TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE
Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.
Some minor changes to the text are noted at the end of the book.
A History _of the_ Trials _and_ Hard-
ships _of the_ Twenty-Fourth
Indiana Volunteer
Infantry
[Illustration: (Bugler)]
1913
Indianapolis Printing Co.
Printers
[Illustration: RICHARD J. FULFER
Twenty-Fourth Infantry]
PREFACE.
This history is based on my pocket memorandum which I kept during the
late Civil War, 1861-1865.
RICHARD J. FULFER.
[Illustration: COLONEL ALVIN P. HOVEY
Twenty-Fourth Infantry]
CORPS COMMANDERS OF OUR REGIMENT.
General Fremont.
U. S. Grant.
N. P. Banks.
E. S. Canby.
W. T. Sherman.
DIVISION OFFICERS.
General Pope.
Lew Wallace.
A. P. Hovey.
General McClernard.
E. O. C. Ord.
C. C. Andrews.
REGIMENT OFFICERS.
Colonel A. P. Hovey.
Lieutenant Colonel Gurber.
Major C. C. Hines.
Colonel William T. Spicely.
Lieutenant Colonel R. F. Barter.
Major John F. Grill.
[Illustration: GENERAL ULYSSES S. GRANT]
OFFICERS OF COMPANY A.
Captain--Hugh Erwin.
First Lieutenant--George Sheaks.
Second Lieutenant--H. F. Braxton (resigned). J. L. Cain.
First Sergeant--Richard F. Cleveland. (Non-commissioned.)
Second Sergeant--John East. (Non-commissioned.)
Third Sergeant--Francis M. Jolley. (Non-commissioned.)
Fourth Sergeant--Henry B. East. (Non-commissioned.)
Fifth Sergeant--Van B. Kelley. (Non-commissioned.)
First Corporal--Josiah Botkin. (Non-commissioned.)
Second Corporal--Chas. H. Dunnihue. (Non-commissioned.)
Third Corporal--J. N. Wright. (Non-commissioned.)
Fourth Corporal--John Edwards. (Non-commissioned.)
Fifth Corporal--George F. Otta. (Non-commissioned.)
Sixth Corporal--William Erwin. (Non-commissioned.)
Seventh Corporal--King A. Trainer. (Non-commissioned.)
Eighth Corporal--Jasper N. Maiden. (Non-commissioned.)
Musician--James S. Cole.
Teamster--Alfred Cambron.
Hospital Steward--Robert J. Mills.
Sergeant Major--George A. Barnes.
[Illustration: GENERAL WILLIAM T. SHERMAN]
PRIVATES OF COMPANY A.
Arms, Thomas R.
Bartlett, Haines.
Blevins, Willoughby.
Busic, William S.
Clark, John C.
Clark, William G.
Cole, William C.
Coward, Joel.
Coward, James.
Collins, James W.
Conley, David.
Cox, Andrew.
Crow, Walter S.
Douglass, Edgar L.
Edwards, William.
Enness, Charles.
Erwin, Jarred.
Fulfer, Richard J.
Fullen, John.
George, Andrew J.
Harvey, James.
Hamer, Henry.
Hamer, George.
Hostetler, Samuel.
Harbaugh, Benjamin F.
Higginbotham, David D.
Gross, James A.
Gross, Wm. C.
Jolly, George W.
Keedy, William.
Lee, John.
Lochner, John C.
Lynn, Ephriam.
McPike, Francis M.
Melvin, William
Mitchell, William H.
Neugent, Willoughby.
Orr, Patrick.
Painter, Noah.
Palmer, Noah.
Peters, Henry C.
Phipps, David.
Phipps, Isaiah.
Ramsey, William W.
Riggle, Timothy.
Robbins, William.
Smith, F. M.
Staples, Abraham.
Stotts, David.
Stroud, Washington.
Tanksley, Charles.
Teft, James.
Tinsley, David.
Toliver, John.
Walker, Wesley.
Williamson, George.
Williamson, Joseph.
Woody, Henderson.
[Illustration: BATTLE OF SHILOH AT PITTSBURG LANDING]
DECEASED AND DISCHARGED OF COMPANY A.
Pruitt, David R.
Pace, David.
Walker, Lewis.
Bearley, William T.
Melvin, Ezekiel M.
Clark, Francis M.
Harvey, Robert.
Landrom, Archie.
Dodd, John S.
Watson, Thomas.
Deceased--
Discharged--
Dalton, James R.
Hostetter, John W.
Keithley, Jesse.
Mitchell, Isaac.
Rudyard, Jeremiah.
Stogell, Hamilton R.
Helton, Pleasant.
Williams, Solomon.
Low, John C.
Andrews, James T.
Miller, William.
Harvey, Bird.
Landreth, William H.
The places at which the different companies were made up:
Company A--Bedford Lawrence County, Ind.
“ B--Paolia Orange County, Ind.
“ C--Evansville Vanderburgh County, Ind.
“ D--Washington Davis County, Ind.
“ E--Petersburgh Pike County, Ind.
“ F--Princeton Gibson County, Ind.
“ G--Orleans Orange County, Ind.
“ H--Petersburgh Pike County, Ind.
“ I--Logotee Martin County, Ind.
“ K--Medora Jackson County, Ind.
[Illustration: POSITION OF HOVEY’S DIVISION, VICKSBURG]
CAMPS OF THE TWENTY FOURTH INDIANA REGIMENT.
Names. Located at. Date.
Knox Vincennes, Ind. August 18, 1861
Jessey St. Louis, Mo. August 2, 1861
Allen Carondalet, Mo. September 16, 1861
Jessup Syracuse, Mo. September 20, 1861
Lamine Bridge, Mo. September 24, 1861
Georgetown, Mo. October 16, 1861
Tipton, Mo. October 21, 1861
Burr Missouri November 1, 1861
Near Springfield, Mo. November 9, 1861
Warsaw, Mo. November 16, 1861
S. E. of Tipton, Mo. November 27, 1861
S. of Syracuse, Mo. November 29, 1861
N. E. of Sedalia, Mo. December 8, 1861
Below Sedalia December 15, 1861
Otterville, Mo. December 23, 1861
Fort Donnelson, Tenn. February 18, 1862
Fort Henry, Tenn. March 1, 1862
Crump’s Landing, Tenn. March 18, 1862
Shiloh, Tenn. April 18, 1862
Broomsage May 10, 1862
Gravel Ridge, Tenn. June 5, 1862
Boliver, Tenn. June 8, 1862
Union Station June 12, 1862
Memphis, Tenn. June 18, 1862
White River, Ark. July 4, 1862
Helena, Ark. July 5, 1862
Vicksburg, Miss. July 4, 1863
Jackson, Miss. July 10, 1863
Vicksburg, Miss. July 20, 1863
Natchez, Miss. August 5, 1863
Carrolton, La. August 13, 1863
Brasier City, La. October 3, 1863
New Iberia, La. October 6, 1863
Vermillion Bayou, La. October 10, 1863
Camp View, La. October 18, 1863
Barres Landing, La. October 21, 1863
Opelousas, La. October 21, 1863
Caron Crow Bayou, La. November 1, 1863
Vermillion Bayou, La. November 5, 1863
New Iberia, La. November 9, 1863
Algers, La. December 22, 1863
Evansville, Ind. March 2, 1864
New Orleans, La. April 3, 1864
Baton Rouge, La. August 16, 1864
Morganza Bend, La. December 24, 1864
Baton Rouge, La. December 25, 1864
Shell Carrolton, La. January 5, 1865
Mud Kennerville, La. January 19, 1865
Redoubt Pensacola, Fla. January 26, 1865
Beauty Florida February 11, 1865
Fort Blakely April 9, 1865
Fort Spanish, Fla. April 12, 1865
Selma, Ala. April 29, 1865
Mobile, Ala. May 8, 1865
Galveston, Texas November 16, 1865
CHAPTER I.
The Twenty-fourth Indiana regiment was one of the first called for
as three years’ volunteers. We were enrolled on the 9th day of July,
1861, to serve for three years, if not sooner discharged. We were
mustered into service July 31st, 1861, at Camp Knox, which is near
Vincennes, Indiana.
Our first camp life after being enrolled was a new mode of living and
sport. Some of the boys had never been very far from our homes, and
were not posted in the pranks and tricks of the times, even in those
early days.
We soon drew a few old Harper’s Ferry muskets. We had a string guard
around the camp. Company drill was held four hours each day. This
was the only amusement which we had in the daytime, but at night
we had magicians, sleight of hand performers, and others who made
amusement for some of us who had never seen many shows. The tall man
and elephant also paraded through the quarters at night, and this
furnished a great deal of amusement for us.
We got our uniforms August 7th. They were gray and were about as
appropriate as our old Harper’s Ferry muskets. The guards soon beat
the stocks off of the muskets and bent the ends of the barrels. These
they used as canes.
Getting used to camp life was quite a change for some of us who had
been raised up on corn bread, hominy and buttermilk. There was also
a change in the bill of fare. We now had hard tack, sow belly, and
black coffee. There were many other changes of life which must be
made to make us a happy, united family.
The weather was very warm at this time, and we soon began to think
that army life was no soft snap.
On the 16th of August we again drew arms. These were new Harper’s
Ferry muskets. Six Enfield rifles were allowed to each company.
On the next day we marched through the city of Vincennes on review.
All was a hurry and excitement, as the troops were being sent to the
front on that day.
We got marching orders on the 18th, and we got on board a train bound
for East St. Louis, Ill. We arrived there on the morning of the 19th.
We crossed the Mississippi river on the steamer “Alton City,” marched
two and a half miles through the city of St. Louis, Mo., and went
into camp in the Lafayette Park. Here were the first tents we ever
pitched, and all the boys wanted to learn how.
Lafayette Park is a beautiful park. It contains many fine animals.
There were many of our boys who had never seen such sights as the
city of St. Louis contained. Some of them had sore eyes on account of
so much sight-seeing.
There were many regiments in camp at this park at the same time we
were there.
In a short time we struck tents and marched down the river a distance
of seven miles. We went into camp at Carondelet. One of the officers
named this camp, Camp Allen.
August 27th, Colonel Alvin P. Hovey took command of our regiment.
He soon commenced battalion drill, which was very hard on us, owing
to the warm weather. We had battalion drill four hours each day and
company drill two hours, so you see that we were somewhat busy.
September 6th, Colonel Hovey, with six of our companies, boarded a
train on the Iron Mountain railway and made a trip of twenty-five
miles. We left the cars at 8 o’clock p. m. and made a rapid march of
several miles out through a very rough, broken country. At 5 o’clock
in the morning we got orders to lie down on our arms for a little
rest, but not to speak above a whisper and to be ready to fall in
line at a minute’s notice. When morning came we learned that the
rebels had evacuated their camps and skipped. Thus we were knocked
out of a fight at this place. On account of not having any rebels to
shoot at, we could do nothing else but march back over the roughest
roads we had ever marched on.
Here was our first experience in foraging off of the country. But we
got a plenty on this trip, such as cream, honey and peaches--all of
which were good things that we could not get in camp.
This trip was called the Betty Decker march. I don’t know why this
name was given it unless she was the lady who furnished us so many
good things for our suppers.
We got back to the railroad at 8 p. m., got aboard a train, and at 10
o’clock arrived at our camp at Carondelet.
While here we had to guard the dry docks while the ironclad vessels,
St. Louis and Carondelet were being built. It was rumored that these
vessels would be blown out of existence before they were finished,
and as half of the people in St. Louis were ready to do anything
for the Southern cause, we believed it. But nevertheless they were
completed and had an active part in putting down the rebellion.
While we were drilling and guarding at this place we could see
other regiments at Benton Barracks who were strengthening their
fortifications. Now was the time when something had to be done to
invade Missouri.