USA > Indiana > The Eighty-sixth regiment, Indiana volunteer infantry : a narrative of its services in the civil war of 1861-1865 > Part 29
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The command crossed the river, passed through the city and about one mile beyond and west of the town, bivouacking on the site of an old camp of a part of the Ninth army corps. Here it lounged in bivouac for several days without any special duty to perform. On the 20th the regiment was ordered out for general inspection by Major Comstock, Gen- eral Grant's Inspector General. On the 22d it drew two months' pay which came very acceptable. On this day, too, most of the men of the regiment went to work on their own
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THE EIGHTY-SIXTH REGIMENT,
motion to build quarters. They worked hard the 22d and 23d, and most of them had just finished and moved into very comfortable huts on the evening of the 23d, when orders were received for fatigue duty which was soon changed to march in the morning. On the morning of the 24th the regi- ment resumed its wanderings. Passing through the city and along up the Holston it made good time and halted for the night about one hour before sunset. Remained at this bivouac two days and a half and marched up to Strawberry Plains, crossed the river and bivouacked within a quarter of a mile of the ferry, having crossed the river in boats.
The next day, February 28, at 12 o'clock noon, the regi- ment started for New Market, east on the railroad. After marching about two miles it halted for a rest. Here the Eighty-sixth first saw the new Department Commander, re- cently the Commander of the Army of the United States, Major General John M. Schofield. Arriving at New Market and passing through town about a quarter of a mile the Third brigade bivouacked, and received orders to be ready . to resume the march at 5 o'clock the following morning.
The march was resumed promptly at the hour appointed, but the marching was not so pleasant on account of a heavy fall of rain during the night. About 10 o'clock when halted alongside the road for a rest, General Schofield and staff came riding down the road. The brigade arrived at Morris- town about 4 o'clock and the Eighty-sixth had the good for- tune to occupy some very good "shanties" built by troops belonging to the division of the rebel General Johnson, which was learned by inscriptions on the walls. The com- mand had covered eighteen miles over muddy roads, and the men were tired; they considered themselves fortunate to get to shelter in the rebel huts even at the risk of accumu- lating a supply of "graybacks." A soaking rain fell during the night, drenching everything that was not under roof. Reveille was sounded at 4 o'clock and the regiment was up and ready for any emergency. The rain continued to fall most of the time during the forenoon and the Eighty-sixth remained housed. Rations of hard tack, poor beef, sugar
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and coffee were drawn. In the evening of March 1, orders were received that reveille would be sounded at 4 o'clock. Strict orders were given against straggling or scouting independently. The regiment was astir at reveille and at 5 a. m. filed out upon the road and took the back track to New Market. The march was pretty steadily maintained with occasional rests, however, and arrived at camp near New Market at 3 o'clock p. m. Here strict orders were received to remain in camp, as the command was liable to march at any time during the night. The rank and file knew nothing of the cause of these moves-this marching and counter-march- ing. but it kept them alert. The regiment remained at New Market until the 12th, a scarcity of rations existing most of the time, many of the boys spending their extra cash in town for something to eat. It was at this camp that Cap- tain James Gregory, of Company C, sent in his resignation on account of ill health. George Storms, of Company I, and John M. Cast, who had been to Indiana on recruiting ser- vice, returned to the regiment while in camp at New Mar- ket. While at New Market the regiment had but little duty to perform. It had light details for picket, and prepare for inspection on Sunday.
On Friday, March 11, orders were received to march on the following morning at 8 o'clock. The bugles sounded reveille at 4 o'clock. The men breakfasted and were ready in good time, although the march was resumed at 6:30 a. m. instead of 8 o'clock. Passing through New Market the com- mand took the road to Morristown again. The march was continued until 2 o'clock p. m., when the regiment bivouacked in a thick brushy woods near Panther Springs, four miles west of Morristown. Orders to march at 5 o'clock the next morning. Reveille at 4 o'clock, and the regiment was at once awake and busy preparing for the march. But there was no rush, and the command lay round the bivouac fires until sunrise, marched out for Morristown and arrived there between 8 and 9 o'clock. The Eighty-sixth was again so fortunate as to be camped in the rebel "shanties." The regiment was ordered on picket, and went out about 10
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o'clock a. m. At 2 o'clock p. m. five companies were relieved and ordered to return to camp. There were rumors of fight- ing, and strict orders were given forbidding the men to leave camp under any circumstances. The fire of the skirmishers could be plainly heard during the afternoon and evening. The weather was raw and cold, a strong wind was blowing the entire day, making it very disagreeable, and the rebel "shanties" were a great convenience. This was on the 14th of March. It was on this day that Lieutenant Yount, of Com- pany K, sent in his resignation.
In the morning of the 17th, orders were received to march at 5:30 a. m .. Vacated the huts and marched through town to the southeast a half-mile and camped. There the regiment was called upon to furnish a heavy detail for picket. On the morning of the 18th orders to march again. The picket detail was in charge of Captain William S. Sims, of Company F. When the detail reached camp the regiment had already set out upon the march, and did not succeed in rejoining its command until Mossy Creek was reached. No halt, however, was made, the command pressing on to New Market, where it arrived at noon. This was a tremendous rush for burdened troops-eighteen miles for the command in six hours, and about twenty miles for the picket detail under Captain Sims in the same length of time. This was perhaps the most rapid marching for the time and dis- tance the regiment ever made. And there was nothing known to the rank and file which seemed to indicate that there was the least need of such forced marching. . In fact, as the regiment remained here the rest of the day was pretty good evidence that no such an effort was at all necessary.
On the morning of the 19th the bugles sounded reveille at 4 o'clock. At 5:30 the march was resumed. Passed through New Market to the west, taking the road to Straw- berry Plains. The pace this morning was moderate and fre- quent rests were made. Crossed the river at the Plains about noon, and proceeded about three-quarters of a mile farther and bivouacked. Here the men had another half day to rest and recuperate, and have a good time discussing their probable destination. The next morning they were not dis-
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turbed, and the men of the Eighty-sixth slept quietly until daybreak and breakfasted at their leisure on hard tack, bacon and coffee. The "general call" was sounded about 9 o'clock, and marched about noon, that is two brigades, Hazen's and Beatty's, passing the old camp at Flat Creek, leaving House mountain to the left and then behind, going up the valley toward Rutledge, the county-seat of Grainger county. Having covered eight or nine miles, the command bivouacked this time in an open field. On the 21st reveille was sounded at 4 o'clock. With skirmishers in front and flankers on either side of the line of march the two brigades proceeded up the valley. Clinch mountains were on the left and the Holston river on the right. The pace was not rapid, but sufficiently well maintained to make fair progress. The command reached Rutledge about the hour of noon. The luck of the Eighty-sixth did not desert it, and the regiment was sent on picket. All reliefs not on the line were called up at 4 o'clock, and after a hasty breakfast the regiment stood to arms until daylight, and was then permitted to break ranks. The regiment was relieved about 11 o'clock, and marched at once to its camp-ground. This was on the 22d of March, and during the forenoon quite a snow fell. The command only remained here until the 24th, when it marched back down the valley opposite a gap in Clinch mountain known as Powder Spring Gap.
From there on the 26th the Eighty-sixth went on a scout- ing expedition over the mountain. Marching over hills and through hollows the regiment at length reached the foot of the mountain and began the ascent. It was toilsome march- ing, winding around over the mountainous roads, still ever creeping higher, higher, as the gap is comparatively but a slight notch out of the great ridge. However, there was some compensation for this laborious marching, for as the men went up the mountain they could look back far over a magnificent stretch of country. Away to the east and south- east lay a country sufficiently broken to show the ridge and small valleys, presenting a beautiful landscape. It was a grand and inspiring view. Going down the mountain on the
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opposite side a like stretch of country was to be seen to the north and northwest, the eye almost reaching to Cumber- land Gap. After crossing the mountain a lively pace was struck up the valley almost parallel with ridge. Bivouacked a little before dark in an open field. Strong pickets were put out as the country was reported to be infested with "bushwhackers." No attack was made on any of the pick- ets, although some of the sentinels seemed to think there were prowlers around camp during the night. The march was resumed on the morning of the 27th up the valley, fol- lowing a road which ran near the foot of Clinch mountain, but which at length left the mountain and bore off to the north. A "bushwhacker" was captured before noon by a detachment of Union calvalry. As he attempted to shoot one of the cavalry officers, after having been taken a pris- oner, he was promptly shot down and left lying in the road. The climate of the valley, especially in this immediate local- ity, was supposed to be very unhealthy for single blue-coats, or even small squads absent from their command, therefore the ducks, geese, chickens, pigs and lambs were safe. A halt was called at noon. After a brief rest the regiment started on its return trip. The march was made in the same rapid manner as that of the forenoon, and it bivouacked on the same ground of the previous night. When the regiment started on its return a company was sent up on the mountain to patrol it for bushwhackers. The company captured three suspicious characters supposed to belong to that class. Mountain "rangers" skulking away from the blue-coats were looked upon as dangerous, particularly in this region where it was known so many found hiding places. The regiment reached its place of camping about 4:30. A few squads ven- tured out a short distance from camp on independent forag- ing excursions and gathered in small quantities of corn pone and such other articles as were easily collected, but no exten- sive trips were attempted as they evidently would have been attended with great danger. When almost ready to resume the tramp down the valley Company E was detailed to go over on the mountain, deploy and scour the mountain from
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this point to the gap. The march was resumed at a moder- ate rate in order not to get too far in advance of the company on the mountain whose progress was necessarily slow. Oc- casionally some one would loosen a huge boulder and it would come thundering down the mountain side with the force of many cannon balls crushing everything before it. Company E rejoined the regiment on the mountain in the gap. Marching steadily the regiment reached its camp safely at noon on the 28th. Remained here some days watching for the enemy in force, and for "bushwhackers" in particular, but with no great success.
On the 3d of April Hazen's Second brigade came in from a two or three days' scout. On the evening of the 5th orders were received to march at 6 o'clock the following morning. The scouting and watching had been done to clear as thor- oughly as possible East Tennessee of the enemy, and now the veterans were to join Sherman and Thomas, leaving a few regiments of veteran infantry and cavalry and the hun- dred days' men to look after and protect the country in the rear. while the division was to go to the front to try conclu- sions with wily Joe Johnston's army. Johnston was perhaps the wariest and most skillful and able of all the Confeder- acy's generals. He was, too. when occasion demanded a daring fighter, a really capable battle-chief.
On the morning of the 6th of April. the regiment marched at 6 o'clock and bivouacked at night near Straw- berry Plains. The next day the command covered about twenty miles, passing through Knoxville and some distance beyond on the road to Loudon. At this bivouac a heavy rain fell. and the command lay by for a half-day. Then pressing on it passed through Concord and Lenoir's and reached the river opposite Loudon about 8 o'clock a. m. on the 10th. As the command could not cross it marched back about a half mile and bivouacked until the following morn- ing when between 9 and 10 o'clock it crossed on a boat. the "Kingston, " and remained in camp here untill the 12th. On morning of the 13th the tramp was resumed at 5 o'clock. Passed through Philadelphia and marching moderately
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reached the town of Sweetwater about noon, and bivouacked for the night one mile beyond the town. On the morning of the 14th the bugles sounding reveille for the various brig- ades and regiments awoke the echoes of the hill and dale at 4 o'clock. "murdering sleep, " and the men arose promptly, "bayonetted" their coffee and prepared a soldier's meal with a soldier's alacrity. But the hurry was entirely unnec- essary as the Eighty-sixth being in the rear did not march until 9 o'clock. That day the regiment passed through Mouse Creek Station and arrived within one mile of Athens and camped in a pine grove. On the 15th reveille was sounded at 4 o'clock. Some one writing of the late war and speaking of reveille calls it "the morning's repetend " and speaks of its "repetitional notes." It would seem to be true to the tired soldier, and when sleepy to the last degree after a long and wearisome march were seldom more aggravated than when awakened, it seemed immediately after closing their eyes in sleep, by these "repetitional notes" of the bugle so often sounded under the same circumstances. always to awaken them, to disturb their slumbers if they were asleep, to call them to renewed labors of toilsome marching, was it any wonder that tired humanity sometimes swore at the bugler and wished him in Halifax. On the 15th the march was resumed at 5:30 a. m. Passing through Athens the command took the road to Charleston. After passing through Riceville, Calhoun was reached at 1 o'clock. crossed the Hiwassee river on pontoons and arrived at Charleston before it was late, near which place the regiment turned in for the night. On the 16th the regiment was on the march at 5:30 a. m. going toward Cleveland, but the gait was moderate with frequent rests. The Eighty-sixth reached Cleveland at 2 o'clock. At the outskirts of the town the regiment was ordered to "fix bayonets." It was thrown into columns of divisions and marched through in fine style with colors flying and keeping step to the music of the Union. The command covered eighteen or nineteen miles on this day. On the following morning the men slept undis- turbed. The morning's "repetend " had failed to repeat
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and the "repetitional notes " themselves seemed to be sleep- ing. at last. It was refreshing, indeed, once more to sleep undisturbed. The regiment was now in camp near McDon- ald Station, between Chattanooga and Cleveland.
And now the Eighty-sixth's campaign to Knoxville and East Tennessee for the relief of the Army of the Ohio was ended. It had returned to the vicinity of Chattanooga and rejoined the forces of the old Army of the Cumberland, after a long, dark winter of hardships, hunger, and suffering, such as had never been experienced in its own department, not even while beleaguered in Chattanooga.
CHAPTER XXI.
SHERMAN'S CAMPAIGN IN GEORGIA.
General lloward in Command of the Fourth Corps-The Eleventh and Twelfth Corps Consolidated and Designated the Twentieth-Sherman's Preparation for the Atlanta Campaign-The Importance of the Grand Movement-Tunnel Hill- Rocky Face Ridge-Dalton-The Battle of Resacca.
On the 10th of April General Gordon Granger had been relieved of the command of the Fourth army corps, and had been succeeded by General O. O. Howard. At the same time the Eleventh corps, which up to that time had been commanded by General Howard, was consolidated with the Twelfth corps. and the designation changed to that of the Twentieth, with General Joseph Hooker in command. The Army of the Cumberland was now composed of the Fourth. Fourteenth, and Twentieth corps. While at McDonald Station making preparations for the Atlanta campaign some changes were made in the commanders of the Fourth corps divisions. General D. S. Stanley was placed in command of the First division, General John Newton of the Second, while General T. J. Wood retained the command of the Third. No changes were made in the brigade commanders of the Third division, of which the Eighty-sixth formed a part.
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General W. T. Sherman, who had succeeded General Grant in the command of the Military Division of the Miss- issippi, had concentrated an army of nearly a hundred thou- sand men in the vicinity of Chattanooga, having for his chief objectives, the destruction of the Confederate army under General Joseph E. Johnston. then at Dalton, in north- ern Georgia. and the capture of the city of Atlanta. General Sherman's forces were composed as follows: Army of the Cumberland. General George H. Thomas in command, with 60,773 men; Army of the Tennessee, General J. B. McPher- son in command, with 24,465 men; Army of the Ohio, with General J. M. Schofield in command, with 13,559 men: mak- ing a grand aggregate of troops of 98.797. and of guns, 254. General Johnston's army was composed of about 55,000 men. It was arranged in three corps, commanded respectively by Generals W. J. Hardee, J. B. Hood. and Leonidas Polk.
In importance of grand movements, continued skirmish- ing and close every day fighting from constant contact with the enemy, in numbers of momentous battles fought, and in practical lessons in the great school of war for both officers and privates, the Atlanta Campaign was incomparably the greatest of the campaigns in which the Eighty-sixth partici- pated. Nor is it in any sense intended to speak disparage- ingly of its former campaigns and battles, as the regiment was engaged in three of the greatest battles of the war, namely. Stone's River, Chickamauga, and the battle of Chat- tanooga. But as the Atlanta Campaign was its most remark- able campaign, so the regimental experience partook of its thrilling nature. It is not putting it too strongly to say that it was the greatest campaign of the war. It is true the forces of Grant and Lee in the East greatly outnumbered those of Johnston and Sherman in the West. but they were not han- dled with the same masterful skill as were the western forces. Nor did Grant's successes of '64 have the same determining effect upon the close of the war as did those of Sherman. Johnston's masterly retreat, covering every point of his route so completely as he fell back, is universally recognized as a remarkable feat in all the world's history of military
ยท
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affairs, having few parallels in the history of retreats, and probably there has been none more skillfully conducted. A competent military critic who took an active part in the cam- paign says of it: "General Johnston, however, as he aban- doned his entrenched positions, conducted his retreat, in my judgment, in a prudent and consummate manner, both in strategy and tactics. All positions chosen for making a stand were selected with the utmost sagacity and skill, and his defenses were thrown up and strengthened with the exercise of marvelous ingenuity and judgment. * * In fact, it was the cleanest and best conducted retreat, as was remarked by every one, which we had seen or read of."
That General Sherman, acting on the offensive which put him at a great disadvantage, was able to overcome John- ston's force, skillfully as it was handled, the difficulties of a mountainous country, a long line of communications, strongly fortified positions on ground easily defensive-naturally almost impregnable-all this, too, in the short space of four months, must ever place him head and shoulders above all of his contemporaries as a master of the science and art of war.
To have taken lessons of war in this grand school under two such masters as General Johnston and General Sherman. assisted by Hardee, Hood, Polk, and Pat Cleburne, on the one side, and by Thomas, McPherson, Hooker. Logan, and Scho- field on the other, is no small honor, and the Eighty-sixth was in it from start to finish, and with credit to itself and the State of Indiana.
As stated at the close of the previous chapter, Wood's division arrived at the camp near McDonald Station on Sat- urday, April 16. On Sunday the men were permitted to rest undisturbed, except they were required to appear in line for inspection. Lieutenant Kibler, the Brigade Inspector, per- functorily passed up and down the lines and the men were soon dismissed. On the 19th the regiment marched a short distance to a new camp ground, which was found to be a wild woods with a dense growth of underbrush. The ground was soon cleared and the tents erected. Again came the
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details for fatigue and picket duty at regular times, and after a few days, drill-recruit, company and battalion. The buglers were again busy sounding the calls for reveille, sick, picket, fatigue, meals, retreat. tattoo and taps, so that the time of the men was pretty well occupied. Still the duties were not exhausting and the men received a sufficient supply of good rations, so with few exceptions they were in excel- lent health. There were, however, a number in the regiment who were so completely worn out and broken down by the winter's hardships that they had to be sent to the hospital, some of whom died shortly after leaving the regiment. No doubt they were literally frozen and starved to death, although not dying immediately on experiencing these hard-s ships. Besides the above mentioned duties the, men were ordered to engage at target practice. This led them to think that they were likely to have some shooting to do in the near future which would mean something, and they entered upon the performance of the new duty with great zeal. E P
On the 29th of April the Fourth army corps was reviewed by the new Corps Commander, Major General O. O. Howard -the Havelock of the army. He complimented his com- mand highly and the men returned to camp in fine spirits. Dress parade was held almost every evening, and the army was being put in the best possible condition for the coming campaign. On the 1st of May at dress parade a general order was read to the regiment, informing the men that the army would move soon and directing that all extra baggage should be packed and sent to Bridgeport. On the 3d the sick who were unable to march were sent to the rear. The impedimenta were reduced to a minumum and orders were received to march at 12 o'clock.
The command marched out in a southwesterly direction, covering about seven miles, and bivouacking in a fine pine grove. On the 4th it filed out upon the road at 6 a. m., reveille having been sounded at 4 o'clock. The roads were ti dry and dusty. The gait was moderate and frequent halts 0 were made, probably for the purpose of reconnoitering lest the enemy should lie in concealment. The army was now T T
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approaching the outposts of a large force of the enemy and t was necessary that every precaution should be taken. The Tennessee and Georgia state line was crossed about 9 o'clock. Continuing the march until 1 p. m. the division bivouacked hear Catoosa Springs, and to complete the programme as on former occasions, the Eighty-sixth went on picket. The ine of sentinels was soon established. The enemy's pickets were in plain view. It was soon to be known as a skirmish ine, one, too, which with the movable column, was to last 'or months as it advanced further and further into the heart of the Confederacy.
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