History of Shiawassee and Clinton counties, Michigan, Part 16

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia, D.W. Ensign & co.
Number of Pages: 716

USA > Michigan > Clinton County > History of Shiawassee and Clinton counties, Michigan > Part 16
USA > Michigan > Shiawassee County > History of Shiawassee and Clinton counties, Michigan > Part 16

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Joseph IInff, disch. by order, Sept. 6, 1865. Alexander Montgomery, died of disease at Chattanooga, Tenn., April 9, 1864. John O'Conner, disch. by order, Sept. G, 1865.

Willis l'almer, died of disease at Murfreesboro', Tenn., March 23, 1863. l'utrick Quinn, must. ont Sept. 15, 1865.

Company I.

Ist Lient. William R. Sellon, Owosso; com. Sept. 23, 1862; pro. to lieut .- col. of 102d U. S. Col. Troops, Ang. 17, 1863.

Joseph Brown, must. out Sept. 15, 18G5. Jeremiah Colf, must. out Sept. 15, 1865. Charles H. Colf, disch, by order, Sept. 11, 1865. Ira A. Johnson, dischi, by order, Sept. 11, 1865.

Michael l'unches, must. out Sept. 15, 1865.

Company K.

2dl Lient. Arthur B. Hathaway, Owosso; com. Oct. 14, 1864 ; must. out Sept. 15, 1865,

David M. Arthur, must. out Sept. 15, 1865.

Leroy Chapin, disch, for disability, Sept. 18, 1863.

Cornelius Corson, trans. to Vet. Res. Corps, Sept. 1, 1863; must. out Sept. 15, 1863.

Eli F. Evans, disch. for promotion, Dec. 14, 1864.

William I'. Ilorton, died of disease at Nashville, Tenn., July 10, 1865.

George A. Harrington, died of disease at Murfreesboro', Teun., May, 1861.

Charles F'. Jones, must. out Sept. 15, 1865.

Daniel McCollum, must, out Sept. 15, 1865. William G. Rouse, must. out Sept. 15, 1865.

Chauncey C. Rouse, must. ont Sept. 15, 18G5. Sammnel B. Reed, must. out Sept. 15, 1865. Albert Snow, must. ont Sept. 15, 1805. Franklin Scongall, must, ouf Sept. 15, 1865.

William Shattuck, must. out Sept. 15, 1865.

Allen Slater, veteran, enl. Dec. 7, 1863. John Sabine, died of disease at Louisville, Ky. James 1. Sanderson, disch. for disability, June 22, 1863.

luther Truesdale, disch. by order, Sept. 28, 1865. Alexander Vanwormer, disch, by order, Sept. G, 1863. Abel Vanwormer, disch. for disability, Sept. 9, 1863. Elthaner Vanwormer, must. out Sept. 15, 1865.

Company L.

Orlando Harrington, disch. for disability, April 9, 1863.

CLINTON COUNTY MEN IN THE NINTH.

Company D.

Wilbert Thompson, nmust, out Sept. 15, 1865.

Company E.

l'eter Dlertram, disch. at end of service, Oct. 14, 1864.

CHAPTER IX.

TENTH INFANTRY.

The Tenth Organized at Flint-Campaigns and Marches in Missis- sippi, Tennessee, and Alabama-Pursuit of Longstreet in East Tennessee-Winter Quarters in Georgia-Battle at Buzzard's Roost -Veteran Re-enlistment-Atlanta Campaign-March to the Sea- Carolina Campaign-March to Washington-The Grand Review- Muster Out.

IN the composition of the Tenth Regiment there were several companies which contained men from Shiawassee and Clinton Counties; but the greatest number of these were found in the ranks of "A" company, which was largely recruited at Byron (the home of its commanding officer) and Corunna, and was made up almost entirely of volunteers from Shiawassee and the northern part of Liv- ingston County. The name by which this company was known while being recruited and before receiving its desig- nating letter in the regiment was that of "The Byron Guard ;" its captain and first lieutenant being respectively Henry S. Burnett, of Byron, and Robert F. Gulick, of Corunna.

The " Byron Guard" was raised in the fall of 1861, under authority received by Capt. Burnett from the Gov- ernor of Michigan, dated October 4th in that year. On the 28th of the same month it had reached the minimum num- ber of men, and on the 2d of November the captain re- ceived orders to report with his company at Flint, the rendezvous of the Tenth Infantry, to which regiment it had been assigned. It reached Flint November 5th, eighty- six strong, and was the second company to report at the rendezvous, the company known as the "Saginaw Rangers" having reached there three days earlier. In the organiza- tion of the regiment, however, the " Byron Guard" re- ceived the first letter, and the " Rangers" were designated as Company B. The last of the ten companies reported at Flint on the 26th of December, and by the 20th of Jan- uary all had been filled and the organization of the regi- ment was perfected.

The camp of instruction at Flint was named " Camp Thomson," in honor of Col. Edward HI. Thomson, of that city, president of the State Military Board. At this camp, on the 5th of February, 1862, the Tenth Infantry was re- viewed by Governor Blair, and on that and the following day it was mustered into the United States service by Col. Wright, U S.A. The Tenth was now an organized regi- ment in the service of the government, under the following field-officers, viz. : Colonel, Charles M. Lum ; Lieutenant- Colonel, Christopher J. Dickerson ; Major, James J. Scarritt. The ceremony of presentation of a national flag to the regiment was performed on Friday, the 11th of April, at the camp of instruction.

The regiment, nine hundred and ninety-seven strong, took its departure from Camp Thomson on Tuesday, the 22d of April, its first destination being known to be St. Louis, Mo. There was then no railroad from Flint to the line of the Detroit and Milwaukee road, and therefore the men were moved to Holly Station on wagons and other vehicles furnished by patriotic citizens. This first stage of their long journey was accomplished in a snow-storm, which

IHISTORY OF SHIAWASSEE AND CLINTON COUNTIES, MICHIGAN.

gave additional sadness to partings, some of which proved to be final. At Holly, after abundant feasting, the command took the train for Detroit, and after marching through the city to the Michigan Central depot, escorted by the " Lyon Guard" and Detroit " Light Gnard," embarked on a train consisting of twenty-three passenger and five freight cars, drawn by two locomotives, and at a little before midnight left for the West. Michigan City was reached at two o'clock P.M. on Wednesday, and at six P.M. on Thursday the regiment was at East St. Louis. On the following day it embarked on the steamer "Gladiator," and at four P.M. on Friday moved down the Mississippi. Cairo was reached, and during the short stop which was made there the most sensational rumors were circulated : that desperate fighting was then in progress at Pittsburg Landing, on the Tennes- sce (the known destination of the regiment); that the river at Paducah was filled with dead floating down from the bat- tle-fiehl above; and many other stories of similar import. But the " Gladiator" moved on up the Ohio and Tennessee on Saturday afternoon, passed Fort Henry on Sunday, and on Monday night reached Pittsburg Landing, but was or- dered to proceed four miles farther up the Tennessee to Hamburg, which place was reached on Tuesday, the 27th, just one week after the departure from Camp Thomson. Here the regiment was disembarked on the 28th, and on the 20th was assigned to duty in Col. James D. Morgan's brigade, Payne's division, left wing Army of Mississippi. On its first advent among the veterans of Shiloh the regi- ment received the usual attentions which old soldiers pay to fresh troops, such as sneering allusions to the cleanness of uniforms and the size of knapsacks, with frequent appli- cations of the epithets " paper-collar soldiers," " band-box regiment," and many similar compliments ; but all this was given and received in good-humor, for all knew that a few days of marching would lighten the knapsacks and remedy the objectionable brightness of uniforms, and after the first action all would be old soldiers together.

The first march of the regiment in the enemy's country was made on the 29th, when it moved up about five miles and bivouacked for the night in the woods. On the 1st of May it again advanced towards Farmington, Miss., and re- mained in the vicinity of that village until the enemy's evacuation of Corinth, May 30th. During this time it was several times slightly engaged in skirmishing, but sustained no loss except on the 26th, when the adjutant, Lieut. Syl- vester D. Cowles, was instantly killed by the bullet of a sharpshooter while on picket.

The entire summer of 1862 was passed by the regiment in marching, camping, picketing, and similar duties in the north part of the States of Mississippi and Alabama, but without any notable event (more than an occasional skirmish) occurring in its experience. On the Ist of June it was at Rienzi, Miss., and from the 2d to the 11th was at Boone- ville and in its vicinity. About June 15th it encamped at Big Springs, six miles from Corinth, and remained there five weeks. At this place a Fourth of July celebration was held, and the stay at this camp was regarded by all as among the most agrecable of all the regiment's sojournings during the war. On the 27th of July the headquarters of the regiment were at Camp Leighton, Tuscumbia, Ala., but the

several companies were posted at different places for a dis- tance of twenty miles along the Memphis and Charleston Railroad, engaged in guarding that line. Lieut .- Col. Dick- erson, who was at Town Creek, Ala., with a part of the regiment, evacuated that place in haste in the night of the 31st on account of the (reported ) advance of a heavy force of the enemy. The camp was reoccupied the next day, as the enemy (if there had been any in the vicinity) had moved in another direction.

The headquarters of the regiment remained at Camp Leighton until September 1st, when it received orders to move towards Nashville, and on the following day it crossed the Tennessee River and moved northward. The march (the line of which lay through Rogersville, Athens, Elkton, Pulaski, Lynnville, Columbia, Spring Hill, and Franklin) occupied nine days, and in the evening of September 11th the regiment with its brigade reached a point two miles south of Nashville. There it remained until the 15th, when it moved through the city and encamped in the suburbs,

For nearly two months the force of which the Tenth Regiment was a part (consisting of the divisions of Gens. Palmer and Negley) remained at Nashville without com- munications, surrounded by the forces of the Confederate Gen. Breckinridge, and compelled to live by foraging on the neighboring country, crowding back the enemy every time that parties were sent out from Nashville for this pur- pose. But finally, on the 6th of November, the advance of the Army of the Cumberland (moving south ward from Kentucky under Gen. Rosecrans, in pursuit of the rebel Gen. Bragg) reached Edgefield, on the north side of the Cumberland, opposite Nashville ; thus opening communi- cation with the Ohio River for the force which had so long been beleaguered in Nashville.

The army of Rosecrans remained encamped around Nash- ville until the 26th of December, when it moved forward towards Murfreesboro', on the campaign which enhuinated in the great battle of Stone River, December 31st, and January Ist and 2d. The Tenth Michigan did not take part in this forward movement, but remained nearly seven months after that time at Nashville, engaged in provost, grand guard, and fatigue duty, and in protecting communi- cation between Nashville and Murfreesboro' and other points. Upon one occasion, Jan. 3, 1863, two companies (one of them being Capt. Burnett's), while guarding a train between Nashville and Murfreesboro', were attacked by a large guerrilla force of the enemy, but repulsed them, taking fifteen prisoners and killing an equal number without loss to themselves. Again, April 10, 1863, a force of forty- four men of the Tenth Regiment, having been sent under command of Lieut. F. W. Vanderberg to guard a railway- train, were attacked by a body of the enemy's cavalry in ambush at Antioch Station, three miles north of Lavergne, the train having been stopped for some cause when the attack was made. Lieut. Vanderberg fell mortally wounded at the first or second fire, and five of his men were killed, ten wounded, and three taken prisoners, making a total loss of nineteen, or two-fifths of the force engaged. This (with the exception of the loss of its adjutant, killed on picket in Mississippi) was the first loss inflicted on the regiment in action by the enemy.

TENTH INFANTRY.

The men and officers of the Tenth had begun to regard Nashville as their permanent camping-place, and some of them had formed such strong attachments there that when, on the 19th of July, orders were received to move south- ward, they were welcomed with very little of the enthusiasm which similar orders would have prodneed a few months earlier. But the regiment moved in the morning of the 20th, and reached Murfreesboro' at noon of the 21st. Here it remained on picket and guard duty till August 19th, when it again marched southward.

The history of the regiment during the four months next succeeding its departure from Murfreesboro' is that of an almost continuous march through the States of Tennes- see, Alabama, and Georgia. It passed south through Foster- ville, Shelbyville, Farmington (Tenn.), and Lewisburg to Columbia ; remained there on provost doty from the 23d to the 26th of August; moved on through Pulaski and Lynnville to Athens, Ala .; remained there from August 29th to September 1st; thenee passed through Huntsville, Brownsville, on Flint River, Ala., Larkinville, Scottsboro', and Bellefonte to Stevenson, Ala., remaining at the last- named place on provost duty from the 7th to the 21st of September ; moved to Bridgeport, Ala., remained there till October Ist; moved at midnight, through dense darkness and fathomless mud, on the road to Jasper, Tenn. ; passed that place and moved to Anderson's Cross-Roads; remained there picketing from the 3d to the 18th of October ; moved to Dallas, Tenn., thirteen miles above Chattanooga, on the north side of the Tennessee River; remained there three days within hearing of the cannonading between the hostile armies at Chattanooga; moved again October 24th, passed through Washington, Tenn., and arrived on the 26th at Smith's Ferry over the Tennessee, fifty-five miles above Chattanooga. There the regiment remained for nearly four weeks, during which time the men had eon- structed comfortable quarters with fireplaces and other conveniences, believing that this would be their camping- place for the winter, which was then approaching. But on the 20th of November marching orders came, and on Saturday, the 21st, the Tenth Michigan was again on the march. In the evening of the 22d it was once more within hearing of the eannomade from the batteries on Lookout Mountain, and on the 23d it reached Camp Cald- well, on the right bank of the Tennessee, four miles above Chattanooga.

On the following day the Tenth crossed to the south side of the river and stood in line during the progress of the great conflicts at Lookout and Mission Ridge, but was not 'engaged in either of those battles. Soon after midnight, in the morning of the 26th, it moved up the Tennessee, crossed Chickamauga Creek on a pontoon-bridge, and marched up the right bank of that stream, where a part of the brigade met a small force of the retreating enemy, and a skirmish ensued in which one man of the regiment was slightly wounded by a spent ball. The enemy's evacuated works at Chickamauga Station were ocenpied on the same day, the Tenth being the first to enter the works. On the 27th the regiment entered Georgia for the first time, pass- ing through Grayville and camping near Ringgold. On the 28th orders were received to march in pursuit of Long- 9

street, who was known to be in the vicinity of Knoxville. Under these orders the regiment marched with its brigade on the 29th, and continued to move rapidly up the valley of the Tennessee until December 6th, when it had reached a point some fifteen miles above Loudon, where the intelli- gence was received that Longstreet had withdrawn from Knoxville and retreated into Virginia. Then the column was ordered to return to Chattanooga. The Tenth passed through Madisonville to Columbus, Tenn. (remaining at the latter place from the 9th to the 15th of December, during which time the bridge across the Hiawassee River was constructed, and on the 18th reached its old camp, four miles above Chattanooga. Flere it remained till the 26th, when it moved to near Rossville, Ga., and prepared to go into winter quarters after a marching campaign of more than four months' duration. The men had come in from the East Tennessee march worn out, famished, and tattered, many of them having no shoes, having been compelled to cut up their ragged blankets into wrappings for their feet. No men ever stood more in need of rest and recuperation.

At the Rossville camp the men built tight and comfort- able log cabins, each containing a fireplace, and in these (when not out on picket duty) the two remaining monthis of winter were spent in a very agreeable manner. Prepara- tions were made for mastering as veterans, and nearly all the companies had the requisite three-fourths of their num- ber re-enlisted, when, in the evening of February 3d, the regiment was ordered out on picket to Chickamauga Sta- tion, eight miles away. It remained ont till the 14th, when it was marched back to camp, and the veteran muster was completed on the 16th, three hundred and eighty men signing the veteran enlistment for three years, dating from February 6th. The number of veterans was afterwards in- creased to over four hundred. The re-enlistment and mus- ter being perfected, the men were waiting impatiently for the veteran furlough (which some of them were destined never to receive), when, in the morning of February 23d, the regiment had orders to march immediately, with three days' rations and sixty rounds of ammunition. The men could hardly believe that they were again to march to the front before making the long-anticipated visit to their homes, but they fell in without much audible complaint, and marched away on the road which was to lead them to their first battle field. The regiment moved to within a mile of Ringgold, and eamped for the night. In the morn- ing of the 24th it moved to a point between that town and Tunnel Hill, where the brigade joined the forces which had moved out from Chattanooga to make a recon- noissance in foree of the enemy's positions in the direction of Dalton and Lafayette, Ga. The enemy were flanked out of their works at Tunnel Hill, and retired towards Dalton. The Tenth (with other commands) followed in pursuit, and at about five o'clock p.M. arrived at Buzzard's Roost,-a rocky stronghold of the rebels, situated in a pass of the mountains known as Kenyon's Gap,-three miles from Dalton. The works were in the rear of Roeky-Face Ridge, and fully commanded the gap. Some skirmishing was done in the afternoon: and evening of the 24th, and the regiment took position for the night between two spurs of Rocky-Face Ridge.

HISTORY OF SIHIAWASSEE AND CLINTON COUNTIES, MICHIGAN.

On the 25th the early part of the day was consumed in skirmishing, but about two o'clock p.M. the Tenth, with the Sixtieth Illinois, was ordered forward in line over the ridges to attack the enemy and carry his position if possible. They moved forward gallantly into a very hot artillery and musketry fire from greatly superior numbers of the enemy. They remained under this terrible enfilading fire for about forty minutes, and did what men could do to carry the position, but were at last forced back by superior numbers, and at the end of one hour and ten minutes the regiment reoccupied the position from which it had advanced to the charge. In this brief time it had lost forty-nine killed and wounded and seventeen missing, among the latter being Lient .- Col. Dickerson, who was wounded and made prisoner by the cnemy.

A characteristic account of the battle given by a rebel paper (the Atlanta Register of Feb. 29, 1864) was as fol- lows: " On Thursday, the 25th, the enemy commenced, about nine A.M., to skirmish with our pickets and sharp- shooters. At one P.st. the Federal general, Morgan, ad- vanced on our right centre to force the gap. They were gallantly met by Reynolds' brigade, of Stevenson's division, Clayton's brigade, of Walker's division, and Stavall's bri- gade, of Stewart's division, when a lively fight took place. The enemy made three desperate assaults to take the gap, and were repulsed each time with great slaughter, being enfiladed at the same time by our artillery. We captured some twenty prisoners, among them Lieut .- Col. C. J. Dick- erson, of the Tenth Michigan, which regiment alone lost two hundred and fifty killed and wounded. That night the enemy fell back behind their intrenehments,-some three or four miles from our front line,-and a portion of their forces moved over to our left, and succeeded in taking a gap leading to the Lafayette road, through Sugar Valley, three miles south of' Dalton."

It will be noticed that while this account made the loss of the Tenth more than five times what it really was in killed and wounded, it admits that the two regiments which formed the Union attacking columu encountered a rebel force of three brigades in a strongly-fortified position. In fact, neither the Tenth nor the Sixtieth Illinois had all its strength present in the fight,-only eight companies of each, making a total of about nine hundred men, being engaged.

On the 20th the regiment with its brigade was relieved, and marched to Ringgold, from which place it returned to camp at Rossville ou the 27th. About the 5th of March the veterans of the Tenth left the Rossville camp and moved to Chattanooga en route for Michigan, and arrived at Detroit on the 11th. There they received the veteran furlough, with orders to reassemble at its expiration at the rendezvous, the city of Flint. Upon reassembling they remained in Flint for some days,-a visit which was long remembered by both soldiers and citizens. The veterans and reernits left Flint on the 20th of April, and moved by way of Fentonville to Detroit, thence by way of Kalamazoo and Lafayette to Jeffersonville, Ind., Louisville, Ky., and Nashville, arriving at the latter city April 24th. They left Nashville on the 27th, and marched to Chattanooga, where they arrived on the 11th of May, and on the 12th marched

to their old winter quarters at Rossville, which were found undisturbed and in good condition. On the 13th they marched in search of the brigade (which had moved for- ward with the army May 2d), and overtook it in the morn- ing of the 16th, marching nineteen miles farther the same day with Gen. Jeff. C. Davis' division, which was moving towards Rome. On the 17th the regiment took part in the fight at Oostenaula River and in the capture of Rome on the following day, both without loss. Then followed a series of marches and manœuvres by which the Tenth moved to Dallas, to Ackworth, Ga., and by way of Lost Mountain to Kenesaw, wbere, in the assault of the 27th of June, it formed part of the reserve of the charging column. Its losses during June were fourteen killed and wounded.

The enemy having evacuated his works at Kenesaw, the Tenth took part in the pursuit, marching on the 3d of July, and, having crossed the Chattahoochee River, it advanced on the 19th to Durant's Mill, on Peachtree Creek, and took part in the actions of that and the follow- ing day, losing twenty-three killed and wounded. Through the remainder of July and nearly all of August it lay in the lines of investment before Atlanta. August 30th it moved with a reeonnoitering coluum to Jonesboro', and took part in the battle at that place on the 1st of September, charging across an open field on the enemy's works, and losing thirty killed and forty-seven wounded, among the former being the commanding officer of the regiment, Maj. Burnett. It was elaimed for the Tenth that in this action it took more prisoners than the number of men which it earried into the fight. For its conduct on this occasion it was complimented by Gens. Thomas, Davis, aud Morgan, the corps, division, and brigade commanders.

On the second day following the battle of Jonesboro' the Tenth moved back to the front of Atlanta, and re- mained there until and after the capture of that city. On the 28th of September the brigade moved northward by railroad to Chattanooga, and thence by way of Bridgeport and Stevenson to Florence, Ala., the object being to expel the enemy's cavalry from the country north of the Ten- nessee River. In this the forces were but partially success- ful, and after a stay of about teu days they were moved back to Chattanooga, where a halt was made for several days. The Tenth with its brigade then moved up the Chattooga and Broomtown valleys to Rome, Ga., where it joined its corps (the Fourteenth), which was moving into Alabama in pursuit of the Confederate army under Gen. Ilood. It moved across the mountain to Gaylesville, Ala., where it remained only one day and then returned to Rome. From that point it moved rapidly to Etowah and Carters- ville, Ga., and thence south along the Atlanta Railroad, destroying the track aud telegraph in its march, the object being to cut all communication with Atlanta, preparatory to Gen, Sherman's bold march across Georgia to the At- lantic. When the Teuth Regiment with its brigade ap- proached Atlanta in the afternoon of the 15th of November the city was on fire from end to end, it being the object of the Union general to destroy everything in it (except dwelling-houses) which could be of service to the enemy after the departure of the army. During the afternoon

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History of Shiawassee and Clinton counties, Michigan, Part 16

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885 Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Philadelphia, D.W. Ensign & co. Number of Pages: 716

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia, D.W. Ensign & co.
Number of Pages: 716