Memoranda : Company E, 65th Regiment, Indiana Infantry Volunteers enlisted Aug. 12, 1862, mustered into United States service at Camp Lewis, Evansville, Indiana, Aug. 18, 1862, Part 2

Author: Admire, Jacob V
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Osage City, Kan. : Osage City Free Press
Number of Pages: 66


USA > Indiana > Vanderburgh County > Evansville > Memoranda : Company E, 65th Regiment, Indiana Infantry Volunteers enlisted Aug. 12, 1862, mustered into United States service at Camp Lewis, Evansville, Indiana, Aug. 18, 1862 > Part 2


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


August 12, 1863, the march across Kentucky and East Tennessee, Knox- ville being the objective point, began. This march was barren of war, but prolific of tiresome service and short rations. For the East Tennessee campaign, in which the 65th participated from beginning to ending, standard histories of the war are referred to. Among the battles in which our regiment was engaged, were, principally, Bean's Station, Hickory Ford, Blountsville, and others. It is sufficient to say a great deal of hard service was performed, and a great deal of suffering endured during the " East Tennessee campaign."


The regiment was dismounted in the spring of 1864 at Madisonville, Ten- nessee, and, in a few days afterwards, joined Gen. Sherman's army, 2nd Brig., Srd Div., 23rd Army Corps. The balance of the story can be told in a few words :- The Atlanta campaign, embracing its tedious and tiresome marches, short ra- tions, building " breast works, " daily skirmishes and battles. The principal battles in which the 65th was engaged, were Dalton, Resacca, Dallas, Kenne- saw, Altoona, Atlanta, and many others the names of which I cannot now recall from memory. After the close of the Atlanta campaign, the 65th was transferred with the 23rd Corps, to Tennessee, and participated in the battles of Columbia, Franklin, Nashville, and the pursuit of Hood to the Tennessee river. From here, our Corps was sent around to Fort Fisher via Ohio river, Cincinnati, Washington, Anapolis and steamer, and took part in the fighting from the mouth of Cape Fear river to the capture of Wilmington, N. C ; was rejoined by Sher- man's army at Goldsboro, and after the surrender of Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, mustered out of the service at Greensboro, N. C., June 22nd. 1565.


MUSTERED OUT.


[ From the Osage City ( Kansas) Free Press, January 14, 1848, edited by CAPTAIN J. V. ADMIRE. ]


ST. Cf. AIR .- Died, in this city. Tuesday, October 11th, 1887, at 11 o'clock a. m., JAMES F. ST. CLAIR, aged fifty-five years.


The deceased was well known In Cherokee and Crawford counties, having settled In Craw- ford county among the earliest settlers. Ile moved to Galena about eight years ago, where he has practiced law, and for the past year held the office of justice of the peace. He was a chaplain in the Union army during the late war, and was a member of Frank P. Blair Post, G. A. R .. in this city.


We found the above Item In the Galena, Kansas. Republican, and It was an unexpected shock to us. James F. St. Clair was the chaplain of the 65th Indiana Infantry Volunteers. He and the editor of the FREE PRESS enlisted in Company E., of that regiment, as high privates in the rear rank, August 12th. 1-62. St. Clair was a Methodist preacher before the war, and the writer was a Hoosier school master. He only had to drill with the company a few days, for on the first of September following his enlistment, according to previous understanding, he was appointed chaplain of the regiment.


In the volunteer service, chaplains, as a rule, soon quit preaching. or even praying; or, at least, If they continued to pray, they soon became so thoughtful as not to disturb anybody by making a noise abont ff. Jim was no exception to the rule. He was a good man and a good preacher; hnt somehow, goodness and preaching and soldiering don't go well together. When our regiment first went into camp-with its members fresh from their homes. their moral and religious surroundings-it was like an old-fashioned Methodist camp meeting. Every night songs and prayers could be heard issning from every tent. Exhorters, local preachers, class leaders and church members were plentiful, and they had determined to take their religion to the war with them. They had probably made promises of this kind to their wives. their mothers, and their sweethearts. If they should get shot and killed, they had made up their minds to go straight to Heaven. For the first few Sundays, Jim always had a good congregation-he preached In the old-fashioned, hearty, home-like, manner-and the boys listened with reverence and respect, and applauded him at intervals with fervent "Amens!" In a few days the regiment got "marching orders:" after that, when night came the boys were tired; they got their seanty suppers, cut their prayers short, laid down and went to sleep. And, oh, how sweetly they slept on the hard. cold ground! Soon the days all got to be alike-Sunday disappeared from the calendar. Jim made a few heroic efforts to preach to the boys once in a while-but they were too tired-they had their guns to clean, their clothes to mend, and they didn't care much about preaching, anyhow! Jim soon quit : gave it up for a bad job, and during the last eighteen or twenty months of our service the idea of preaching a regular serinon to the boys probably never seriously occurred to him. But he stayed with the regiment; looked after the mail; was kind to the sick; messed with the doctors-messed with the doctors! Ave, there's the rub! The doctor's teht, with Its quinine and commissary whiskey! * * *


. Jim was mustered out with the boys; he had been a useful chaplain; he got home with as much religion as the average chaplain: and he undertook to be good again like he was before the war; and to preach like he did before the war. It was no go; he had other troubles; he threw a squirrel rife upou his shoulder one morning and walked out of Boonville Into the woods; he was next heard of In Kansas,


His family followed him in a short time, and Jim, no doubt, did his best : It was a hard. ergel struggle. We heard of him quite often-saw him two or three times. When he heard that we were foolishly running for offfee, he wrote ns a letter. "Jake," he said, "let me know If I can do you any good-I will come and stump your district for you If you need ine!" Jim was a good stumper, too. He hated the democrat>, and his heart was always open to the old boys. Well. the jig Is ro with Jim! We hope he is In Heaven-he did enough good acts, he passed through enough trouble, to entitle him to a permanent homestead In that country. That's certain,


A few days ago, we received a note from our old Colonel, who lives In Jowa. He said, "I have heard that our chaplain, Jim St. Clair, is dead. Have you heard the particulars?" We wrote a unte at once, directed to Mrs. f. F. St. Clair. It came promptly back, with a pencil note on the envelope: "Deceased." We thenght there must be a mistake about it. so we wrote to the postmaster at Galena. The following reply came back: "I mall you a paper with account of Mr. St. Clair's death. His wife dled last spring. . The three smallest children are . at the Orphan's home, Atchison, and there is one at Zincite, Mo. * That's the story of " .Tim, Marta and the children."


i


The Evansville Reunion.


At the Evansville reunion, referred to in " A Note to the Boys," thirty-five members of Company " E " answered roll call, as follows :


Jobn. W. Hammond. J. V. Admire, Bailey Hickman, S. W. Collins. A. D. Walden, W. R. Hill, Wilson Rainey, Peter Marker, A. J. Caldwell, Austin White, Jefferson HI. Baker. W. F. Chipman, Simon L. Baker, John Feagley. Presley flale, Thornton Iugler. Commodore Kelley, Robert Meese. Wm. SieCool Peter Myers, Jacob Nelson. John' Nicholson, Joshua N. Ragsdale. J. A. Rey- nolds, Chas. Schnepper. Richard Stephens, Geo. R. Taylor, John R. Weed, Rees Young, Thos. J. Chambers, James W. Hall, Valentine L. Morris, Win. Z. Selby, Allen Gentry, and Milton Witherspoon.


There were about one hundred and thirty-tive members of the 65th Indiana regiment present at this reunion. That number " fell into line" and marched across the camp. They did not look quite so hearty as they did in Sixty-Two. The quarter of a century had left its mark upon them very plainly. Poor Pres. Ilale, (Co. E), who was as gallant a soldier as ever kept step to the music of the life and drum. was totally blind and had to be led by a comrade. His heart, however, is as big and patriotic as ever. Gray hairs and stiff joints, I regret to say, predominated in that procession-the last one in which so many of the 65th boy's will ever march ! Among prominent members of the regiment, outside of Company " E," there were present, Col. J. W. Foster, Capt. S R. Hornbrook, Capt. Dick Miller. Capt. W. R. Stilwell, Capt. A. D. Hastings, Lieutenant Brown (Co. " F"), Adjutant W. A. Page, Lieutenant Thos. Groves, Capt. Walters and others whose names cannot now be recalled.


ORGANIZATION -- Before " breaking ranks " a regimental organization was effected, of which Capt. S. R. Hornbrook was made president. Peter Marker and Capt. Walters are two of the members-the names of the others are forgotter.


The Gray Business.


The truth of history must prevail; the gray feature of this reunion Was not an affectionate success. Outside of a few prominent ex-Confederate and ex- Union officers, who slobbered over each other according to programme. there was not much slobbering done. The ex-Gray's did not respond to the invita- tion with alacrity or pronounced fondness. The conspicuous presence of the noted gentleman. horse thief and robber, Adam Johnson, who was never a con- federate soldier in any true sense, did not enthuse the boys who had worn the blue.


Peter Marker's Reception.


The reception given to bis old company comrades by Peter Marker, which occurred on the evening of the 2ist of September, at bis residence in Evans- ville, was a joyous occasion that those who were present will never forget. Nearly every member of the company present at the reunion attended the reception. An elegant supper was spread to which the boys did old-fashioned justice. The evening was spent in fighting our battles over, in reviewing our campaigns and marches. and in relating incidents and stories of our service.


A quarter of a century has dealt kindly with Peter Marker-his pleasant manners, happy and bearty disposition are unchanged. He has a pleasant home, an amiable wife, grown up sons and daughters, and a protitable business. May Heaven's choicest blessings abide with him, is the earnest prayer of his old " Captain Jane. "


-


NOTE .- In notice of Adam Johnson's presence at the Evansville reunion. for the word "gentleman." the word " guerrilla " was intended. As the types have it, the intelli- gent reader can exereise his own taste in the choice of words. A gentleman horsethief and robber would be a rather wonderful combina- tion. thongh. wouldn't it ?- J. V. A.


A Note From Captain Baker.


WEBB CITY, Mo., October 30th, 1957.


COMRADES :-- Twenty-two years have come and gone, and blended with the mysterious tide of old eternity, since we answered to roll call the last time. What trials and sorrows have come to many, white silver lined clouds and bappy prosperity has been the lot of others ! We may never see each other face to face on this side of the mystic river, hence this note of kindly greeting. My lot has been cast among good people, but far away from old associations, and where. in all probability, I will never see any of you; but, lest assured, I hold you in sacred remembrance, and indulge the fond hope that I am not entirely forgotten by you.


In my day dreams I go over the Kentucky campaign: march and counter- march all over East Tennessee; fight the bloody battles around Atlanta, not for- getting the wading of the Chatahoochee river, the North Carolina campaign, the muster ont and return home, and then I dream on and imagine the grand reunion we will have when we are mustered out here below and awake to " reveille " in the sweet bye and bye. Heaven would be no Heaven to me if I did not meet the boys who have gone over the skirmish line with the welcome recognition, " Well done, Capt. Ed."


Until we meet in grand reunion on the other shore, comrades of Company " E," I bid you an affectionate good bye. ED. A. BAKER, Ist Captain.


Additional Notes.


SMITH. ABRAHAM .- I have received a letter from Comrade Smith, dated at West Alexandria, Prebble county, Ohio, 13th February. ISSS, in which he says :- " I am crippled up very much and this has been the case nearly ever since I left the service. Have made application for a pension but it bas not been allowed "


HAMMOND. JOHN W .- Held four commissions, three as stated under the previous reference to hint. He was also commissioned with the full rank of Colonel, a few days only after the receipt of his Lieutenant Colonel's commis- sion. but could not be mustered with the full rank owing to the depletion of the regiment.


CULLEN, JAMES B .- Comrade Cullen's address is Providence, Webster county. Ky. A note is now before us dated January 11tb, 18%s.


WILSON, CALVIN .- Comrade Wilson's present address is Mountain Grove, Mo. A note from him dated January 22nd, ISSS, in which he says :-- >I will tell you what I have been doing-I have been farming and voting the republican ticket in this democratic state. My youngest boy's name is Blaine."


Taps.


There has been no attempt to write a history of Co. "E," but merely to summarize in the briefest possible way some of the leading facts of its military service and to prepare a record that the boys and their boys' boys' boys will value probably for scores of years to come.


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