USA > Ohio > Historical sketch of the 56th Ohio volunteer infantry during the great Civil War from 1861 to 1866 > Part 5
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Our line of investment was over fifteen miles, extending from Haines' Bluff to Vicksburg, and on to Warrenton. The enemy's line was about seven miles long. Vicksburg was finely situ- ated for defense. On the north the hills at the highest point rise to about two hundred feet above the Mississippi river, and are cut up by ravines and small streams. The ravines were grown up with cane and brush. The only hope of relief the imprisoned Con- federates had in Vicksburg was in the Confederate General Jos. E. Johnston's being able to drive off a portion of our force, so they could withdraw their troops.
By the 25th of June our position was so strong that a less number was required for the investment. Thereupon General Grant detached General W. T. Sherman, with a division from each
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of the Thirteenth, Fifteenth and Seventeenth Corps and General Lauman's division to see that General Johnston did not interfere with the siege of Vicksburg. General Johnston had gathered an army of about 24,000 men. General Grant wrote General Sher- man that he must defeat General Johnston at least fifteen miles from our works. Most of the troops were not allowed to enter the stronghold they had assisted to capture; but on July 5 the remainder of the Thirteenth and Fifteenth Corps was sent to rein- force the troops already under General Sherman ..
General Johnston retreated to Jackson, Mississippi, our forces following him closely, going over nearly the same roads we had marched over in our advance on to Vicksburg. The weather was intensely hot, the roads very dusty and water exceedingly scarce. July 9 our forces reached Jackson, and on the 10th Hovey's divi- sion closed up on the line of investment late in the day. On the 11th we had some heavy skirmishing at Lynch's creek, and on the 12th more hard skirmishing along the Raymond road. Our regi- ment was on the right of Hovey's division, and on our right was Lauman's division, which suffered a heavy loss in an assault upon the enemy's fortifications in their front. This assault was made by a misunderstanding of orders. The siege was prosecuted vig- orously until the morning of July 17th, when it was found the enemy had evacuated during the night, after destroying his stores and supplies. Our forces followed them for several miles, but failed to overtake them. The railroads entering Jackson were broken up, and then General Sherman, leaving a garrison in the Capital City, drew back his line to the Big Black. And on the 24th of July, as the regiment was on its way back to Vicksburg, at the crossing of the Big Black river, a violent storm of rain, with thunder and lightning overtook us, and Color Sergeant Wm. Roberts took shelter under a tree, which was struck by lightning, hurling him to the ground and paralyzing his left side, and the flag was stripped from its staff as though cut with a sharp knife. Sergeant Roberts never fully recovered from the shock.
On July 25 our division reached Vicksburg and went into camp below the city, and we then had a chance to see some of the.
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CHAPLAIN J. E. THOMAS See page 136
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damage and destruction that were caused by the dreadful siege. July 31, 1863, we left with our division on a steamboat for Natchez, Mississippi, and we arrived there the same day and went into camp on the bluffs high above the river. Our camp ground here was fine, and the view grand over that low, flat region of country. We rested at this place until August 31, 1863, when our army corps left for Carrollton, Louisiana, which was about six miles above New Orleans. This was also a fine place and our camping ground was all that could be desired. On September 4 General Grant reviewed our army corps, and after the review the vicious horse he was riding fell on him, hurting him very seriously. On September 11 Colonel Raynor returned from home and brought the regiment a beautiful stand of colors, that was presented to the Fifty-sixth Ohio by the kind hearted and loyal citizens of Portsmouth, Ohio.
While in this camp a funny scene was witnessed one day. One of Company K boys, full of fun and a little reckless, was, for some misconduct, put on extra duty to clean up the camp, etc. But he soon tired of this and refused to work. The Lieutenant of the guard then undertook to make him do so, but he still refused, and ran out on the plain, with the Lieutenant after him, and they · made very good time. After he had run a reasonable distance he halted, picked up a stick, and, calling the officer by his given name, said: "Now, you run ahead of me," and it was great fun to the spectators to see the extra good time the Lieutenant made on the home stretch.
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CHAPTER VIII.
THE TECHE CAMPAIGN OF 1863.
September 13, 1863, our army corps crossed the Mississippi river to Algiers, Louisiana, directly opposite New Orleans, going on the cars to Brashier City, Louisiana, about ninety miles in a westerly direction, and on Berwick bay. This was a city in name only. On September 14 we unloaded and went into camp. Here, on September 24, our division formed in line to witness the drum- ming out of the service of a member of the First Missouri Light Artillery, with his head shaved, the band playing the "Rogue's March," as he passed in review before the division. He presented in truth a pitiable sight. On September 25 we turned over about all of our transportation, and on the Twenty-seventh the Thir- teenth Army Corps was reviewed by our corps commander, Gen- eral E. O. C. Ord.
On September 28 we crossed Berwick bay and lay out all night in a hard rain. We had a miserable time on that low ground, where the mosquitos fairly swarmed, and the misery we endured from them from Helena on down to Louisiana can not be described. They were not the small kind of the North, but were regular galli- nippers. Some of them were as large as butterflies, so the boys declared.
October 2, 1863, the United States paymaster called and paid the regiment for two months, and on the 3d we marched up the Teche Bayou about ten miles. The next day we started early and passed through Franklin, a beautiful little town, and went into camp just beyond. Again, on the 6th, we were off early, and camped at noon on a prairie. While marching along this day we saw a never-to-be-forgotten sight. On a fence that ran nearly parallel with our road, and extending as far as we could see, there
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were sitting thousands of buzzards. They seemed to be solemnly reviewing us as we passed. They were protected in that section, as they were valuable as being the public scavengers, and conse- quently of great benefit. While here the news reached us of the battle of Chickamauga, and the cheering by our troops must have greatly astonished the natives. We remained here until October 10, when we moved forward, passing through New Iberia early. . The roads were very dusty and the days hot, but the nights fairly cool. We camped after a march of 20 miles. Here we remained until the 22d. We had quite a time politically. The Twenty- fourth and Twenty-eighth Iowa Infantry were in our brigade, and as their state election came off at the same time as it did in Ohio, they held political meetings, and it might be thought an old-time campaign was on. The vote in the Fifty-sixth Ohio stood 167 for Brough and 57 for Vallandigham. This election was held October 13, 1863.
On October 22 we moved forward, going about 14 miles. The weather turned real cold for that latitude, and the 23d we reached Opelusas, having a hard cold rain all day. We remained here until November 1, when we moved back about 12 miles. Having failed to bring the enemy to a stand, our forces fell back leisurely toward our base of supplies. The bushwhackers hung around our column, and on November 2 killed a Captain in the Twenty-fourth Iowa of our brigade, and on November 3 the enemy surprised General Burbridge's brigade. They were in camp some three miles in our rear in a piece of timber. Our division went to their relief on fast time. Burbridge's men rallying, and our forces aiding, the enemy was soon put to flight. While our division was gone the rebel cavalry made a dash to capture our camp, but Captain Thos. W. Kinney, as officer of the day, with the camp guards, drove them off easily. As we gradually fell back, the enemy followed at a distance, but would not accept our repeated offers of battle.
On November 5 we fell back below Vermillionville and camped in a real pretty place. We remained here several days, and on the 11th we had some heavy skirmishing, in fact a small battle, and on the 13th the regiment went out to guard a forage train. On
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November 16 we marched back to within six miles of New Iberia and camped, and on the 17th we fell back to New Iberia. The rebels were in sight, but out of reach all day in that level country. They would not attack us, nor stand for us to get at them; but any small body of troops they would attack at once. While here, on the 26th of November, Thanksgiving services were held, and a good time we had.
December 2, 1863, the regiment was sent out after lumber. and on the 3d we received the news of the great victory of our forces at Chattanooga, and it was received with great cheering in all of our camps. There was a great deal of horse racing here among army men, as the country was very suitable for such sport. Here there was much talk of enlisting in the veteran service, a great number doing so.
December 19 we left this place and camped early a short dis- tance below Franklin. On the 21st we marched again and reached Berwick at 4 p. m. Here, on the 22d, the regiment was paid two months' pay. We crossed the bay to Brashier City on the 23d, and, on the 25th, the regiment left on a train of cars for Algiers, reach- ing there at 2 p. m. Our tents were pitched along the railroad track, and we had rather a dry Christmas. This ended the Teche expedition of 1863.
During this campaign we had many hardships, also many ex- periences that were funny, ridiculous and outrageous. If . there was one place more than another where every officer and enlisted man should have all his powers at command day and night, that place was in the army, and when officers would befog their minds with liquor it was a crime of the gravest character. Not only were the lives of the men under them endangered, but the cause of the country was often in jeopardy. There was hardly a regiment in the army which did not have officers of that kind, and the Fifty- sixth Ohio had its full share. The action of two of our Lieu- tenants on this expedition shows how unfit they were for such important positions.
On Oct. 14, 1863, near New Iberia, Louisiana, we moved our camp some five or six miles. These two Lieutenants were men
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of education and their natural abilities were good, but by the use of liquor they had completely undermined their manhood, and it was an outrage on every self-respecting soldier in the regiment that these two men were ever promoted. On this day Captain - was officer of the day, and one of these Lieutenants was officer of the guard and the other Acting Quartermaster. The Captain was a good officer, strict in the performance of duty, and though he would take his bitters, he would not unman himself and lose all self-control, as did the lieutenants. On this day the Cap- tain had secured some liquor, and knowing the infirmities of the Lieutenants he would not share with them, but they found out what the Captain had, and at once set to work to secure a share, as they knew it was useless to ask the Captain to divide with them. The Acting Quartermaster was a smooth talker and suggested that he would draw the Captain into an argument, get him away from his tent, and then the other Lieutenant was to confiscate the liquor. The plot worked like a charm, and the lieutenants took little interest in the war for some hours. The regiment moved up and went into camp before night. Along about midnight the lieutenants came up, found the Quartermaster's tent and turned in, and the next morning they were found with half of their bodies in and half outside of the tent, in a drunken sleep, and to a post was tied a fine horse that they had confiscated from some regiment as they came up. They had some trouble in explaining how the horse got there.
Again, on November 3, the enemy made an attack on General Burbridge's division, and ours went to their relief, a camp guard only being left in charge of the camp. Captain Thos. W. Kinney was officer of the day and one of these Lieutenants officer of guard. The enemy's cavalry made an effort to capture our camps in the absence of the division. Captain Kinney rallied his camp guards, but could not find his officer of the guard. Being told that he was at the Quartermaster's tent, he went in search of him, and there found that these Lieutenants were foolishly drunk on Hostetter's Bitters. The Acting Quartermaster had the empty bottles in a row attempting to show the other Lieutenant some of
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the fine points in company drill. Captain Kinney talked to them in plain language; but the Acting Quartermaster waved him off, telling him to go on with the d- war, that they were in no way interested. This was conduct that could not be overlooked, and a few days later, Colonel Raynor notified them to hand in their resignations at once, or charges would be preferred against them. They promptly complied, and were dismissed for the good of the service. They went to New Orleans, got their pay, went on a spree and spent their money, and had to take deck passage up the river for home.
At one point on this trip we were in camp for a few days, near Bayou Teche. Supplies were limited, and especially so in the line of liquor, but some of the officers and men who were fond of it would use every expedient to secure some of the deadly stuff that does no good anywhere, but evil everywhere. One of our Captains, Geo. Wilhelm, well knowing this weakness of his comrades, and to have a little fun, set up a sort of dry joke on half a dozen of his fellow officers. Early one morning he called on them and inquired if they felt like taking a horn before breakfast; and it is to be regretted that they thought they were in need of a horn before breakfast. Shortly after they could be seen wending their way up the levee of the bayou. On its banks. at a short dis- tance from camp, there was a tannery, and near it there had been dumped a large pile of long horns. When the Captain got his squad up to the pile, he in cordial tones, invited each one present to help himself to a choice horn, a long or a short one. They had to laugh at the joke, though more or less disappointed, but it is to be hoped they were benefited by their morning walk.
Christmas day, 1863, the regiment was at Algiers, Louisiana, camped near the town. The last day of 1863 came on with a cold sleet, and it was so cold that most of the regiment went into town for shelter. January 1, 1864, the cold New Year's, so memorable all over the land, was extremely cold as far south as New Orleans.
January 13, the regiment moved into an old mill or foundry, which was a great improvement over the shelter tents. Here we turned over all our teams. The weather continued very cold, and
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the mud was everywhere and bottomless. On January 22 we were ordered to leave for Lakeport, on Lake Pontchartrain, a short dis- tance east of New Orleans. We crossed the river and went out to Lakeport on the cars. On the 23d we boarded the steamer General Banks, which took us across to a little place called Madisonville, Louisiana, in a pine woods, and here we went into camp. This was a nice dry place, a great im- provement over Algiers. From this place General Grant planned to move on to Mobile, Alabama, but was overruled by General-in- Chief Halleck, and our forces were sent on the disastrous Red River campaign, where nothing was gained, but disaster and great loss in men and material from beginning to end. At this place those who had re-enlisted in the veteran service were mustered in, to date February 1, 1864.
While at this point we had a splendid camping ground, and the weather was extra fine. One of the comrades, noted in his way, was Willis Walker of Company C, who had been detached for service in one of our batteries. He was inclined to fun and jokes, one of which was to try pass the guards on a bogus pass. But at this time he had secured a pass, but the Sergeant of the guard thought he was fooling, and refused to let him out. After some talk, Walker drew his revolver and shot the Sergeant seri- ously. For this he was courtmartialed and sentenced to the Ohio penitentiary for three years. The provost guards had him in cus- tody at our headquarters; but on a bright moonlight night he came to my tent to say goodby. He had a warm attachment for me, as I had prevented his shooting one of our comrades about two years previous. He told me he had escaped from the guards, and was going out into the Confederacy. After a short talk he started for our picket line. I stood and watched him until he dis- appeared in the timber. Some two months later he came to the regiment up on Red river, and wanted to stay with us. He said that he secured a rebel suit, made his way to Natchez, Mississippi, and gave himself up as a deserter from the enemy. He then enlisted in our navy and was with the fleet up Red river. He was told by our officers that he could stay to see all the boys, and
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then he must go, or he would be arrested. This was the last we ever saw of him.
. February 7, 1864, was Sunday, and we had preaching at Col- onel Raynor's headquarters, both morning and evening, by a Chap- lain of the Twenty-fourth Iowa Infantry. February 27 we were ordered to Algiers, Louisiana. We crossed Lake Pontchartrain on the steamer Battles, passed through New Orleans, and went into camp the same evening at Algiers. February 29 the non- veterans of the regiment were transferred to the Eighty-third Ohio Infantry, but they did not remain there, as Lieutenant Col- onel S. E. Varner was detached and placed in command of the post of Algiers, and a temporary battalion, composed of the non- veterans of the division, numbering about six hundred men, were to perform duty under his command. Major Reiniger was also detached and placed in command of a camp of paroled prisoners. On March 2 we had a review of our brigade, and on the 3d the division was reviewed by General McClernand, who made us a short speech.
DR. P. M. MCFARLAND See page 137
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CHAPTER IX.
THE RED RIVER CAMPAIGN OF 1864.
The regiment was entitled to return to Ohio on the thirty days furlough which was given to those who had re-enlisted to see the end of the war, but instead of the veteran furlough, on March 5, with our division, we were ordered on the ill-fated Red River campaign, which was incompetently managed from beginning to end. We left for Brashier City on the 5th, reaching there the same day, and crossed to Berwick and encamped near our old camp ground of the fall of 1863. March 13 we moved forward and camped above Camp Brisland. We started early on the 14th, and, after a very hard day's march, we camped three miles beyond Franklin, Louisiana. We remained here over the 15th, and on the 16th we marched to within six miles of New Iberia. We reached a little lake at 1 p. m. of the 17th and encamped, and after a short march of 15 miles we camped on the 1Sth at Ver- million Bayou. On the 19th we reached Carencro Bayou early in the afternoon and camped. We passed through Opelusas and Washington on the 20th, going into camp two miles beyond Wash- ington, Louisiana. On the 21st we lay in camp and the Nineteenth Army Corps passed to the front, and we followed on the 22d, the Fifty-sixth Ohio leading our forces.
On the 23d the regiment was ordered to guard the pontoon train, and we brought it into camp at 8 p. m. The enemy, as usual, was giving us lots of trouble, and the only safety lay in keeping well together. March 26 we reached Alexandria, Louis- iana, and camped outside of the town. The 27th was Sunday, and we lay in camp all day. On the 28th we moved forward about 20 miles through a heavy rain most of the day. Our route took us through a pine woods region, and the ground was rough. We reached Cane river on the 29th and camped over the 30th, to wait
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for a bridge to be constructed across the river. While waiting here a lot of our boys, in foraging around, secured a large and fine fish net, and as it was made to fish with they concluded to try its qualities. They waded in with the net and soon had ensnared a monster fish that was hard to handle, but after a very dangerous contest with it, as two of them barely escaped being bitten by it, they landed the fish, which proved to be a garfish, or a sea pike, or a sea needle. It was over five feet long and weighed 160 pounds. Its mouth, armed with sharp teeth, was ten inches long at least, but we had a real feast eating it, the meat being sweet and nice.
March 31 we moved forward again, forded a river, and after a march of 17 miles we camped. The wind blew a gale on this day, which made our marching very unpleasant. We reached Nachitoches, Louisiana, on April 1. It was hot and dusty, and more hard wind, which caused the dust to fly in clouds. We went into camp just below town, which was a pretty little place. April 4 General Banks reviewed the troops, about all our forces being present. We remained here until April 6, when our army advanced toward Pleasant Hill, Louisiana. On that night we camped in a thicket of brush after a march of 15 miles:
On April 7 it was 10 a. m. before we started. General A. L. Lee, who commanded our cavalry force of about 5,000 men, held the advance, skirmishing with and developing the enemy, who, continually retreated, regardless of his force. After these troops was the cavalry train of over 200 wagons. After it came the two small divisions of the Thirteenth Corps; then the Nineteenth Corps. · From front to rear the line extended from 25 to 30 miles, over a single road, and this difficulty was greatly increased by a rain storm, which, lasting all day of the 7th, rendered that narrow road nearly impassable.
General Franklin had ordered General Lee to push the enemy vigorously, and keep his wagon train well up to the front. General Lee had found his train a source of trouble, being obliged to detach a large portion of his force to guard it. It was General Lee's business to develop the enemy's force and report it to his superior officer. This he failed to do. General Franklin was impressed
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with the idea that the enemy would not fight, and that the cavalry was in the way. April 7 we camped at Pleasant Hill after a march of 20 miles. April 8 we started late, and the sharp report of car- bine and musket in front was nearly continuous. General Banks arrived at the extreme front at 1 p. m. He found there the whole force of the enemy. He then saw the disadvantage of having a wagon train, filling the only road there for a distance of two or three miles in the rear. If General Banks had withdrawn, declin- ing a general battle, it would have been at some risk to the train; but if he' decided upon a battle there, bringing up his scattered infantry to General Lee's support, which he did, the risk was much greater, and made certain his defeat.
General Banks took the greater risk. Our small division had gone into camp some four miles in rear of our advance. We were ordered forward on quick time, and the sound of the conflict was becoming more distinct. General Banks hurried up the infantry in the rear, and brought up fourteen pieces of artillery, in addi- tion to the twelve already with General Lee. In his dispatch to General Franklin, half an hour after he reached the front, he advises that the enemy seems prepared to make a stand, and that he had better bring up his infantry, and concludes: "You had bet- ter send back and push up the trains, as manifestly we should be able to rest here." The infantry moved forward quickly, and by 5 p. m. General Cameron's little division, of which the Fifty-sixth Ohio was a part, was on the field. There was less than 2,000 men in the division, and after a forced march of four miles was sent in to action, as General Lauman's troops were driven back. Then, for nearly two hours of desperate fighting, our troops held their line and repulsed the repeated charges of the enemy. In one of these charges the enemy made a desperate effort to capture our colors, and that brave hero, Jack Williams of Company C, the color bearer, with his guards, were having a desperate time to beat them off, when, seeing their danger, Coroporal James M. Halliday of Company F, with superb gallantry, rallied a lot of the boys, and rushed to the rescue and drove the enemy back. Comrade Halli- day, though one of the youngest men in the regiment, was placed
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