USA > Ohio > The story of the Sherman brigade. The camp, the march, the bivouac, the battle; and how "the boys" lived and died during four years of active field service > Part 21
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Half a mile away lived the owner of a large plantation. At his solicitation General McCook, on his arrival, posted guards to protect his place from pillage. Next day the general sent an of- ficer to wait upon him and administer the oath of allegiance to the United States government. The planter refused to take it. This fact being reported to General McCook he promptly ordered the guards to be removed. This was done, whereupon the sol- diers "went in" and literally swept the place of everything eatable. It did not take them long to do it, either. When the storm broke upon him the planter mounted his horse and galloped to McCook's quarters and begged that he might be permitted to swear alle- giance to the government. But his sudden spasm of loyalty was "too thin." The gates of mercy were closed and he went away in a great rage. The negroes told us that he had three sons in the rebel army, and was one of the most ardent supporters of the Confederate cause in all that section. No place was ever more thoroughly cleaned out than his. Our company had a goose from his flock, which, its captor said, hissed defiantly at him when ordered to take the oath, The fowl was well stricken in
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1862.]
255
GOOD LUCK AT FORAGING.
years, but by dint of long boiling was softened so that we were able to pick its bones.
One day two companies from each regiment of our brigade were sent on a foraging expedition with wagons, and ordered to bring into camp anything that could be issued to the soldiers for food. The region had been so well scoured that we were obliged to go nine miles. We obtained a good part of our plunder on the place of one Reynolds, who was a captain of cavalry in the Con- federate army. His wife, a comely woman of perhaps twenty- five, sat on the porch smoking a cob pipe and watching the en- forcement of the confiscation act. Her eyes flashed fire as an of- ficer approached the house.
"I wish my husband was here !" said she.
"I'm sure I regret his absence!" was the reply.
And that was all that was said. We loaded our wagons with grain, bacon, vegetables and fruit, driving along "on the hoof"' half a dozen fine cattle. Our triumphant entry into camp was greeted with stentorian shouts.
Our brief stay here was somewhat in the nature of a picnic -- much more so than anything that fell to our lot for a long time thereafter. The proceeds of our foraging gave us plenty to eat for the time, and after our partial abstinence for so long at Bridge- port and Stevenson, we ate and were duly thankful. The com- missaries could not fill the aching void in the stomachs of the soldiers. The demand for something to eat was so imperative as to break down the barriers against confiscation, and these were never again so high and so strong as they had been up to this time in our wanderings. In fact, it was not a great while until they almost wholly disappeared.
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Id's
[August,
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CHAPTER XXIII.
AS WE GO MARCHING ON.
TRAVELING "BY JERKS" DAY AND NIGHT-A BABEL OF CONFUSING ORDERS-A GYPSY LIFE, WITHOUT TENTS-IN SUN AND STORM- THROUGH NASHVILLE WITHOUT A HALT-WE WIN A FOOT-RACE- A NIGHT MARCH WITH FLYING FEET-AT BOWLING GREEN AGAIN -"WILL YOU WAIT?"-A COMPANY IN A SORRY PICKLE:
W E HAD just gone to bed, in the evening of August 27th, when the adjutant went around and stirred up the orderlies, informing them that the drum would beat at eleven and we would march at midnight. Everybody turned out and went to cooking, but the order to fall in did not come. All night long and the next day and night we waited, expecting every moment to be called into line. We finally got away at noon of the 29th, marched a mile, and went into bivouac. We were ordered to police the grounds thoroughly and build unto ourselves such shelters as we could, as we would probably remain there several days. Then we felt certain that we would soon be on the march again, for nothing ever went more "by contraries" than the orders regulating our stops and starts on this campaign. But we all worked like beavers for two or three hours, building huts of boards, rails and bushes, and putting the camp in prime order. This work was still in active pro-
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1862.]
MAJOR OLDS LEAVES US.
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gress when the long roll proved the correctness of our surmise. "Pack up; march in twenty minutes!" said the adjutant.
Near this camp was the finest spring, withont exception, that we ever found. The water, beautifully clear and cold, rushed in a copious stream from the base of an immense overhanging rock. We were loth to leave this, but filling our canteens, and hastily drawing four days' half rations, we were hurried into line and started off at a rapid gait. After a dusty and tiresome marchi of ten miles we bivouacked, an hour after dark, three miles from Hillsboro. At this point Major Olds, of the Sixty-fifth, left us, hav- ing resigned his commis- sion, and Captain Horatio N. Whitbeck, of Company E, assumed command of the regiment.
Next morning we went scurrying off at daylight. There were flying rumors of rebels ahead, and "posi- tively no straggling" was the order. After covering four miles, however. we took to the woods, with orders to police another camp, where, we were told, PHILIP P. M'CUNE, CAPTAIN, SIXTY-FIFTH. we would certainly stay a while. Again we "felt it in our bones" that we wouldn't do anything of the kind. March- ing orders came promptly next morning. Half an hour later we were groping our way through clouds of suffocating dust. The Sixty-fifth was detailed to guard the train and was scattered along the road for a mile. We passed through Manchester toward evening and camped a mile beyond.
This being the last day of the month there was the regular inspection and muster in the evening. The night set in rainy (17)
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258
UP AND AWAY AT MIDNIGHT.
[September,
and cool. As long as the weather was fine it was all very fair to live without tents, and sleep in the open air, with the stars wink- ing and blinking in our faces, but a storm very quickly took all the poetry out of such a life. During the next few weeks we learned to make all imaginable shifts to protect ourselves from in- clement weather. It became a matter of wonder that men could make themselves so comfortable under such adverse conditions.
Reveille beat at midnight. An hour later we drew out on the Murfreesboro pike, in a dripping and sloppy condition. We halted in half an hour and the word "Prepare to wade!" was passed along the column. Being already well soaked we had no preparations to make, so we plunged in, fording a stream three feet deep and ten yards wide. We went swishing along in our wet garments, through the rain and darkness. We were glad enough when day dawned, although the sun rose upon a sorry looking procession. Toward noon there was a drenching shower, after which the sun took a hand in the game, and beat down fiercely upon us, with blistering effect. It was a hard day's march, our bivouac being twenty miles from our starting point. The boys had keen appetites and there was furious foraging that evening. Some of them struck a still-house, and confiscated sev- eral gallons of "tangle-foot." A few attempted to carry too much in the wrong place, and at a late hour were brought in under guard, in a most hilarious state of mind and wabbly con- dition of body.
On the 3rd of September we passed through Murfreesboro, took the Lebanon pike, marched ten miles, forded Stone river and went into camp. We stayed two days, our time being mostly given to foraging-and eating. Captain Brown, of the Sixty -fifth, went out with three companies and brought in thirty bushels of sweet potatoes. On the 6th we struck out for Nashville. Under a scorching sun, we swept over the hard, limestone pike a dis- tance of twenty-two miles, past the Hermitage-the home and burial place of Andrew Jackson-and camped three miles from the Tennessee capital. It was a day of great severity. Hundreds of men fell by the wayside, unable to keep up. Many of the companies stacked arms with less than a dozen men in ranks. With aching bones and weary limbs we threw ourselves upon the ground,
1862.]
THROUGH NASHVILLE ON THE BACK TRACK
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The next day was Sunday. Tired and footsore we would have been glad to rest, or even to go to church. Long before daylight the inexorable drum sounded in our ears. Not a few of the men found themselves unable to march without absolute torture, owing to the condition of their feet, which the previous night had been blistered and bleeding. Before starting the cripples were taken to the doctor's tent for inspection, where the worst cases were given passes to ride in the ambulances and wagons.
Among those who interviewed the surgeon was "Jimmy" Houlihan, of Company I, Sixty-fifth, who had declared that he couldn't march that day "at all, at all."
"Well, Jimmy," inquired the orderly, when he came limping back, "did he give you a pass to ride?"
"Pass be blowed !" said Houlihan. "Phat kind of a doctor is thot ; he niver looked at me sore fate but jist said. 'Show me yer tongue !""' Jimmy had to walk.
We started at dawn, passed through Nashville without halt- ing, and turned our faces northward, on the same road by which we had entered the city six months before. The friends of the rebel cause in Nashville -- and they were many-made no attempt to conceal their satisfaction at the change in the aspect of affairs. Nor, it must be confessed, did we feel so "brash" as when, with streaming banners, exultant shouts and "gay and gallant tread" we marched into the captured city with our faces to the south.
From late newspapers we gathered that the north was in a state of active fermentation. Pope had been overwhelmed at Manassas and Lee's army was almost at the gates of the national capital. All over Ohio, Indiana and Illinois the drums were call- ing the people to arms to repel the expected invasion of Bragg and Kirby Smith. Those were the dark days of the war, for the Union cause. It is not strange that the spirits of the soldiers sank to a low ebb, as Buell's army went galloping back to the Ohio river. It was evidently intended to hold on to Nashville if possible; some twelve thousand troops, under General Negley, being charged with that duty. Thousands of negroes were at work with pick and shovel, strengthening and extending the fortifications. We were glad to see the postman again. The
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ONCE MORE IN KENTUCKY.
[September,
brigade received almost a wagon-load of mail, the first for more than three weeks.
On the 9th we passed through Gallatin. In the outskirts of the village a lordly appearing man stood at the gate of his residence, watching the troops as they marched by. Near him were several colored people, evidently his slaves -- for emancipa- tion had not yet been proclaimed. One of our officers, who wanted a servant, beckoned to a smart looking fellow of twenty. The latter was quick to respond, and when the officer asked him if he didn't want to "come along," he fell into the ranks without so much as casting a look behind. To him, at least, had come "de year ob jubilo." His master, in great consternation, called after him to return, but "Rufus" kept on his way. He remained with us for several months.
From this time until we reached Louisville we were kept in continual agitation by hourly rumors of rebels ahead and upon our flanks. On the following day, when three miles from Mitchellville, at which point we were to strike the Bowling Green pike, it was ascertained that another division of Buell's army was approaching from Nashville by that road. We determined to get ahead if possible, and, taking the double-quick, we made excellent speed. The weather was extremely warm and the dust was fearful, but in the excitement of the race we thought of noth- ing else. Our leading regiment was just in time to get possession of the road. With loud cheers we slackened our pace to "com- mon time," the other division being forced to wait till ours had passed.
We were now in Kentucky again. We had traveled this road before-going the other way -- and many familiar objects inet our eyes. But the pike was just as hard, and the milestones just as far apart, as then. After a very fatigning inarch of twenty- two miles we turned into a stubble field, where we flung off our accouterments, expecting to spend the night. Ten minutes later we were directed to get our suppers immediately and be ready to march in an hour to Bowling Green, sixteen miles distant. We were told that a detachment of Bragg's army was rapidly ap- proaching that place, and it was in the highest degree important that we should get there first. We had already made more than
1862.]
261
A SEVERE ALL-NIGHT MARCH.
an average day's march, and it seemed a physical impossibility for us to almost double the distance. We had had one foot-race, and now, with the prospect of a more exciting one, and possibly a fight, we managed to "brace up" for the ordeal. Fully a hun- dred men of the brigade were, however, wholly unable, from blistered feet and exhausted bodies, to continue the march. They were excused by the surgeons and permitted to ride on the ambu- lances and wagons. Supper and a short rest, and the drum called us into line. It was just nine o'clock as we passed from the gleanı of the bivouac fires into the dim moonlight, and moved swiftly along the pike.
It was a pleasant night for marching. The air was delicious- ly cool, and a heavy dew settled the dust. But the hours were long through that September night. Whenever we halted a few moments for rest, half the men would be asleep in an instant, to be aroused at the tap of the relentless drum and go plodding on. Men slept while walking, and tumbled against each other, or against the fences by the roadside. Scarcely a word was spoken. Now and then a feeble jest was heard, but it fell upon unappre- ciative ears. The column swept almost noiselessly along, for those smarting feet trod tenderly upon the stony way. Cries of pain and weariness were extorted from the unwilling lips of brave men as they pressed forward with faltering steps. It was a terri- ble march. When, half an hour before daylight, we halted in the edge of Bowling Green, men sank down in their tracks, without even removing their accouterments, and gave themselves to slumber. The sun rose and looked into the faces of the sleep- ing soldiers, but his hot rays waked them not. They slept on till aroused at nine o'clock by beat of drum. We passed through the city and encamped a mile west, near a large spring that af- forded us most welcome refreshment. Strange to say, 110 orders for drill were issued. We were only too glad to spend the day in undisturbed quiet. The report about the rebels was only another scare.
We remained four or five days at Bowling Green, enjoying a much needed rest. We found here two of our musicians who were mustered out at Bridgeport. They told us that almost the entire party were captured by the rebels, only these two making
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262
"WILL YOU WAIT!"
[September,
their escape. Their instruments were all appropriated by their captors.
The Sixty-fifth having no field officer present, Lieutenant- colonel William H. Young, of the Twenty-sixth Ohio, was de- tailed for temporary command, Captain Whitbeck acting as major. One evening at dress-parade, while exercising the regiment in the manual of arms, Colonel Young gave the command "Riglit shoulder shift!" -- and made the customary pause before giving the word of execution, "Arms!"' During the pause two or three heedless men anticipated the order and poked their guns up into the air. The colonel, who was a strict disciplinarian, was some- what nettled at this carelessness and shouted to the offenders itt tones of thunder :
"Will you wait?"
The boys picked up this expression, and to the day of our discharge kept it in active service as a catch-phrase. Colonel Young returned in a few weeks to his own regiment, but there- after, whenever, under any circumstances, the Sixty-fifth caught sight of him, a dozen voices would shout the exasperating ques- tion, "Will you wait?" It always annoyed him, and that is probably the reason the boys kept it up.
The evening before we left Bowling Green an order was read at dress-parade to stand at arms each morning from three o'clock till daybreak: and to drill four times daily. There was loud murmuring about the drilling, as the blisters on many feet from the hard marching were yet unhealed. But we only had the privilege of drilling once and then were upon the road again.
One day, during a halt, our company pressed into the service a large iron caldron which the boys found lying in a barn. We put in half a barrel of water and about forty shirts, and built a roaring fire under the kettle. It is not necessary to explain why we did this. We knew that our stay was uncertain, and that we were liable to march at any moment, but the temptation for re- venge upon the graybacks was too strong to be resisted, and we hoped to have time to complete the process. Just as the water had fairly begun to boil the drums sounded the "fall in," and five minutes later the regiment started off almost at a gallop. All who read this will appreciate the pickle we were in, and can im-
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A COMPANY IN A PICKLE.
1862.]
agine the grotesque figure we presented as we hastily fished our steaming garments out of the caldron and carried them along on sticks until they were sufficiently cooled for us to wring out. Most of the boys' backs where the graybacks had been pastur- ing for weeks, looked like illuminated war maps. Some had blouses, while others were fain to cover their nakedness with blankets or ponchos. Not till the first halt, an hour later, did we succeed in getting ourselves into presentable condition. Our pre- dicament afforded great fun for the other companies of the regi- ment. And we had only just warmed up the graybacks and made them lively!
CHAPTER XXIV.
KICKING UP MORE DUST.
WE FORD BARREN RIVER-PUSHING TOWARD THE NORTH STAR-A WATER FAMINE-GREAT SUFFERING FROM THIRST-TOTAL DIS- APPEARANCE OF HARDTACK-RATIONS OF FLOUR-THE AWFUL "BREAD" WE MADE-AN ORDERLY VICTIMIZED-DEATH WOULD HAVE BEEN MILD PUNISHMENT-"THERE IT COMES, NOW !"- CAPTAIN SMITH AND "COMPANY G."
0 N THE 15th of September we turned out at three o'clock under arms, stood till five, and then charged around a big field from five to six on battalion drill, which gave us a ravenous appetite for breakfast. Orders came to march at once. We got off by two in the afternoon, which was doing
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GREAT SUFFERING FROM THIRST.
[September,
pretty well. We only marched a couple of miles and stacked arms on the bank of Barren river. Next morning we were ready to move at daylight, but stood around till three in the afternoon. The bridges over the river had been destroyed and we took a very long and circuitous route to reach a ford. Our march was through a rough, hilly country, over a trail that could scarcely be called a road at all. Niglit closed down upon us, but we stumbled on till ten o'clock, when we reached the ford.
"Battalion ! Prepare to wade-knee deep!"
This unique and original order was shouted by Colonel Young. Trousers, shoes and stockings were quickly removed, and, carrying these in our hands, we plunged briskly into the water. The stream was about eighty yards across, with a level, sandy bottom. The bath for our feet and limbs was most refresh- ing, and we wished the river were a mile wide. Fifteen minutes were allowed to "dress up." Then we fell in again: the old familiar command "Right face! Forward, route step-March !" was given, and we moved swiftly on through the darkness, over the rough and stony path. Six miles brought us again to the pike. There was no water at hand, and, faint and weary, we threw ourselves upon the ground, at two in the morning, for a short rest. The night was cold, and when we were aroused at daylight a white frost covered our blankets. Chilled through, stiff and sore, we reluctantly turned out for roll-call, receiving orders to march in an hour.
We were off promptly and made a most exhausting journey of sixteen miles, without a drop of good water in the entire dis- tance. The country between Barren and Green rivers is mostly flat, with scarcely a spring that flows during the dry season. Here and there, however, are large natural basins, some of them two hundred feet in diameter. In most of these we found water, but it was wretched stuff, dead and stagnant, and covered with a vile, green scum. Yet we were obliged to wet our parched mouths with it for there was no other source of supply for our canteens. For hours we suffered from a consuming thirst. In a small village through which we passed there was a distillery- that necessary auxiliary of every Kentucky town. A small quantity of "spiritus frumenti"' was found and two dozen can-
1862.]
TOTAL FAILURE OF OUR CRACKER-LINE.
265
teenfuls of it were hailed with joy by our brigade. To many ( this was like a draught from the fountain of eternal youth; and some drank whisky that day who had never tasted it before. I do not believe it was marked down against them on the slate of the Recorder.
During the rainy season the water collects in these natural reservoirs of which I have spoken, but the heat and the accumu- lated impurities of the summer render it so nauseous to both taste and smell that even the mules turned away from it in disgust. We would have been glad to fill our canteens with coffee for such a march, but our supply was so scanty that we had barely enough for a cupful morning and night.
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At no time during this campaign did we have more than half rations, and much of the time between Bowling Green and Louis- ville the mercury in the commissary thermometer ran down almost to zero. We could only eke out our scanty hoard with such food as could be gleaned JOHN O. BARTLETT, CORPORAL CO. D. SIXTY-FIFTH, Killed at Chickamauga, Ga., Sept. 19, 1863. from a region, not fertile at best, and now overrun by a multitude of half starved soldiers. The enemy, between us and Louisville, made frequent dashes upon the railroad, destroy- ing bridges and capturing supply trains. Hardtack and bacon finally disappeared entirely from our daily menu. For several days we had little besides flour. This we could only use by making it into dough with cold water and drying it on flat stones before the fire. It was abominable stuff, for those lumps of dried dough were more fit to be used as artillery ammunition than as food. But it was dougli or starve, and we naturally chose the dough, making the best of dire necessity,
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ONE OF OUR BUSY DAYS.
[September,
At the close of this day's march our brigade, in a driving rain storm, turned into an immense corn field. The water and the soft earth mingled readily, and we were soon tramping around in mud, ankle deep. The prospect for the night was dismal enough. Two or three old buildings were torn down, and with the boards, and rails and cornstalks, most of the men provided themselves with shelters, beneath the protection of which they laid them down and slept with a good degree of comfort.
The 18th was a day of unusual fuss and excitement. We stood at arms in the muddy cornfield for an hour before daylight and then began preparations for breakfast. But before our coffee had even come to a boil a chorus of drums through all the camp, and shouts of "Fall in, without a moment's delay !" caused a great commotion. We moved out upon the pike immediately and started off at double-quick. On either side of the road troops were forming and moving to the front-wherever that was-in line of battle; two or three batteries were dashing forward at a gallop; staff officers were riding hither and thither, trying to find somebody to give orders to-in fact it looked more like real busi- ness than anything we had seen since Shiloh. As usual at such times the most wild and absurd rumors were constantly flying as to what the riot was all about. Nobody had any clearer idea of the real situation than if he had been a thousand miles away.
We forged ahead on the pike, expecting at every turn to bump against Bragg's whole army. At length we descried, on a hill a mile to the right, two or three men on horseback. The gen- erals aimed their long-range field glasses at them and pronounced them rebels. And this is what caused all the stir! The cavalry- men soon vanished, and we saw them no more. They were doubtless as badly frightened as we were. But the sight of these vagrant horsemen caused our army instantly to halt. Two lines of battle were formed, a few hundred yards apart, stretching half a mile on either side of the pike. Artillery was posted in com- manding positions; skirmishers were deployed in front of the line; and a few companies of cavalry went ahead at a leisurely trot to reconnoiter. While awaiting the return of the troopers, to find out whether there was anybody over there who wanted to fight,
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1862.]
ANOTHER STRUGGLE WITH FLOUR.
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