USA > Ohio > The history of Fuller's Ohio brigade, 1861-1865; its great march, with roster, portraits, battle maps and biographies > Part 5
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CAPTURE OF NEW MADRID AND ISLAND TEN.
twenty-four pounder shot, shell from thirty-two pounders and sixty-four pounders, besides missiles from guns of smaller caliber. The troops unable to reply, evinced a calmness and steadiness worthy of veterans.
Brigadier-General Stanley arrived in camp on the evening of the 3rd. On the 4th, a re-organization of the Division was made. General Stanley, being from Oliio, the Ohio Regiments passed from under my command. Having had evidence of their gallantry and coolness under fire and feeling grateful for the cheerfulness with which both officers and men had re- sponded to my efforts to enforce discipline and excite their ardor, I parted from them with regret. On the night of the 4th, the Forty-third Ohio, Worthington's Battery of four guns, five companies of the Fifth Iowa, two companies of the Fifty-ninth Indiana, drove the enemy's pickets and opened fire on his position. On the 6th, Point Pleasant was occupied by our forces On the 7th, 9th and 13th demonstrations were made by Stanley's Division. On the 14th, at two o'clock in the morning, in pouring rain, the troops knee deep in mud, prepared for assaulting the enemy's works, moving steadily forward. At six o'clock in the morning, the enemy had evacuated his fort.
SCHUYLER HAMILTON, Brigadier-General United States Army, Commanding the Second Division.
Report of Brigadier-General D. S. Stanley.
In reporting the part taken by the First Division of this Army, in compelling tlie surrender of Island Ten, I have tl.e honor to state that I was assigned to the command of the Division of the 4th of March, 1862. On the same night a detachment of five hundred men commanded by Colonel J. L. Kirby Smith of the Forty-third Ohio Volunteers made a re- connaissance in force and after cannonading the town and forts for half an hour, retired to their camp without loss. On the 6th of the same month, my entire Division consisting of the First Brigade with Colonel Groesbeck commanding, and the Second Brigade with Colonel J. L. Kirby Smith com- manding, by order of the Major-General commanding, pushed our way into the town of New Madrid to within seven hundred yards of the upper fort, driving the enemy's infantry. But at this point, finding ourselves under a cross fire of seven gunboats and the guns of both their forts, I deemed it proper to withdraw my troops. We were for half an hour under a fierce cannonade, and strange to say, I suffered only three wounded. On the 7th of April, my Division accompanied by Dee's Michigan Battery, crossed the
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FULLER'S, OHIO BRIGADE.
Mississippi from the upper fort immediately after the crossing of General Paine's Division. Waiting for the head of General Hamilton's Division, we took up the march before his arrival, and. moved by the river route to- ward Tiptonville, twelve miles away. Deserted camps and abandoned artil- lery indicated a flying enemy. Night was coming on very dark and the guide being uncertain of the route, the command was bivouacked until morning, when the enemy surrendered. Subsequently on the same day, we crossed Madrid Bend to Island Ten, covering the road seven miles perpendicular to the main road with skirmishers. We picked up forty prisoners. All the houses were full of the enemy's sick, and cannon, ammunition, tents, and various materials of war were found scattered through the bend. These we had no means to move.
GENERAL D. S. STANLEY, Brigadier-General II. S. A. Commanding First Division, Army of the Mississippi.
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Report of Colonel John Groesbeck, Commanding First Brigade.
HEADQUARTERS OF THE FIRST BRIGADE, FIRST DIVISION,
DISTRICT OF THE MISSISSIPPI.
NEW MADRID, MARCH 15TH, 1862.
I have the honor to report to the General commanding the First Divis- ion, the part taken in the late action before New Madrid, by the Brigade under my command, consisting of the Twenty-seventh, and the Thirty-ninth Ohio Regiments. On the afternoon of the 12th inst., I detailed companies A and F of the Twenty-seventh and I and H of the Thirty-ninth to drive in the pickets of the enemy, hold an advance position and cover the parties detailed to plant our heavy artillery. They drove in the pickets and took the position assigned them, within eight hundred yards of the enemy's gun- boat, and principal fort. At three o'clock on the morning of the 13th, I moved forward with my Brigade and took position on the right of the bat- tery. The enemy's skirmishers immediately began firing upon us, but with- out injury. A few moments afterwards our artillery opened the engage- ment. The brigade was ordered back two hundred yards, which it did in good order under a heavy fire of shot and shell from the guns of the fort. While lying there, five companies of the Twenty-seventh Ohio were ordered three hundred yards to the left on a road leading past the enemy's fort and took position supporting the battery, where the sloping bank of a bayou
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CAPTURE OF NEW MADRID AND ISLAND TEN.
afforded considerable protection to the men who remained thus placed and guarded against any flank movement during the rest of the day. At day- liglit, we were relieved. The firing ceased about sunset. Having thrown out an additional company of pickets. Considering the closeness and rapidity of the firing, the casualities were remarkably few, viz., one killed, three severely wounded in the Twenty-seventh, and one very slightly wounded in the Thirty-ninth Ohio.
On the morning of the 7th of April, the Brigade under my command, consisting of the Twenty-seventh, and Thirty-ninth Ohio Regiments and Infantry, embarked on the transports, "Trio" and "Fanny Gilmore." After crossing the Mississippi, we marched six miles toward Tiptonville and biv- ouacked. Next morning we marched eight miles to Tiptonville and on ar- riving there found that the whole rebel force het surrendered to Primadier General Paine. After mid-day, I detailed four companies of the Twenty- seventh and three of the Thirty-ninth Regiments under Major Noyes to deploy as skirmishers and scour the country between Tiptonville and Island Ten. This was done and a number of prisoners were taken. The night of the 8th, we bivouaced at Island Ten. The next morning we took the transport "Graham" for camp at New Madrid.
JOHN GROESBECK, Colonel Commanding,
First Brigade, First Division, District of the Mississippi.
Report of Colonel J. L. Kirby Smith.
FORTY-THIRD OHIO INFANTRY.
APRIL 17THI, 1862.
I have the honor to submit the following report of the movements of this Brigade at the capture of the rebel position at and near Island Ten.
The Forty-third Ohio Infantry, Lieutenant-Colonel Wager Swayne and the Sixty-third Ohio Infantry, Colonel J. W. Sprague, crossed the river on the morning of the 7thi instant, embarking at the upper fort at New Madrid and landing at the site of the three gun rebel battery just captured by our gunboats, and took a position in a wood near an abandoned encamp- ment of two regiments, apparently recently evacuated. Twenty men were placed as a guard over the property here and a few prisoners, who, being sick or intoxicated, had failed to escape with the enemy. A company was
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FULLER'S OHIO BRIGADE.
sent back to the landing to render assistance and support to the rifled bat- tery of Captain Dee's which had crossed with us. We had remained in this position about an hour, until joined by the other brigade of the division, the First, Colonel Groesbeck, and then moved in the direction of Tiptonville, to the support of General Paine. The Brigade bivouacked about an hour after dark at a point near the river, and about eight miles below where the land- ing had been made.
The march to Tiptonville was resumed in the morning and the Brigade reached there about noon ; the enemy had already surrendered without fight- ing, to our army, and the Brigade was placed in position as a part of the guard of the prisoners. Two hours later the Brigade was put in march for the late position of the enemy, opposite Island number Ten. On the march thither the country between the road and the river was thoroughly beaten vy a strong line of skirmishers under Lieutenant-Colonel Swayne, and sev- eral prisoners were taken. The Brigade bivouacked opposite Island number Ten, about five o'clock in the afternoon. On the morning of the 9th instant, the Brigade was moved, with the rest of the Division, by transports, to New Madrid, and resumed its former encampment.
J. L. KIRBY SMITH, Colonel Commanding Brigade.
Report of Colonel John W. Sprague, Sixty-third Ohio Infantry.
HEADQUARTERS OF THE SIXTY-THIRD O. V. I.
CAMP NEAR NEW MADRID, MISSOURI, MARCH 14TH, 1862.
I have the honor to report that the Sixty-third Regiment, O. V. I., under my command, in obedience to your orders, left camp about three o'clock, Thursday morning, the 13th instant and marched about three miles to a point, say, southwest of the town of New Madrid, and distant about one mile, and was there deployed in line of battle, along the road, by your order, as part of the support of a battery, planted by our troops, say, one hundred rods in advance of our line. Almost immediately after taking this position, the guns of our battery opened fire upon the fort and gunboats of the enemy, to which they replied with shot and shell. As soon as the enemy's gunboats obtained their chosen position, it was found that the posi- tion of the regiment under my command was exposed to the cross fire of at least one gunboat and the lower and the principal fort of the enemy. By
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CAPTURE OF NEW MADRID AND ISLAND TEN.
your order, I moved my regiment forward about twenty-five rods in line of battle and halted along the base of a very slight elevation. While this new position did not remove my command from exposure to the cross-fire men- tioned, the elevation afforded a partial protection. The fire of the enemy continued during the entire day with occasional intermission. At night the fire of the enemy ceased, but about midnight, we were visited by a terrific storm of rain, accompanied by thunder and lightning. Our little trench immediately filled with water and all were soaked by the falling rain. At daylight next morning we were relieved, having occupied the position over twenty-four hours exposed to a galling fire and the inclemency of the weather.
I have no casualities to report except that of one man, Private Thomas King of Company H, commanded by Captain Jackson.
In conclusion I beg to say that every officer and man under my com- mand behaved with coolness and courage, not a single word of complaint was made of hardship or fatigue. Every order given by me was promptly obeyed and executed, nothwithstanding the harrassing fire of the enemy.
I am very respectfully, your obedient servant,
JOHN W. SPRAGUE, Colonel, Sixty-third Ohio, O. V. I.
To Colonel J. L. Kirby Smith, commanding the Second Brigade, First Div. Army of the Mississippi:
The Union Forces at New Madrid consisted of the Army of the Miss- issippi, General Pope commanding.
First Division : General D. S. Stanley: Twenty-seventh, Thirty-ninth, Forty-third and Sixty-third Ohio, Battery F, 2d United States Regulars.
Second Division : Brigadier-General Schuyler Hamilton : Fifty-ninth Indi- ana, Fifth: and Tenth Iowa, Twenty-sixth Missouri, Eleventh Ohio Battery.
Third Division : John M. Palmer: Thirty-fourth, Forty-seventh, Forty- third and Forty-sixth Indiana, Seventh Illinois Cavalry, Company G, First Missouri Artillery.
Fourth Division: Brigadier-General E. S. Paine: Tenth, Sixteenth, Twenty-second and Fifty-first Illinois Infantry, two Companies of the First Illionis Cavalry, Sixty-fourth Illinois (Yates' Sharpshooters),
.
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FULLER'S OHIO BRIGADE.
Eighth Wisconsin Infantry, Twenty-sixth Illinois, Eleventh Missouri, Company M of the First Missouri Artillery.
Cavalry Division : Brigadier-General Gordon Granger : Second and Third Michigan.
Artillery Division : Major W. L. Lathrop: Second Iowa, Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Wisconsin, C and H of the First Michigan, C of the First Illinois.
Bissell's Engineer Regiment: Twenty-second Missouri, Second Iowa Cav- alry (four Companies), Fourth United States Cavalry (three Com- panies), First United States Infantry (six Companies).
Flotilla Brigade: Twenty-seventh, Forty-second Illionis, Fifteenth Wis- consin, G of the First Illinois Artillery, G of the Second Tinut A. lery.
NAVAL FORCES AT ISLAND TEN : Flag Officer A. H. Foot, Flag Ship "Benton," the "St. Louis," the "Cincinnati," the "Pittsburg," the "Mound City," the "Carondelet" and eleven mortar boats.
CONFEDERATE FORCES AT ISLAND TEN AND NEW MADRID.
The Forces were commanded by Major-General John P. McGowan, Brigadier-General W. W. McCall, Stewart, Walker, Garrett and Trudeau. Infantry: First Tennessee, First Mississippi, Fourth, Fifth, Eleventh and Twelfth Louisana, First, Fourth, Fifth, Thirty-first, Fortieth, Forty- sixth and Fifty-fifth Tennessee.
Cavalry : Hudson's Wheeler's and Neely's.
Artillery : Shand's, Bankhead's, Jackson's, Hume's, Hoadley's, Caruther's, Jones', Dismuke's, Rucker's, Fisher's, Johnson's and Upton's.
Engineers : Gray's, Harris', Winter's.
Naval Forces: Flag Officer George N. Hollins: Flag Ship "McRay," "Livingstone," "Polk," "Pontchartrain," "Maurepaus," "Jackson."
Floating Battery : "New Orleans." Total, seventeen guns.
Master
CHAPTER X.
REMINISCENCES-FORT PILLOW EXPEDITION-TRANSFER OF THE ARMY TO HAMBURG LANDING, TENNESSEE.
The soldiers of the army were now priding themselves upon their efficiency and accomplishments. There was a noticeable rivalry among the different organizations as to their superiority in drill, marching, and fight- ing. No true soldier need apologize for the honest pride with which he believes that his own company, regiment, brigade, division, or corps is the flower of the army and is peerless in discipline and Courage. During in war, that faith is so important a condition of success that he would be an unwise commander who would discourage it. All felt its influence for there was none who did not feel a deeper thrill of pride and pleasure when he saw his own flag moving in the front, than when another flag floated over the advancing host. So it was in the Ohio Brigade as in other commands.
A soldier of the Forty-third Ohio often tells this story at the Brigade reunions :
"I had been left behind, when our regiment left camp in Ohio and started to join my regiment at New Madrid. Arriving near there after marching on foot all the way from Commerce, I sat down by the road side, exhausted. I was soon joined by a very ragged soldier of the Twenty- seventh Ohio who sympathized with me. After having told him that I was never so tired in my life and that it seemed that I could not carry my knap- sack any further, he said to me: 'You will never be able to carry that big knapsack on the long marches which we are soon to have. We started out that way in Missouri, but we found out that the better way was to carry a light knapsack and throw away everything but our blankets.' It was a powerful argument just then, but I had carried it so far, and I was now so near the regiment, that I felt loath to part with any treasure. I opened my knapsack, took out a pair of army trousers and laid them near my new friend. In an instant, he had cast off his old ones and put on mine. The more than twenty-five vards, and directed Major Weber, in case the Sixty- same thing took place with my extra pair of stockings, blouse, shirt and shoes. We two then walked into camp. I noticed that his comrades would grin when they saw him, and would ask him where he got his new clothes. He answered them by saying, 'For giving a recruit sound advice!' I will never forget how quickly that soldier got into my new clothes."
At New Madrid, the Forty-third Ohio gained for itself the name and fame of the "Martin Box" Regiment, because of the fact that some of the men nailed cracker boxes on the cotton-wood trees, where the birds flocked. took refuge and nested. Ever afterward, the word "Martin Box" from any soldier of the Brigade was a pass-port for a cordial greeting.
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FULLER'S OHIO BRIGADE.
The victories at Island Ten and New Madrid, General Halleck pro- nounced splendid achievements, that would be memorable in military his- tory, exceeding as they did in boldness and brilliancy all other operations of the war up to this time.
On the 13th of April, the Twenty-seventh, Thirty-ninth, Forty-third and Sixty-third Ohio Regiments with General Pope's Army, embarked on thirty steamboats at a point one mile below New Madrid, at Fort Thomp- son, and in co-operation with the gunboat fleet, consisting of twelve mor- tar boats and seven gunboats, moved down the Mississippi River, one hun- dred and twenty miles, in an expedition against Fort Pillow, disembarking at Oseola, Arkansas, a low swampy place. Here the soldiers had an op- portunity to wash themselves and their clothing and to fight to a finish, for the time being at least, the great army plague, an incest Known as the gray- back, a fiend which infected clothing. These insects became so numerous, vicious, ravenous that they almost ate the shirts from the soldiers' backs. Millions were destroyed by boiling the clothing in the camp kettles, the same utensils that were used for cooking. The crowded condition of the transports which gave no opportunities for the soldiers to change their clothing, was the direct cause of this infection. On land came the scourge of swamp mosquitoes, locally known as "galnippers." They bit the soldiers and even killed horses and mules.
TO FORT PILLOW.
Part of the steamboat fleet which conveyed Pope's army down the Mississippi River from New Madrid, Missouri, April, 1862, was com- posed of the following named boats :
"Emma," Forty-third Indiana Infantry Regiment on board :
"Emma," Twenty-seventh Ohio Infantry Regiment :
"Admiral," Thirty-ninth Ohio Infantry Regiment ;
"Uncle Sam," Forty-third Ohio Infantry Regiment. "Silver Wave." Sixty-third Ohio Infantry Regiment.
"Emeline," Eleventh Ohio Battery Artillery.
"N. W. Thomas," Sixteenth Illinois Infantry Regiment ;
"Meteor," Twenty-second Illinois Infantry Regiment :
"T. McGill," Twenty-seventh Illinois Infantry Regiment ;
"Memphis," Forty-second Illinois Infantry Regiment ;
"Daniel G. Taylor," Fifty-first Illinois Infantry and Battery ;
"G. W. Graham," Forty-sixth Indiana Infantry Regiment ;
"Chantua." Fifty-ninth Indiana Infantry Regiment :
"Hannibal City," Eleventh Missouri, Second Iowa Cavalry, Dodge's Bat- tery ;
"City of Alton," Twenty-sixth Missouri and Tenth Iowa Infantry ; Perry Flag Boat, Regular Cavalry.
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ARMY TRANSFERRED TO MIDDLE TENNESSEE.
On April 17th, the army re-embarked on transports and were ordered up the Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee Rivers a distance of three hundred and fifty miles. They disembarked at Hamburg Landing on the 22nd of April, just above the battle field of Pittsburg Landing, where were seen the long rows of newly made graves of the heroes who fell at Shiloh.
The Union Army under General Halleck advanced upon Corinth with greatest caution, building and fighting behind parallel lines of earthworks, each succeeding line in advance of the other, gaining ground step by step, from one stump, tree or position forward to another, accompanied by de- tails of men and the pioneer corps with intrenching tools, while the contest raged along the lines every day, between the two contesting armies.
The Confederate Army under General Beauregard gradually fell back, and he concentrated his army at Corinth, a position strongly tortined, and prepared for a determined defence. All the available troops of the south- west were sent to his aid, including the armies of Van Dorn and Price, from Missouri and Arkansas, as well as the militia of the states of Ala- bama, Mississippi, and Louisana. By his official report made on the 22nd of April, 1862, he had four corps, Bragg's, Polk's, Breckenridge's and Hardee's, besides cavalry. According to his official report made May 26th, just before the evacuation of Corinth, he had a total of one hundred and twelve thousand and seventeen men of all arms. Beauregard endeavored. on this ground of his own choosing to incite his troops with obstinacy and desperation, to their utmost fighting capacity for his fading prestige of in- vincibility. "Soldiers of Shiloh and Elkhorn," he said to them, "we are about to meet once more in- the shock of battle, the invaders of our soil, the despoilers of our homes, the disturbers of our family ties, face to face, hand to hand. * * With your banners mingled for the first time during the war, we meet the foe in strength that should give us victory. Soldiers, can the result be doubtful? Shall we not drive them back into the Tennessee, the presumptuous mercenaries, collected for our subjection? One more manly effort, and, trusting in God and the justice of our cause, we shall recover more than we have lately lost."
Bragg said to them, "You will encounter them in your chosen position, strong by nature, and improved by art, away from their main support and reliance, gunboats and heavy batteries, and for the first time in the war, with nearly equal numbers."
CHAPTER XI.
SIEGE OF CORINTH.
Fuller's Ohio Brigade now the first in Stanley's Second Division, with Pope's Army of the Mississippi, formed the left wing of General Halleck's Army of over one hundred thousand men, to operate for the capture of Corinth.
Until April 27th, the Brigade performed fatigue duty, unloading amu- nitions of war from the transports on the Tennessee River, and in making roads. On the 27th, they marched five miles to the front and went into bivouac in the heavy wood at the farbe of the pond landing to Monterey, on the Corinth Road.
On the 29th, they formed in line and marched seven miles toward the enemy for a reconnaissance. They drove in the enemy's pickets at Mon- terey, found one hundred tents still standing, took a number of prisoners and burned their camp, capturing a large amount of rations, consisting of bread, meat, coffee, and sugar, which supplied the Union men for several days. On the 1st of May, the Brigade crossed into Mississippi.
Report of General D. S. Stanley, concerning the Engagement at Monterey.
MAY 3RD, 1863.
My forces consisted of the First Brigade of my Division under Colonel John Groes beck, the Twenty-seventh, Thirty-ninth, Forty-third and Sixty- third Ohio Regiments of Infantry, sixteen companies of Cavalry, Colonel Elliott, commanding, with Dee's Third Michigan and Spoor's Missouri Batteries. We took twenty prisoners and followed the retreating enemy. I am happy to bear testimony to the gallantry of these troops and their readiness for service.
D. S. STANLEY, Commanding the Second Division, Left Wing, Army of the Mississippi.
On May 4th, advance was made five miles to Farmington, where a severe skirmish took place in fields of wheat, corn and cotton and over plowed ground, then forward into a swamp of heavy timber, wading creeks and forming lines of battle at every appearance of danger. The Brigade rested at Seven Mile Creek on the Farmington Road, within a short dis-
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SIEGE OF CORINTH.
tance of the enemy's earthworks, from which shot and shell were fired, passing over the heads of the men in ranks. A Demi Brigade, commanded by J. L. Kirby Smith, Forty-third Ohio, occupied Nichol's Ford, The Thirty- ninth Ohio Infantry supported Dee's Michigan Battery.
Rifle pits were advanced along the whole army front. Each day re- connaissances were made with heavy skirmishing and musket firing from four o'clock in the morning until night.
On May 8th, the Brigade marched in line of battle to Farmington through a swamp and over a corduroy road, passing the graves of rebels slain in the recent skirmish, who had been buried by the Union troops. Three thousand cavalry, thirty pieces of artillery and thirteen regiments of in- fantry were drawn up in line near the village of Farmington and then moved forward. The Brigade position was on the left wing, supporting the Eleventh Ohio Battery. The movement was through plowed fields of cotton, corn and wheat, through swamps and creeks, and through thick timber and underbrush.
Within six hundred yards of the enemy's batteries, the Union Artil- lery opened fire which drew the fire of the Confederate batteries, their shots passing over. During this time, the Brigade skirmishers lay in sight of the
THE OHIO BRIGADE WITH GEN. HALLECK'S ARMY MARCHING ON CORINTH, MAY, 1862.
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FULLER'S OHIO BRIGADE
enemy's main line of works which comprised the defences of Corinth. Two of the Thirty-ninth were wounded on this day, also six men of the Twenty- seventh and two of the Sixty-third Ohio.
While Fuller's Ohio Brigade, then in command of General Tyler, lay in this advance position, a regiment of Confederate Cavalry scouts, not knowing of the presence of the Union troops, got in their rear by mistake, and took twenty-five prisoners, including Surgeon William R. Thrall of the Twenty-seventh Ohio, who was taken to Memphis and from there was sent to the Union lines.
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