USA > Indiana > The Eighty-sixth regiment, Indiana volunteer infantry : a narrative of its services in the civil war of 1861-1865 > Part 49
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INDIANA VOLUNTEERS.
discharge of duty, and here and there he grasped the hand of an officer and the hands clasped tightly in a friendship that is born only of the battle-field, but no word was spoken. only a clasp of the hand, a look into the eyes, and the hands were loosed, but to the day of death will that touch remain.
To the right of the Eighty-sixth stood the Seventy-ninth Indiana Regiment, the two regiments being consolidated. and forming the front or charging line of the brigade. both regiments as consolidated being under the command of Col- onel Fred Knefler of the Seventy-ninth, he being the senior officer, and therefore entitled to the position, but Colonel Dick had the immediate command of the Eighty-sixth. These two regiments stood at an order waiting for the signal, and yet almost unconscious of all that surrounded them. The period of waiting was not of long duration as counted by the minutes of the clock, but to those who had the care and responsibility of commands, whether of company or regi- ment, the minutes seemed to have grown into hours, so ter- rible was the suspense in connection with the full realization of the fury of that storm of battle that was soon to break. Now comes the first shot of the six guns that are to be the signal for the charge, and with the sound of that gun that long line of men in blue were aroused like one who is startled out of a dream. All eyes were turned toward and over the plain and from the foot of the Ridge to the battle line at its summit. As the third and remaining shots of the signal rang in quick succession, as quickly were the men nerved for that charge which shall go down into history as the most' brilliant charge of ancient or modern warfare. When the final shot of the signal was to have come the men had caught the cadence of the shots, and although the primer exploded the gun was not discharged, but at that instant the voice of Colonel Dick rang out clear and strong in the beginning of the command, but he had only pronounced the word "For- ward," when the remainder of the command was lost in the shouts of the men as they started on the run for the enemy's works. Then as that shout went up there came from the line in the plain, the line at the foot of the Ridge and down
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THE EIGHTY-SIXTH REGIMENT,
from that topmost line on the crest of the Ridge, which had been so quiet, the concentrated fire, of musketry and artil- lery, the pent up flood-gates of death thrown wide open. Men fell about wounded, mangled and killed. Great gaps were made in the lines, yet onward, with cheer upon cheer, went the charging column, Colonels Dick and Knefler, each cheering and encouraging the men, as onward they pushed through the storm of leaden hail.
The men of the two regiments vied each with the other which should first reach the works of the enemy, as side by side they crossed the works in the plain and again at the foot of the Ridge. There was no halt but renewing, their cheers, onward and upward they started for the line of works at the top. On and on, upward and yet higher, offi- cers and men, each and all cheering and repeating the com- mands of the Colonels, "Forward! Forward!" until at last close up to the works, under the guns of the foe, these two regiments alone, far in advance of the lines to the right and left, the only portion of that long line that had started in the charge, that had not been compelled to halt or turn back, now halted, and laid down to gather strength and recover breath for the final and desperate contest for possession of the last line of works. These men, lying close under the guns of the Confederates, could only send a quick glance down the way by which they had climbed through a storm of death to where they then lay, and in that quick glance they caught a glimpse of the lines of the reserves that were coming over the plain, and could see the troops of the right and left of their line, fighting their way on up toward their places on the right and left of the Seventy-ninth and Eighty- sixth Indiana.
By the time these advancing lines were in supporting distance the two Indiana regiments that had outstripped their comrades, became restless lest they should have the credit they had thus far earned, taken by some other, and that they should not continue to lead to the finish. Once more the command rang out to the Seventy-ninth and Eighty- sixth, "Fix, bayonets! Forward! Charge, bayonets!" and
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INDIANA VOLUNTEERS.
almost as quickly as the command was given, the men were on their feet and did not again halt or look back until the works were reached and gained, and the stars and stripes of these two Indiana regiments, riddled and torn by shot and shell, were planted on the enemy's works, and the enemy in their front was fleeing from the field. The lines on the right and left pressed on in their positions close after the regiments of Knefler and Dick, and the orders given before the troops moved out from their works were obeyed. and the victory was won.
Brigadier General Samuel Beatty in his report of the battle of Missionary Ridge, in speaking of the regiment among others, says of the Commander:
In recounting the operations of my command in the advancing of the lines of the 23d, and the charging of Missionary Ridge on the 25th, I have to compliment Colonel Fred Knefler, Colonel George F. Diek
* for the discipline and efficiency of their troops, and for the gallant style with which each vied with the other in doing their utmost to secure a victory to our arms. The advance of the Seventy-ninth und Eighty-sixth Indiana was strongly resisted by the enemy, but led by their gallant Commanders, and supported by the advance of the Thir- teenth and Fifty-ninth Ohio regiments in splendid style, succeeded in first planting the National flag on the rebel works at the summit of Missionary Ridge."
Colonel Knefler, in his report of the battle, Missionary Ridge, says:
"I cannot close this without making my acknowledgements and thanking Colonel George F. Dick, of the Eighty-sixth Indiana Volun- teers, for the valuable assistance rendered me in commanding the two regiments while consolidated during the battle and from the time we left our camp."
The foregoing has been written in connection with the sketch of Colonel Dick, because under his command at this battle, the Eighty-sixth Indiana enrolled its name in the annals of the Nation in letters of glory and light that shall never grow dim. In this battle more than all others, this regiment glories and is justly proud. It was one of the five decisive battles of the greatest war of modern times. In this great battle, in the most magnificent and brilliant charge in all the world's history, this regiment was in the front line,
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THE EIGHTY-SIXTH REGIMENT,
and with the Seventy-ninth, led the charge of the grandest army of citizen soldiers that was ever brought together. It led on that day, in the sight of all there gathered, to a vic- tory that could not be disputed, and it led with a gallantry that could not be gainsaid or doubted. It wrote its record that day for all time before the eyes and in sight of the heroes of the Nineteenth Century.
For another reason has so much been said of the battle of Missionary Ridge. The men of this regiment might have been returned home at the close of the war, as they did, but they might have come home without the honor that now clusters about the name of this regiment for having led in the charge on Missionary Ridge had it not been for the per- sonal interest that Colonel George F. Dick took in building up its name in those matters which bring honor and renown, and which make every man who ever marched after its drum beat, or with its flag, feel proud of the fact, and count it as an honorable distinction. Had it not been for the earnest stand taken by Colonel Dick, and his most strenuous, but respectful opposition, this regiment would have been assigned to duty as provost guards. Had this been done, although it might have been a life of great ease as compared with the service that was rendered, yet it would have been an inglor- ious soldier record after it was all over, and every man would have regretted it so long as life remained. Colonel Dick believed. and rightly, that the place for this regiment was in the front, and he complimented every officer and member of the regiment when he gave it credit for being a fighting reg- iment, and insisted that it be permitted to remain in active work with the Army of the Cumberland.
It is not the purpose of the authors of this book to go into full details of each battle in which the regiment was commanded by Colonel Dick, and shall only cursorily men- tion the facts. After the battle of Missionary Ridge Colonel Dick was with and in command of his regiment through all the long and tedious marches which followed, from Chatta- nooga to Knoxville to the relief of Burnside then besieged by Longstreet, and then to Strawberry Plains, and Dan-
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INDIANA VOLUNTEERS.
dridge and back again to Strawberry Plains, thence to Mary- ville, and from there again back over the same route to New Market, Greenville and so through that entire winter of hard marching and hard service, until in the latter part of April 1864, the regiment and corps rejoined the army near Cleveland, Tennessee, preparatory to entering upon the Atlanta campaign. During all of the hardships of the East Tennessee campaign, through snow, and ice. and mud, and rain, Colonel Dick shared with the men of his command their trials, privations and hardships.
Entering upon the Atlanta campaign on May 7, 1864, he was always ready for duty, and was with his regiment day and night until on the 27th of May, 1864, in the battle of Pickett's Mills, Georgia, he received a severe flesh wound in the hip from a piece of shell, and was carried to the hospital. A leave of absence was granted him for thirty days and at the close of the period, although yet suffering from the wound, he was again at the head of his regiment for duty.
On through the Atlanta campaign to its close he was present every day taking his part in every engagement. Back through Georgia and Alabama into Tennessee, when the Confederate General Hood moved around the flank of Sherman's army-in the battles of Columbia. Spring Hill, and Franklin, and again at the glorious battle of Nashville, taking part in the overthrow, and annihilation of Hood's army, his voice was heard in command of the regiment.
From Nashville to Huntsville, Alabama, in the pursuit of the broken and scattered remnant of the Confederate army, he rejoiced with his command in the final destruction of an army before which the regiment had stood in battle array, and had fought on every field from the Ohio river to Lovejoy's, Georgia, covering a period of over two years. Then again into East Tennessee from Huntsville with the Fourth army corps, ready to co-operate with Grant's army. in the final issues of the war.
During all of this time, let it be said to the credit of the Eighty-sixth Indiana regiment, its Colonel had never been rebuked for failure to perform his duty, but on the contrary,
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THE EIGHTY-SIXTH REGIMENT,
had been complimented by his superior officers for his faith- fulness and efficiency. Not only Colonel Dick, but the regi- ment, and each company and member of the regiment, shared in the honor that was given to him. Honoring him, was and is honoring the regiment. Let the comrades of the Eighty-sixth Indiana look back over each and every event in the regiment from the time that Colonel George F. Dick took command, until the day the regiment was mustered out at the close of the war, and there is not one single incident. great or small, connected with his commandership for which any member of the regiment need blush or apologize. On the contrary all may justly feel proud that they were mem- bers of a regiment under such leadership. On March 13, 1865, in recognition of his services, he was brevetted a Brig- adier General by Congress.
Thus far mention has been made of Colonel Dick as a military man, and commander only. A few words of him as a man and a citizen, and the pleasant duty is done. If Col- onel Dick was a thorough and efficient officer in the field, he was at the same time a conscientious and upright man. Now and then charges were made against other officers, that whether true in the whole or in part, did not bring credit to those officers, either as officers or men. But during his whole term of service there was never anything discreditable charged against him. There was never by himself or on the part of any connected with his headquarters at any time or place, any intoxication or excess. He was always the courteous gentleman, as well as the thorough officer.
At the close of the war, wearing not only the honors of a Colonel, but of Brevet Brigadier General, he laid aside his sword and took up the peaceful pursuits of a private citizen. Much to the regret of his friends and comrades of Indiana, he removed his residence to Bloomington, Illinois, and has resided there ever since. In April, 1873, he was appointed Postmaster of Bloomington by President Grant, and held the position by reappointment for twelve years, or three full terms. During all of these twelve years in office his record for the faithful performance of duty was, as it had been in
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INDIANA VOLUNTEERS.
the army, beyond all possibility of censure, complete and thorough.
After retiring from the position of Postmaster he engaged in business pursuits, and has been honored and respected by all who have known him. He has been, since the formation of the Eighty-sixth Indiana Regimental Association, the President of the Association, and has shown his love and appreciation for his former companions in arms by being present at each and every annual meeting.
If any one could possibly have a doubt as to the warm attachment that is felt for Colonel Dick by survivors of the regiment, it would need but a glance into one of the reunions of the regiment to have such doubt removed.
Colonel Dick's domestic relations were none the less happy than the ties that existed between him and his mili- tary family. He was married July 14, 1853, to Miss Anna Mayers, at!Cincinnati, a woman of superior Christian virtues, and whose life abounded in deeds of kindness, charity and affection. To them nine children were born, eight of whom died in infancy. Mrs. Dick died November 30, 1878. In all his bereavements Colonel Dick was the same true man and bore them in quiet resignation. In more recent years he was married to Mrs. Emma Kimball, and the afternoon of his life is being spent in that rest which comes to the deserving.
The years are creeping on toward old age, but the heart of Colonel Dick beats as strongly as ever in love for the men of his command who followed the flag in its campaigns and battles, and his sympathies will ever flow to those who bear the scars won in honorable warfare, and with each Memorial day, bright, yet sad, with its garlands of roses, he remem- bers those whose life went out under the folds of the flag that the Nation might live.
In the long list of those faithful soldiers of the Nation in her hour of peril, none deserve a higher place than GEORGE FREDERICK DICK. Colonel Eighty-sixth Indiana Regiment.
564
THE EIGHTY-SIXTH REGIMENT,
ORVILLE S. HAMILTON.
In the opening chapters of this history, in the account of the organization, the fact was mentioned that Orville S. Hamilton was commissioned as Colonel. Those who had had practical experience in the army, doing actual service, were not long in learning that there were officers and there were officers. Much has been said by political demagogues in deris- ion and attempted defamation of officers of the army, yet to all who were good soldiers this vituperation has injured the speaker rather than the parties sought to be injured. There were those, however, as a matter of fact, who were commis- sioned as officers and sent to the field, who, for various rea- sons should never have been selected for the positions which they were not able to fill. It does not necessarily follow that these were bad men, nor that they were not sincerely patriotic. In many instances they lacked simply the ability to learn military principles and failed utterly to master the drill, or were unable to impart their knowledge to those under them.
Every experienced soldier, whether officer or enlisted man, will very readily concede that wherever he met a company he could readily tell by the appearance of the organ- ization whether or not it was well officered. True, it was and ever will be, that no one could be an officer without men, and it was equally true that no men could be good, reliable soldiers without thoroughly competent and reliable company officers. The men by their numbers gave the officer the opportunity to receive his commission, but the officer made the thoroughly efficient soldier. Take men in the mass, undrilled and undisciplined, and mankind, whether in bodies of a hundred or of thousands, are not dissimilar in the quali- ties necessary for good soldiers. Companies did effective work and won the name of brave soldiers because of this training and for the reason they had confidence in the man or men who commanded them. If this proposition be true in regard to the company, then it is true in more than a ten fold ratio when applied to the regiment. In all the history of the war the instance can scarcely be found where the
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INDIANA VOLUNTEERS.
enlisted man, if he was a good soldier, found fault or com- plained of discipline or drill when he knew that his comman- der was competent on the drill ground, and brave, watchful and intelligent as to his duties when on the field in action. It was necessary, however, that all of these soldierly quali- ties, courage, firmness, and military knowledge should be combined in the man to make the officer. It did not take even the unpracticed eye of the newly organized Eighty- sixth Indiana very long to realize that, although a commis- sion as Colonel had been issued to a man for that office. there was in fact no Colonel. There was a nominal comman- der only.
The story of the displacement of Colonel Hamilton in command of the regiment has never been told or printed. The special matters that led to the relievement of Colonel Hamilton at Stone's River and placing Colonel Dick in com- mand were then unknown and unsuspected by either. It is not believed that Colonel Hamilton up to the day of his death knew of the manner in which it was brought about. There were a number of line officers present that morning who were not taken by surprise when the change came. There are but a very few of the number alive to-day who were in the secret, but the time that has elapsed since that memorable day has removed the pledge of absolute secrecy then given from the lips of the few who remain. There was no mutiny, nor conspiracy to do a wrong, but the belief that the time to demand a change in the commandership of the regiment had crystalized into quiet action on the part of quite a number of the officers. Every officer was fully con- vinced that a great battle was at hand. Bragg had been driven down from the Ohio river through Kentucky and into Tennessee, and had taken his position on ground of his own choosing to give Rosecrans battle. It did not require a great military genius, to realize this fact, and that the battle would be hotly contested. Colonel Hamilton could not handle the regment. It was believed that Colonel Dick could. The name of the regiment and the lives of the men were at stake. But little was known of the articles of war, although all
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THE EIGHTY-SIXTH REGIMENT,
realized that care must be taken. The plan was arranged secretly. It was decided to go to General VanCleve, who was then commanding the division of which the regiment formed a part, lay the facts before him, ask him to remove Colonel Hamilton in some way, and place Colonel Dick in command. In conformity with these plans, before daylight of the morning of the opening of the battle these officers quietly assembled just outside of the bivouac of the regiment, and started for General VanCleve's headquarters not far dis- tant. On the way, for some reason best known to the older heads, the youngest officer in years and as an officer, was selected to present the case to the General. On arrival at the General's tent it was found that he was already up and dressed for the duties of the day. The sentinel at the head- quarters challenged as they approached. The countersign was given, and as they reached the tent the old General stepped out, and in his kindly manner asked the cause of the visitation. The officer selected to speak stepped forward and began his statement, but he only succeeded in uttering the first sentence which sufficiently disclosed the purport of the visit, when he interrupted and stopped any further words by saying, "Not another word, gentlemen, not another .word. You certainly do not realize the dangerous position in which you are placing yourselves. Go back to your regi- ment, go at once." Crest fallen and sick at heart these officers started to return. After they had gone but a few steps an orderly came hurrying up and said the General wished to see the spokesman of the party. This officer on
returning was told by the General that he would look after
ยท the interest of the regiment, that all would turn out for the best, and that he would be along the line at daylight. At daybreak the entire army was formed in line of battle, and so stood in line until after daylight, when it was discovered that General VanCleve, with his Assistant Adjutant General, were coming down the line and stopping at the different regiments when some command would be given, the movement executed and then resume its position in line as before. As it came nearer it could be better understood. The Colonel of each regiment
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INDIANA VOLUNTEERS.
as he was reached was directed to give some certain coin- mand, this command being changed. The explanation of the movement was required to be given before the men were permitted to attempt the execution. General VanCleave and the brigade commander, Colonel Fyffe, finally reached the Eighty-sixth Indiana, when he stated to Colonel Hamil- ton that he was testing his regiment so that he might be satisfied that the officers and men could change their forma- tion, if it should be necessary, in action. He then said: "Colonel, you will 'Change front forward on first company.' Give the commands. But before your regiment undertakes to execute the movement explain it fully so that there can be no mistake. Now give the command: 'Change front for- ward on first company.' Give the instructions as I have directed." Colonel Hamilton gave the command as directed, but there he stopped. Then was heard the voice of the old General: "Instruct your regiment, Colonel. They are new men. Instruct them, Colonel." Again the Colonel gave the command, "Change front forward on first company." And again he stopped more confused than before. Again came the words of the General, "Instruct your men; instruct your men." The third time the Colonel gave the command. but this time he was excited and confused beyond measure. and the sharp tones struck his ears: "Colonel, you must obey my orders; instruct your men how to execute the move- ment." The Colonel broke down completely, called in a con- fused and utterly dazed manner for the Lieutenant Colonel, and unbuckling his sword belt turned on his horse, gave the sword to the Assistant Adjutant General, dismounted, and the command of the regiment then by order of the General devolved upon the then Lieutenant Colonel Dick.
In what has been said of the Eighty-sixth Indiana regi ment and its first Colonel, all intention to cast any reflection upon the bravery or honesty of purpose of Colonel Orville S. Hamilton is most emphatically disavowed. No one who knew Colonel Hamilton ever doubted either his bravery or his earnest desire to do all within his power, both as a man and an officer, to make his regiment all that it should have
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THE EIGHTY-SIXTH REGIMENT,
been. More than this, the writer, from personal intercourse with him, was led to believe, and now believes, that Colonel Hamilton was of that proud disposition that led him to wish for the very highest position for the regiment that it was possible for any body of troops to attain. The only trouble with him was that there was no military genius of any kind in his make-up. He was a man of good strong mind, and reputed to be a good lawyer, but not one particle of that strength of mind was in a military direction. His mind and memory were sufficiently strong to memorize the tactics, but he could not understand why a military command was given in a set form, nor could he realize that there was a reason for every movement in the tactics, and therefore could not put any of his memorized tactics into practical use. He could give a command which he received, but could not call from the store house of his memory the manner of executing the command when given so as to make the manner of its execu- tion understood by the new officers of his regiment so that they could execute, or cause to be executed, the movement for which the command had been given. As has been stated, Colonel Hamilton was a brave man. and all soldiers agree that bravery in an officer in the face of the enemy covers a multitude of short comings. At the battle of Perryville, alone in command of his regiment, in so far as the other field officers of the regiment were concerned, himself a new officer wholly without experience, and with a regiment in which both officers and men as a whole, were equally ignorant of their duties, and the manner in which those duties were to be performed, yet he never for an instant faltered in his efforts to do all he could, and for the sake of his regiment did not hesitate to ask assistance, even from one who did not hold a commission, in the formation of his line of battle, and then waited as calmly as the most perfect tactician and vet- eran, for the "shock of battle" which all believed was to come.
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