We pitched tents at Tipton and went into camp for a few days rest.
The weather was getting somewhat cold, making our camp life somewhat
disagreeable. We stayed here until the morning of the 27th, when we
struck tents and marched to Syracuse. Here we went into camp and
stayed until the morning of the 29th, at which time we got orders to
march back to Tipton again. We were getting tired of running around
so much, and having no fighting to do, as we had been promised that
we would put down the rebellion in thirty days. As yet we had not
even made a start. Some of our boys were getting homesick and wanted
to fight it out in a pitched battle. Some of them thought that they
could clean up five little greased rebels.
We went into camp two miles north of Tipton, in a little grove. On
the night of December 1st five inches of snow fell, we then had a
grand time hunting rabbits. We remained here until the 6th, when we
drew two months’ pay.
We broke camp the next day and marched to the Lamine bridge. A
heavy rain fell that night, overflowing our camp and making it a
disagreeable place. We lay here until the morning of the 15th, when
we got marching orders to move over to Sedalia. We went into camp
a little north of town. While here we received the report that our
advance under Pope had captured 1,540 prisoners, without firing a
shot.
While here we formed a scouting party detailed out of the
Twenty-fourth Indiana. Concealed in covered wagons we traveled all
night. In the morning we came to an open prairie. From here we sent
part of the detail to a large mill and distillery. A few shots were
exchanged between the guards and our boys. In a short time the guards
mounted their horses and rode as if for their lives. There were about
twenty men on guard. They had a number of bushels of corn, several
pounds of bacon, and some barrels of old copper distilled whiskey.
The boys loaded one of our wagons with the beverage and set fire to
the building. We then started back to Sedalia, as we had accomplished
what we were sent to do. On our way back the wagon loaded with
whiskey broke down and we had to leave it. Out of all of that whiskey
we only got a small drink of whiskey each. We reached camp and
reported our success. As soon as it was dark Lieutenant Sheeks, with
a small detail, started after the wagon which we had left.
Colonel Eads had run across the wagon and went into camp at this
place. They were having a time drinking the good old liquor which the
wagon contained. The night was very dark, and when Lieutenant Sheeks
reached the top of the hill he heard quite a number of men around the
wagon. Thinking that they were rebels, he ordered the boys to fire
into them. Colonel Eads’ men also thought that we were rebels, and
returned the fire. After several shots were exchanged, Lieutenant
Sheeks withdrew, as we were outnumbered five to one. We never learned
of our mistake until the next evening. No one was seriously injured,
as all the shots flew wide of their mark on account of the darkness.
This battle was named “Sheeks’ Defeat.”
While here a five-inch snow fell, making a very disagreeable time.
On the night of the 23d of December we got orders to march back to
our old camp at Lamine Bridge. This was one of the coldest, hardest
marches of our service. While on the journey a sleet fell and froze.
The batteries all had to be left at the foot of the hills, as the
horses could not pull them up the hill on account of it being so
slippery.
When we reached camp we were almost frozen and there was no wood to
make fires with. We had built log cabins here for winter quarters,
but there was no chance to get fire only to tear down our cabins. We
did this and piled the logs in heaps. We set fire to these. We made
coffee and soon became warm and comfortable.
We soon began preparations for sleeping. We spread tents on the snow
and sixteen to a bed we lay down and pulled our blankets over us. A
snow fell, which covered us over and kept us warm. When the reveille
sounded at four o’clock the next morning it was a sight to see the
boys crawling out from under their snow beds to answer roll call.
A heavy detail from the Twenty-fourth Indiana was sent to pull the
batteries up the hill. The horses and mules had failed but the old
Twenty-fourth was reliable.
The 24th of December found us with tents once more, with tents
pitched at the Lamine Bridge. On Christmas Day some of the boys got
drunk on stomach bitters and had a jolly time.
January 1st, 1862, we had a general inspection. Our work at this
place was hard, as we now built Fort Lamine. The snow lay on the
ground six inches deep, and the ground was frozen to a depth of
eighteen inches. This made it slow work building fortifications. Some
days each man could not pick out a yard of the frozen dirt.
While at this work several of the boys froze their hands and feet
and some of them had to have their fingers and toes amputated. These
received discharges.
January 18th a detail of twenty men was called out to go with a
foraging train after hay and corn. We went ten miles northwest. Here
we found plenty of hay and corn. We camped in negro quarters. We
killed a hog and had the negro cooks to get our supper and breakfast.
We loaded our train and gave the old farmer a due bill on Uncle
Sam and started to camp with lots of good things, such as apples,
honey and potatoes, hidden in the hay. The weather continued to turn
colder, and we almost froze on our return to camp.
On the 12th another train composed of ox teams, was sent after corn
and hay. Several of the guards of this train were badly frozen.
On the 15th we drew Sibly tents and stoves, but it wasn’t before we
needed them. On the 27th we drew pay for two months. We also drew
plenty of rations. We had bacon to spare. There was no wood to burn
in our little sheet iron stoves and so we kept them red hot with
bacon.
The citizens brought cakes, pies, apples, and cider into camp and
sold them cheap. The boys ran some of them out and called them
rebels, but we had not yet seen a real rebel.
At about this date we had one soldier in Company I who did not fill
inspection. For this a detail carried him to the Lamine river, cut
the ice and stripped and washed him all over. He was afterwards one
of our best lieutenants.
After February 1st, 1862, our camp duty was lighter. A string guard
which was composed of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Illinois,
Twenty-fourth and Twenty-sixth Indiana, and Fryberger’s battery of
six twelve-pound guns, was placed around the brigade at this fort.