USA > Indiana > The soldier of Indiana in the war for the union, Vol. I > Part 12
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Captain Bense came up; and Corporal Frank Kistler, of the Thirteenth Indiana, who had recognized me, introduced me, saying " that he had heard of me before."
" Fall in! Fall in!" shouted the Rebel lieutenant, who had us in charge. "Forward, march!" and away we went, Frank Kistler by my side, - who told me that only a picket party had been captured, and that Reynolds would "lam the Rebs like h-1." Then he told me the late news, but in few words, for no talking was allowed. In another hour, Huntersville was at our backs, and we were plodding along through the mountain-roads, wading deep, cold streams, and climbing up steep hills. My feet were a mass of blisters, and I was so weary that I would have given up; but l knew I would be sent back. I told Kistler my condition, and he put me on his shoulders, carrying me with as much ease as if I were only his knapsack. That night we camped in a swamp, without blankets ourselves ; but Kistler soon captured one for me. A little raw meat was served next morning, and we were off, - I so sore, that only by bring- ing up the very utmost of my powers I travelled on.
That day at about two P. M. I could stand it no longer, for our road was up, up, always up the mountain. I threw
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myself down by the road, telling the lieutenant they might leave me, parole me, or shoot me, I had no choice, but to walk one step further I would not. He told one of the guard to stay with me till a government wagon came up, and then bring me on to the Warm Springs, where he would camp till next day. So all marched on. My guard was an ignorant Tennesseean ; and after talking to me a little, I pretended to sleep. He was lying near me, a little off from the road, in the woods. I soon noticed him sleeping, even snoring. I took his gun in my hand and thought how easy I might put an end to him. " Murder," responded my conscience, " to kill a sleeping, ignorant man." I knew that for me to go away would be folly : I could not walk the fourth of a mile. In an hour, the wagons came up, and I was put in with three wounded Rebels. At dark we came to the Warm Springs, and found our boys in camp by the side of a brick church. Flour had been given them, but nothing to cook it with. So we mixed it up with water into thick paste, wrapped it on sticks, and held it over the embers till cooked.
Next morning, we were paraded by the drunken lieuten- ant before the large hotel, for the criticism of the guests. After going through this disagreeable inspection, we were marched over the Warm Spring Mountain, to Bath Alum Springs, where we were once more paraded, for the amusement of the fashionable first families. Resuming our march, we came to within five miles of Millsborough Station, which was our destination; but as it was climbing mountains all the time, I gave out, once more refusing to walk ; so a guard was left with me, with orders, after I rested, to walk slowly on, and if we got to Millsborough after the train had gone, to put me in the jail and leave me. This was sad, for I wanted to go on with Captain Bense, Lieutenant Shafer, Lieutenant Gilman, and Kistler, with whom I had formed such pleasant acquaintance, and from whom I had received so much kindness. While we sat by the way, a spring- · wagon drove by, with two Rebel officers sitting on the front seat. We asked to ride. They said they were taking the remains of Colonel Washington to Millsborough, and could not make time for the train if they took us in.
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As they passed by, a negro, driving three galled and broken- down mules, came up.
" Where are you driving those mules, boy ?"
" Gwine to pastor 'em at Millsborough, massa."
" I must ride one of them, then," said I.
" I got no 'jections, massa. Mighty 'fraid dat animal can't hold you up, though."
The guard put me on the bare-backed and bridleless mule, and walked behind, urging him up with his bayonet occa- sionally. We were soon up with our men, who all laughed and cheered as I passed by them. I heard Captain Bense say, " It's hard to tell who looks the worse for wear, the man or the mule."
At four P. M. we arrived at Millsborough, and in half an hour, sixteen of us were put into a box-car, in most uncom- fortable quarters, and at ten P. M. we were in the city of Staunton, where we were marched to an old depot, into which straw had been put for our accommodation. I had no sooner touched the straw than I was sleeping soundly ; but I was soon awakened by the noise of a drunken Rebel officer, who was swearing at a great rate, and waking up the prisoners, to ask them where they were from, and what they came down here for. This first-family man flourished a huge knife, and told how many men he could kill with it. At length he disturbed the wrong man, when he got hold of a red-haired sergeant of the Sixth Ohio Regiment, who drew himself up in Heenan style and told the F. F. V. in strong language, that, if he did not let him go to sleep, he would kill him. The F. F. V. did not use his knife, but swore vengeance next morning. But when we marched out at daylight, I suppose this Confed- erate officer was sleeping off his drunk; and we marched to the depot, and were off to Richmond, where we arrived at six P. M. of, I think, the third day of October. We were marched down Main Street amidst the hooting of soldiers and the shouts of ragged little boys. "D-d Yankee!" was all the sound we could hear. At the lower end of Main Street is situated several tobacco-factories. We were drawn up in line in front of the officers' quarters, which at that time was in Ligon & Co.,s factory. Here the roll was called, and a
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"GOOD MORROW, RICHMOND !"
drunken lieutenant put down the names, rank, when and where captured, charges, &c.
My name was called last. I was just going to give my regiment, when the lieutenant who had come with us said, " That man was captured several months ago as a spy, and has been in jail at Huntersville."
I was heart-sick, for I thought I was free from that charge. We stood there in the street till it was quite dark, when we were marched into a factory opposite. The guards threw up their guns, and we walked in amid the noise and bustle of a soldier-prison. The rooms were very large, and the gas burning brightly. Here were men from every State, in all sorts of uniforms, laughing, singing, playing cards, and seem- ing very happy. We soon scattered through the building. Each new-comer was the centre of some questioning crowd. Before we had been in half an hour, I heard some two shots fired at the new prisoners who had foolishly gone near a third-story window. In this way they told us several had been killed within two weeks.
Next morning the sergeant came to call the roll, and ordered all new prisoners to stand on the east side of the room. He then commenced to call our names. But he found that his roll, written by the drunken lieutenant, was not readable, and he called up one of his sergeants to copy it for him on a blank, which he had with him. When he came to my name, Captain Bense, who read the names off, instead of reading my name as "captured in July as a spy," read, " captured in September, at Elk Water; belonging to the Sixth Regiment Indiana Volunteers." The sergeant now called the roll ; then said, " All commissioned officers step two paces to the front." Captain Bense, Lieutenant Gilman, and Lieutenant Shafer went out. Bense looked back, seeing me, and said, " There is Dr. Fletcher, Assistant Surgeon of the Sixth Regiment." I took the hint, and was marched off with. them to the officers' quarters.
We found some sixty Federal officer's just at breakfast .. Good bread, beefsteak, and coffee seemed to abound; and I for one did justice to these rarities; and the result was that in half an hour I was deadly sick. I found no one to talk
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to. All our officers shunned me, for I was lean, long-haired, ragged, and dirty. They were fat, slick, and in their new uniforms, which they had worn on the Bull-Run field.
But in time I became well acquainted with all the officers, received money from home, and spent as agreeable times as a prisoner could be expected to. I used every endeavor to learn if Clark was in Richmond; but he was not there. I heard that a man of that description had been sent to New Orleans.
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CHAPTER XL
INDIANA MUSTERING HER FORCES.
"'It is so universal to go with joy, that no one can make a boast of it. To betray the contrary feeling would bring disgrace."-Niebuhr's Life.
AFTER the departure from Indiana of the six regiments or- ganized in accordance with the second call of the President, there were left several companies and detachments, which, on being assembled at Camp Morton, and re-organized, formed a battalion of five companies, and received the name of the "Eighteenth Regiment in part."
For any future calls the War Department might make, companies from all parts of the State continued to offer their services, often coming to the capital to use the influence of their presence with the State authorities. When they returned to their homes, it was with disappointment, sometimes with mingled anger and grief.
One day, in the ardent summer of Sixty-one, a member of a rejected company, which was sullenly marching towards the Union Depot, started the spirited hymn, "I'm going home to die no more." It struck the fancy of his comrades. They all joined lustily in the singing, and regained their good humor either by the influence of the music, or the odd fitness of the words.
Governor Morton, and other Indiana gentlemen, urged upon the Cabinet the danger of dampening enthusiasm by persist- ent refusals of the offers of volunteers, and represented the necessity for more troops than had been called into the ser- vice. At length, on the 11th of June, Governor Morton ob- tained authority to accept six, and on the 22d four more regiments.
The Secretary of War desired that the troops raised under the auspices of James W. McMillan and William L. Brown, who had previously made application, should be organized
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among the accepted regiments. He afterwards added the regiment of Solomon Meredith.
The ten regiments formed in consequence of this permis- sion were-Nineteenth, under command of Solomon Mere- dith, and rendezvoused at Camp Morton; Twentieth, William L. Brown, Camp Tippecanoe, Lafayette; Twenty-First, James W. McMillan, Camp Morton; Twenty-Second, Wil- liam G. Wharton, Camp Jefferson, Madison; Twenty-Third, William L. Sanderson, Camp Noble, New Albany; Twenty- Fourth, Cyrus M. Allen, Camp Knox, Vincennes; Twenty- Fifth, James G. Jones, Camp Vanderburg, Evansville; Twenty-Sixth, under the auspices of several gentlemen, Camp Sullivan, Indianapolis; Twenty-Seventh, under different indi- viduals, Camp Morton; Twenty-Eighth, Conrad Baker, eight companies organized in camp, near Evansville, and six com- panies near Madison.
The last was a cavalry regiment, which the Government was induced to accept only after repeated solicitations. Cav- alry had not been an arm of the service during the revolu- tionary struggle; it had been little used in 1812, and not much employed in the Mexican war. With all respect for that aged servant of his country, it must be confessed that General Scott had no love for innovation, and to this fact, probably, was due the hesitation and delay with which cavalry was called. He was convinced that the war could be conducted to a safe issue without incurring the enormous additional expense.
In July a call for five hundred thousand volunteers was issued by Congress. At this time the Secretary of War or- dered that the six regiments of three months volunteers should be re-organized to serve three years, and that ten additional regiments should be accepted.
The Germans and Irish of Indiana proposed to form regi- ments to be composed exclusively of their own nationality. Their propositions were accepted. The Germans selected August Willich, the Irish John C. Walker, to engage in the' work of recruiting.
In August all restrictions on volunteering were removed.
The six earlier regiments were re-organized: Sixth, Colonel Crittenden, Camp Jefferson; Seventh, Colonel Dumont, Camp
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Morton; Eighth, Colonel , Benton, Camp Morton; Ninth, Colonel Milroy, in camp at Westville; Tenth, Colonel Man- son, Camp Tippecanoe; Eleventh, Colonel Wallace, Camp Morton.
Under the call for five hundred thousand, fifty regiments of three years troops were raised, and eighteen batteries of artillery.
A number of regiments formed at that early period of the war did not represent any particular Congressional District, being hastily organized of such troops as were first on the ground, without reference to their locality. The generality, however, were from particular Districts.
The Twenty-Ninth wasorganized from the Indiana Legion, for the Ninth Congressional District, by John F. Miller.
The Thirtieth was enlisted in the Tenth District, and was placed under the command of Sion S. Bass, of Fort Wayne.
The Thirty-First was organized in the Seventh District, and placed under command of Charles Cruft.
The Thirty-Second (First German) was organized by Colonel Willich, and was composed of men from almost every part of the State.
The Thirty-Third, from several Districts, was placed nnder the command of Judge John Coburn.
The Thirty-Fourth, called also the " Morton Rifles," was organized at Camp Anderson, in the town of Anderson, and was mustered into the service under the command of Colonel Asbury Steele.
The Thirty-Fifth (First Irish) was somewhat delayed in its formation. It is said there was no difficulty in getting re- cruits, but that as the new recruits entered the camp, the older volunteers, by a singular fatality, disappeared from it, and, in consequence, for some time the number remained at a fixed point. An attempt afterwards made to form a second Irish regiment failed, and the recruits obtained were added to the Thirty-Fifth, and filled up its numbers. The regiment was under the command of John C. Walker, of Laporte.
The Thirty-Sixth was raised in the Fifth Congressional District, under the auspices of William Grose, of Newcastle, and organized with no delay ..
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THE SOLDIER OF INDIANA.
The Thirty-Seventh was formed from the Indiana Legion in the Second Congressional District, and placed under the command of George W. Hazzard, a Captain of artillery in the regular army.
On the application of Benjamin F. Scribner, of New Albany, special orders were granted him, dated August 20, 1861, to raise the Thirty-Eighth regiment. His success was rapid, and upon the completion of the regiment, he was ap- pointed its Colonel.
Thomas J. Harrison, of Kokomo, and other gentlemen, offered their services, and were authorized by special orders from the War Department to raise a regiment of Sharpshooters. The regiment was soon formed, and Mr. Harrison was com- missioned its Colonel.
The Fortieth, from the Tenth District, was not recruited so rapidly. William C. Wilson was appointed Colonel.
Under orders from the War Department, authority was con- ferred on John A. Bridgeland, of Richmond, to form a com- plete regiment of cavalry, to be mounted and equipped in the best style. This regiment was the Forty-First, or the Second Cavalry.
The Forty-Second was raised in the First and Second Con- gressional Districts, and organized at Camp Vanderburgh, Evansville, by virtue of orders issued to James G. Jones,.as commandant. On the completion of the regiment, he was commissioned its Colonel.
The Forty-Third was raised in the Seventh District, and organized at Camp Vigo, Terre Haute. Special orders had been issued to Hon. W. E. McLean, as commandant .. Gen -. eral George B. Steele, of Rockville, was commissioned its Colonel.
The Forty-Fourth was from the Fourth District, and col- lected under the auspices of Hugh B. Reed, who was ap- pointed its Colonel.
The Forty-Fifth regiment was formed of the six companies of the Twenty-Eighth, which were detached from the other portion, united with four companies organized a month or two later. Still later two other companies were added, to: bring the regiment up to the full standard of twelve compa- nies required for cavalry.
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REGIMENTS FORMING.
The Forty-Sixth was organized in the Ninth Congressional District, at Logansport, under special authority issued to Hon. Graham N. Fitch, who was appointed Colonel on its completion.
The Forty-Seventh was raised in the Eleventh District, and organized at Anderson, under special orders to James R. Slack, as commandant. He was afterwards appointed its Colonel.
The Forty-Eighth was furnished by the Tenth Congres- sional District, under special orders issued to Erastus W. H. Ellis, as commandant, and Dr. Norman Eddy. The latter was commissioned Colonel.
The 'Forty-Ninth was chiefly from the Second District, and raised under special orders issued to John W. Ray, Esq., of Jeffersonville, as commandant. He was appointed Colonel.
The Fiftieth was raised in the Second and Third Districts by Hon. C. S. Dunham, who was appointed its Colonel. It was organized at Seymour.
The Fifty-First was authorized by special orders to Abel D. Streight, and organized at Camp Morton. Mr. Streight was appointed its Colonel.
Special orders were given to W. C. McReynolds, of Rush- ville, to raise the Fifty-Second, and about the same time to James M. Smith to form the Fifty-Sixth. The latter was to be a Railroad regiment. They progressed slowly, and were united into one, called the Fifty-Second Railroad regiment. James M. Smith was made Colonel, and Mr. McReynolds Lieutenant-Colonel.
The history of the organization of the Fifty-Third and the Sixty-Second is similar. Walter Q. Gresham, of Cory- don, who endeavored to raise the Fifty-Third, was commis- sioned Colonel, and William Jones, of Rockport, who was active in efforts to form the Sixty-Second, was made Lieu- tenant Colonel.
The Fifty-Fourth and Fifty-Fifth were raised and organ- ized under special orders, for three months, to guard the rebel prisoners at Camp Morton. D. Garland Rose was the Colonel of the Fifty-Fourth, and John R. Mahan Lieutenant-Colonel of the Fifty-Fifth.
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John S. Mansfield was selected to raise a second German regiment, but enlistments were tardy, and the companies gathered for it were afterwards united with the Fifty-Third.
The Fifty-Seventh was authorized on the application of Rev. John W. T. McMullen and Rev. Frank D. Harden, in the Fifth Congressional and adjoining Districts. The regi- ment was organized at Richmond, and the two Reverend gen- tlemen were given command, ranking as their names are mentioned.
Dr. Andrew Lewis, of Princeton, received orders to form the Fifty-Eighth regiment in the First District. It was or- ganized without delay, and the Colonelcy offered to the Doctor, but he declined it. Captain H. M. Carr, of the Eleventh regiment, was then appointed Colonel.
The Fifty-Ninth, or "Noble Rifles," was formed by Jesse J. Alexander, of Gosport.
The Sixtieth was raised under orders granted to Colonel Richard Owen, and rendezvoused at Evansville.
The Sixty-First, or Second Irish, never reached its full number, and was consolidated with the First Irish.
A camp of rendezvous for the Sixty-Third was established at Covington, under James M. Manomy. When only four companies were enlisted their services were required at La- fayette to guard prisoners, and the full regiment was not organ- ized under the call for five hundred thousand.
It was intended that the Sixty-Fourth and Sixty-Fifth reg- iments should be formed of batteries of artillery, but orders from the War Department prevented their organization, and announced that artillery would be received only as indepen- dent batteries.
The Sixty-Fifth was organized in the First Congressional District, under Dr. Andrew H. Lewis, commandant. Major Foster, of Evansville, was commissioned Colonel.
The Sixty-Sixth was furnished by the Second Congres- sional District, and organized at New Albany, under Roger Martin. De Witt C. Anthony was appointed Colonel.
The First Battery of Artillery was organized August 16, under Captain Martin Klaus, of Evansville; the Second Bat- tery, September 1, under Captain David G. Rabb, of Rising,
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Sun; the Third Battery, August 24, Captain Walton W Frybarger, Connersville; the Fourth Battery, September 30, Captain Asahel R. Bush, Michigan City; the Fifth, Novem- ber 22, Captain Simonson, Fort Wayne; the Sixth, or Mor- ton Battery, September 7, Captain Frederick Behr, Evansville; the Seventh, December 2, Captain Samuel J. Harris, Colum- bus; the Eighth, January 24, 1862, Captain George T. Cochran, Evansville; the Ninth, February 25, Captain Noah S. Thompson, Crawfordsville; Tenth, January, Captain Jerome B. Cox, Lafayette; Eleventh, December 17, 1861, Captain A. Sutermeister, Fort Wayne; Twelfth, January 25, Captain George W. Sterling, Jeffersonville; Thirteenth, Feb- ruary 22, Captain Ben. S. Nicklin; Fourteenth, March 11, Captain Meredithı H. Kidd, Wabash; Fifteenth, April, Cap- tain John C. H. von Sehlen, Indianapolis; Sixteenth, May 26, Captain Charles A. Naylor, Lafayette; Seventeenth, May 20, Captain Milton F. Minor, Rochester; Eighteenth, August 20, Captain Eli Lilly, Greencastle.
The mere enumeration of regiments and batteries is suffi- cient to show that it was no evanescent enthusiasm which roused Indiana at the outbreak of the rebellion. The patriot- ism, which then seemed to spring into existence, not only did not cool, but kept on warming, widening and deepening. The recruiting drum and the recruiting officer summoned men everywhere to consider the claims of their country.
The Annual Cyclopedia, for 1861, reports:
" As renewed calls for troops were made, Indiana responded with a promptness and patriotism unsurpassed by any State in the Union. She sent into the field considerably more than her quota of troops, and they were admirably equipped and provided. The forces raised in the State and sent to the front before the first of January, 1862, were, in round numbers, about sixty thousand. Of these, fifty-three thousand five hundred were infantry, four thousand five hundred were cav- alry, and about two thousand artillery. During the year, fifty- three thousand six hundred and sixty-six muskets and rifles, and ten thousand four hundred and fifty-nine cavarly arms, were distributed by the State to the different regiments."
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Adjutant General Thomas, who, with General Cameron, Secretary of War, visited the State in October, says in his report:
"We found that the State of Indiana had come nobly up to the work of suppressing the rebellion. She had raised and equipped a larger number of troops in proportion to her pop- ulation than any other State in the Union. The best spirit prevailed, and it was manifest that more troops could easily be raised."
In his efforts to arm and equip the troops, Governor Mor- ton was ably seconded by all the good men in the State who were in authority; nevertheless the work had peculiar diffi- culties. The Governor's manner of action and his degree of success are shown in the following extract from his message written for the Forty-Second regular session of the Legisla- ture of Indiana:
" When the war began the stock of arms on hand, belong- ing to the Government, was small, and generally of a very inferior quality. It was due to the lives and honor of the brave men who went to the field, to the character of the State, and the success of our cause, that our troops should be fur- nished with the best arms that could be procured. Accord- ingly, I sent my agents into the market from time to time, and purchased the best arms that could be obtained upon fair terms, and this I continued to do until such time as the Federal Government requested the States to desist from the further purchase of arms, alleging that it increased the com- petition and raised the prices, and declaring that it would supply all troops, and would pay for no more arms purchased by the State. With the exception of a few thousand, all the first class arms in the hands of Indiana troops were purchased by the State; but it has been a source of great trouble and mortification that a large portion of our troops, despite of all efforts made, have been supplied with arms of an inferior quality.
" When our first regiments were ready to take the field, they were unprovided with ammunition, and as none could be readily procured, it became necessary to have it prepared. Mr. Sturm, now Lieutenant-Colonel Sturm of the Fifty-
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Fourth regiment, was engaged for that purpose. He had studied the art in Europe, and was thoroughly instructed in all its details. He succeeded well in the enterprise from the beginning, and his ammunition was pronounced the very best in use. Thus was the arsenal established, and as the demand for ammunition daily increased, and the necessity so far from passing away, became constantly greater as the war progressed, what was first intended as a temporary convenience, became a large and permanent establishment. Colonel Sturm con- tinued to be at the head of the establishment, managing it with great success and ability, preparing ammunition of every description for artillery and small arms, not only supplying our own troops when going to the field, but sending immense quantities to the armies of the West and South. In several emergencies, the armies in the West and South were supplied from here, when they could not procure it from other arsenals, and serious disasters thereby avoided.
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