LIEUT. CALL RECONNOITERS AND REPORTS THE ENEMY'S
POSITION--COL. SCOTT DESIRES TO ATTACK HIM WITH THE
THIRD IOWA, THE HOME GUARDS, AND THE ARTILLERY--GENERAL
HURLBUT DECLINES HIS CONSENT--DANGERS OF SUCH A
MOVEMENT--DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE MEN--THE GENERAL
REVIEWS THE TROOPS--AND ISSUES A PROCLAMATION--HE
SENDS IT BY FLAG OF TRUCE TO GREEN'S CAMP--GREEN
DON'T SEE THE POINT, BUT TAKES THE HINT AND GETS
READY TO LEAVE--THE GENERAL ISSUES AN ORDER AGAINST
PLUNDERING--FURTHER DETAILS OF OUR CONDITION--A
DETACHMENT GOES TO LANCASTER AFTER SUPPLIES--ESCAPE
AND PURSUIT OF GREEN--DETAILS OF THE MARCH--SUFFERING,
STRAGGLING AND PLUNDERING--NIGHT AT WILSONSVILLE--NIGHT
AT BEAR CREEK--SCOUTS FROM MOORE--JUNCTION WITH
MOORE AT BETHEL--APPEARANCE OF THAT PLACE--CHARACTER
AND HOSPITALITY OF THE INHABITANTS--CHANGE OF
PLANS--MOORE AND SMITH PURSUE THE ENEMY; HURLBUT AND
SCOTT MOVE DIRECTLY TOWARD THE RAILROAD--NOON AT
SHELBYVILLE--ANOTHER PROCLAMATION--A MAN STRAGGLES
AHEAD OF THE COLUMN AND IS SHOT BY BUSHWHACKERS--NIGHT
AT SHELBINA--THE SITUATION--WE PROCEED TO BROOKFIELD.
On the evening of General Hurlbut's arrival at Kirksville, Lieut.
Call reconnoitered Green's camp and the approaches to it. Since our
arrival at this place, he had changed his camp to another point on
Salt River bottom, several miles south. One main road, crossing
this stream in an east and west direction, ran through it. Thus
it could be approached from front and rear. It was about fourteen
miles distant. The road approaching it from the rear could be gained
by performing a detour of seven or eight miles. His camp was
surrounded by a high range of hills over which he could not retreat
without the loss of his baggage and artillery. Hence, in case of
his defeat, if these two roads were held with sufficient force,
his entire _materiel_ would fall into our hands. It would require
only a simultaneous attack on these two roads to insure a speedy
and decisive victory. It was ten o'clock at night when Lieut. Call
reported the result of his reconnoissance. Colonel Scott immediately
requested General Hurlbut to allow him to march that night and
attack the enemy with his own regiment, the mounted Missourians and
Madison's artillery. The news of this proposal spread quickly among
the men. We expected nothing else than an immediate night march upon
the enemy. The enthusiasm was unbounded. Meanwhile the General was
consulting with Col. Scott and one or two other officers. Most of the
officers of our regiment were in favor of Col. Scott's proposition.
Whatever doubts they may have entertained of our ability to cope with
the large force Green had gathered, they knew that nothing less than
a victory would quiet the murmurs of their men, and repay them for
the needless sufferings they had undergone. But General Hurlbut was
of a different mind. He thought that the Sixteenth having marched
sixteen miles that day, would not be in a condition to fight after
marching sixteen more. There was much truth in this, although its
importance might not have been appreciated at that time. To Colonel
Scott's request to be allowed to march and attack the enemy with his
own force, the mounted Missourians and Madison's artillery, he at
first assented. But soon after, a lieutenant of the artillery came
in with a groundless report that Green had received reinforcements.
This determined the General not to run the risk of dividing his
command. Besides, he is said to have made a remark which induced the
belief that he expected aid from General Pope. It may be that the
consideration of co-operation from Col. Moore had some influence on
this decision.
At all events, it is doubtful whether it would have been safe to
allow Col. Scott to move as he desired. Night is a poor time to fight
battles. A single mistake, caused by the darkness, might bring about
the heaviest disasters. To attack an enemy in the night, unless
the attacking party is thoroughly acquainted with his situation,
is exchanging probability for chance. Our enemy was constantly
on the alert, and Colonel Scott could not hope to surprise him.
His force was camped in a dense forest, and Colonel Scott did not
know the ground. To attack him in the rear, he would be compelled
to make a circuit of more than twenty miles before gaining the
required position. This would place Green between him and Hurlbut at
Kirksville, in a central position between two forces which united
were numerically inferior to his own. Colonel Scott would not have
attempted to divide so small a force to attack Green at once in
front and rear. Had he moved at all, he would have moved in but one
way--directly upon the enemy, with his force united and Hurlbut at
Kirksville at his back. This plan might have succeeded, but the risk
would have been great. But there is no doubt that if General Hurlbut
had moved in the morning with his now united force, he would have
compelled the enemy's retreat or beaten him badly if he had stood.
When his decision not to allow Colonel Scott to move that night was
known, we were ordered to stack arms and go to sleep. The order was
sulkily given and as sulkily obeyed. But we went to sleep in the hope
that an advance would take place next day.
Instead of fulfilling our expectations, next day Gen. Hurlbut did
two things, both of which were generally considered out of place. He
reviewed the troops, and issued a proclamation to the insurgents. The
review would have been well enough, if it had not been so near the
enemy. I have no desire to comment on the proclamation more than to
say that we were at a loss to conjecture the motives which dictated
it. In it he proposed to visit every county seat in his district with
an armed force, and there establish a committee of citizens of both
parties, and make them responsible for the preservation of the peace
in their counties. As far as we could learn, this proposition was
not less obnoxious to the Union men than to the rebels. He concluded
by offering all armed bands of the enemy five days in which to lay
down their arms, and should they fail to do so in that time, he would
convince them of the perils of pursuing this irregular warfare.
There was a printing office in town, that of the _Kirksville
Democrat_, a rebel sheet, whose editor had fled at our approach.
This had been taken possession of by some members of the Third Iowa,
who proposed issuing a sheet of a different character. This was
fortunate for the General, as it afforded him means of publishing
his proclamation. A number of copies were sent by flag of truce to
the insurgents! Green doubtless chuckled over this, while General
Hurlbut's officers and men gnashed their teeth with rage. Those five
days were days of grace to Green. He believed General Hurlbut would
not move against him till the expiration of that time. He employed
it in completing his preparations to get away. Meanwhile, we lay
at Kirksville doing nothing, the General probably waiting for his
proclamation to ferment.
The Sixteenth on their march hither, if we may believe their own
accounts, had been pretty free in the use of property belonging
to citizens. After their arrival at Kirksville, a store had been
broken open and robbed. This called forth an order from the General,
announcing that any soldier of his command who should break open a
private house or store for the purpose of robbery, should be "shot at
once." There was doubtless a demand for an order of this kind, but we
thought that a threat less violent would have answered the purpose
equally well.
On the 25th, we attended religious exercises in the open air, and
heard an army chaplain preach for the first time since entering the
service. The meeting took place in the grove where we were then
bivouacked, behind our breastworks of brush. The sermon was preached
by the chaplain of the Sixteenth. It seemed strange, indeed, to see
men with weapons of death by their sides, mingling their voices
with the aged and innocent, in praise to the same God. It seemed a
monstrous inconsistency. But nature is full of inconsistencies. The
God that gives joy to innocence, swallows up cities with earthquakes.
As has been said, we were compelled to subsist on the country.
Sergeant Mix was careful to impress nothing except from enemies. A
bakery was taken possession of, and men detailed to run it. This
furnished us with an insufficient supply of corn bread. The Union
people of Kirksville treated us with great hospitality, and did all
they could to promote our comfort. But they could not furnish us with
shoes in place of those we had worn out, or with shirts in place of
those we had left behind. These things must be taken from the enemy.
Accordingly, an expedition, consisting of Companies I and B, of our
regiment, under Major Stone, proceeded to the town of Lancaster,
about thirty miles to the north, near the Iowa State line, and
impressed from rebel citizens several wagon-loads of boots, shoes and
the like, which were distributed among those who needed them most.
General Hurlbut issued his proclamation on the 26th. On the 30th,
Green began to retreat toward the south. The same morning orders
were issued to the troops at Kirksville to be ready to move. We were
ready to all appearance to take up the march at an early hour; but,
for some reason, the departure of the column was delayed till nearly
noon. Meanwhile a rumor circulated through the ranks that Green had
gone; and, in our mortification and rage, we could assign but one
reason for this delay; we said that the General wished to make an
outward show of courage by pursuing, but did not wish to overtake the
enemy. There seemed to be an universal murmur against him. No one
spoke in defense of him or attempted to justify his measures. Who
would then have believed that under this same man we were destined to
be led to honor and glory? We can not but suppose that he was either
trammeled by his orders, or laboring like Bonaparte at Borodino,
under some strange spell of mental lassitude. Nothing less could have
made such a failure of him who was to be the honored General of the
Fourth Division and Sixteenth Army Corps.
At 11 A. M., the column moved; the direction was southeast toward
the late camp of Green. The most unpleasant feature of the day's
march was, that we had nothing to eat. The day was quite hot, and the
roads dusty. The country through which we passed was not as thickly
settled as between Macon and Kirksville, and it was consequently
difficult for the men to procure water. They straggled from the
ranks in great numbers, and ran to the wells, at every one of which
would take place a scene of indescribable greediness and confusion.
A bucket of water would be drawn, and a hundred men would endeavor
to get their canteens into it. A score of hungry wolves wrangling
over one carcass, would scarcely be an adequate comparison. Hunger
oppressed as much as thirst, and from the wells crowds would rush
into the houses. What could be procured by asking, was taken. But
the column was moving on. There was scarcely time to ask; and,
in many cases, the people were too much frightened to answer, or
to keep track of the confusion of questions with which they were
assailed. In such cases the soldier seized whatever he could see
that he could eat, and hurried on. As the day wore away, these
matters grew worse. Taking advantage of these circumstances, acts of
unlicensed plundering took place, which would disgrace troops under
any circumstances. Many gave out and fell behind the column without
the hope (and sometimes with little expectation) of overtaking it,
till it should halt for the night. Some of these were most dangerous
plunderers. No longer under the control of their officers, and
counting every citizen an enemy, they committed acts which they will
be ashamed to remember, and which I have no desire to record.
Under ordinary circumstances, the less revolting acts of this kind
which attended this march would be deserving of no apology. But most
of them in this case were caused by absolute hunger. We had not had
enough to eat since arriving at Kirksville, and now that we had begun
a vigorous march our hunger was almost insufferable. Surely it is not
hard then to understand that we could not resist taking food from
hostile citizens. General Hurlbut used his best endeavors to correct
these irregularities; but, in consequence of a hurt he had received
on the day of the review, he was compelled to ride in a buggy, and
was not able to put forth much exertion.
A march of sixteen miles brought us at dark to the little town of
Wilsonsville, where we halted for the night. Some bread that had
been baked at Kirksville and brought along was issued to us. There
was not enough for supper and breakfast, but it helped us greatly.
The quartermaster promised us fresh beef, but it was slow, very slow
in coming. Our patience became exhausted. In place of beef we took
chickens. The town and surrounding country were our commissariat. We
sent in no _returns_. We needed no issuing clerk. We drew from the
henroosts by the _tail_. A strong camp guard was established with
orders to let no one out except at the gate with vessels for water.
But we found it very easy to go out, with a camp kettle for water,
and to return with chicken soup all ready, except what could be done
by fire and seasoning. Thus we behaved that night at Wilsonsville;
and though we were very quiet about our depredations, and limited
ourselves to supplying our actual wants, the people pronounced us
vandals. But they saw only the outward manifestation; they knew
nothing of the inward cause.
The column moved at daylight, our regiment in advance. A march of
eighteen miles brought us to Bear creek, a tributary of Salt river,
where we bivouacked in a timbered bottom. Again, as last night, we
had nothing in our haversacks to eat. There were but two or three
houses near, and guards were placed over them to prevent plundering,
and we were compelled to wait till something was issued to us. Food
came at last, in the shape of some fresh mutton and musty corn meal.
We stewed the meat, made the meal into mush, and ate them both fresh;
for we had no salt. Many were then suffering from diarrhoea, and were
unable to eat their food at all; but went to sleep without supper
hoping to be able to procure something they could eat at the houses
we should pass, and so endure the march. The dust had filled our
shoes, and there were few among us whose feet were not blistered.
The creek on which we were camped, like all the streams of North
Missouri, was muddy and full of logs. But its waters were cool and
afforded us a bath, which, under the circumstances, was indeed a
luxury.
Several days previous to our departure from Kirksville, we had had
rumors of Colonel Moore marching from Edina to join us. Some may
have supposed that General Hurlbut was waiting for Moore to march
upon Green from the opposite direction, and that his proclamation
was intended to delay the retreat of the latter, till this could
be effected. Events were transpiring which tended to make this
supposition probable. Scouts arrived during the night from Colonel
Moore, with the information that he was marching in the direction of
Bethel in pursuit of Green. This news was very cheering, although we
knew that Grant was twenty-five miles ahead of us, and that his force
being mounted, we could not possibly overtake him.
At eight in the morning, we resumed the march, and having proceeded
about thirteen miles arrived at two in the afternoon, at Bethel, a
beautiful free labor village, inhabited entirely by Germans. These
people seemed, indeed, models of good citizens. Every one seemed
comfortable and prosperous. Their town was built of brick, and there
was no air of dilapidation about it such as characterizes nearly
all the interior towns of the South. The reason was obvious--there
were no negro huts adjacent to the comfortable residences. Vice
accompanies indolence whether among rich or poor; virtue is the
companion of industry. There never was a better illustration of this
truth than this little community. They seemed to live in perfect
harmony with themselves and the world around them. Hitherto, they
had taken little or no part in the war. True to the thinking, honest
character of the German, they had sat unmoved, and watched the
strife around them, and smoked their pipes and thought. We call them
phlegmatic; but while thus unmoved, they were moved the most. Every
feature of the struggle must be submitted to the slow scrutiny of
reason, and every motive which the struggle stirred within them, to
the great magistrate, Conscience. This magistrate gave his decisions
with the slowness of Justice. When he had answered all these
questions they would be prepared to act. And when they began to act,
the zeal of self-approbation would quicken them; the "fire of God"
would fill them; nothing could cause them to halt or falter.
They fulfilled the Scriptures in point of obeying "the powers that
be." Yesterday Martin Green was the commanding power; to-day, it was
General Hurlbut. Yesterday Green had passed through their town; his
people, they said, had treated them quite civilly. No wonder; such a
community should be the pride of any people. Brigands would scarcely
have done less. Like sensible people, they knew it was best to submit
with patience to evils they could not resist. Green wanted flour and
meal; he took all they had in their mill, and paid them in rebel
State scrip, to which they knew it was useless to demur. They behaved
towards his men with respect. It was an honest respect, but it was
also that respect which is always inspired by power.
But it was plain to see which party had their sympathies. They heard
of our approach some time before our arrival. They threw open their
doors and spread their boards. Foot-sore, weary and weak with hunger,
we entered their village,--they had enough to eat for all. They came
out to meet us,--men, women and children; and, in that plain, artless
way which tells that the heart speaks and does not deceive, invited
us into their houses to eat and to rest. We halted and stacked arms.
There was no need of a soldier being without an invitation. He could
not walk half way through the town without being asked by a dozen
different persons. And if any one should be so unfortunate as not to
be noticed, he had but to present himself at a door-step, and what
he wanted was known immediately. At least, he would not be long in
divining what was wanted of him; for another plate would make its
appearance on the table as soon as there was room for it. Then there
would be a nod or a motion to him to sit down and eat. Such was the
applause with which they greeted us. It needed no display of flags or
white handkerchiefs to tell us where their hearts were.
We had not been here long when Colonel Moore arrived with seven or
eight hundred men, and bivouacked near the town. This fresh arrival
did not discourage the good citizens, but rather increased their
hospitable efforts. Before night every man of General Hurlbut's
column had received a substantial dinner and supper, and Colonel
Moore's men a supper, and many were likewise furnished with lodgings.
This was no mock hospitality like that of the Slave aristocracy.
There was no pride or pompousness about it,--only a smile of
satisfaction at whatever was accepted,--an evidence that it was good
done for its own sake. The soldier received the same as the officer.
No one stopped to ask him what his rank was. It was sufficient to
know that he was a soldier and that he was hungry.
I believe that our behavior towards these people was in all respects
creditable. We parted as we had met, friends. They taught us a lesson
and gave us something to remember. The recollection is still in our
minds; the lesson still in our hearts.
Soon after Colonel Moore's arrival a new plan of operations was
determined upon. Smith and Moore were to pursue the enemy who had
retreated toward the railroad in the direction of Monroe, while the
General with our regiment, Madison's artillery, and such of the
Sixteenth as were judged unable to further endure the march, were to
proceed directly south and strike the railroad at Shelbina. This plan
of course comprehended the idea of abandoning the pursuit as soon
as we should reach the railroad; for it was evident we should not
overtake Green.
In Smith and Moore General Hurlbut had yoked together two characters
directly opposite. Smith was tardy and irresolute; Moore fiery,
energetic and hopeful. The one would push ahead with might and main;
the other would drag behind. "Come," said Moore to Smith, that night
at the hotel, "a big work is before us; and we have no time to lose."
Smith replied, with two or three whiffs of his pipe, and Moore
dragged him along.
Reveille sounded at an early hour. We breakfasted as we had supped,
with the good people of Bethel. About 8 o'clock our column moved in
the direction of Shelbyville, county seat of Shelby county. This
place, only five miles distant, was reached by ten o'clock, and we
halted, and under the luxuriant shade trees of the court house square
rested, while General Hurlbut got out another proclamation! I need
not say what the officers and men thought of this. If the General did
not know, it was not their fault.
About 2 P. M. we again moved. As we were about to march, we received
the startling intelligence that a member of our regiment who had
straggled ahead had been shot. This proved to be true. Three men had
straggled ahead when the column halted, and when about three miles
from Shelbyville, had been waylaid by citizens, and one of them shot
dead, another slightly wounded, while the third escaped and brought
back the report. This accident induced the precaution of throwing
out skirmishers while passing through the spaces of timber that lay
across our route. This was soon abandoned, it being concluded that
the accident was only the work of malicious citizens. We passed
the body of our unfortunate comrade as we walked along. It was a
visible and solemn lesson to those who were not disposed to respect
discipline and obey orders. It was put in a wagon and brought with
us. We buried it next morning with the usual honors.
About five o'clock a storm came up from the northwest, and the rain
fell in torrents. This only hightened the boys' glee. Our gait was
accelerated, and with loud yells and constant peals of laughter,
we entered Shelbina. It was quite late before we could draw any
rations; and the occurrences of the night at Wilsonsville were
repeated, and perhaps in a more aggravated manner.
The next morning broke misty and lowry. But by nine o'clock it had
cleared off, and the face of nature again looked cheerful. What was
now the situation? Green had crossed the railroad near Monroe and
was continuing his retreat. He had a wide field before him; but if
all the means by which he could have crossed the Missouri had been
seized, and a vigorous pursuit continued, he might have been captured
or his band dispersed. At the same time Colonel Williams was in
the direction of Paris, returning from an expedition which we will
discuss in the next chapter. Nevertheless, we did not stay to support
him; but leaving him to the mercy of Green who, there was every
reason to believe, would proceed in that direction, we got aboard
two trains of cars and moved toward Brookfield. We had proceeded but
two or three miles when the train in advance was fired into by a
concealed enemy. About thirty shots were fired; but no one was hurt.
We halted a short time and made an unsuccessful search for them.
When we arrived at Brookfield we found that our tents had been
occupied in the absence of Colonel Williams, by recruits for Colonel
Morgan's regiment. We were admonished by the sick comrades we found
here to give them a thorough cleansing before going into them. But in
spite of all our efforts in this direction, we soon had the felicity
of making the acquaintance of that charming little insect with whose
habits and instincts every soldier is supposed to be familiar.