USA > Pennsylvania > History of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania volunteer cavalry which was recruited and known as the Anderson cavalry in the rebellion of 1861-1865; > Part 38
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It was sometime during the day that Colonel Palmer obtained information that the rebel pontoon train was half a day's march in front, and got the idea in his head that he could capture it. General Steadman, who was many miles in the rear, to whom Colonel Palmer applied for permission, declined to authorize the adven- ture as being too risky for such a small force, but added that if Colonel Palmer wished to undertake it on his own responsibility he could do so. During the balance of the afternoon preparations
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were made for a hard march. We disencumbered ourselves of the prisoners and sent them off to the rear. Each man carried one extra set of horseshoes in his saddlebags, and where it was necessary they were put on. The loose shoes were tightened, and our blacksmiths put in one good day's work at least. I don't re- member that any rations were issued, for I have a painful recollec- tion of being very hungry during all of that campaign. The ele- ments, as if anxious to take a hand and help along the bustle and dreariness of the occasion, got up a storm in which snow and rain were about equally divided. We slept through it with that sound sleep which was always our lot in those days.
Early the next morning, while the stars were yet shining, we were called up to saddle our horses, and to do it quietly, without any unnecessary noise. We mounted and rode off to the left, flanking the force in our front, holding our saber scabbards, and chilled through by the cold, wintry air. After going about two miles across the country, we came to a road that led up a moun- tain, and reached the top just at daybreak. Here our advance guard quickly surrounded a house and captured Colonel Warren, of the Tenth Alabama Cavalry, and one man. Then, moving south on a good mountain road, we continued our march, and as we were not expected or looked for in that vicinity, did a capital business in picking up prisoners. Nearly every house contained two or three "graybacks," most of them being off on a "French," and our advance guard had rare sport chasing down the numer- ous little parties they met on the road.
About 10 o'clock, when within two miles of Russellville, we halted at a farmhouse and fed our horses. We got two prisoners here, one of them the son of the woman who lived there, and who had just got home the night before. What a howl that woman set up as we went off with her boy! Hers was not the sobbing cry of a heart crushed by affliction. ยท No! it was a forty-horse-power howl. When we were a mile away its discordant tones were wafted to us on the gentle breezes. One of our prisoners told me at this time that the former Secretary of War to the Confed- erate Government, General Walker, was only a short distance in front of us, riding in an old buggy, and but for our halt would have been our prisoner.
At Russellville we made a short halt-long enough to allow
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some of the men to go to the post office and get any letters there might be for us, or anyone else.
Seven miles further on, and our advance struck the first of the pontoon boats. It was just beyond a little stream which was crossed by a bridge, a few planks of which had been torn up to delay our progress. That did not stop us as long as did one of our Captains, who believed in the policy of riding the poorest horse on the march and saving the best for the real work, and who was now taking up most of the available space in the narrow road to change saddles from the one horse that was stuck in the mud to his fiery steed, which in his efforts to go ahead was creating more confusion.
From over the stream, the rebel train guards made an effort to keep us off, but we had come too far to be so easily stopped, and the advance, under "Pat" Lyon, swept them off the field, and we met with no further resistance. All the teamsters and train hands became panic-stricken as soon as they found their guard could not protect them, and each one taking his best mule out of their teams, struck out for safety, and possibly their homes.
The Regiment went into camp at a place where three houses were in sight of each other, thus making it a town, which they called Nauvoo, and after feeding our horses we were sent out to destroy the wagons. Had the rebels been a little more careful in carrying out standing orders and kept their train well closed up, our work would not have been so hard. There were only seventy-eight pontoon boats and about two hundred wagons in their train, but these were stretched over three miles of road, and details of men had to be sent over the whole distance, and were kept busy all that night.
To those who have not been in that business, I tell you it is not such an easy matter to destroy 200 wagons as one would suppose. If they had been parked, all that we need have done would have been to throw them together and then let one big fire burn the whole thing up, but these were standing all by themselves, and necessitated making 200 fires and feeding them with dry wood until they had sufficient power to destroy. Then, too, those pontoon boats were long, trough-like things that were hard to make "catch fire," and it needed constant attention to keep them burning. We made no attempt to burn them all up, but
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contented ourselves by making our fire under the fifth wheel and burning out the front of the boats. Another method of destruc- tion was to use the axes, with which the train was well supplied, and break up the wheels of the wagons. If you give an axe tlie right swing and the proper twist, it can be sent through a spoke at a single blow, but there are not many who can do that. Toward morning, when the men got very tired and wanted to rest, they were urged on by the idea that they were playing a game in which he won who could with one swing of an axe send it clean throughi a spoke, and in this way we passed the night.
Most of the wagons were empty, or contained only the camp and garrison equipage of the rebel engineer corps, but on one wagon that I was near while it was burning, there was an explo- sion. It was not a very heavy one, for it only blew the top off with a big puff, but after that we examined them before they were set on fire. While doing this I picked up a lot of papers, wrapped in an old Confederate muster roll, and carried them off for a later examination. In a few moments a darkey came up to me and said : "Cap'n Gloster says he would like to have his papers." "Who's Cap'n Gloster?" said I. "He's the Cap'n who had dis train, and de papers you tuk out dat wagon is de Cap'n's," said the darkey. "Where is the Captain?" I asked him. "Oh, he's jus' out dar in the bushes. He seen you take 'em, and told me to come and ask you for 'em," replied the darkey. "You go back and tell the Captain that if he wants the papers, to come and get them himself." And then he left me and went off to a clump of bushes, not fifty yards off, but the Captain never came, and Post 2, of Pennsylvania, has those papers in safe-keeping. I did not care about his coming, either, and I wanted less to go out to him. I had no arms with me, and, in fact, none of us had, for when we . were ordered out to destroy the train we were told to leave all our arms in camp, and did so.
Just as day was breaking on January 1, 1865, we got back to camp, and while partaking of a scanty breakfast the "boots and saddles" sounded to call us to our next day's work. We marched steadily all day, and as it was at a trot most of the time, we got over a good deal of ground. The general direction of our march was southwest, and throughout the column there was much won- dering as to where it would bring us. We knew that Hood's army
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was in our front and that it had crossed the Tennessee River by the pontoons we had just destroyed, and from the distance we had marched since leaving Decatur, and the direction we were taking, it was thought by most of us that we were now in the rear of the rebel army. About 4 P.M. we halted at a plantation and gave our horses a good feed. For ourselves, we had most excellent hams, and nothing else, and for several days after this hams were our only article of diet. I speak from experience when I say that to properly appreciate ham you need something else to go with it.
About sundown the column started again, still going southwest. Soon we left the road and marched by file across a rough country, up hills, through valleys and swampy lands, mostly through gloomy woods, but at times we would come out into little clear- ings, where, in the dusk of night, a log house could be seen. At intervals short halts were made, as if to find the path, and then we went on again. Quietly we marched, and no sound came from us except the tramp of our horses' feet as they picked their way along, and the suppressed tone of command to "close up."
About midnight we came out on a good, broad road running north and south, and we took the latter direction. The change from the deep gloom of the woods we had left to the broad high- way had an inspiring effect on the men, and soon after, when a few shots were fired at our advance, the command to gallop found every man not only ready, but anxious for the engagement we expected would follow. Almost spontaneously the column took up the cheers that accompany the order to charge, and their effect was so contagious that our prisoners, who were marching in front of my company, joined in and mingled their yells with ours.
All the armed rebels in front of us who had not run were soon captured, and there, before us, beautifully parked, was a train of eighty-five wagons. It did not take long to destroy these. Run- ning a dozen of them together and throwing the empty ones on top, a pile was made, which when set on fire would burn and consume everything. It was done so easily that in half an hour they were all destroyed. It was a weird sight to see the wild destruction going on, with our boys running to and fro among the blazing wagons, looking more like fiends than men, while the prisoners were kept in line, and were the only ones who were not actively employed.
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Colonel Palmer with his staff and orderlies went on about a mile farther, and captured a small train of wagons, which they burned.
Having captured and destroyed the wagons, it was now a question of what to do with the mules. We already had as many as we needed, and to turn them loose would only be giving the Southern Confederacy a little trouble in picking up their property, and therefore, out of sheer military necessity, we were forced to kill all surplus stock. The most serviceable were first taken and distributed among the companies, and then the men were directed to kill the balance, but "not waste their ammunition." We tried to kill by hitting them in the forehead with an axe, the same as butchers do in killing cattle. But that plan did not work, as no mule is fool enough to hold still and be killed, and we had to resort to our carbines, which accomplished the purpose better, and in a more expeditious manner.
As soon as our work was done, we mounted and rode off. I remember hearing someone say that we were in Itawamba County, Miss., and that our march was now in an easterly direction, and then I went to sleep. Not only myself, but at least half the column enjoyed the same discomfort. To sleep peacefully and ride a horse at the same time, and keep your place in column, is harder work than curling up in front of a good-sized backlog, with a bright fire at your feet.
How very painful it was to keep awake on these night marches ! A paroxysm of sleepiness would come over you, and, try as hard as one could, it was impossible to keep awake, and in an instant almost you would be in the deepest sleep and dream of getting into a good, easy bed, or of sitting down to a table on which were all kinds of substantial eatables. Then came the rude awakening and the startled look of anxiety to know where you were, for in the meantime your horse had either left the column, or with more rapid strides was nearing the advance guard. On all these marches it was the duty of someone in the Colonel's party, who always rode at the head of the column, to halt and waken these sleepers and send them back to their companies. It frequently happened that the Colonel's party were all asleep, too, and the rider, with his fast-walking horse, was never stopped until he reached the advance guard.
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About 4 o'clock in the morning the head of column filed off the road into a field to the left, but we did not know whether that meant another march across the country, or that we were going into camp, until we heard Serg .- Maj. Samuel Phillips' voice from out the darkness ask: "Is that Company E?" "Yes." "Lieutenant Kirk, detail one man for camp guard and three for picket." And we knew that that meant sleep for the rest of us.
Turning to Orderly Sergeant Burton, I told him to make the detail, and then went on to put the company into camp. When the command, "Right front into line-march!" had been carried out, I had a misty idea that it was a rather slim line, and just then Burton reported that he could not find more than half the com- pany. Here was a pretty mess! In addition to being as near played out as a man could well be, came this bother of hunting up the lost part of my command, and the fear, too, that when the Colonel heard of it I would be sent to find them. But I want to record right here my gratitude to Colonel Palmer, for when I reported to him, as I did at once, he only said, "They'll be coming along soon." And then I hurried off and curled up under the bushes, and before the words could be written I was sound asleep.
They did come along just at daybreak the next morning, and while we were getting ready to move again. It seems that a wild Irishman in my company, named John Mahoney, was in charge of a led mule which some time during the night got loose. Mahoney did not want to lose the mule and went after it, and the way was too rough to trot up and catch it, and the others were too sleepy to see what the Irishman was doing. The mule walked off through the woods ; Mahoney followed the mule, and the rest of the column followed Mahoney. They went a good long way, right through the woods, over ground that was possibly a little rougher than it had been, and then the column stopped and most of the men slept on. Major Betts was along with his battalion, and not understanding why they should halt so long, rode up to the front and there found Mahoney and his mule, with several fallen trees in front that stopped further progress. "What are you doing here, and where has the column gone?" demanded the Major. "I don't know, sir." said Mahoney. "I have not seen them for two hours, sir. I've been catching me mule."
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Fortunately, the Major had heard Colonel Palmer tell Lieu- tenant-Colonel Lamborn, while we were burning the wagons, where he intended making camp, and by sending men out in all directions they at last found an inhabited house, and from infor- mation attained, arrived at the camp, reaching there in time to see us pulling out for another day's hard ride.
Our march to-day led us up the Warrior Mountains, which are said to be the highest in Alabama. It was rather an unevent- ful day, aside from the feeling that we might have a big fight on our hands at any moment. The advance guard captured some prisoners, but this was no novelty now, and the more pris- oners we took the more guard duty it entailed on the men.
To vary the monotony, one of our own men was captured to-day, and stayed captured a few minutes. It was after we had watered our horses at a little stream, and, as was the usual custom, the advance had moved on for a half mile and then halted for the companies to finish watering, and to close up the column. A man from one of the companies, whose horse was not ready to move with the rest, followed leisurely on. At a turn in the road two rebels jumped from the bushes, and with leveled muskets compelled his surrender, but the following company came sud- denly on them and retook our man. "The Johnnies" jumped into the bushes and ran, but they took with them a carbine, a "Colt's navy" and all the light personal property they could pick up in that short time.
We also captured to-day an ambulance filled with wounded rebels. This was of no account ; sound and healthy prisoners were barely in demand, and at this time the market was overstocked with wounded ones, so we "swore them" and let them go. We made camp early to-day-that is, about II o'clock at night-and the rain poured down on us until morning, but a little thing like that in no way interfered with sleep.
January 3d .- My company had charge of the prisoners on the march to-day, and Colonel Warren and myself rode together. He did not feel in the best of spirits over his capture, and told me that he would have rather lost an arm than have had it occur. He was a very pleasant, companionable man to be with, but I know that I enjoyed the situation and his company more than he did the same situation and my company. He had finished his
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education at Princeton, N. J., and was well acquainted with Phila- delphia, having had, as he told me, "many a good time in it."
In speaking of our Regiment, he said they were the finest body of men he had ever met, and after remarking their gentlemanly behavior, he said: "They would be dangerous men to meet in a fight. There is one thing about them that I've no- ticed ; they don't waste their ammunition. They have their guns all ready to shoot, but they don't fire without good reason. Now, my regiment has always been the other way, and on the least provocation would bang off their guns and make any quantity of noise. I've lost several men through their carelessness."
Our march to-day led us over a part of what was known as the "Wire Road." Colonel Warren told me that it took its name from having been the first road in that part of the country over which a telegraph wire had been stretched. Before the line had been put up there was a good deal of opposition from people whose farms lay near it, as they feared that in some way it might bring evil to them and after the following harvest season they were sure of it, for the crops were a failure. Then the people arose in their might, and pulled down the wire and chopped up the poles. They were not going to stand any such new-fangled notions down that way.
Colonel Warren expected to be recaptured. He assured me that we were in such a position that it was impossible for us to get out. The cavalry forces of Chalmers, Roddy and Forrest were all around us, and it was only a question of time as to when we would be gathered in. He told me he would see that we were well treated and that we should have as considerate captors as we had proved ourselves to be. Some time in the afternoon it looked a little to me as if the Colonel was nearly right, for brisk firing began in the rear, followed by yells from a multitude of throats, and Warren said, "I told you so." But word soon came that the disturbance was caused by the Tennesseeans starting up a couple of deer, and they were only having their fun.
Although disappointed, Warren still felt sanguine. He saw that instead of our march being straight ahead, it was of that confusing character that was a sample of so many that we took, and to a stranger it gave the idea that our leader was bewildered and had lost his grip, for it had doubled on itself, so that at sun-
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down we were only four miles from where we started at 7 in the morning. We were now only three-quarters of a mile from Town Creek, and the rebels were in strong force just on the other side of it. They were at all the fords that crossed that stream, as our advance had found out during the day, and were now finding out by the rebel bullets that came from that side.
We were now only a few miles from Warren's home, and he asked permission to write to his wife, which request was granted, conditioned on his giving no information that would be to our injury. He gave me the letter to read, which I did. The most peculiar thing in it was the direction to his wife to sell a barrel of brandy he had at home, and told her "she could get $4000 for it." This part struck me as so unreasonable that I thought I saw in it some hidden meaning, and on my asking for more informa- tion he assured me that such was the case; that the barrel only contained twenty-five gallons, and that he had been offered $5000, but he mentioned $4000 to his wife, as he knew several of his neighbors who would give that.
Before we continued our march Colonel Palmer sent for me, and said that we were going to make a very particular move that night, which might be defeated if any of our prisoners escaped, and urged me to be extra particular in guarding them. This I impressed on my men, and they were well looked after. Contrary to our usual custom, my company marched that night with revolvers in hand, ready for instant use, and although we had about three prisoners for each man, and our way led mostly through thick woods, not a man escaped or even tried it. After midnight we came out of the woods onto a good, broad road, and one of the few signboards that we saw in the South marked it as the Tuscaloosa and Moulton road.
We now took a northerly course, and within an hour came to Town Creek, and after much difficulty crossed it. Its banks were high and steep, and the ford itself was one of those indefinite things that might land you all right on the other side, or it might give you a cold bath for remembrance sake. The rebels did not expect us to cross here. They had had a strong guard here all through the day, but when we demonstrated on the other ford at sundown they expected we would try to force it during the night, and had called off the guards to reinforce that position, and so
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left us free to cross without opposition. It was 4 o'clock in the morning when we made our camp, and in the confusion attending it Warren made an attempt to escape. He was partly over the fence when he ran across Dan Scull on guard, and Dan being the wrong kind of a man to monkey with on an occasion of that kind, sent him back again, in that choice, vigorous Anglo-Saxon dialect in which he was such an adept.
I lost a prisoner, though, early the next morning. One of them, a tall, lean, lanky man, asked if he could go to the rear, and I let him go, sending a guard with him. About 100 yards from camp they both stopped, the guard halted about ten feet from the prisoner, let the butt end of his carbine rest on the ground, and, sticking both hands in his pockets, assumed that well-known position of a dismounted cavalryman on a cold, frosty morning. With a yell and a bound the rebel was off, running straight ahead for forty yards and then jumping quickly to either right or left, keeping the bushes between himself and the guard, but all the time getting farther off. The rebel so confused the guard that when he fired he missed him, and then the rascal ran out of sight, encouraged not only by the yells of his comrades, but also of those of his late captors who saw his gallant escape.
The next day's march brought with it my turn as officer of the day, which necessitated marching with the camp guard in the rear. About 10 o'clock in the morning came quick, vindictive shots from the advance, then the yell, and at once the whole column took up the gallop. Soon an orderly came, who reported that Prosser's Tennesseeans had struck a rebel regiment endways, knocked it into smithereens at the first dash, and captured the five wagons they were bringing with them.
I was directed to halt where I was and keep a good lookout to the rear, and to be sure not to fire on anything coming that way, as the Tennesseeans were making a detour and would join us from that direction. I obeyed, and inside of ten minutes was being peppered by a lot of men whom we could not see for the dense scrub oak, and to our calls of "Who are you?" only got for answer a kind of shriek that implied nothing. I thought they were Prosser's men, and kept my men from returning the fire for some time, but at last, finding they were unmistakable enemies, we an- swered back shot for shot, until an order came for us to follow on.
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As we passed by a house on the right, a woman came out and called to us: "Say, come and take this yer man of you'ns away. He's just died. I don't want him here!" But we did not want him either, and as his body was in a better place than the two dead rebels we passed in the road, we left him to the care of the woman.
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