USA > Indiana > The Eighty-sixth regiment, Indiana volunteer infantry : a narrative of its services in the civil war of 1861-1865 > Part 7
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Bragg had now made good his escape from the immed- iate vicinity of Perryville. For allowing him to thus es- cape Buell was severely condemned. All the old charges of incompetency, traitor, and communicating with the enemy, were revived and sounded over the land. Few knew the difficulties under which Buell labored. Historians of to-day
THE EIGHITY-SIXTHI REGIMENT,
will deal more justly with his name and service. The winter of 1895, thirty-three years later, Congress recognizing his ability and patriotism placed him on the retired list of the army. The St. Louis Globe-Democrat says of this: "The House has done the right thing in placing Don Carlos Buell on the retired list of the army as Brigadier-General. Gen- eral Buell commanded one of the great armies with decided ability for nearly a year, and was relieved through a singular bit of luck. A part of his army fought a battle without his knowledge and against his instructions. The commander was undone by the fault of his subordinates, and the extra- ordinary fact that no one rode a few miles to let him know that a heavy battle was in progress at Perryville." Com- menting on the above the Chicago Inter-Ocean says: "The battle of Perryville was made the pretext of carrying out a decision arrived at weeks before. But after all has been said that can be said, all parties to the controversy concede that Buell was a good soldier; that he handled the Army of the Ohio, afterwards the Army of the Cumberland, admir- ably, and that under his command it became one of the best disciplined and most efficient military organizations in the field. The action of the House is to be commended." Such, however, was not the opinion in Buell's own army at the time of, and immediately following, the battle of Perryville.
Notwithstanding Bragg had escaped here, it seemed to be the general opinion of general officers that he would make a stand farther on, perhaps in the neighborhood of Danville or Harrodsburg. It seemed they could not divest their minds of the idea that Bragg was in Kentucky to fight rather than to gather up supplies and encourage the Kentuckians to en- list in the Southern army. Therefore the following morning the whole army pressed forward on all available roads, Crit- tenden's corps marching out on the road to Danville. It was a rough, stony road, and there was scarcely a man in the regiment whose feet were not more or less worn out, sore, or tender. The command covered some eight or ten miles before halting for the night. The bivouac was located in a beautiful woods pasture, well cleared of all underbrush, and
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finely set with blue-grass. Although tired and sore, the boys went to work immediately to provide necessaries for their comfort during the night. The fodder in an adjoining corn field could be seen moving in almost every direction-a fair share of it finding its way to the Eighty-sixth. Soon the entire regiment had provided itself with snug fodder houses for protection against rain and storm. A plentiful supply of rails was had and all seemed peaceful and quiet, and the men really did enjoy a very comfortable night. Next morn- ing when breakfast was just ready an alarm was given. The pickets had been fired upon and the command was, "Fall in, Eighty-sixth." The regiment was instantly formed and went forward at once. The prospect for that meal was for- ever destroyed. After a few minutes' waiting two companies were detailed and sent out as skirmishers. One company was deployed upon the line, and advancing some distance was ordered to lie down, and there through the entire day these skirmishers lay waiting, watching, expecting the enemy to attack; this too without breakfast, or a mouthful to eat, or any relief whatever from their position. This would have been considered pretty tough service even by veterans, but then they would have known how to take advantage of the situation and helped themselves by sending details back to the bivouac for food and drink. A short time after dark the regiment and the companies on the line, were relieved and returned to the bivouac. Supper and breakfast were eaten, both at the same time. The boys were decidedly small in the circle of their belts after an eighteen hour fast, and they did ample justice to their meager commissary stores. Look- ing over the history of that Kentucky campaign after Bragg one cannot keep from laughing at the awkwardness and feeble manner in which the men took care of themselves, yet candor compels it to be said that it was an outrage and a shame that they were not better treated and cared for by those in command.
The following morning the drum beat reveille at peep of day, and the men arose promptly, not intending to miss an- other breakfast if they could possibly avoid it by their own
THE EIGHTY-SIXTH REGIMENT,
exertions and alacrity. The meal was speedily prepared and as quickly dispatched. Shortly after the morning meal Hawkins' brigade was ordered out on a reconnoissance to determine the location of the enemy. After having pro- ceeded some three or four miles there were strong indica- tions of a considerable force. The brigade was at once halted and formed in line of battle and there waited expect- ing an attack. But the enemy failed to put in an appear- ance. The regiment bivouacked for the night on the same ground. Again the regiment built fodder houses and sup- plied itself with rails. The men were in a great bustle get- ting supper and in high glee over the prospect for a good time that night, when orders came to move at once and re- join the command. The good humor was soon dispelled and something different prevailed. The men thought orders were given at the most unreasonable hours. One time they would be cheated out of their breakfast, at another of their supper. But the exposed position without adequate sup- port, and the separation from the division, were good military reasons for the brigade's recall. The brigade marched at once carrying pumpkins, chickens, and various other sup- plies.
These daily experiences were making soldiers of some very fast, and invalids of others just as rapidly, and actually killing many others. The sick list of the regiment was being greatly and very rapidly augmented. The regimental sur- geons found themselves with more patients than they could properly attend to, and the poor fellows suffered much, both from the inability of the surgeons to get round and for the want of medical supplies.
The army was now in the world famous blue-grass re- gion of Kentucky where there was plenty, and it is hardly necessary to say that the boys did not depend solely upon the regimental commissary for subsistence, but drew from the abundance of the country in a very liberal manner, sup- plying themselves with beef, veal, pork, chickens, turkeys, potatoes and all things necessary to refresh and strengthen. No one mess had all of these catables, but the different
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messes of the regiment were provided with some of these various articles. When in camp, or whenever a halt was called when on the march, some of the best foragers would be skirting the column's line of march picking up supplies.
On the morning of the 13th the march was resumed and having covered about six miles, the command arrived at Danville. Bivouacking at the edge of town in a fine woods pasture belonging to the farm of General Boyle very strict orders were received against foraging, even the taking of fence-rails. Cord-wood was issued to the Eighty-sixth for fuel. The regiment arrived here early in the day and were quite comfortably situated and were made exceedingly glad by the reception of a large mail from friends in the North. Singing and shouting took the place of grumbling and mut- terings of discontent. The early halt and bivouac gave all who were well a good rest, and an opportunity for the men to do many little things for themselves which they could not find time to do when marching from early morning until late at night, or spending the same long hours on the skirmish line. Clothing was repaired, and the straps of the cart- ridge-box, knapsacks and haversacks were adjusted. These are small things, but they are straws on the camel's back and they are essential to the soldier's comfort when on the march.
The regiment was now considerably reduced in numbers. Some were behind, foot-sore and worn out, many were sick, and a few had deserted. This march had tried the mettle of the men as well as their physical stamina. Some still with the regiment were injured in health and broken in spirits and constitutions, but had managed by great perseverance and will power to maintain their places in ranks. It was only the strong, muscular ones of iron constitutions and indomitable pluck, genuine Saxon grit, that had been able to maintain their places in ranks at all times and endure the great hard- ships up to this point in the march without injury to them- selves. From the day they left Louisville there had been a terrible strain on the men of the regiment, and it is really wonderful that so many came through it all. Raw as the
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THE EIGHTY-SIXTH REGIMENT,
men were, they kept pace with the veterans of Buell's army, inured to all kinds of service and exposure, and as a regi- ment it was ever ready for the line of battle, for the skir- mish line, or whatever duty it was called upon to perform, although the men scarcely knew more of drill than to " shoulder arms " or "right face."
The command, or VanCleve's division at least, had almost twenty-four hours rest at Danville and were much benefitted by it. On the morning of the 14th after breakfast- ing on some of the best that the blue-grass region afforded, the division left Danville continuing the pursuit of Bragg's army, General Wood's division having preceded it during the night on the Stanford road. The day was quite warm, but the division pushed on to Stanford. Before arriving there, however, the boom of cannon could be heard. Gener- al Wood's division had run up against the rear of the enemy and was pounding away at him in a vigorous manner. To judge by the thunderous roar of the artillery there was a battle on hand. A strong rear guard had been posted to de- lay the advance of Buell's column. They showed a strong disposition to maintain the ground and to fight if too closely encroached upon, but General Wood finally succeeded in putting them to flight and continued the pursuit. They had served their purpose. They delayed the column and gave General Bragg more time to get his supplies out of the way. As Wood continued right on after the enemy, VanCleve's division had nothing to do but to follow to within a few miles of Crab Orchard. But it was not to be a night of rest. The men of the Eighty-sixth weary, sore, and asleep as though dead, were aroused, and ordered to push on. It was about 11 o'clock at night when the column tramped on in the darkness after the fleet-footed foe. Bragg was well away now and cared little for his pursuers. The topography of the country had greatly changed. The fine rolling land like that around Danville had disappeared, and instead, it was a broken, semi-barren region that furnished but little prov- ender for the free-handed foragers. There were hills and hollows, and ravines and gullies, and these constituted the
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country. Forage for the horses and mules was scarce. There were fewer chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese, hogs and sheep, consequently the men had to depend for subsistence almost entirely upon the rations issued from the commissary department. The pikes had disappeared. In one sense this was an advantage, but in other respects it was much harder than marching on the pikes. Now there were dirt roads, the best of all roads for marching when good, and clear of obstructions, and when soft enough to be spongy and springy under the feet. But these roads were gravelly and rocky. The marching was uphill and down hill, up ravines and down hollows, through gorges and winding round hillsides. This manner of marching to al- ready worn out men was very exhausting. It was only the invincible Hoosier pluck that carried nine out of ten through. The bad quality of the water here caused many to suffer severely with camp diarrhea and the regimental sur- geons were kept busy.
The wagon trains were left at Stanford, only the ambu- lances accompanying the troops. But the column pushed forward on through Crab Orchard and Mt. Vernon, pressed close on the heels of Bragg's retiring forces, thundering at the rear-guard almost continuously. Rations were exhausted by the raw troops, but what mattered it so the rebels were driven out? A few miles beyond Mt. Ver- non a deep ravine or gorge through which the road passed was filled with trees felled from the hillsides into the road, thus effectually blockading it. The regiment had bivouacked the previous night between this point and Mt. Vernon, and when it was found that this gorge was blockaded it was ordered to return to the bivouac of the previous night, al- though a very undesirable place for a camp. The road passed through a deep ravine with steep hills rising on each side. There was scarcely a place on all the hillsides where a good bed could be made, yet the whole regiment was compelled to " bunk" here. The scarcity of rations here both nights caused the boys to give the place the name of "Hungry Hollow," and it was worthy of the name, as many an old soldier will
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THE EIGHTY-SIXTII REGIMENT,
remember it well until his dying day. Rations almost wholly gone, nothing to forage in this wild, hilly country, bad water and a steep hillside so steep that the men had to sleep astrad- dle of a sapling, doubled round a stump or rock, or lie on the uphill side of a log to keep from rolling or sliding down. All these did not have a tendency to endear the place to any, although it will ever have a place in memory. No doubt, the younger generations may laugh at those things as mat- ters of the veterans' perverted imagination, but a few weeks' campaigning in the mountainous regions of Kentucky will satisfy the most skeptical, and they will quickly avow "the half has not been told."
CHAPTER IX.
THE WILD CAT HILLS.
Sour Grapes-Bnell Denounced-Turned Back-Bnell Removed-Rosecrans As- signed to the Command-Somerset-A Deep Snowfall-Apple Jack-Columbia Overcoats and Dress Coats Drawn-Stolen Cheese-Glasgow.
The following morning the road having been cleared of all obstructions, Crittenden's corps pushed on after the rebel forces to what was known as the "Wild Cat Hills" in the vicinity of Rockcastle river. This was an extremely wild and broken country, each section getting rougher than the preceding as the mountains were approached. The hills pre- sented many strange sights to the Hoosier eyes, accustomed to look only upon the flat country of the Wabash Valley. The hills rose alnost to mountain height. There were wild dells and picturesque cliffs, ravines, gorges, abrupt and pre- cipitous descents, among all of which the road wound it serpentine way. Here were many immense boulders and smaller broken and fragmentary rocks in piles as if the hammer of God had smitten mountains of stone and shivered and crushed them into loose lying fragments. Forageable
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things, of course, were not to be found in this thinly settled section, consequently the stock of provender daily grew more and more attenuated.
Here on these Wild Cat Hills occurred an incident to which new regiments are subject, and which sometimes rob them of many a good soldier. Elijah Wellman, of Company H, carelessly handling his gun shot a toe off. This gave the Surgeon a chance to show his skill in another manner than in issuing quinine and Dovers powders. After the amputa- tion was completed and the patient came out from the influ- ence of the chloroform he became very sick and vomited a great deal. This unfortunate accident ended Wellman's ser- vice with the regiment.
There was at this time much discontent and grumbling among the troops which was most generally directed at Gen- eral Buell. In fact, the feeling here against him grew stronger than ever, the fault finders holding him responsible for the escape of the rebel army, for the lack of rations, and for the hard and laborious march without apparent success in forcing the enemy to give battle after leaving Perryville. The rank and file of the army from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Iowa were particularly bitter and outspoken.
After lounging a day or two among the rocks of the Wild Cat Hills while the cavalry pursued the retreating en- emy as far as Barboursville and Manchester, the column about faced and returned to the neighborhood of Mt. Ver- non. From here the sick, and those greatly enfeebled, and the wounded, were sent back to hospitals in the rear, while the army went toiling across the country toward Nashville. It was not a cheerful thought to have in one's mind of another long march over a rough broken country. but the army must reach the vicinity of Nashville before the enemy's forces get in striking distance, and therefore there must be no extra delays.
On the morning of the 24th of October, by General Order No. 168, War Department, General Buell was re- moved and Major General W. S. Rosecrans assigned to the command. By the same order, the Department of the Cum-
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THE EIGHTY-SIXTH REGIMENT,
berland was re-created. It also designated the troops as the Fourteenth Army Corps, which soon afterwards, by general and popular consent gave place to the more appropriate name of Army of the Cumberland, as originally borne under Generals Anderson and Sherman.
On the 24th, taking the road to Somerset, the regiment marched somewhat more leisurely. It covered some eight or nine miles and bivouacked near a fine pond of water, and was decidedly more comfortable than on the Wild Cat Hills, although it was not good ground for a bivouac. The follow- ing morning reveille was sounded at 4 o'clock, and all was bustle and hurry until breakfast was prepared and eaten. But then the hurry was over and VanCleve waited for an- other division to take the advance. The troops lounged here and there until about 10 o'clock and then filed out upon the road, winding over the country, making good time, and reach- ing Somerset about 4 o'clock. It was now raining and a most unpromising evening. The command passed beyond the town about a mile and bivouacked. But for some reason the Eighty-sixth had great trouble to find its place. Colonel Hamilton lost his temper entirely and threatened to demol- ish the veteran regiments who were guying the Eighty-sixth about being "lost in the wilderness " like the children of Israel. It was rather too pointed to the Colonel. It passed here and there through the grounds of the other regiments and somewhat disturbed them. Much bad feeling was en- gendered, but at length about dark he found the place as- signed him. There was not a flattering prospect for much needed rest, but the men slept soundly until towards morn- ing-about 3 o'clock-when they were wakened by the limbs from the trees falling all around. There was a continual snapping and crashing of limbs. They would break off from the trees with snapping and cracking sound, and in a second or so would come crashing upon the earth. On looking about them they immediately perceived the cause. They discov- ered that some five or six inches of snow had fallen in the night and being wet and heavy was breaking the limbs from the trees. The various bunks of the regiment was buried in
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"the beautiful." Several men in the regiment were more or less injured by the falling limbs. It was quite dangerous and notwithstanding they were tired. the entire regiment now arose and built fires and watched for falling timber not daring to lie down. Not a man in the regiment had a tent, consequently all were covered with snow and their blankets were wringing wet. Rails were carried a good half mile or more, fires were built and blankets strung up near them to dry. Breakfast was prepared and eaten and every prepara- tion was made to be ready to march, but word came that the regiment would remain in camp, and then the work of the day was commenced in earnest. Axes were procured and hundreds of strong men went to work. felling great trees on every hand until the forest rang. The crash of the falling trees was mingled with the shouts and laughter of the busy laborers. Trees were felled and cut into logs. These were rolled into great heaps and fired. The brush was cut and piled in heaps, and thus the work proceeded in all parts of the camp. Here and there were parties of workers chop- ping, others rolling and piling the logs together. and still others gathering and piling the brush and building fires, un- til the camp ground looked like a great clearing up of lands in a timbered country more than a military bivouac. Some built brush houses, or sheds, to protect themselves from the storm, and made fires immediately in front of these primitive structures, and were soon reasonably comfortable, even with the ground covered with snow. Fortunately the Eighty- sixth was bivouacked in a large woods pasture from which the under brush had been cleared. This with the felled timber made it a very good and comfortable place. During the night the regiment had sheltered under the trees, and now these same trees cut down furnished the men fuel and shelter. The members of the Eighty-sixth were not slow by this time to take advantage of any circumstance which would contribute to their comfort in camp. But here great inclemency of the weather caught them unawares, and the severe exposure rapidly increased the number of sick among those already greatly exhausted and worn out by the long
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THE EIGHTY-SIXTHI REGIMENT,
continued marching, and its many privations and extreme hardships. Accordingly the regimental surgeons established a temporary hospital in the town of Somerset, and some fif- teen or twenty of the worst cases were conveyed there, that they might have better attention and care while the com- mand remained here. But this was not long. It remained over the 26th and 27th of October, recruiting strength and waiting for the roads to dry up. On the morning of the 28th a member of Company K, Alexander Jester, died at the hospital in Somerset. He was buried by the hospital force. The march for Nashville was resumed. The roads were bad and but little progress was made. The command bivouacked near a stream known as Fishing Creek. Here Laban Lan- don. or Company C, died, and was buried by the side of the road. Thus were the ranks of our noble regiment being thinned. Few comrades remember these patriots who gave up their lives for the cause as truly as those who died upon the field. They were too much burdened and hurried in the onward push to give much heed to a dying comrade. Who can locate their graves? No flowers for them on Memorial Day. yet who will say that they shall not receive their re- ward?
From Somerset the column marched to Columbia, reach- ing there on the 31st. There was nothing occurred on this part of the march out. of the usual routine, with the single exception that perhaps the supply of "apple- jack " was rather more abundant than heretofore, and those who wished to lay in a supply had a little more leisure to look for it, consequently those disposed to imbibe freely were sometime slow about reaching camp and were often in- clined to be boisterous when they did reach it. Others were " too full for utterance" and navigation, and tarried by the way-side until the mighty influence of the "jack" had abated its control. Then they came to camp soberly and demurely. Poor fellows, they looked badly enough, and no doubt they felt even worse than they looked.
The following morning after reaching Columbia, Novem- ber 1, clothing was issued to the Eighty-sixth, and the poor
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simpletons, nearly to a man, drew overcoats and dress-coats, and many of them other articles of clothing. The men al- ready had a sufficient load to carry. These coats and articles of clothing greatly increased their burdens. The men had perhaps thrown away since leaving Louisville fully one half of their baggage, and now were again loaded to the guards- fully as heavy as when leaving that city to take their first march. But experience is an excellent master. On November 1 the regiment left Columbia, marching out about 8 o'clock. The morning was quite cool and the men generally put on their dress-coats and overcoats, thinking that the easiest way to carry them. The command was hurried forward at a rapid pace. As the day advanced the heat increased until it became quite warm. Bundled as the men were they soon felt them- selves sweating at every pore, but no time was given to change coats or to re-adjust loads. It was certainly very hard marching. Many gave out and fell behind the regiment before noon, but no halt was called. Still pressing on with unabated speed the number in ranks grew less and less. Some few straggled to be sure, who were not exhausted, but when the regiment was finally halted for the night's bivouac, about 3 o'clock, there were only one hundred and forty men in ranks to stack arms. At first the Colonel looked at the regiment as it "dressed up" in line before stacking arms in blank amazement. Then he became angry, growing hotter and hotter until he was in a terrible rage. He charged on to the company officers, but soon saw that was utterly useless. Then he charged back upon the incom- ing stragglers, swearing that he would arrest and punish every man of the Eighty-sixth that was behind when the halt was called. He immediately ordered the arrest of those just coming in and placed a guard to halt and arrest all who came later. The stragglers were collected under a large tree in an open space just to the rear of the regimental line where all could see and hear. And here the Colonel continued to swear at them and tell them what terrible punishment was in store for them, what kind of soldiers they were, and how little they deserved the name. It was a perfect volley of
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