LT. COL. TRUMBULL--PREPARATIONS TO MARCH--LEAVING
SHERMAN AND MEMPHIS--HEAT, DUST AND STRAGGLING--NIGHT
ON WOLF RIVER--SECOND DAY'S MARCH--HOUSE
BURNING--ANNOYANCES--HALT FOR THE NIGHT AT LAST--NEXT
DAY'S MARCH--REACH THE HATCHIE--BRIDGING THE
STREAM--GUARDING THE WORKING PARTIES--HARDSHIPS AND
MURMURS--MARCH TOWARD BOLIVAR--OUR SITUATION THERE--A
RECONNOISSANCE TOWARD GRAND JUNCTION--ATTEMPT OF THE
ENEMY TO GET IN OUR REAR--MASTERLY RETREAT--MAKE A
STAND AND SHELL BACK HIS ADVANCE GUARD--ARRIVE AT
BOLIVAR--REINFORCEMENTS--VIGILANCE.
At this time Colonel Williams was seriously ill. Capt. M. M.
Trumbull, of Company I., had been recommended by the commissioned
officers of the regiment to Governor Kirkwood as their choice to
fill the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of Col. Scott, and
having received since official notice of his appointment, Colonel
Williams had ordered him to assume command. He accordingly put on the
uniform of Lt. Colonel, and we began to address him by his new title,
rejoiced that, at a time when an encounter with the enemy seemed
probable, we were to be led by an officer of such gallantry and merit.
The sick, who in the opinion of the surgeons were not able to march,
were provided for in the hospitals at Memphis. We replenished our
stock of rations so as to have a ten days' supply on hand, and
busied ourselves in preparations for the morrow's march till late in
the night, when we retired to rest, awaiting the expected reveille at
one o'clock.
The drums, however, did not beat till half past five, and we awoke
to learn that the march had been deferred till 11 A. M. At half past
eleven the regiment moved, leading the column; the other regiments
and the batteries following in their appropriate order. As we passed
the Head Quarters of General Sherman, that officer sat on his charger
watching us with all the scrutiny of an inspection. As we took a last
look at him, we felt a feeling of regret that he was to command us no
longer; but this was in a measure relieved by the thought that our
old division commander, whom in times past we had been so happy and
proud to follow, still led us. But we had still another source of
regret; for, as we looked back upon the spires of Memphis, we could
not but think that for a season, at least, such days of pleasant
soldiering were over.
The road was free from dust on account of a heavy rain which had
fallen the previous day, but the heat was oppressive in the extreme.
Notwithstanding, in the commencement of the march, strict orders
had been issued against straggling, we had scarcely got beyond the
suburbs of the city when men began to give out and leave the ranks,
and several were sun-struck and had to be put in the ambulances.
Although the General took the precaution to halt and rest the column
fifteen minutes each hour, before night the way was lined with men
who were unable to keep up. We halted for the night about eight
miles to the northeast of Memphis, on a deeply wooded bottom of Wolf
River. Owing to some obstruction which the wagons had met, a part of
our train was still some time after dark in getting up, and it was
not till late in the night that all the stragglers rejoined their
commands.
September 7. It was General Hurlbut's plan to reverse each day the
order of march so as to give no preference of place in the column to
any regiment or battery. The 2d Brigade took the lead to-day, and
the 3d Iowa marched in the rear of the 1st Brigade, and hence formed
the rear guard of the column. Gen. Hurlbut was an early riser, and
he announced each night the time of commencing the following day's
march, which was seldom later than four o'clock in the morning.
This morning the troops began to move at an early hour, and about
eight o'clock the 3d Iowa joined in with its train and was in motion.
Owing to the light showers of yesterday evening which had succeeded
the intense heat of the day, the air this morning was cool with
occasional breezes, and consequently the march was less arduous, and
the men kept the ranks without much difficulty. We made no halt for
dinner.
About 3 P. M. we saw a dense smoke rising in advance, and on
approaching discovered that it was a house on fire, and that several
soldiers were applying the torch to other buildings near by. All that
we could learn of the cause of this operation was that a Confederate
flag, an Enfield rifle and a set of accoutrements marked "O. V. M."
had been found secreted in it. This had suggested to those who
made the discovery that its inmates were traitors, and that it was
a matter of duty with them to commit the house and the surrounding
buildings to flames, which they were now doing with the utmost _sang
froid_. General Hurlbut the next day issued an order censuring this
act in severe terms, and warning his troops against similar conduct
in future.
About this time a shower of rain commenced falling, cooling the
atmosphere and rendering the roads quite favorable to marching. As it
began to grow dark, it became evident from the frequent and annoying
halts of the train ahead of us, that the regiments and batteries
in the advance of the column were taking their positions for the
night. Indeed so slow was our march on account of these halts,
that our regiment did not reach its camping ground before eleven
o'clock, having accomplished not more than two miles in the last four
hours. This was by far the most fatiguing part of the day's march.
Notwithstanding we had halted at sundown, dressed our files, loaded
our pieces and received the strictest orders against straggling,
it was impossible for the officers to keep the men in ranks. Many
straggled far ahead and threw themselves down upon the green sward
and went to sleep, to be awakened by their comrades or the rear
guard. Reaching our position for the night, we ate a hasty supper
from our haversacks, and threw ourselves down to sleep. Happy the
lot of most of us compared with that of the few, who, exhausted and
foot-sore, were yet compelled to watch on picket while we slept.
September 8. We rested in camp to-day. The wind was damp with a
drizzling rain, which was most welcome to us, as we expected to
renew the march at an early hour. The enemy's cavalry was said to be
prowling around us, and apprehensions were felt that a large body of
his troops were in the vicinity. We received orders that there was to
be no straggling from our stacks of arms, and, to prevent this, to
have roll call every two hours. During the day we put up tents, and
with the aid of the fresh meat and vegetables we had procured on the
yesterday's march, we made ourselves quite comfortable. Towards night
we had a careful inspection of arms and ammunition, and received the
usual marching orders for the morning.
September 9. The column moved at daylight and continued the march all
day without interruption or seeing any indications of an enemy. We
camped for the night on a creek bottom, rank with growing timber and
abounding in grapes, muscadines, lizards, copperheads, and the like.
September 10. Reveille woke us at 3 o'clock, and an easy march
brought us to the Muddy, a small stream very appropriately named, and
two miles beyond which flows the Hatchie. We did not put up tents for
the night, and a heavy rain which fell towards morning soaked our
blankets and proved to be not as much of a luxury as the previous
ones had been.
September 11. The drums sounded at half past three. The bridge over
the Hatchie in advance of us had been destroyed by a party of Federal
cavalry who had passed through the country early in the summer,
disguised as cotton burners, but had been detected and pursued. In
order to advance, it became necessary to rebuild it. For this purpose
General Hurlbut ordered a pioneer party of soldiers and contrabands
to be detailed, and the 3d Iowa and 41st Illinois to move forward to
protect them while at work. We accordingly moved at 5 A. M. in light
marching order, passed over a road leading through a cane and cypress
swamp, whose rotten and dilapidated bridges indicated that it had not
been used in several years, and reached the river, where we stacked
arms and threw across a picket by means of a dug-out which we found
here. We passed a wet and cheerless day, watching the pioneers who
were busy felling trees, carrying logs into the stream, and laying
the foundations of the proposed bridge. Without blankets and almost
without food, we were compelled to pass the night here as we had
passed the day.
While we thus lay beside our struggling fires, endeavoring to sleep,
it may be imagined that our reflections were anything but pleasant.
Why were we moving so far to the north of Bolivar, and on such an
extraordinary road? Was it to evade, deceive, or surprise the enemy?
Had our forces indeed retreated from Bolivar, or were the rebels
making designs in their rear? Did the country afford no better roads
than this? Or, if it was "strategy" to advance on such a road, would
the advantages counterbalance the delay in constructing bridges?
Rumor supplied twenty different solutions; but the General, and
perhaps a few others, alone knew the correct one.
A party of cavalry arrived during the night from Bolivar with such
intelligence as changed matters entirely. The work on the bridge
was abandoned, and early in the morning, September 12, we returned
to camp and found the column already beginning to move. Loading our
wagons and without waiting to take breakfast, we resumed our places
in the order of march. The day was cloudy and cool and the roads
good. A steady march of thirteen miles brought us to a wooded bottom,
where, out of a few pools, we procured a supply of muddy water.
Monday, September 13. We moved early, and the march was a hard one.
We halted about two hours in the middle of the day by the side of
a mill pond, and took a refreshing bath and a pleasant siesta. The
afternoon was very hot and the dust excessive. It seemed that the
rains, which had made the roads of yesterday so excellent, had
not reached this section. But the men kept their ranks well, and
before night we went into camp in a beautiful situation on Spring
Creek, about two miles to the west of Bolivar. Here we rested the
following day, and on the 16th changed camp to a high and pleasant
locality across the creek. The regiments of the division were
somewhat separated, and the batteries occupied the most commanding
and defensible position. The water was excellent; our supplies were
regular and abundant, and the country around abounded in forage for
our animals. The weather was delightful. We were able to procure
from the inhabitants many luxuries. On the whole the people were
quite friendly toward us. They seemed to have settled down to the
conclusion that their country was to be permanently occupied by
Federals, and inclined to make the best of a state of things they
could not prevent. Our duty was heavy; but Col. Trumbull endeavored
to lighten it as much as possible. Our foraging expeditions furnished
some excitement, and, notwithstanding very stringent orders against
plundering, generally kept us well supplied with fresh vegetables and
meat. Col. Trumbull was an excellent drill master, and under him our
regiment improved rapidly in the evolutions of the battalion.
The 28th Illinois was camped nearest to us, and here there grew
up between the men of the 3d Iowa and of that gallant regiment, a
feeling of friendship which nothing has since served to obliterate.
On the 19th of September, orders came to our regiment to move the
following morning at sunrise, taking all our baggage. It was to be a
reconnoissance in force with a heavy train designed to deceive the
enemy. The force consisted of the 1st Brigade and two battalions of
the gallant 2d Illinois Cavalry, all under command of Brig. Gen.
Lauman. The column started shortly after sunrise and took the road
leading south toward Grand Junction.
Officers and men were equally ignorant of the object of the movement.
We said it could not be a reconnoissance, else we would not have
taken our train. Nor could it be that it was intended to occupy Grand
Junction with so small a force. But we _believed_ in our generals,
and, inexplicable as the movement seemed, it gave us no particular
concern. The day being cool and the roads good, we made a march of
about eighteen miles, but camped in a country destitute of water,
save what was to be found in a few pools, about five miles to the
north of Grand Junction. The pickets were carefully posted and the
men ordered to sleep on their arms, and every precaution was taken
against surprise.
The march was resumed at daylight next morning, and when we had
proceeded to within a mile of Grand Junction, the cavalry reported
the enemy. Let us look at the situation. LaGrange is four miles west
of Grand Junction. A road leading from that place to the north, joins
at Middleburg, about eight miles south of Bolivar, the way on which
we were now marching. On this road the enemy was pushing a strong
column past our right flank and endeavoring to get in our rear. The
cavalry reported it to be a mile and a half in length. When this word
was brought to the General, he saw the danger at a glance, and said
with his usual brevity, "We must get out of this." He dispatched
messengers to General Hurlbut. The wagons began to turn around. The
3d Iowa countermarched, and then was halted and brought to a front.
Every one anticipated the next command, and one or two began to feel
of their cartridge boxes; at sight of which Col. Trumbull called out,
rebuking, "Wait for the word!" He then gave the command, "Load at
will--load!" Soon the column was in motion to the rear, and began to
execute a retreat, such as, in rapidity, order and success is seldom
surpassed. Our regiment, hitherto in advance, was now in the rear,
our battalion of cavalry moved past the column through the fields
and became the new advance guard, while the other remained behind to
cover the retreat. As this battalion let down the fence and rode past
us into the field, the boys greeted each other with such shouts of
good natured raillery as told plainly that no one was afraid. It soon
became apparent that the enemy was also following us in the rear. A
gallant cavalry officer with a few men lingered behind to reconnoiter
until the rebels were within hailing distance of him. They invited
him to come up and have a talk, but he declined, and rode forward to
tell General Lauman of what he had seen. The General sent Beauregard,
his chief of orderlies, to hurry on the train. The old soldier
realized as much as the General himself, that we were in a crisis. He
went storming up and down the road, forbidding the teamsters to lock
going down the steepest hills, and talking to some of them in such
a manner as to secure their lasting gratitude. The manner in which
he discharged this important duty excited the admiration of all. The
column took a road further to the east than the one on which we had
come, so as to make sure of evading the enemy. As we passed through
the little town of Van Buren, the citizens came out to watch us, and
a grin of delight played on their countenances, which made the boys
gnash their teeth.
In three hours, with no loss but that of two horses, we had retreated
twelve miles. The day was quite warm, and the dust began to rise
heavily beneath our feet. The ambulances and wagons were so full of
exhausted men that they could hold no more, and still they continued
to give out. We were fast reaching the limit of endurance. General
Lauman observing this, and at length reaching a tract of high open
fields, he began to wink ominously, "I'll fight them right here,"
said he, "my men would sooner fight than run at any odds." The
next moment we saw the fences tumbling down, and Mann's Battery,
a section on each side of the road, was quickly in position. The
infantry was formed in two lines, two regiments on each side of the
road. The 3d Iowa was on the right of it in the front line, and
supported a section of the guns. Behind us, perhaps a half mile, the
waters of Spring Creek flowed clear and cool, and here the animals
and exhausted men having got water, the train proceeded leisurely
on out of the way. A captain of cavalry, with six men, went back to
reconnoiter. Colonel Trumbull also rode leisurely back alone over the
field. The party met the enemy's cavalry, and were pursued by them.
As the rebels came in sight, kicking up a great cloud of dust, the
two pieces on the right of the road opened with shell upon them, and
a few discharges caused them hastily to disappear.
Meanwhile the two regiments of the second line had moved to the
rear, crossed the creek, and proceeded to form a new line faced to
the south, on a commanding field about three miles to the north. The
enemy making no further demonstrations, the two remaining regiments
and the battery, after a time, formed column and passed through
this new line about dusk, and soon after met reinforcements, three
regiments and a battery under General Hurlbut. Moving leisurely back,
we reached our former camping places about 8 P. M.
But apprehensions of an early attack were entertained. In pursuance
of orders received from General Hurlbut during the night, we were in
line and had our wagons loaded at 3 o'clock next morning, and waited
most of the day, expecting the approach of the enemy. We however
policed our camps, and toward night put up our tents. Reinforcements
were started to us from Jackson, and that evening we had a dress
parade at which an order from General Hurlbut was read, stating that
with reinforcements that had arrived and were about to arrive, he
hoped soon to be able to assume the offensive; also that reveille
would beat at 2 o'clock next morning, and that the baggage would be
loaded at four. The order was obeyed; but the enemy declined battle
and the General did not pursue. We again put up our tents; but at
night a similar order compelled us to take them down again early in
the morning. And thus for several days we were kept in a constant
state of vigilance and of preparation for any emergency.
The troops now here in excess of the 4th Division constituted an
additional division under Brig. Gen. Ross.