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 37
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It was now sundown. Sheridan's division kept on at the heels of the fugitives, capturing prisoners by hundreds. It con- tinued as far as Chickamauga creek, which was not reached till long after dark. Here the order was given to halt, and the men, breathless and exhausted, gave over the chase. They fairly hugged one another in the exuberance of their joy, and shouted and yelled until they could scarcely utter a sound. Falling back a short distance, the division went into bivouac for the niglit. Sometime after midnight there was a sudden alarm, occasioned by a few shots from the enemy's pickets. Harker's brigade sprang to arms and fired a volley into the darkness. After that the reb- els remained quiet and there was no further disturbance.
Since the war there has been a protracted controversy-and it never will be settled-which brigade or division was the first to pierce the Confederate line on the crest of Missionary Ridge. In-
1863.]
WHAT THE VICTORY COST.
457
deed, it is a matter of small moment, for there was glory enough that day to go around, with a liberal portion for every officer and soldier in those four divisions. Historians agree that the rebel works were carried almost simultaneously at six points. General Henry M. Cist, who was on the staff of General Thomas, in his volume, "The Army of the Cumberland," of the Scribner war series, says: "The center part of Sheridan's division reached the top first and crossed it to the right of Bragg's head- quarters." Very few, if any, went over the works ahead of the spry men of Harker's brigade, of Sheridan's division, and none are entitled to more honor than they and their gallant leader. They certainly earned the right to yell as loud as anybody, and this privilege they exercised to the fullest extent.
This wonderful victory was not gained without the cost of many valuable officers and men-about thirty-five hundred in the four divislons, nearly two thirds of which fell to the two divisions of Sheridan and Wood. The Sixty-fourth and Sixty-fifth were singularly fortunate in the smallness of their losses. Captain Henry H. Kling, of the Sixty-fourth, commanding Company D, was instantly killed when near the crest. He was an excellent officer and his death was deeply lamented. That regiment also lost three officers wounded, three enlisted men killed and twenty- three wounded. The Sixty-fifth lost but one man killed and one officer and thirteen men wounded. The wounded officer was Lieutenant Joseph F. Sonnanstine, one of whose legs was badly torn by a grape-shot as he was leading his company up the ridge. It was, of course, purely a battle of infantry on our side. The Sixth battery, in Fort Wood, was not engaged, except in shelling the rebel lines prior to the advance of the Union troops.
The assault upon Missionary Ridge was one of the most gal- lant exploits recorded in ancient or modern warfare. It stands alone as a brilliant and far-reaching victory won by the rank and file, in actual disobedience of orders. The captures were inore than six thousand prisoners, forty-five cannon and many battle-flags.
The following is an extract from the official report of Colonel Alexander McIlvaine, of the Sixty-fourth :
It is due to the officers and men of this command to say that in the charge across the field, the ascent of the ridge and the assault upon the
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458
THE CAPTURES OF HARKER'S BRIGADE.
[November,
rebel line, they displaved the greatest courage and valor : and when the stupendous magnitude of the perfectly accomplished undertaking is taken in consideration, their heroism reflects additional luster upon our flag, and will serve to honor the name of the Sixty-fourth, with the many others which participated in that immortal achievement, while its history remains.
Lieutenant-Colonel Bullitt, (of the Third Kentucky,) com- manding the Sixty-fifth, said in his report of the battle :
The position in which my regiment found itself was in front of a bat- tery which belched forth a stream of canister upon us with terrible rapidity. In addition to this the enemy, when driven from other points, rallied around this battery and defended it with desperation. It cost a struggle to take it but we finally succeeded, and the colors of the Sixty-fifth Ohio were the first planted upon it. Captain Smith was placed in charge of the captured battery, which consisted of five guns, three caissons and seventeen horse's.
My regiment, to a man, did its full duty. To mention those who acted gallantly would be but to furnish you with a muster-roll of my regiment 1 desire to mention one who distinguished himself by cool bravery. Dur- ing the charge up the ridge, Corporal Thomas H. B. Johnston, of Company K, grasped the colors which had fallen and, calling upon his comrades to follow him, dashed on toward the crest. He was the first man of the regi- ment to reach the summit, and he ascended immediately in front of the battery, over which his flag was the first to wave.
Harker's brigade captured the battery above mentioned and five hundred and thirty prisoners. The captures of Sheridan's division were seventeen hundred and sixty-two prisoners and seventeen pieces of artillery. In regard to the captured cannon, there was some friction between General Sheridan and General Wood. Sheridan pushed his division after the fleeing. rebels and Wood's troops took possession of much of the artillery which Sheridan had taken, and claimed it as their own. In his official report, alluding to the large captures of cannon claimed by Wood, General Sheridan said : "Eleven of these guns were gleaned front the battlefield and appropriated while I was pushing my division to Chickamauga station."
Colonel Harker said in his report: "Missionary Ridge will forever stand an enduring monument to the noble and brave of- ficers and men who fell so gloriously while scaling its summit."
Recently I met Mr. C. D. Brigham, who was at the head- quarters of the Army of the Cumberland, as correspondent of the New York "Tribune." He told me that he stood on Orchard Knob, with Grant and Thomas, during the battle. All the dis-
- 1863.]
459
DON CARLOS BUELL, MAJOR GENERAL, COMMANDING ARMY OF THE OHIO.
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GRANT AND THOMAS ON ORCHARD KNOB.
[November,
positions of infantry, artillery and cavalry had been made for the engagement. The hour fixed for the firing of the six signal guns was fast approaching, These two great soldiers were conferring together and awaiting the result with calm and quiet confidence. They were alike in their perfect self-possession and their freedom from anything like excitement. Groups of staff officers and or- derlies stood about, one now and then dashing off, bearing a final order to some part of the line. As the moments sped rapidly by, every ear was strained to catch the sound of Hooker's guns in the direction of Rossville. According to the plan of the battle it was high time that he was upon the flank of the enemy. It was within ten minutes of the hour fixed for the general advance, but no sound came from Hooker. General Grant began to manifest some uneasiness. The short, quick puffs of smoke from his cigar betokened his anxiety. Not more eagerly did Wel- lington listen for the cannon of Blucher at Waterloo, than did Grant and Thomas for those of Hooker.
"I am afraid Joe is going to fail us!" said Grant. The tone of his voice seemed, even more than his words, to express his dis- appointment.
"Then we will have to do our work alone !" replied "Old Pap," quietly, as he stood stroking his beard.
A moment later and the signal guns from Fort Wood sounded through the quivering air.
When, after taking the rifle-pits, the blue line started for the crest, Grant said to Thomas with surprise :
"Why, Thomas, they are going right up the ridge !"
"Well," replied imperturbable "Old Safety," "let them go. It's all right !"
"If it doesn't turn out right some one will suffer :" said Grant.
But "all's well that ends well," and nobody was court-mar- tialed for his part in that memorable action.
Following is a brief picture of some of the awful sights witnessed upon the fields of strife, which illustrate the force of that trite phrase "the horrors of war." It is from the pen of Ad- jutant Woodruff, of the Sixty-fourth, whose contributions to this volume will be appreciated by all its readers :
1863.]
AWFUL SCENES ON THE BATTLEFIELD.
461
"The next day after the battle of Mission Ridge I rode from the Sixty-fourth hospital in Chattanooga along the ridge where Bragg's forces fought on the 25th. At the north end of the ridge is a deep ravine which separated Sherman's troops from the enemy. At this point there were evidences of a fierce and des- perate conflict. I found details of our men collecting the dead of both sides, and depositing them in separate rows, awaiting the Dismounting, I walked down the completion of trenches. western slope, and came upon the body of a young Confederate soldier that had been thus far overlooked. A solid shot had carried away the entire rear part of his head, leaving his face, like a mask, intact. Neith- er chin, mouth, cheeks, eyes nor forehead was disfigured. He lay upon his back, with the head up hill. The face had fallen back upon the stump of his neck in such a manner that if the body had been perpendicular the face would have been horizontal. I called upon two of the stretcher bearers to come and remove the body. On seeing this strange feature of JOEL HERSH, FIRST LIEUTENANT, SIXTH BATTERY. the corpse they stood back, apparently paralyzed with horror, for, indeed, it was a sight to ap- pall the most unfeeling spectator. The large, glaring eyes, glazed in death, the colorless face, and the singular position gave the spectacle a frightful appearance. One of the bearers was almost frantic with amazement, uttering expressions such as, 'My God, what an awful sight!' For several minutes not a hand touched him, but after waiting for his excitable companion to quiet his nerves, the other said : 'Come, let us get him out of sight as soon
462
ONE OF OUR GERMAN SOLDIERS.
[November,
as possible,' but no movement was made to do it. A second ap- peal also failed. Becoming a little impatient, the cooler one said :
"'Do take hold of him ! You ain't afraid of him are you ?'
" 'No,' said the other. 'I'd a good deal rathier help bury him, bad as he looks, than fight him alive !'
"Near the foot of the ridge I saw the remains of one from an Ohio regiment that showed how destructive had been the rebel shot. Evidently the soldier was lying down, his head toward the enemy, and his body on a line with the passage of the missile, for it struck him on the head and passed the whole length of the body and limbs. From appearances there were but few whole bones left. I think a bushel basket would have held all that remained."
One of the well known soldiers of Company B, Sixty-fourth, was Henry Hildenbrand. Born in Germany, he came to the United States at the age of twenty. He enlisted four years later, in 1861, and was a true type of the many from other lands, who fought bravely and well for their adopted country. At Stone River he was pierced through the shoulder by a rebel bullet, but he continued in his place in the ranks until night. Then he drew off his blouse, looked at the bullet-hole and exclaimed :
"Vell, py shiminy, don'd I gif dose repels der tuyfel for dis, ven I gits anoder shance !"
Hildenbrand got "anoder shance" at Chickama iga, where he gave "dose repels" an installment of his compliments. He was endeavoring to finish the job at Missionary Ridge, when he was caught by another rebel bullet, which completely disabled him for months. He pluckily rejoined his company during the At- lanta campaign and continued to serve till the expiration of his term,
1863.]
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CHAPTER XLIII.
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A DREARY MIDWINTER CAMPAIGN.
BURNSIDE IN PERIL-ON TO KNOXVILLE-MARCHING AND BIVOUACK- ING IN RAIN AND MUD-CROSSING THE HIAWASSEE-LONGSTREET GIVES IT UP AND RAISES THE SIEGE-STRAWBERRY PLAINS AND BLAINE'S CROSS ROADS-COLD AND HUNGER-A WRETCHED MONTH -HARKER'S BRIGADE OF RAGGED "HOBOES."
N THE summer of 1863 General Ambrose E. Burnside, with some twenty thousand men, marched through Kentucky ill- to eastern Tennessee and occupied Knoxville. Early in November the army of General Bragg, besieging Chatta- nooga, was materially weakened by the detachment of the splen- did Virginia corps of Longstreet, which was ordered to Knoxville, to assist the Confederate forces there in the expulsion of Burn- side from that place. For some time Burnside had been under siege. His supplies were cut off, and his army was in much the same condition as that of Thomas in Chattanooga. When Longstreet moved against him, the gravest apprehensions were felt for his safety. I
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OFF FOR KNOXVILLE.
[November,
The day after the battle of Missionary Ridge, Sheridan's di- vision marched back to its camp at Chattanooga. It was Thanks. giving Day, and the soldiers felt that they had abundant reason to give thanks for their deliverance and for the magnificent triumph they had achieved. They had scarcely time to recover their breath when, on the 27th, orders were received to march the fol- lowing day to the relief of Burnside at Knoxville. Sherman, with three divisions, had already started, and two divisions of the Fourth corps and one of the Fourteenth were directed to fol- low. The need was urgent and the troops were directed to move in light marching order, without baggage wagons.
Harker's brigade got away late in the afternoon on the 28th, . and entered upon the most disagreeable, comfortless and altogether wretched campaign of its entire army service. The men thought they had been in "hard lines" before, but no previous or subse- quent experiences were so bountifully productive of bodily misery and discomfort as that midwinter excursion into the wilds of East Tennessee. The weather was raw and rainy at the start and con- tinned to grow worse daily. Wet and shivering, the soldiers · trudged along by day through the mud, churned by the tread of countless feet, and at night crept under their cheerless "pup" tents, often with only boughs or rails to keep their chilled bodies from the cold, sodden ground.
On the 30th, starting at three o'clock in the morning, the di- vision made an excessively fatiguing march of twenty miles. The road was in such a wretched condition that much of the way the soldiers took to the fields and woods. About four o'clock in the afternoon the head of the column, Harker's brigade in the ad- vance, reached the Hiawassee river. The bridge had been de- stroyed, and upon the other side a force of the enemy showed a disposition to dispute the passage. The division had no pontoons, but nothing ever stopped those men. When they wanted to go anywhere they went, always finding a way to surmount whatever obstacles they encountered. A few small boats were found and these, loaded with Harker's skirmishers, were hastily pulled to the opposite shore. Leaping upon the bank, the skirmishers quickly drove away the rebel cavalry. The entire brigade crossed by means of the skiffs, each of which carried from six to
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1863.]
A DREARY, WRETCHED MARCH. 465
ten men. At dusk, a steamboat loaded with rations arrived from Chattanooga and was welcomed with tempestuous cheers. The steamer was pressed into the service for ferriage purposes and the two other brigades of the division crossed in a short time. Ra- tions were issued and the troops went into bivouac.
For days the dreary march was continued, with the unvary- ing experience of rain, mud, cold and desolation. Food became scarce, the barren country, already stripped, affording little relief. At one place a few sheep were found, slaughtered, and issued to the troops. December 3rd, after another twenty-mile march, the brigade encamped at Phila- delphia-a large name for a small town. Next day the brigade assisted in building a bridge over the Little Ten- nessee river, tearing down buildings to obtain timbers and planking. It marched to Morgantown on the 5th, and there the boys had a chance to yell again. In- telligence was received that, alarmed by the approach of the column from Chatta- nooga, Longstreet had raised the seige of Knox- WILLIAM D. PATTERSON, SERGEANT, COMPANY C, COLOR-BEARER, SIXTY-FOURTH. Killed at Rocky Face Ridge, May 9th, 1864. ville, after a disastrous at- tempt to carry Fort Sanders by assault, and had re- treated toward Bull's gap.
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The pressure upon Burnside being thus relieved, Sherman returned to Chattanooga with the Fif- teenth corps and Davis's division of the Fourteenth, leaving the two divisions of the Fourth, under Gordon Granger, to drag out a wretched existence for more than two months in the East Ten- nessee wilderness.
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466
AT STRAWBERRY PLAINS.
[December,
On the 6th, after receiving small rations of cornmeal, the troops resumed the march, passing through Marysville, and on the 7th, camped on the bank of the Holston river, a mile and a half from Knoxville. A pontoon bridge had been laid by Burn- . side, and on this the division crossed the next day, passed through the city, and went into camp a short distance beyond. Here the brigade lay for a week. For two or three days, rations consisted solely of flour and pork-a healthy combination. The boys built very comfortable shelters of rails, boards and whatever they could lay their hands on that was available for such a purpose.
An order was received to march to Kingston, but this was countermanded, and at midnight of the 15th, the soldiers were loaded into box cars and the train rolled away. Riding in freight cars was not particularly luxurious traveling, but it was incom- parably better than marching in the mud. At daylight the train halted at Strawberry Plains and the troops debarked. The name of that locality was pleasantly suggestive, but there were no strawberries in sight; probably it was not the right season of the year for them. The men lay around loose until noon, when the brigade marched seven miles to Blaine's cross-roads, where it went into camp. It remained in that vicinity for a month, once or twice changing its location.
No one recalls those long, long weeks without a shiver. The weather was exceedingly inclement. For a week it rained a good part of the time, with freezing nights, the mercury drop- ping lower and. lower as the winter advanced-that is to say, such would have been the case had the soldiers been supplied with thermometers. But they didn't need them. Blue noses, tingling toes, shaking limbs and chattering teeth were an excellent substi- tute to indicate low temperature. It was a sorry looking camp. Many of the soldiers had not even "pup" tents, and scarcely half of them were supplied with overcoats. Clothing was frayed and worn ; holes and tatters were abundant-far too much so for com- fort. Many of the shoes were in the last stages of degeneracy. Before leaving Chattanooga the men had been wholly unable to get new clothing and shoes, as there had not been sufficient time, after the blockade was broken, to supply the needs of the army in this respect. Food and ammunition were considered to be the
1863.]
TWO GOT ONE SHOE APIECE.
467
indispensable things. As for clothing, the soldiers could fight naked, if necessary, but hardtack, coffee and cartridges they must have. So it was that the troops who were engaged in the East Tennessee campaign came to be as shabby a lot of men as mortal eyes ever looked upon. "Coxey's army" of hoboes, which leaped into fame in the year of our Lord 1894, wasn't a circum- stance. In the latter part of December a few shoes were issued, but there were only three or four pairs for each company. Those whose feet were most needy drew cuts to decide which should have them. 1 There were two men in Company I, of the Sixty- fifth, each of whom had one shoe in fair condition, while the other had gone to pieces and was a hopeless wreck. They divided a pair be- tween them, each wearing one new shoe and one old o11e.
During the last days of December, and up to the middle of January, the weather was intensely cold. Snow covered the ground to the depth of six inches. At places in East Tennessee, where they had such things JOSEPH CRITCHFIELD, PRINCIPAL MUSICIAN AND SECOND LIEUTENANT, SIXTY-FIFTH. as thermometers, the mer- cury fell, on New Year's Day, to zero. People said it was the hardest winter they had known in twenty years. The soldiers of the Fourth corps certainly thought that the Arctic region could not have been worse. Many of those who stood on the outposts during those fearful days and nights had their faces, hands and feet severely nipped by the frost.
The men built huts and "shacks" of all shapes and sizes to protect them from the weather. In front of these, great fires of
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BORN AGAIN BY THE USE OF SOAP.
[December,
oak logs were kept burning, fed hourly, day and night. Around them the soldiers slept, lying broadside to the fire, or endwise, toasting their feet, while their noses were well-nigh freezing. Sparks and embers, carried by the wind, burned innumerable holes in their blankets and garments; faces and hands were black- ened and begrimed by smoke and dirt. Rarely has there been an assemblage of human beings so thoroughly disreputable in ap- pearance. One day two men of Company B, of the Sixty-fifth, while on a scouting trip, procured at a house. two or three hand- fuls of soft soap. With this they washed themselves thoroughly, which gave them such an unusual appearance that they were scarcely recognized by their comrades.
A singular feature of that month at Blaine's Cross-roads was the general good health of the men. They had become tough- ened and inured to exposure and privation, by two years of hard service, and there was very little sickness among them. They made the best of everything, and good spirits and cheerful ell- durance were everywhere manifest. But they suffered just the same, more than can be imagined by a person who has not been through such an experience. If the Revolutionary patriots at historic Valley Forge had a rougher time of it, they were entitled to the fullest measure of commiseration.
The protracted scantiness of rations was the most exasper- ating and prolific cause of woe. At no time did the soldiers re- ceive more than half of the regulation allowance, and more than once they were without a hardtack or an ounce of bacon for days together. There were two or three crazy grist-mills in the vicin- ity and these were kept going, affording a partial supply of corn- meal, of which each man received from half a pint to a pint per day. One of these mills was in charge of Sergeant George Davey, of Company A, Sixty-fourth, a practical miller, who crowded the rickety concern to its fullest capacity-which is not saying much. If the meal didn't hold out, parched corn was eaten. The "mush" and "ash-cakes" that the soldiers fashioned out of that meal were indeed fearfully and wonderfully made. Much of the time they had no coffee, their only beverage being that which was "brewed in the clouds of heaven and filtered through the everlasting hills." Foraging parties scoured the
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1863.]
MORE PINCHING OF STOMACHS.
469
country for miles in every direction, but the proceeds were most unsatisfactory to hungry men. A few "razor-back " hogs and scrawny cattle were driven in and sacrificed upon the altar of ap- petite, but they seemed to be four-fifths bone, and were lean pick- ing. It may well be conceived that Christmas and New Year and the days of holiday week were rueful indeed. The words were a hollow mockery.
Once Harker's entire brigade went upon a foraging expedi- tion, with a train of wagons, and was absent three days. It marched a distance of twenty miles from camp but could find enough to scarcely more than half load the wagons. The first night out the Sixty-fifth camped in a graveyard and the men slept among the tombstones. All suffered severely during the trip. but they managed to pick up a good deal of truck on their own account and re- turned to camp with well filled haversacks.
The following changes in the official rosters took place during the year 1863:
WILLIAM W. KILBOURN, SIXTH BATTERY.
Sixty-fourth Regiment.
KILLED IN ACTION:
Captain John W. Zeigler, at Chickamauga, September 20th.
Captain Henry H. Kling, at Missionary Ridge, November 25th. PROMOTIONS:
Lieutenant-colonel Alexander McIlvaine to colonel, March 11th. Captain Robert C. Brown to lieutenant-colonel, March 11th.
Captain Samuel L. Coulter to major, March 11th.
Amos Potter, commissioned assistant surgeon, June 29th.
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THE SIXTY-FOURTH ROSTER.
[December,
Robert G. Thompson, commissioned chaplain, July Ist. First Lieutenant Joseph B. Ferguson to captain, January 31st. First Lieutenant Samuel M. Wolff to captain, January 3rd. First Lieutenant Norman K. Brown to captain, March 11th. First Lieutenant Bryant Grafton to captain, March 11th. First Lieutenant Henry H. Kling to captain, March 23rd.
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