USA > Ohio > A history of the Eleventh regiment, (Ohio volunteer infantry,) containing the military record of each officer and enlisted man of the command -a list of deaths-an account of the veterans-incidents of the field and camp-names of the three months' volunteers, etc., etc > Part 16
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" The funeral of Lieutenant Charles P. Achuff, which occurred on yester. day afternoon, was an occasion of much interest. The San Jose Corne: Band and military companies turned out, generously providing their own conveyance. Messrs. Porter & Haskell gave the use of their hearse, and the Funeral notices were also printed gratuitously.
The body of the young soldier stranger was escorted form the residence of E. Albon, on First street, to the M. E. Church, which was well filled. Ap- propriate remarks were made by Mr. Dryden and Mr. Hamilton, during which much sympathy and feeling were manifested by the audience. It was indeed a touching scene-stirring to both the Christian and patriotic sentiment of every heart. At the conclusion of the services Mr. Dryden made a statement that Mr. Achuff came to our city an invalid, with very limited means; that for board and funeral expenses had been incurred liabilities to the amount of $80, and proposed that a collection be taken up for the amount. When about to proceed with the collection, Mayor Quinby arose and stated that the city would meet all the liabilities, which announce- ment was received with indications of appreciative applause by the audience. From the church the body was escorted to the cemetery by the military, where a place of burial had been donated by the trustees, and was buried with the usual military honors. It will doubtless be gratifying to the friends of Mr. Achuff to learn that though dying among strangers, he was kindly cared for, and his patriotic services for our common country appreciated."
" He was an excellent young man and gallant soldier. Another of the many thousand noble patriots who have fallen for freedom, slain by the accursed moloch of Slavery and Treason. Shall they fall in vain? We are glad to say that since coming to this city, though a stranger, without means, he had every kindness and attention that could have been given him. He was received into the home of a kind family; carefully nursed by women of motherly hearts, and young men watched by his bedside every night; and by his youthful appearance, patience and truly maniy deport- ment, he won the sympathy and esteem of all who came to visit him."
BILL DEVORE'S HOG.
Col. De Villiers, who first commanded our Regiment, was a fussy little Frenchman with more vanity and self-conceit
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than good sense. He felt the importance of his position, and in his attempts to impress it upon others was contin- ually making himself ridiculous. He was ambitious of being considered a strict disciplinarian, and sometimes for slight infractions of duty treated his men with great severity. He frequently prowled around in the night to watch the men and listen to their conversation. He soon lost their respect and became very unpopular. They were always delighted when an opportunity would offer to play off a joke'at his expense.
I will relate an instance of this kind which occurred at Gauley Bridge :
One of our picket posts was on Scrabble Creek, about a mile from camp. Bill Devore, a member of Company G, was placed at an outpost in the edge of a cornfield, and at the foot of a thickly wooded mountain. Now Bill was a wild, reckless fellow, fond of a joke, and of undoubted bravery. He was wide awake and watchful, and not likely to be taken by surprise. He was aware that Bushwhack- ers and Guerrillas abounded in the country, and was determined not to be "caught napping."
About midnight his attentive ear caught the sound of something moving slowly through the corn. He was "alive to the situation," and watched it closely as it ap- proached nearer and nearer, uttering an occasional grunt like a hog. Bill's suspicions were at length thoroughly aroused by the singular actions of the animal, and when it came so near that he could distinguish the outlines of some dark object, he brought his gun to bear and cried out, "Halt you d-d hog," but the mysterious object gare no heed to his order, and continued to advance, whereupon Bill cocked his gun and again called out:
"I say halt! you d-d hog, or I'll shoot."
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The click of the loek and Bill's determined manner gay" assurance that he would be as good as his word, and in: great trepidation the hog raised himself to an upright position, and in a strong French accent implored Bill not to fire.
. " Don't you know me? I'm your Colonel."
"No, you d-d hog, I don't know you," at the same time taking deliberate aim.
"For Cot's sake don't shoot, for I am De Villiers, your Colonel."
"Colonel, h -! " said Bill, "can't come that over me- you're a d-d hog."
De Villiers (for it was he) now trembling with fear, as a last resort, shouted for the Corporal of the guard, who having been attracted by the voices was already near the spot, and recognizing the Colonel's voice, released him from his awkward position.
He felt rather cheap, but wisely concluded to make the best of it. He inquired Bill's name and company-patted him on the back-called him a good soldier-and said his only object was to test his courage and assure himself of his watchfulness. He professed himself perfectly satisfied that no enemy could enter that portion of our lines while Bill was on duty. P. R. W.
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INCIDENTS OF MISSION RIDGE.
All of our men who participated in the battle of Mission Ridge, on the 25th of November, 1863, will remember the hard "climbing " necessary before reaching the summit. One of the very first to get into the rebel fortifications was Harvey M. Thompson, of Company HI. After the rebels
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were driven from the position, and while they were being "charged" off the Ridge, the - Indiana Regiment, that had been on the left, came rushing back in retreat, their Color-Sergeant running through the ranks of the Eleventh with the colors in his hands. Harvey took the standard from him, and asked of Col. Street the privilege of carrying it during the day. The Colonel gave permission, remark- ing that he thought the Eleventh could easily support another flag than their own. In the second charge that was made, Thompson, with his Indiana flag, was the first man that reached the rebel battery. The battery charged on was about fifty yards from the starting point, and in that short distance the flag was shot out of his hands three times. While attempting to get on top of one of the guns captured, over which he desired to wave his flag, Thompson was knocked down by a shot in the right side. Speedily recovering, he made an examination and found that the bullet had struck his cap box, thereby saving his life.
Hearing another order to "charge," Thompson started and after going a short distance felt a "sting" in his left side, which proved to be a flesh wound, bleeding him a little. Here the flag was again shot from his hands, leaving but about two feet of the staff which was in the banner. In his eagerness to keep up with the advance he got so far ahead that he had to stop and take shelter behind a stump, only twenty yards from the rebels, while our boys were building a breastwork thirty yards in the rear. On start- ing to go back he was shot through the ankle. He carried part of the ball in his leg for two years, and is still quite lame from the effects of the wound.
The remainder of the flag was returned to the original owners, who no doubt received great praise for their bravery when exhibiting its tattered folds !
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Among the first to scale the rebel breastworks were Corporal George Green and private H. R. Howard, of Company H, who were soon engaged in a hand-to-hand fight with the rebels. Prominent among the latter was a tall gaunt Sergeant, bearing the flag of the Eighteenthi Alabama Infantry, (not the Twenty-first Alabama, as reported by General Turchin). Scarcely were our troops in possession of the works when a ball struck the Sergeant in the head, felling him to the ground. Observing the flag fall, Green determined to have it, and starting forward followed by Howard, ran into the midst of the rebels. Green stopped to secure the flag and Howard went a few steps farther, but the enemy having rallied in front the latter turned to get under cover of the brow of the hill to reload his gun, when he noticed that the Sergeant had raised up with a gun in his hands and was aiming at Green, who was tearing the flag from the staff. At this time the rebels were not more than fifteen feet from our boys, and Howard seeing the imminent danger to which Green was exposed, raised his unloaded gun, pointed it at the rebel Sergeant and ordered him to surrender, which he did! Green secured the flag, placed it in his belt, and carried it there during the battle. The next morning the flag was presented by its brave captors to General Turchin, who turned it over to the War Department.
Sergeant Will Meany, of Company F, was also over the rebel works about as soon as any other man. While he was in the act of climbing over the logs and dirt, a rebel soldier ordered him to surrender. The Sergeant paid no attention to the demand until he had gained a secure foot- ing inside the rebel fortifications, when he "went for" the rebel with the butt of his musket, knocking the "confed- eracy" out of him in short order.
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LOYAL WOMEN IN THE SOUTHI.
On pages 89 and 90 will be found an account of the cap- ture of a forage party sent out from our Regiment on the 8th of March, 1863. It is there stated that the further adventures of the two wounded men-Sergeant Elias Rob- erds and James M. Spear-would be found in the record of Company G, but as what befel them will be of interest to the general reader we insert the incident here. . Sergeant Roberds says :
" After we had surrendered, a young rebel doctor, dressed in citizens' clothes, made his appearance on the field (whether he had been in the fight I can't say.) He sym- pathized with me in my suffering, and told me he would take me to his father's house, and that I should be well cared for. He also said he would take Spear, and seemed to be much elated with his prizes, but he was too late. In a few minutes three women were seen coming down the road, apparently not in a very good humor. The thought struck me that now we would get 'Hail Columbia' in true Southern female style. They came up and inquired how badly we were hurt, and expressed their feelings for the rebels pretty freely. Being replied to by the rebel soldiers, one of the ladies 'pitched into' them boldly.
""' You are all a pack of cowards to attack a mere hand- ful of men, murdering them up in this way. You ought to be ashamed of yourselves as long as you live.'
"'Well," says our secesh friend, the doctor, "I will run my buggy down and take you up to father's.'
"' We will let you know about that," replied our lady champions. ' If you want to practice on any body, go to work on your own men and not on ours.' And then,
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speaking to us, 'You are going to our house just as soon as we can get you there.'
"I was carried on a board to the house by the women and negroes, and Spear rode in the young doctor's buggy. I shall not attempt to describe the many kindnesses we received from this hospitable family, but shall ever be grateful to the author of my being for providing me with such a home at this critical period of my existence. The family consisted of aunt Fanny Bowen and her mother, Jennie Gordon, Mary and Millie Bowen, at home, and Major Bowen, in our lines. My leg was set by the doctor that evening, and was afterwards cared for by Aunt Fanny and myself, Mary and Jennie rendering all the assistance they could.
"Thirteen weeks from the day I was wounded, there came two rebels to the house with orders from their Colonel to take me to his head-quarters. I had by this time became acquainted with many rebel soldiers, including these two, and was also able to get about on crutches, and when the soldiers came up I was standing in the door. I asked them if they were not joking, but they declared they were in earnest and that their orders were to take me along. Old Mother Gordon heard the conversation, and coming out said they should not take me; that she had been looking for the time when she must fight, and she thought it had now come. Miss Jennie told the rebels she would scald them if they attempted to molest me, and ordered one of the negro women to prepare hot water for that purpose. I entreated the ladies not to make resist- ance as they could do no good, and would only make the matter worse. Jennie then whispered to me that she would go to the camp of our Regiment-some five miles distant-
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and inform our men of my situation, and at eleven o'clock the heroic young lady started on her perilous undertaking.
"Previous to this time our men had hung one Joe Smith as a spy, and from what I could learn from the rebel sol- dier they intended to retaliate on me. He was a kind- hearted fellow, and advised me not to go if I could help it. Presently another rebel came up, and shortly after I was left by myself. Not having any desire to be the means of avenging the rebel spy, I thought I would hobble away from the house as far as possible, and perhaps I could gain time for Jennie to bring succor if she was successful in get- ting through the lines. I started, but in going down a . hill I fell and well nigh re-broke my leg. The pain caused by my fall was most intense, and I was compelled to call for help, which soon came, and I was assisted back to my bed by the negroes and rebel soldiers, one of the latter starting to inform the Colonel that I was too badly hurt to be moved.
"About five o'clock Jennie returned with the glad tidings that it was 'all right.' Poor girl, it was a hard task for her, reared as she had been, to walk the distance she did in so short a time. She was compelled to go by a circuitous route in order to elude the rebel scouts who were operating on all the roads. But she had been successful, and her noble efforts, as well as those of the entire family, · can never be forgotten.
"Before sundown I received word from the negroes, who had overhead a scout's report, that the 'Yankees' were crossing the river, and before it was fairly dark another little negro came running into my room with the intelli- gence, 'The Yankees are coming!' They had come, sure enough-the blessed old ELEVENTH at that! Never were
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men loved as I loved the members of our glorious Regi- ment, and I shall ever say may 'God bless them.'
"I was saved. Scarcely had they halted, and thrown out guards, when horsemen were heard coming down the road. The man in front called out to those following, 'Come on, boys, here is where that - Yankee stays.' But our boys sent them back in double-quick-they desired no closer acquaintance with the ' Yankees.'
"I was taken to camp on a litter; sent from there to Gallatin, Tenn., and was discharged on the 15th day of September, 1863."
Mr. Spears' account, although not so full, is similar to the foregoing. After an account of the fight and appear- ance of the ladies, he says:
"These angel-women took us home with them, where we enjoyed every attention possible. Here we were in rebeldom, surrounded by rebel troops ; and here we remained until April 28th, when a half dozen drunken ruffians came by and expressed an earnest desire for me to accompany them to their camp. I was constrained to gratify them after they held out such 'inducements' as rebels usually offered to 'Yankees' who were in their power. It was about sun-down when we started for their camp-twenty- five miles distant-which we reached about two o'clock in the morning. Being quite weak, and suffering considera- bly from my wound, the march made me quite sick; and, to make matters worse, it began to rain, so that sleep was out of the question. I stood about the camp fires all night, listening to the tales told to the negroes by the rebels, such as ' Yankees' eating alive all the darkeys they caught, &c.
" In the morning I was offered something to eat, but I could not go their bread made of unbolted flour without
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salt or grease. They had bacon, but no coffee. I was taken to Colonel Smith, who turned me over to Colonel Ward. This was the officer that had captured our party, and he seemed glad to see me, expressing a wish for my welfare, but returned me to Colonel Smith. I was informed that I could not be paroled, but would have to go to Rich- mond. After considering my condition, Smith's Adjutant General suggested that I give my parole to report to Mor- gan's head-quarters as soon as I was able to travel. To this I willingly consented, and soon after set out for Car- thage. The prospect of liberty made me strong, and by two o'clock I was again with my good friends, the Bowen family. Reaction now occurred, and I became quite sick. I remained here until I gained a little strength, when I set out for our camp, being guided over a safe route by Miss Jennie Gordon, and arrived safely at Carthage.
"I was sent to hospital at Gallatin, Tenn., and on the 14th of December was discharged. I had no use of my hand and arm for a year, but now i' is gaining strength."
TOM STEWARD AND HIS STRAGGLERS.
The second night succeeding the battle of Mission Ridge, our Regiment formed a part of the force in pursuit of the retreating rebels. About four o'clock in the morning of the 27th of November, we were marching "by the center," when a deep slough was encountered in the road near Chickamauga Creek. Breaking to the "right and left," each wing marched by the flank on opposite sides of the road. It was pitch dark, and friend could not be told from foe at but a few feet distance. Lieut. Steward had command of the leading company of the left wing, and
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continued the march, as he thought, in the right direction. and by the side of troops which he supposed was the right wing of the Regiment. Daylight began to appear, when Tom saw he was in strange company-although Union troops, they belonged to another division.
Here was a dilemma. Fearful of encountering the Gen- eral and being charged with straggling, Tom immediately filed right with the intention of marching back to the point where the break occurred, hoping by this means to make the connection without the fact of the split being known. The first person he encountered was Captain Curtis, Adju- tant General of the Brigade, who was closely followed by General Turchin, of all persons in the world just then the most desirable to avoid.
" What troop is dem?" inquired the General.
" Part of the Eleventh Ohio, General," replied Tom.
"Oh, you tam sthragglers. What you do here? You no have any fire for six weeks!"
" We never STRAGGLE when there is a fight on hand, Gen- eral," answered Tom.
This ready reply was too much for the General-he had no more to say. Giving the Lieutenant the proper direc- tion to find the balance of the Regiment, he rode off mut- tering, "Dat tam Eleventh peats de devil fighting and talking too!"
FIGHTING BAREFOOTED. 1
A number of amusing incidents occurred during our first trip to the foot of Sewell Mountain. It will be recol- lected that we had a slight skirmish, and then waited in "ambush" for the appearance of the rebels. Col. Frizell
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had got the men posted in the brush and behind trees just in the edge of the woods, when he discovered 'Hijah Byr- kett, of Company H, lying behind a rock at an angle of the road some distance in advance. Proceeding to the point where 'Hijah laid, the Colonel discovered that his musket was "cocked and primed" and pointed in the direction from whence the rebels were expected to come.
" What are you doing here ?" asked the Colonel.
"Why, Colonel, you see I ain't got any shoes, and the brush hurts my feet; just let me stay here, and I'll pepper 'em when they come up the road," said 'Hijah.
" All right-pepper away," answered the Colonel, retir- ing to his post with the Regiment, leaving the brave fellow to "fight on his own hook."
A BAD SHOT.
The first volley fired by the rebels into our skirmish line, as stated on page 38, wounded two men of Company B. The writer met the men as they came into the road, and examined their wounds. Will Rea was shot in an already crippled hand, but young Houck was more severely woun- ded. He reported himself shot in the wrist and side, and felt the blood flowing in a rapid stream down his leg. Hastily stripping up his shirt, we found the skin broken near the heart by a buckshot, but could not tell the depth of the wound. We took his canteen to wash the wound, but it contained no water. Upon a closer examination, we found that a buck shot had penetrated the canteen, letting the water (which by this time was quite warm) run down his side; the same shot liad just broken the skin, making a slight but "stinging" wound! Smarting from the wound,
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and feeling the warm water trickling down his leg, the poor fellow thought his time had surely come.
But he quickly recovered from the slight damage inflicted on him, and served faithfully until his term expired.
REBEL AND UNION PRISONS.
The mind can scarcely be brought to realize the sufferings of the Union soldiers in the "Prison Pens" of the South. A't Belle Isle, Libby, Danville, Florence, Andersonville, and other points, the treatment our men received at the hands of the boasted "chivalry" of the South should cause even devils to blush and hide their heads with shame. We copy a communication from the "Sumter Watchman," written by a Southerner during the war, in reference to our prisoners at Florence, South Carolina. The original manu- script sent to the editor of the "Watchman," is now in possession of the War Department at Washington, and bears indorsements of rebel officials from Davis down to the Colonel commanding the prison :
"MR. EDITOR :- It may not be uninteresting to your numerous readers to hear something from the Yankee camp at Florence.
The camp we found full of what were once human be- ings, but who would scarcely now be recognized as such. In an old field, with no inclosure but the living wall of sentinels, who guarded them night and day, are sevaral thousand filthy, diseased, famished men, with no hope of relief except by death. A few dirty rags stretched on poles give some of them a poor protection from the hot sun and heavy dews. All were in rags and barefoot, and crawling with vermin. As we passed around the line of guards, I
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saw one of them brought out from his miserable booth by two of his companions, and laid upon the ground to die. He was nearly naked. His companions pulled his cap over his face, and straightened out his limbs. Before they turned to leave him he was dead. A slight movement of the limbs and all was over. The captive was free. The Commissary's tent was near one side of the square, and near it the beef was laid upon the boards preparatory to its distribution. This appeared to excite the prisoners as the smell of blood does the beasts of the menagerie. They surged up as near the lines as they were allowed, and seemed in their eagerness to break over. While we were on the ground a heavy rain came up, and they seemed greatly to enjoy it, coming out puris naturalibus, opening their mouths. to catch the drops, while one would wash off another with his hands, and then receive from him the like kind office .. Numbers get up at night and wander to the neighboring houses in quest of food. From the camp of the living we passed to the camp of the dead-the hospital-a transition which reminds me of Satan's soliloquy :
‘ Which way I fly is hell, Myself is hell, and in the lowest depths, A lower deep still threatening to devour me, opens wide.'
A few tents covered with pine tops were crowded. with the dying and dead in every stage of corruption. Some lay in prostrate helplessness ; some had crowded under the shelter of the bushes; some were nibbling their skeleton limbs. Twenty or thirty of them die daily-most of them, as I was informed, of the scurvy. The corpses lay by the roadside waiting for the dead cart, their glassy eyes turned to heaven, the flies swarming in their mouths, their big toes tied together with a cotton string, and their skeleton arms folded on their breasts. You would hardly know them to
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be men, so sadly do hunger, disease and wretchedness change the 'human face divine.' Presently came the cart .. They were carried a little distance to trenches dug for the purpose, and tumbled in like so many dogs. A few pine tops were thrown upon the bodies, a few shovels full of dirt, and then haste was made to open a new ditch for other victims. The burying parties were Yankees detailed for the work; an appointment which, as the Sergeant told me, they consider a favor, for they get a little more to eat and enjoy fresh air. Thus we see at one glance the three great scourges of mankind-war, famine and pestilence- and we turn from the spectacle sick at heart, as we remem- ber that some of our loved ones may be undergoing a sim- ilar misery.
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