three months' service; re-entered service as Captain in Sixth Regiment, three years' service.
George W. Kendrick, Second Lieutenant Com- pany G, three months' service ; re-entered service as Captain in Eighty-second Regiment.
Fielder A. Jones, Captain Company H, in three months' service ; re-entered service as Lieutenant- Colonel Thirty-ninth Regiment.
John D. Evans, Captain Company I, in three months' service; re-entered service as Major in Thirty-ninth Regiment.
John F. Longley, First Lieutenant Company I, in three months' service, as Captain in Thirty- ninth Regiment.
George A. Wainwright. Second Lieutenant Com- pany I, three months' service ; re-entered service as First Lieutenant Thirty ninth Regiment.
Alois O. Bachman, Captain Company K, in three months' service; re-entered service as Major in Nineteenth Regiment.
William F. Days, Second Lieutenant Company K, three months' service; re-entered service as First Lieutenant in Sixty-seventh Regiment.
It is fair to presume that a large number of the boys comprising the Sixth Regiment, three months' service, re-entered the service again in some man- ner, but after being discharged the record drops them as an organization, and the Sixth Regiment Indiana Volunteers becomes a thing of the past.
And now that we are about to bid farewell to these brave and patriotic veterans of the old Sixth
73
CONGRATULATIONS.
Regiment of the three months' service, we can not do so without first congratulating them on the splendid record they made as soldiers. In company with other Indiana troops, their ener- getic and able movements cleared West Virginia of Confederate forces. This is what they went to West Virginia to do, and right well did they do their work.
Their splendid record as soldiers and success in every engagement and safe return home, all helped to encourage recruiting for three years' service more than any other inducement that could have been offered.
At the expiration of their term of service, Major- General McClellan addressed Governor Morton as follows :
HEADQUARTERS CAMP. NEAR BEVERLY, W. VA., JULY 21, 1861. ) GOVERNOR O. P. MORTON. Indianapolis. Ind. :
1
Governor, I have directed the three months regiments from Indiana to move to Indianapolis. there to be mustered out and re-organized for the three years' service. I can not permit them to re- turn to you without again expressing my high appreciation of the distinguished valor and endur- ance of the Indiana troops, and my hope that but a short time will elapse before I have the pleasure of knowing that they are again ready for the field. Very respectfully, your obedient servant.
GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN, Major-General.
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HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT.
Brigadier - General T. A. Morris, commanding the brigade of which the Sixth was one of the regiments, addressed the officers and soldiers of his brigade, before their final separation at Indian- apolis, in this manner :
" Officers and Soldiers of the Brigade :
" The term of service for this brigade in the Army of the United States having expired, and the relations of officers and soldiers about to be dissolved, the General, in relinquishing his com- mand, deems this a fit occasion to express his en- tire approbation of the conduct of the brigade, whether in camp, on the march, or in the field of battle. The General tenders to all his thanks for the soldierly bearing, cheerful performance of every duty, and the patient endurance of the pri- vations and fatigues of campaign life, which all have so constantly exhibited. Called suddenly by the National Executive from the ease and luxu- ries of home life, to the defense of our Govern- ment, the officers and soldiers of this brigade have voluntarily submitted to the privations and re- straints of military life; and, with the intelligence of free Americans, have acquired the arts of war as readily as they relinquished their pursuits of peace. They have cheerfully endured the fatigue of long and dreary marches by day and night, through rain and storm; they have borne the ex - haustion of hunger for the sake of their country. Their labor and suffering were not in vain. The
75
CONGRATULATIONS.
foe they met and vanquished. They scattered the traitors from their secure entrenchments in the gorges of Laurel Hill, stripped of their munitions of war to flee before the vengeance of patriots
"Soldiers, you have now returned to the friends whose prayers went with you to the field of strife. They welcome you with pride and exultation. Your State and country acknowledge the value of your labors. May your future career be as your past has been-honorable to yourselves and serviceable to your country ! "
CHAPTER IV.
THE REGIMENT RE-ORGANIZED FOR THREE YEARS.
At Camp Noble, North Madison-Mustered in and started for the front-The Regiment not yet fully organized-Learning to drill-Hay foot, straw foot-Buell as a drill-master-The ladies of Louisville present us a flag-Our move to Bacon Creek-Camp on Green River-Our first Christmas dinner- A terrible night on picket-We move to Nashville.
Previous to the return of the three months' troops from the Western Virginia campaign, Governor Morton dispatched messengers to all the Regimental Commanders, with letters urging them to re-enlist, after remaining a reasonable time at their homes, for three years. The regiments returned the latter part of July, and after being paid and mustered out, arrangements were made to reorganize them with the least possible delay. This was accom- plished in a very short time, under the auspices and direction of their former Colonels. The Sixth Regiment was mustered out of the three months' service, August 2, 1861, and under special author- ity from the War Department was immediately re- organized for the three years' service. A camp of rendezvous was established at North Madison and called Camp Noble, Colonel T. T. Crittenden ap- pointed Commandant. Under his supervision the
77
THREE YEARS' SERVICE.
new organization was completed and mustered into the service, September 20, 1861, for three years. Colonel Crittenden obtained permission the same day of its organization, although the regiment lacked one company of being full, in fact there were only about five hundred men in camp at the time, to take the regiment to Ken- tucky, then invaded by the rebel forces under Buckner. Without waiting for uniforms this por- tion of the Sixth Regiment took steamer for Louis- ville, reaching there the same evening, and was the first body of troops to enter Kentucky from the Northern States.
Immediately on its arrival it was dispatched by way of the Nashville Railroad to Muldraugh's Hill, forty miles from Louisville, and encamped at a point a few miles north of Elizabethtown, on the 22d day of September. On the arrival of the Louis- ville Legion, and the Thirty-eighth and Thirty- ninth Indiana Regiments, the Sixth was moved beyond Elizabethtown and posted in the advance near Nolin Creek. Here it was joined by three hundred recruits, which had left Madison on the 9th of October, in charge of Lieutenant-Colonel Hiram Prather. Out of these three hundred re- fruits Company " K " was formed and attached to the Sixth, completing its organization. A large force of Union troops was soon concentrated in this vicinity, when brigade and division organ- izations were perfected. The Sixth was assigned to Rousseau's Brigade, of MeCook's Division, and
78
HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT.
marched with this portion of Buell's army to Mun- fordsville, Woodsonville, and Bowling Green, re- maining at the latter place until March 1862, when it marched to Nashville, and went into camp near that city. The principal business of the Sixth Regiment, as well as all the troops of the whole army up to this date. was to drill and learn disci- pline, to be educated in the art of war was a mat- ter of vital importance ; not only the success of our arms but the safety of our troops depended upon, not alone the skill and ability of the commanding officers, but the well trained and educated troops who should know how to execute the orders given.
There were perhaps more men who studied and were educated, in the art of war, in the winter of 1861-2, than will ever again be called upon to take like lessons, in the history of our country.
One of the wonders of the civilized world, and one that astonished and caused a universal com- ment upon the subject, was to see men who were called from the peaceful pursuits of life, hurriedly thrown together in the same company, young men and old men, active, sprightly fellows in the same file with awkward, clumsy ones, so skillfully drilled in the different steps and movements, that they were the admiration of the most highly educated West Pointer and military disciplinarian.
Let those who may criticise General Buell, but it can not be denied that to his skill and ability as an educated military man, the Army of the Cum- berland owes its future success and fame, achieved
79
THREE YEARS' SERVICE.
in its many hard fought battles. General Buell was a graduate of West Point, and had been in the army all his life. He was a thoroughly trained soldier, with great pride in his profession, a man of great integrity, with abilities of the first order, animated by high principle. His training made him a first-class organizer of an army. His high- est aim was to make good soldiers of his com- mand, and everything that detracted from this, as straggling, pillaging, disobedience of orders, he regarded as unworthy of a soldier and meriting prompt and stern punishment at his hands.
Some of the boys to this day may still regard General Buell harsh and severe, but as time brought hard campaigns and heavy fighting to the Army of the Cumberland, the older soldiers who were under Buell, saw that he was actuated solely for their good, and for the good of the service, in all he did.
We have been a little particular in our com- ments on General Buell from the fact that the writer well remembers the severe criticisms toward him during the war, as well as the many un- friendly remarks make by the boys as the General would pass us while on the march.
But if the boys will but reflect for one moment of what would have been the result, had we been allowed to lie around idle in camp during the win- ter of 1861 and '62, they will certainly feel prond of. rather than censure, our old commander.
But let us return to the Sixth Regiment at No-
80
HISTORY OF THE SIXTH REGIMENT.
lin. It was in this camp where the boys all met for the first time, it was here they learned who was Bill and who was Jack and Jim, it was here they drew tents and divided up into messes and squads, it was here they selected a cook for each mess and paired off for three years, or during the war, it was in this camp that they were fully armed and equipped and donned their first uniforms and it was here they took their first lessons in " squad drill " and learned the difference between hay foot and straw foot. Boys, go back with me to your first effort at squad drill-do you remember how that other fellow used to step on your heels, and cause you to lose the step, and in an effort to " catch the step " again, you would step on some other fellow's heels, throwing him out of gear, then he would stumble on some other fellow and here we would go hobbling along like our feet were tied together, until every fellow in the squad had his own step; about this time the Sergeant who is acting as drill-master, and who, by the bye, is about as green as any of us, becomes desperate and yells out, at the top of his voice, "H-a-1-t there! what the devil you trying to do?" Every fellow has his own halt. but he generally stops when he runs against the comrade in front. After they have all halted the Sergeant orders them to " front," then, "order arms," then the old bel- giums begin to drop one at a time ; about this time some fellow would give one big howl, grab up one foot and go hopping around over the ground cut-
81
THREE YEARS' SERVICE.
ting the most desperate gestures, and with a face that would seem to indicate cramp colic, but directly the poor fellow would get his breath, and the first words that escaped his lips would be, "by thunder, I believe my big toe-nail is mashed off."
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