USA > Indiana > The Forty-Fourth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, history of its services in the war of the rebellion and a personal record of its members > Part 2
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HENDERSON.
enemy's country. Such were the feelings of the men of the Forty-fourth Indiana when they crossed the Ohio river at Henderson. Though the place professed loy- alty, the coolness with which the command was received, and the expressed sympathy of many for the rebel cause, were so much in contrast with the enthusiastic reception accorded the command on the Indiana side, that the men felt the necessity, and the officers in command the imperative duty, of taking all the precautions obligatory in face of an enemy. Pickets were thrown out, and the Regiment kept in readiness for action.
On November 9th the Military Department of the Ohio had been formed, consisting of the States of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and that portion of Kentucky east of the Cumberland River and the State of Tennessee, and General Buell was placed in command on the 3d of December. General Thomas J. Crittenden was appointed commander of the Fifth Division of the Army of the Ohio, comprising the 11th, 13th, and 14th Brigades. The 13th Brigade consisted of the 31st Indiana Infantry, Col. Charles Cruft ; 44th Indiana, Col. H. B. Reed ; 17th Kentucky, Col. J. H. McHenry ; 25th Kentucky, Col. James W. Shackleford. Colonel Cruft was assigned ' to the command of the Brigade.
General Crittenden's headquarters were at this time at Calhoun, upon Green River, some forty miles dis- tant across the country. All of his regiments except the Forty-fourth were in that vicinity. The enemy had threatened an attack on his lines from Hopkinsville, and had advanced as far as Greenville, late in Novem- ber, but deflected from there to Bowling Green, near
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HENDERSON.
where was encamped the centre of the Army of the Ohio, under the command of General A. M. D. MeCook. General Thomas held the left of the line, in Eastern Kentucky, with the rebel General Zollicoffer in his front. The Forty-fourth Indiana was alone on the extreme right of General Buell's forces. Though, as afterward appeared, no considerable body of the enemy was near, there were enough rumors and alarms to keep the command in readiness for battle, and to give to the needed drill exercises the zest and interest that would insure most efficiency.
There were rumors to the effect that the enemy was marauding the country in the vicinity and gathering up all the live stock possible, for the support of the Con- federate forces. These rumors having assumed an apparently reliable form, the Colonel concluded to send out a force to investigate the matter, and if possible capture the parties. On the 16th of December two detachments of fifty men each, one under command of Captain Kinney and the other under Captain Merrill, Co. F, set out on their first march, in search of the marauders. The Captains were ordered to proceed as far as Highland Creek, eighteen miles distant, and were to strike that stream at two points, supposed to be about five miles apart, at the same time, and then each to march to a point midway, expecting to find the enemy . between. Captain Kinney's detachment reached the designated point on time, and then marched down the stream to the place of union, but neither the enemy nor the other detachment was found. In the meantime Captain Heath, Co. I, and a messenger, had
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HENDERSON.
come up on horseback, with orders from camp. These and the Assistant Surgeon volunteered to go in search of Captain Merrill and his detachment, and starting about nine o'clock at night, traveled until break of day, when the command was found fifteen miles distant from the other, the two roads striking the creek that much farther apart than was reported. The two detachments were then brought together, thus consuming the whole of that day. In the meantime the camp had become alarmed, and Lieutenant-Colonel Crosthwait was sent out with another detail of one hundred men to our aid. All returned in two days, without a sight of the enemy or of the hogs he was reported to be stealing.
This little ripple, the first in camp life, was known as the " Hog Expedition." The most serious result was the disability of the Lieutenant- Colonel. The exposure and toil occasioned a recurrence of chronic diarrhoea, contracted during the Mexican war. He was furloughed and went home, where he died February 20th, 1862, greatly to the grief of the command.
The remainder of the month of December was quietly spent in camp. The ravages of the measles kept up a large sick list, but otherwise the command maintained comparatively good health. About one hundred and fifty had been sent to hospital since reaching Evans- ville. A regimental hospital was established in an old hotel building in Henderson, of which Surgeon Martin, took charge. Two patriotic women-Mrs. Burch, wife of Joseph Burch, Co. A, and Sarah Eldridge, wife of Henry Eldridge, Co. K,-under the impression that the Government would allow the employment of hospital
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SC. CO. ROSton
BALDWIN J CROSTHWAIT, LIEUTENANT-COLONEL.
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HENDERSON.
matrons, accompanied the regimental hospital up to this time, rendering much service to the sick.
The first few weeks in Kentucky were novel, even outside of the new and before untried duties of a sol- dier. With very few exceptions, not a member of the Regiment had trodden slave soil before. They came to it, many of them, with feelings of extreme hostility to the institution of slavery, many with feelings of indif- ference, and a few, possibly, with sentiments of approval. But to all, the sight of a slave at daily, unrequited toil was new. Henderson county then ranked second in the State in the number of slaves held. It was reported that there were over 4,000 slaves in the county. The following extract from a private letter, written from the camp, will be of interest in showing the position of the Government, and sentiment of the soldiers, at that time :
" A good negro hires here for from $200 to $300 a year, the hirer bearing all loss by sickness, paying doc- tor bills, ete. A pretty eosy way of living, that-take one of your fellow men and hire him for $200 a year, and pocket the money yourself ! Negro stock, though, is down now-priees one-third lower and few sales. Not a soldier nor officer has attempted to tamper with the institution. They would be severely punished if they should. Even conversation with the slaves is prohib- ited. The Union men here are very tender upon this point. Should we tamper with the slaves there would soon be an uproar. It is not our mission here to steal 'niggers.' If they want to leave and can follow our trail back, they may, for all of us. We ean render them no assistance in getting away, or their masters in hold- ing them. The secessionists here would really like
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HENDERSON.
some of the soldiers to run off a few, that they might raise a howl. We will not accommodate them in that line; though, if some of the boys knew it would get up a fight here [for which some were just then spoiling], they would be tempted to try it. We are in the service of our country, intend to obey her laws and fight her battles, and do naught but what we are authorized to do.
" Four or five free negroes living near here were stolen a few nights ago, and taken South ; two of whom were land-holders. The rascally kidnappers went to their houses and presented an order signed, they said, by Colonel Reed, requesting them to come to camp. They started, as they supposed, for the camp, but soon after learned their mistake. One of them, a father, suc- ceeded in making his escape, but one of his sons was taken along. The father came to the camp and offered Colonel Reed his farm and that of his son if he would resene his boy. The Colonel could not interfere."
Such were the sentiments of even the loyal people then, and such the orders of the Government ; that . a commander of troops on slave soil, fighting for the union of the States attempted to be overthrown by a rebellion whose corner-stone was acknowledged to be slavery, could fight his whole command to recapture hogs stolen to feed the rebel army, but not to rescue a brother man with a dark face, stolen to serve the men in the rebel army. Is it to be wondered at that a God of Justice deferred a speedy victory to a people so imbued with the evil whose aggressions they were fighting to overcome ? But in a few days, on January Ist, 1862, many of the command witnessed in Hender- son the last auction, there, of human slaves. Relief came to the slave before it did to his master.
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HENDERSON.
Upon this day the Colonel received orders to report at Calhoun, with eight companies of his command, and to leave two companies at Henderson until further orders. The companies detailed to remain were Co. G, Captain Williams, and Co. K, Captain Aldrich. The sick-some sixty in all-were left in charge of the Assistant Surgeon. On the 12th of January he was ordered to place the remaining sick in care of a resi- dent physician, and join the command at Calhoun.
The deaths in the command during 1861 were :
Francis Brooks, Co. A, at Camp Allen, Fort Wayne, of apoplexy, October 3d.
Samuel Gilbert, Co. K, at Camp Allen, supposed dis- ease of heart (was found dead in quarters), November 6th.
W. H. Stiver, Co. E, at Recker's Hospital, Fort Wayne, of typhoid fever, December 8th.
James H. Norton, Co. G, at Marine Hospital, Evans- ville, of typhoid fever, December 19th.
David Werts, Co. E, at Regimental Hospital, Evans- ville, December 9th.
John L. Shatto, Co. K, December 15th, and William Manier, Co. D, December 23d, at Marine Hospital, Evansville, both of typhoid fever, sequela of measles.
Samuel Endsley, Co. K, December 25th, at Hender- son, of pneumonia.
With respect to the services of Companies G and K at Henderson, we copy the following from articles recently published in the De Kalb County Republican, entitled " Life in the Ranks of the Forty-fourth Indiana Volunteers," by Sergeant Geo. W. Gordon, Co. K. :
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HENDERSON.
" Following the departure of the Regiment, the bat- talion moved to the fair ground and guarded all the approaches to the town, and was kept almost constantly on duty until the evening of January 28th, when a courier brought orders from General Crittenden to take immediate possession of the city and secure the strong- est buildings for quarters, as a hostile force was ap- proaching. Speedily tents were struck and loaded, and the troops marched in and took possession of the court house, despite strong opposition by the rebel sheriff, who refused the keys until told that the doors would otherwise be broken open. An exciting scene followed. The rebel element swore the soldiers must be driven out, but the Unionists sided with the troops. Meetings were held, irate speeches made, and resolutions passed, but the patrols dispersed the secessionists, and the bat- talion stood to arms during the ensuing night, fully expecting to fight the coming enemy, aided by the rebels in the city. With morning came the Sixtieth Indiana, and two companies of Home Guards from Evansville. This reinforcement caused the enemy to abandon their design. A hotel across the street, used as rebel headquarters, was occupied, and the stars and stripes hoisted from the roof. During the morning Jacob Fink, Co. K, hearing an insulting remark about Governor Morton by a secessionist, would have shot him had not a sergeant seized his gun, and ordered the rebel to leave, which he did forthwith. The reinforce- ments returned February 2d to Evansville, leaving the battalion to continue unmolested the round of guard drill and other duties."
These two companies rejoined the Regiment on the Tennessee River, near Fort Henry, on the 10th of March.
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HIENDERSON.
The deaths at Henderson, besides those before men - tioned, were : Cornelius Hinton, Co. K, January Ist, 1862, of typhoid pneumonia ; Scott Headly, Co. F, January 4th, of same; Thomas Parks, Co. D, January 15th, of same ; Deming Barton, Co. I, January 25th, of consumption ; Andrew J. Hart, Co. H, February 20th, of typhoid fever ; Phineas Cary, Co. G, February 22d, of typhoid pneumonia ; Henry Severns, Co. K, Febru- ary 27th, of diphtheria.
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THE GREEN RIVER CAMPAIGN.
CHAPTER IV.
THE GREEN RIVER CAMPAIGN.
THE Colonel, with eight companies of his Regiment, who had set out on the march overland for Calhoun, after a very unpleasant tramp of four days through mud, rain and slush, reached Calhoun on the 6th of January, and went into camp, which they at once commenced to prepare for winter quarters. But this occupation was very short, as on the 15th of January General Critten - den moved his whole command, except one regiment and the sick, ten miles up Green River, to South Car- rolton. Here the Regiment again went into camp. The weather during the stay at Calhoun and South Carrolton was exceedingly inclement, and the sick list was fearfully increased. The Surgeon's monthly report for January showed 86 remaining sick at last report, and 114 taken sick during the month. Of these, 5 had died, I had been furloughed, 7 sent to General Hos- pital, 103 returned to duty, leaving 84 sick on hand. These only included hospital cases. Probably three times as many more were treated in camp, and tempor- arily exempted from duty.
The troops moved to South Carrolton consisted of the 31st Indiana, Colonel Cruft ; 43d Indiana, Colonel Steele ; 44th Indiana, Colonel Reed ; 42 Indiana, Col-
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THE GREEN RIVER CAMPAIGN.
onel Jones; IIth Kentucky, Colonel Hawkins; 25th Kentucky, Colonel Shackleford ; 26th Kentucky, Col- onel Burbridge ; - th Kentucky Cavalry, Colonel Jack- son, and two battalions of artillery ..
An advance of rebel forces from Bowling Green was anticipated here, and on the 25th of January the com- mand was speedily set to work felling trees in front, and throwing up breastworks; but after two or three days of hard toil for the soldiers, the alarm subsided. On the 30th the sick were ordered to be taken to boat to be carried back to Calhoun, preparatory to the movement of the whole command back to that place. The writer went to one of the boats, and found such as were able to walk crowding on by hundreds, but none, however sick, were allowed to enter the cabin. After some words with the captain of the boat, he returned and reported to Surgeon Martin. The Doctor's indignation was aroused, as it was quickly on all occasions when the sick in his charge were heedlessly treated or insulted ; and not having, as yet, learned military restraint, he seized his revolver, ordered four or five soldiers with muskets in their hands to accompany him, and the Assistant Surgeon to follow with the sick. The cabin doors opened, upon his demand, though in a somewhat damaged condition, and the floor was soon covered with the sick. The Surgeon's popularity among the soldiers was advanced materially, and he was never disturbed for the act.
The Regiment marched by land to Calhoun, Febru- ary Ist, and went into camp, but to rest a few days only. Colonel Cruft was ordered to report with all the efficient
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THE GREEN RIVER CAMPAIGN.
men of his brigade. to General Grant, on the Tennes- see River, and on the 9th boarded boats for that point. The Assistant Surgeon was again detailed to remain behind with the sick, the detail covering the care of the sick of the 25th Kentucky, also. The march to and from South Carrolton, and the inelement weather, had brought very many down, and at that early stage of the war the facilities for caring for the sick were very poor and inadequate. At Calhoun there were probably nearly a thousand sick altogether, and no general hospital pro- visions whatever. The sick were sheltered from the storms and cared for as well as possible, in bar-rooms, old vacant buildings, a church, a masonic hall, and scattered around in dwelling houses. There were left of the Forty-fourth Indiana, 76 sick in hospital, so called, and 61 in camp quarters. The Twenty-fifth Kentucky left 90 sick, most of them being crowded in the audience room of a church. The care of so many sick, under such circumstances, was an exceedingly hard task for one physician, and was indeed the most toil- some and responsible he had during over four years of service.
The diseases most prevalent were pneumonia and typhoid fever, and the situation and weather as unfavor- able as they well could be, for their successful treatment. There died at Calhoun, during the winter of 1861-2 :
Nathan Myers, Co. E, February 7th. Henry Delater, Co. E, February 8th. Joseph Cairns, Co. E, February 4th. Charles Hulbert, Co. D, February 12th. Thomas Blackburn, Co. D, February 16th.
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THE GREEN RIVER CAMPAIGN.
John Hand, Co. B, February 17th.
John H. Stealey, musician, Co. H, February 21st. George Fish, sergeant, Co. H, Feb. 24th.
Arthur Haywood, Co. - , died at South Carrolton, January 28th.
The remaining sick were removed to the Marine Hospital at Evansville, on March Ist, and the Assistant Surgeon, with some 80 convalescents, took boat at this point to rejoin the Regiment, then in camp near Fort Henry.
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FORT DONELSON.
CHAPTER V.
FORT DONELSON.
THE Forty-Fourth Indiana, with the other regiments of the 13th brigade, left Calhoun, Ky., as before stated, February 9th, 1862, and moved down Green River to the Ohio, then down that river to Paducah.
The following lines were soon after published, with the statement that they were composed by a member of the Forty-fourth while floating down the Ohio to join General Grant at Fort Donelson. The name of the member was not given, and is yet unknown to the writer.
Fines by a Doosien Volunteer.
On Ohio's bright waters I'm floating once more, As I send forth my greetings to Hoosierdom's shore, But a sigh is borne with them far over the lee For my own humble home in that land of the free.
While the curtains of evening are shrouding the day, Let me turn from the press of our warriors away, To conceal from the gaze of the strangers a tear For the land that I love and the home that's so dear.
For the perils of battle my heart may be steel, But for the home-land and kindred 'tis manly to feel ; Then a moment for grief, as my boat hurries past, And I look, Indiana, on thee for the last.
Trusting wife of my youth ! with a moistening eye, On my lips is thy name, as I sob my good-bye ! Oh! the field may have terrors, and death may have pain, But none like the fear, that we meet not again.
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FORT DONELSON.
And now, while I know thy lone heart is aching, " By the burden that presses mine own to its breaking, I commit thee and thipe to the Father above, Who has blessed with his smiles all the years of our love.
Thee and thine-THINE AND MINE-Oh, the dear ones who sit Round the hearth of my home, and in sorrow repeat The fond name of Father-my children, to you I breathe forth my last and my saddest adieu.
Oh, pitying God ! while to battle I go, On the idols of home consolation bestow ! And though I may fall, this only I crave;
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Be a balm to the hearts that must bleed o'er my grave.
From Paducah the brigade moved up the Tennessee to Fort Henry, on the 11th of February, where it remained but a few hours, being at once attached to General Lew. Wallace's division, which, with Commo- dore Foote's fleet of gunboats, was just ready to start for Fort Donelson, by way of the Tennessee and Cum- berland rivers. This movement down to Paducah and thence up the Cumberland to Fort Donelson, is often referred to, by the old soldiers who were along, as the most orderly and magnificent display of gunboats and transports they saw during the war.
The troops were landed five miles below Fort Donel- son, February 14th, and moved at once to the right of the Union line, and bivouacked that night in front of the enemy. The day had been one of the coldest for that part of the country, and without any shelter, or other covering than a blanket apiece, the Regiment sought rest before engaging in its first battle, and what proved the first great, and one of the greatest, victories of the war. A snow-storm blew up during the night, and when the morning light dawned the waking heroes
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FORT DONELSON.
could be seen in all directions creeping out of grave- like hillocks of snow that covered the ground. By the time coffee was made and some hard.tack " munched," the orders came to " fall in" and move forward. I could give no more reliable account of the part per- formed by the Forty-fourth Indiana, in this battle, than to copy Colonel Reed's official report :
"FORT HENRY, February 18, 1862.
Col. Charles Cruft, commanding First Brigade, Third Division :
SIR :- On the morning of February 15, the Forty- fourth Regiment Indiana Volunteers left their bivouac near the enemy's lines, and marched to the attack on Fort Donelson. By order of General MeClernand we first took position near a battery, which was after- ward assaulted by the rebels. In this position the ene- my's shot flew over our heads. Shortly after, we were ordered forward into line with our brigade. As we marched past the enemy's breastworks we received a heavy fire, wounding some of our men. We took our position on the left wing of the brigade, in front of and within range of the enemy's guns; they were invisible to us, while we were exposed to their view. There was part of a regiment of Union troops (Colonel Logan's) on the slope of the hill between us and the enemy. Colonel Logan came to our line and requested we would not fire, as it would endanger his men. I gave the order to the men to withhold their fire. We remained exposed to the enemy's fire for fifteen or twenty minutes, with- out being able to return it, or to determine whether our friends were still in danger from our guns. At this time the enemy's fire partly subsiding, the regimental colors were ordered forward, and were planted ten paces in front of the line of battle by First-Lieutenant Story, of Company C. This failing to call forth a fire, Captain
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FORT DONELSON.
Bingham, Company H, advanced to a point ten or twelve paces farther in front of our line, and waved our colors in the air. This drew his fire, which was most heartily responded to by our men, and was followed up in rapid succession on both sides. Our men behaved most gal- lantly. In the early part of the action, Captain Cuppy, Company E, was severely wounded, while in advance of his men cheering them on.
By this time the regiment on our left having entirely changed its position, leaving our flank exposed, a move- ment was made by a well-mounted cavalry regiment, and a body of infantry, to turn our left wing. Captain Murray, Company B, was ordered to open fire upon them, and did so with terrifie effect. Companies E and H were ordered to the support of Company B, and poured in a well-directed fire, causing them to fall back in disorder. At this time, finding my regiment entirely alone and unsupported, the regiments on the left having withdrawn and our brigade having changed position to the right, (thus exposing both wings, of which the ene- my was about to take advantage,) the order was given to change position to the right, which was done by a right flank in good order; with the exception of a part of the left wing, which, from not having fully under- stood the order, became separated from the main body, and some confusion ensued. But in a few minutes they rejoined us. Ours was the last regiment engaged with the enemy during the fight in the morning. Having joined the brigade, we took position on an adjoining elevation, and awaited orders.
Major Stoughton, posted during the entire action in the most exposed position, deserves the highest praise for the cool courage and daring displayed. I would gladly mention instances of personal bravery during the entire day. Too much credit cannot be bestowed on our
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FORT DONELSON.
men-for their cool and determined courage, and espec- ially during the trying time when exposed to the ene- my's bullets, without being permitted to return it-bothi officers and men, in this our first engagement; but where almost all performed their part so well, it would require too lengthy a list to nante them personally, while many, justly deserving, might be unintentionally omit- ted. The Forty-fourth did its duty. We lost in the engagement 7 killed, 34 wounded, and 2 missing.
From our position on the hill where our column rested we could see the battle-field in the morning, and the enemy again form his line of battle, at about half- past three o'clock r. M. A renewed attack upon his lines was ordered by General Wallace. My regiment advanced to the foot of the hill occupied by the enemy, formed in liue of battle in face of a storm of bullets, finding the ground occupied by the Eighth Missouri. I advanced my regiment up the hill at double quick ; our men, loudly cheering, advanced rapidly to the suin- mit of the hill, firing at the enemy. The enemy soon retreated inside his entrenchments, closely followed by our troops. A fire was opened on us by their batteries, the shells falling near our lines. Whilst deliberating upon an attack on the fortifications, we received an order from General Grant to fall back to the brow of the hill, which was done. Here we bivouacked for the night. The following morning (Sunday) we were or- dered by you to march forward to attack the enemy's works. When just ready to march, the joyful intelli- genee was brought us that the enemy had surrendered. Our column being in motion, we were the first to march into the town of Dover.
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