WE PREPARE TO MARCH FROM MONROE--ARRIVAL OF GOVERNOR
WOOD WITH CAVALRY AND ARTILLERY; AND OF THE FOURTEENTH
ILLINOIS--HOW MR. DUGAN SPEAKS OF THIS IN HIS BOOK--A
CHANGE OF COUNCILS--THE THIRD IOWA MOVES WEST ON A
TRAIN--CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE RIDE--FAILURE OF AN ATTEMPT
TO BURN THE CHARITON RIVER BRIDGE--A FEW DETAILS--HOW
YOUNG SOLDIERS SOMETIMES ORIGINATE FALSE ALARMS--OUR
CAMP AT CHILLICOTHE--GENERAL HURLBUT ASSUMES COMMAND OF
THE TROOPS ON THE HANNIBAL AND ST. JOSEPH RAILROAD--WE
DRAW OUR ACCOUTREMENTS AT LAST--WE LEAVE CHILLICOTHE
AND GO INTO CAMP AT BROOKFIELD.
The morning after the affair at Monroe, our regiment prepared to
march. But the arrival of additional reinforcements changed the
complexion of affairs. We were reinforced by a squadron of cavalry
and a section of light artillery under Ex-Governor Wood, of Illinois,
and by the Fourteenth Illinois Infantry, which came by rail. The
Governor had come through from Quincy with a rush, burning the houses
and confiscating the animals of guerrilla leaders, besides making
prisoners of thirty or forty noted secessionists.
An account of the arrival of these reinforcements is given by Mr.
Dugan in his book entitled "History of the Fighting Fourth Division."
After detailing the circumstances of the journey of the Fourteenth
from Monticello to Monroe, the grave "historian" goes on to say:
"When about two miles of town we left the cars and formed a line
of battle, and supported Gov. Wood (who had accompanied us with
five companies of independent cavalry from Quincy, Ill.), in a most
brilliant charge upon the rebel columns, which resulted in their
complete discomfiture. When the enemy's lines were broken by the
impetuous charge of the Governor and his compatriots, and as they
were flying in the wildest disorder, the Sixteenth sallied forth
from their hastily constructed entrenchments, and poured a most
destructive volley into the enemy's ranks, which emptied many a
saddle, and sent not a few traitors to their final account."
My comrades, who were present on this occasion, will at once remark
with what scrupulousness our author has detailed this occurrence.
The Governor's "brilliant" and "impetuous" "charge" upon the "rebel
columns," which had fled twenty hours before, reminds us strongly
of Don Quixote's charge upon the army of Alifanfaron. The first
intimation we had of the coming of the Fourteenth, was, when seeing
them march up, stack arms in column, and cook their dinners as
quietly as Sancho Panza at the saddlebags.
The old Governor seemed well pleased with the situation, and withal
very affable to the boys. When we complained of having suffered on
account of rations, he told us, with a shrewd wink, that it was
good enough for us; we had no business to take prisoners with whom
to divide our rations. Judging from his retinue of butternuts, his
preaching did not at all harmonize with his practice.
The councils were now changed--why, we did not know. Our regiment
went aboard a train of cars, and about two o'clock in the afternoon
moved westward toward our former camp at Utica. About four o'clock,
we reached Salt River Bridge, which the rebels had burned. Here we
left this train, and with much trouble and fatigue got our baggage
across the bridge and on board another train which was waiting to
receive us.
On this train we were crammed so closely together that it was
impossible to lie down. Jolted and jammed by the motion of the cars,
we passed the night somehow, and most of us got some sleep. Annoyed
by these inconveniences, we little thought of the dangers of this
nocturnal ride. The removal of a single rail by a mischievous citizen
would have precipitated many of us into eternity.
Daylight found us at Macon city, where the train had halted for some
reason to pass the latter part of the night. We were exceedingly
hungry, having eaten nothing since yesterday's breakfast. Colonel
Williams, knowing the difficulties of restraining men, and especially
hungry men, in a town, posted guards and would allow no one to
leave the train. He, however, took some of the officers with him
and breakfasted at a hotel--an act which created, and justly, great
indignation. An officer that will not share with brave men their
hardships, as they share with him the perils from which he reaps
glory, deserves universal execration.
About ten o'clock we reached Chariton Bridge, and Company F was
detached to guard it. An incident had occurred here, a couple of
hours previous to our arrival, not a little exciting. A party of a
dozen men of the Second Iowa had come from the west to guard this
bridge. Arriving early in the morning, they had gone into a log
house close by to get breakfast, when a party of rebels suddenly
appeared and began preparations to set the bridge on fire. The Iowa
boys sprung to their guns and rushed upon them. The rebels fled in
confusion; but Lieutenant McKinney, the commander of the guard,
attacked their leader, a young school teacher and law student, by
the name of Marmaduke. He fell upon his knees and begged for mercy.
But the lieutenant told him a bridge burner had no claims to mercy,
and shot him through the head with his revolver. His dead body lay
upon the railroad embankment near where Company F encamped. We buried
him decently, giving him a soldier's grave. Subsequently some Union
people of Callao came in behalf of his friends and disinterred the
body and took it away.
The situation of Company F was not at all enviable. As soon as we
had got off the train with our few effects it moved on. Since the
previous morning, we had had nothing to eat, and for several days
our rations had been scant. Our hunger was intense, a few rations of
flour and bacon had been left for us; but we had no cooking utensils
except a few mess pans which we had procured, no one knew how. We
kindled a fire, kneaded some dough in these mess pans, wrapped it
around sticks, and baked it in the blaze. We had scarcely had time
to commence cooking dinner in this way, when half the company were
ordered on picket. This, we thought, was seeing service. During the
eight days we were here we were on guard half the time and suffered
all these inconveniences. Contrary to the endeavors of our officers,
none of our camp equipage was sent to us,--another circumstance which
tended to increase our affection for Colonel Williams.
Having left Company F at Chariton Bridge, the train proceeded five
miles further to Brush Creek Bridge, which the rebels had burned.
Here the regiment halted till the following night, when having
repaired the bridge, Colonel Williams left Company C to guard it,
and sent Company E back to Chariton Bridge to reinforce Company F.
He then proceeded with the remainder of the regiment to Chillicothe,
where he arrived the following forenoon. A detail was immediately
made to go to Utica to bring hither our tents, baggage, and camp
equipage. The whole mass was thrown together without respect of
companies, and brought to Chillicothe. A regimental camp was
established, which the officers united in naming Camp Williams.
The regiment was now disposed as follows: In the regimental camp at
Chillicothe, Companies A, B, H, I and K; at Grand River Bridge, four
miles west of Chillicothe, Companies D and G; at Brush Creek Bridge,
forty miles east of Chillicothe, Company C; at Chariton Bridge,
forty-five miles east of Chillicothe, Companies E and F.
These detached companies were continually threatened more or less
seriously by the enemy. They were expected to protect the bridges and
the railroad track in their vicinity. Reports frequently came in to
them from the surrounding country, that the rebels were organizing
to attack them. But their instructions did not allow them to send out
scouting parties to ascertain the truth of these reports. Indeed,
the military knowledge we had expected on the part of our Colonel,
he had as yet failed to exhibit. He did not even recommend these
detached companies to construct stockades, nor were they provided
with tools to do so, should it become necessary. None of these
companies constructed works except Company F. We built of logs and
sawdust a small square work around an old steam saw-mill, and named
it Fort Brown after its projector, Lieut. Brown. Company A, which was
subsequently detailed to guard Medicine Creek Bridge, built a small
work near it of earth and logs.
On the evening of July 20th, Companies E and F, after having passed
a week of almost constant fasting and watching, sleeping what little
they were allowed to sleep in the open air, harassed by day by
continual reports of the enemy approaching in force, and by night
by clouds of famished mosquitoes, were, to their great joy taken
aboard a train of cars, and expected to be conveyed immediately to
Chillicothe. Imagine, then, the surprise and rage of Company F, at
being awakened about midnight and ordered to get off at another
railroad bridge in a timbered swamp. Company C was served in the same
way. Company F relieved them at Locust Creek; but instead of being
taken through to Chillicothe, they were left at Medicine Creek. The
following day, however, these companies were relieved, the former by
Company H, and the latter by Company A, and joined the regiment at
Chillicothe. Subsequently Company D was recalled from Grand River
Bridge; but no companies were relieved after this, till the regiment
changed camp to Brookfield.
The time spent in guarding these bridges was a period of constant,
and sometimes harassing watchfulness. We were constantly on the
lookout for the enemy. We had an unusual number of reports of
enormous forces advancing against us, and night was prolific of false
alarms. For in those days when the enemy were "bushwhackers," and
videttes did not go to sleep on post, it was not hard for one of
them, straining his eyes in the darkness, to convert an approaching
horse or cow into a man; and, as dumb beasts do not understand the
meaning of the word _halt_, it is readily converted into an enemy.
It was easy for him to hear "the tramp of armed feet" in the rustle
of the wind among the leaves or in the walking of a few swine. And
in the "wee sma' hours," when the mind in spite of all its efforts
to keep awake, is in a half-waking, half-sleeping state; when
imagination plays such tricks with reason as to weave a thousand airy
images, and make us think they are real, it would require no great
effort amid these noises, for the sentinel to see in the darkness
forms of assassins moving from tree to tree, or lines of skirmishers
approaching through the gloom. And, seeing this, of course he must
fire, and the report of his piece would alarm the neighboring
sentinels, and they, too, would see images and fire. Thus the camp
would be alarmed, and the men would be compelled to stand in ranks
until the matter could be thoroughly investigated.
Our regimental camp at Chillicothe was situated on the north side
of the railroad, and within the limits of the town. The ground was
an excellent greensward, and the camp was systematically laid out.
Our duty was camp guard, picket guard and drill. The camp guard
generally required the heaviest detail. A strong line of sentinels
extended around the camp, and no persons could pass them except in
squads under a non-commissioned officer for water, without a written
pass from the regimental commander. And, under Colonel Williams,
it was a serious thing to disobey orders; and breaking guard was
a risk which very few were willing to run. Whatever may be said
against the Colonel, the discipline we attained under him while at
Chillicothe, was highly creditable to him. It was in consequence of
this discipline that our regiment had a good name among the citizens
of Missouri, such as volunteer troops seldom gain among strangers
or enemies. Their streets were not trodden by drunken soldiers;
their property was safe; they no longer looked upon us as outlaws
and monsters. They began to have confidence in us, and to take a
more unprejudiced view of our cause. And who knows that our conduct
did not make many friends of enemies? But it was doubtless the
confinement to which we were thus subjected in our hot, close tents,
that increased our sick lists so greatly. The restraint imposed upon
us was excessive and unreasonable.
At Chillicothe our camp guard was managed according to the
regulations, and the men learned the duties of the sentinel. But
the manner in which our outpost duty was done was horrible. As if
to invite a surprise or a raid through our camp, Colonel Williams
never had out pickets in the daytime. Nor did he ever send out a
scouting party to ascertain the movements which were going on around
him. Did he rely on Providence alone, or on accidental reports from
citizens? Or did he unbosom his camp to his foes and trust to their
magnanimity? In the night--did the Colonel think the enemy so foolish
as to attack him in the night in the summer season when there was
so much daylight to operate in? Or was he afraid of wolves? In the
night before "tattoo," the officer of the day would string around the
town a short distance from camp, twenty men, two in a place, without
an officer, or even a non-commissioned officer over them. These men
were not relieved till morning, when they would come in, according
to instructions, of their own accord. If there was any military
knowledge displayed in this arrangement, we were never able to see it.
Is it surprising then, that the rebels should have organized a
company of cavalry within nine miles of us? Colonel Williams heard of
this when it was too late, and sent a detachment of men in the night
to look after them. This detachment was provided with ammunition at
the rate of ten rounds to seven men, or 1-3/7 rounds to the man! But
the foolish fellows got wind of our coming and ran off.
In this connection, Colonel Williams' attempt at fortifying deserves
mention. He commenced throwing up a small work around the Union
Hotel, where he had his headquarters, the flanks of it resting on the
railroad, which here runs in a moderate cut. What it was intended
for we can guess: to be garrisoned by a small force when we should
leave. What it was good for, no one but Colonel Williams could tell.
Charley Kostman constructed it; as far as his part was concerned,
it was good. It was evidently intended for about a hundred men.
Was it intended to resist artillery? Why, then, was the parapet so
weak? Was it intended to contain artillery? Why, then, were there no
embrasures? Was it intended to protect infantry? The houses of the
town on all sides of it could be filled with sharpshooters who would
render it untenable. Was it intended for any thing? A party of men
could run up the railroad track and get into it easily. It was in all
respects a humbug; unless it be that it enabled the Colonel to sleep
more soundly than before it was built. And there it doubtless stands
to this time--a sublime monument to the genius of him who was chosen
colonel of the Third Iowa, because he was a _military_ man.
If Colonel Williams wanted to put up a small work against infantry,
why did he not cut timber and make a stockade? If he wanted to make a
fort which would resist artillery, why did he not select an eligible
spot, and make one which would answer the purpose? No: he had a
grander and sublimer object. It was to put the Union Hotel in a state
of defense. And for this purpose he kept heavy details working, day
after day, digging the baked earth in the hot sun,--which was an
outrage, and so we regarded it.
In the meantime, Brigadier General Hurlbut arrived at Quincy,
Illinois, and assumed command of the forces on the Hannibal and St.
Joseph railroad. Of this general we knew nothing, except that we
had understood he was without military experience,--a circumstance
not calculated to give us much confidence in him, especially when
we thought of the disasters of Big Bethel and Bull Run. On assuming
command, he issued a proclamation to the citizens of Missouri, which
was about what they would have expected from a Federal general. He
adopted General Pope's plan of making the citizens responsible for
damages done the railroad in their vicinity. This was correct; for
hitherto citizens had been mainly instrumental in these depredations.
He also issued an order announcing the daily routine for the troops.
By this order we were compelled to drill in the schools of the
soldier, company and battalion,--in all, seven hours a day.
Few of my comrades have pleasant recollections of these long drills
of Chillicothe. The heat was intense and relaxing, and the health
of the regiment extremely bad. At one time, more than half of some
of the companies were on the sick list, and few of us were entirely
well. And yet the water we obtained from the wells of citizens was
excellent, and our camp was a model of order and cleanliness.
On our battalion drills, Colonel Williams generally commanded. He
taught us to execute several movements after the manner of Scott,
and once or twice confessed that it was hard for him to get used to
Hardee. He paid particular attention to instructing the battalion to
form lines of battle rapidly and in various ways. As a drill-master
he was rigid even to severity. It must be allowed, that it was one
of Colonel Williams' first objects of desire to see the regiment well
drilled.
It was not till the 4th of August that we drew our accoutrements.
Let us look back: up to this time, we had been in an insurrectionary
district, filled with irregular forces of the enemy. From Calloway
county, which Harris held with two or three thousand men, a two days
ride would have brought an enemy to our camp. I can not see any
excuse for this criminal carelessness. We ought to have been supplied
with accoutrements and ammunition, or kept at home. If Colonel
Williams had cartridges, he ought to have issued a supply to his
men. If he did not have any, he ought to have seized powder and lead
from the citizens, of which they had plenty. Singular good fortune,
that we were not all captured! Were the gods propitious, or were our
enemies too chivalrous to assail us, defenseless as we were?
Thus, with hard crackers and hard discipline; with constant drills
and heavy fatigues; with full guard houses and frequent courts
martial; in heat, dust, sickness and discomfort, we passed an irksome
month at Chillicothe.
On the 7th of August we packed our baggage, struck tents at the tap
of the drum, got aboard a train of cars and proceeded to Brookfield,
the midway station between Hannibal and St. Joseph. We passed the
first night without anything to eat, which naturally gave us pleasant
feelings towards certain officers who looked out for their own
comfort by supping at the hotel. The following day we established our
regimental camp on a beautiful hill on the prairie, about a half
mile east of the town and near the railroad track. We were compelled
to dig wells to procure water. Our duties were much the same as at
Chillicothe, except that we did no nocturnal picketing, a squadron
of the Second Illinois Cavalry, and Colonel Morgan's regiment of
Missouri Cavalry, which was organizing at this place, doing this duty
in our stead.
The only incident worthy of note during our stay at Brookfield was,
that the feeling against Colonel Williams was on one occasion so
aggravated by his conduct and that of Surgeon Edwards, that it broke
out in an act of open mutiny. It was quieted, however, without any
serious consequences. Let us draw the veil of forgetfulness over
an occurrence so unfortunate, and, when viewed at a distance by
those unacquainted with the circumstances, so discreditable to our
regiment.