"I desire to say frankly that it would be very gratifying to me to
have you remain in command of the forces at and in the vicinity of
Henderson, if in justice to your own feelings and the interest of
your own regiment, you could do so. The ability, energy, and sagacity
you have thus far displayed is sufficient proof of your fitness for
the command. But should you, on any account, feel embarrassed in your
personal position, I cannot insist that you shall remain; and, as to
this, I beg you will exercise your own discretion.
"It would afford me much pleasure to show my recognition of your
gallant, efficient, and faithful services, by promoting you to a
colonelcy, and I should have done so before this, giving you one of the
new regiments, had not orders from the War Department, a copy of which
is herewith enclosed, prevented me from promoting officers connected
with 'old regiments' to new commands. I regard you as entirely
competent to lead a regiment, and your experience and uniform good
conduct in the field, in my judgment, fairly entitle you to promotion.
The orders alluded to have embarrassed me very much, but the Secretary
of War has announced them as inflexible."
When it became apparent that I would have to rejoin the Twenty-fifth
Indiana unless I was promoted, a way was found (how I do not know)
whereby I was appointed colonel of the Sixty-fifth Indiana Infantry,
a new regiment which had just been organized at Evansville. The
Lieutenant-Colonel of the Sixty-fifth was Thomas Johnson, my uncle, who
six months before had been forced to resign on account of ill-health.
My promotion enabled me to continue in command of the district of
western Kentucky continuously until our forces were transferred to
another field in the following year.
The action on my part, during my command of the district of western
Kentucky, which attracted the most attention and comment, was the
enforcement of a money levy made upon the disloyal residents of Hopkins
County to reimburse the Union citizens for losses sustained at the
hands of the guerrillas. This action on my part was reported in full
at the time to General Boyle and to Major-General Wright, commanding
the department, and was unreservedly approved by them. General Wright,
in endorsing his approval, added: "A few such exhibitions of zeal and
energy would go far toward breaking up the lawless bands, which have
been so long a terror in that quarter, and restoring peace and quiet in
that section of Kentucky." Efforts were made in vain to the military
commanders to have this levy revoked. Finally Hon. L. W. Powell,
one of the Senators from Kentucky and a citizen of Henderson, after
having failed with the War Department, visited President Lincoln in
person, presented to him a list of the names of individuals assessed
by me and the amount, and asked that in the exercise of his power as
Commander-in-Chief of the Army he disapprove of the levy and order the
money returned.
The request of Senator Powell, with his list, was sent by President
Lincoln through the military channels calling for a report from me. I
quote the following from my letter to General Boyle, dated February 16,
1863, in reply:--
"I am in receipt of the letter of President Lincoln, with your
endorsement thereon, instructing me to report on the names contained in
the paper submitted by Senator Powell.
"You will remember that I made a full report of all my action in these
matters at the time, giving in detail the condition of the country,
the causes which led to my action, the amount levied, the manner in
which it was distributed, and the effect which it has had upon the
community. This report has been read by yourself and Major-General
Wright, commanding this department, and in all respects fully approved.
I desire that this report be sent to the President. It was made upon my
honor as an officer, and by it I desire that I may be judged. The money
levied had been appropriated and paid out, as stated in my report, to
the citizens of Hopkins County, who were the sufferers by the action of
these very men and their friends, who ask the President for redress.
The money cannot now be refunded by them. I am the only person who
should be held responsible, for if any wrong was committed it was
through the action taken by me as set forth in my report.
"I know that my action in the matter has had a most salutary effect
upon the people, and Hopkins County is now enjoying a degree of peace
and security which has not heretofore existed since the commencement of
the rebellion. I trust my action may be approved by the President, as
it has so flatteringly been done by yourself and Major-General Wright."
As I relied entirely upon my previous report to General Boyle for my
vindication, I make some extracts from that document:--
"For more than three months previous to this levy, I had been laboring
as earnestly as the force under my command would permit, in efforts to
rid this part of Kentucky of the lawless bands of guerrillas. They had
succeeded in breaking up the civil organization in all the counties
lying between Green and Cumberland Rivers; forcibly preventing the
administration of the laws; stopping the mails; robbing peaceable
citizens on the public highways, causing loyal men to flee from their
families and homes; plundering them of horses, arms, goods, and
anything of value that their comfort required, or fancy demanded;
interrupting the navigation of the rivers by firing into unarmed
steamers; and were engaged in carrying on a warfare, cowardly and
cruel, and entirely unwarranted by the rules of civilized nations.
"These bands of guerrillas were mounted on the best horses in the
country, stolen from the citizens; they were active and wily, and
thoroughly acquainted with the byways and hiding-places; and were
supported by vigilant friends on every side. I found it very difficult
to drive them out. And one great obstacle to this was the fact that
they were supported, encouraged, and harbored by the friends and
sympathizers of the rebellion, who were enjoying the possession of
their property and their homes under the protection of the Government,
while very many loyal citizens were driven from their families, and
their homes plundered by these armed robbers. The guerrillas possessed
not a single tent, and made no arrangements for a commissariat,
yet they never wanted for a friendly roof to shelter them and were
bountifully supplied with cooked rations. Wherever they went they were
encouraged by hearty welcomes and approving smiles. They never could be
surprised in their hiding-places or overtaken in their flight, because
some sympathizers, enjoying the immunities of the Government, would go
before and warn them of our approach. I had exerted myself to drive out
these bands and restore peace to these counties and had only partially
succeeded. I had time and again warned the secession sympathizers that
if they continued to harbor, feed, and encourage these plunderers and
assassins, I would be compelled to hold them responsible; that Union
men, on account of their patriotic faithfulness to the Government in
this time of public distress, should not be driven from their homes,
their property carried away, and their lives endangered, without some
compensation for their losses. They were daily making their complaints
known to me, some loyal farmers having lost their last horse, not one
being left to gather the corn, or till the soil. Others had their
stores or houses plundered. The secessionists were living in the
peaceful enjoyment of their homes, and the undisturbed possession of
their property.
"The county of Hopkins was one of the strongholds of the guerrillas and
their friends; they were numerous, active, and bold. After consulting
with the most prominent Union men of the county as to the proper course
to pursue, I organized the expedition, a partial report of which I
gave you, in which I succeeded in scattering, capturing, or driving
away all the organized bands in that county. Then in order to give
peace in future to the county, I determined to carry out the threat
I had so often made to the aiders and harborers of the guerrillas
by holding them responsible for the depredations committed by their
lawless friends. I accordingly made a money levy upon every prominent
harborer or sympathizer of the guerrillas that I could reach, making
the assessment against each individual in proportion to his property
and support or countenance of the traitors. The amount so levied and
collected has reached the sum of thirteen thousand three hundred and
thirty-five ($13,335) dollars. This fund I have caused to be paid over
to an upright, loyal, and responsible citizen of Henderson, Kentucky. I
have appointed a committee consisting of men of acknowledged probity,
influence, and responsibility of Hopkins County, who are thoroughly
acquainted with the people of the county. I have placed the matter
entirely in the hands of citizens, removing it as far as possible from
the control of the military. I have made it the duty of this committee
to investigate the losses sustained by Union citizens of Hopkins County
through the agency of the guerrilla bands, and to compensate them out
of this fund in proportion to their necessities and losses."
My report was forwarded through the War Department to President Lincoln
and approval of my action was made by the endorsement of the President
in his own handwriting. Nothing further was heard through official
channels of the levy.
The town of Smithland at the mouth of the Cumberland River was in my
district, and as it was an important dépôt for supplies for the forces
operating at and through Nashville, I was required to maintain a force
there, and I was often called there in discharge of my duties. Under
date of November 1, I received a letter from General Boyle enclosing
two orders from Major-General Wright, one placing under arrest and
ordering a court-martial for the major commanding a detachment of a
Wisconsin regiment stationed at Smithland, and the other ordering the
detachment to be sent away to another army. It appears that the major
enforced very little discipline and that the troops were inflicting all
kinds of outrages and terrorism on the residents. I was directed to
take with me one or more companies of Indiana troops for a garrison.
He added: "I think, if practicable, you had better go down in person
to Smithland. The citizens are apprehensive of an outbreak and great
wrongs to them, on finding that the Wisconsin troops are ordered off
and the major placed under arrest. You will take prompt and decisive
steps to prevent anything of the kind, even if you shall be under the
necessity of using the musket or bayonet for the purpose. Exercise
prudence but firmness."
I encountered no difficulty in executing my orders. The major quietly
accepted his arrest, the disorderly troops were sent away, and the
garrison of a portion of my Sixty-fifth Regiment gave the citizens
assurance of order.
Some time after this visit I was again called down to Smithland, but
for a very different reason. The emancipation of the slaves, brought
about by President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, was greatly
resented by many of the Union men of Kentucky. Upon the publication by
President Lincoln of the notice of his intended action on September
22, 1862, quite a number of the officers of Kentucky regiments in
the Federal army resigned their commissions and returned home.
Others, while remaining loyal to the Government, deeply regretted the
President's action, and General Boyle was among them. Large numbers of
slaves escaping through the lines from Tennessee sought refuge within
our encampments. In November, I received the following letter from
General Boyle: "Do not allow negro slaves to come into your lines. All
such must be turned out and kept out. Have nothing to do with negroes.
Let them go. You will see that your command attend to this matter.
I am anxious that Indiana troops especially have nothing to do with
slaves."
I sought to have this order observed by my command, distasteful as it
was to many, and General Boyle commended me for my action, but called
attention to the non-observance of the order, especially at Smithland,
and asked me to give it my personal attention. I wrote my wife under
date of January 25, 1863: "I shall have to go down to Smithland again
to-morrow. Considerable complaint is made about Major Butterfield
on the negro question; Governor Robinson of Kentucky complaining
to General Boyle and the general referring the matter to me. This
eternal negro question is a perfect nightmare to our loyal Kentucky
patriots. We have to humor them amazingly. I try to act prudently, but
I sometimes get vexed and disgusted."
I have already noticed various occupations in which I have been engaged
other than of a strictly military service. While in command of the
district of western Kentucky I was ordered to go with a suitable force
to the Cumberland River, midway between Smithland and Nashville, where
the rebels had obstructed navigation by sinking barges loaded with
stone in the channel. With vessels suited for the purpose, I spent
two weeks in cleaning the channel for navigation. I sent my wife a
Christmas greeting by telegraph from this point, reporting my success,
and also that we had captured thirty guerrillas.
During the greater part of my service in Kentucky I had been much
hampered by the lack of a sufficient force of cavalry to enable me to
pursue and hunt down the guerrillas. After continued efforts in that
direction, I received the following Special Order from General Boyle's
headquarters. "Colonel John W. Foster is hereby authorized to mount the
Sixty-fifth Regiment Indiana Volunteers to be used as mounted infantry.
The Quartermaster's and Ordnance Departments will furnish the necessary
horses and horse equipments upon Colonel Foster's requisition." After
my regiment was mounted and fully equipped, I had little trouble in
clearing the country of guerrillas and giving peace to the Union
citizens.
I was greatly grieved in January, 1863, to receive a letter from my
wife telling me of my father's failing health. He had always been a
devoted parent to his children, but he had doubly attached me to him at
the opening of the war in patriotically encouraging his boys to enter
the army, with the assurance that he would look after and care for
their families. He wrote me frequent letters, and no day passed without
a visit from him to my house to inquire for the health and needs of my
wife and child. I wrote my wife: "Your letter made me sad when I read
of father's poor health. I wish I was at home to comfort him somewhat
and to aid him in his business. You will do all you can to make his
time pleasant. He thinks much of you. Visit him often, and let Alice go
over to see him whenever he wants her or she wants to go, and teach her
to be affectionate to him. These little acts of kindness will gratify
him in his feeble health and declining years."
My father's ill-health continued after the date of this letter, but I
was afforded the opportunity of visiting him several times and doing
what I could to comfort him in his last days. On April 13, 1863, he
passed away. An account of the manner in which he met death is recorded
in the "Biography of Matthew Watson Foster," pp. 81-83.
Fortunately for the human race, our sorrows and our joys follow
each other, often in quick succession. Two weeks after the death of
my father, while on an expedition into the interior of my district
in pursuit of guerrillas, I received intelligence of the birth of
our second child, Edith. She was our "war baby," but she proved the
harbinger of peace. Blessed with a sweet and even temper from her
birth, she has spread peace and sunshine in her path through life.
Although my field of military service was so near to my home, I did not
cease to long for the time when I might return to my family. Writing to
my wife on a Sabbath day, January 11, I say:--
"Oh, when will this terrible war be over, so that we may spend our
Sabbaths together as we have in the past, so peacefully, so pleasantly,
so profitably? It has always been one of my greatest privations in the
army that I was away from my family and Sabbath Church enjoyments. God
in his own good time will give us peace, and return us to our Christian
privileges and our home blessings. I can't help but wish I was at home,
and wish it every day, and that circumstances were such that I might
come with honor. I trust that time may come soon. But I do not want to
dishonor all I have done by leaving at present. I want first to see
the war looking toward its close."
I wrote the following brief epistle to my wife in a jocose spirit:
"For the love I bear you, I herewith enclose to you the fruits of my
toil, danger, privations, and glory for the past two months, $381.65,
according to the estimate of my services by the paymaster."
I have referred to the embarrassment and trouble which came to me
soon after I assumed command at Henderson by the condition of the
State elections and the rebel civil officials. Another annual election
occurred just before the close of my service in 1863, and I was
required by General Boyle to see that his orders were enforced. In
addition to the order that no one who was not _in all things_ loyal to
the State and Federal Governments should be allowed to be a candidate,
a further order was issued which made it the duty of the judges of
election to allow no one to vote unless he was known to them to be
an undoubtedly loyal citizen or unless he took the "iron-clad" oath
of loyalty prescribed by the State law. It was made the duty of the
military authorities to see that these orders were enforced. I did not
have a sufficient force to station a detachment at every voting-place,
but I scattered the military election proclamation broadcast, and had
a force at a number of the leading voting-places.
In one of the Congressional districts within my command I had a
peculiar condition. The regular or State Union candidate was opposed
by a prominent citizen, who had stood by the Federal Government at the
beginning of the rebellion, had raised a Federal regiment, and had
fought gallantly at Donelson and Shiloh. But after the President's
announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation, he resigned from the
army and returned to Kentucky to array himself with the peaceful
opponents of the Administration. He was permitted to make a canvass
of his district without any interference by the military, and at the
election none of my command found it necessary to interpose. But the
fact was that many who would have supported him at the polls abstained
from voting because they were unwilling to take the "iron-clad" oath.
Although the State Union candidate received a decided majority of the
votes, his seat was contested by his opponent on the ground, among
others, of military interference with the election, and my name was
freely used in the debates; but the Union candidate was seated by
Congress. In the course of the debate, the Union candidate, referring
to the attacks upon me, said: "Colonel Foster's services protected all
that region of Kentucky, my home, the contestant's home, from rebel and
guerrilla outrage and depredation. Without those services the courts
could not have been held nor the laws administered in a large district
of country. He afterwards led a brigade with brilliant success in East
Tennessee. And the contestant will not forget that day on the banks
of Green River, when he and I waged a bloodless battle of words about
politics in stone's throw of where Foster and his gallant Hoosiers
stood in battle order, expecting John Morgan and his avalanche of
cavalry."
During my year's service in Kentucky my command was frequently
disturbed and put in battle array by reports from time to time that the
rebel General Forrest or John Morgan was about to enter my district
with a large force of cavalry. These reports were so frequent and
unfounded that we became incredulous, but Morgan finally did come into
Kentucky with quite a formidable force. General Boyle early notified
me of his presence in the State, and that he might seek his way out by
crossing Green River and passing through my district into Tennessee;
and I was ordered to move my entire command to Green River, remove or
destroy all the boats, and give him battle if he came my way.
But Morgan had other schemes on hand. At noon July 9, 1863, General
Boyle telegraphed me that Morgan had crossed the Ohio River into
Indiana some distance below Louisville with a cavalry force of four
thousand men. I was ordered to secure transports and put my command on
board to move up the river. At 9 P.M. the same night I received the
following from Boyle: "Morgan may deflect west and try Evansville. I
think he will move on New Albany. Gather your men, seize boats, and
come up river. Send out scouts on Indiana side to learn of enemy's
movement. Direct your movements accordingly. Attack and fight Morgan
wherever he can be met." About the same time I had telegraphic advices
from Governor Morton of Morgan's presence in Indiana, and that he was
likely to move toward Evansville.
When I received these orders and the information that Morgan had
crossed the Ohio River into Indiana, in accordance with previous
instructions I was with my entire command on Green River awaiting an
expected attack from Morgan in that locality. I at once crossed Green
River on the night of the 10th _en route_ for the Ohio, but did not
reach its banks until the night of the 11th, by which time Morgan was
well on his way toward the State of Ohio. I was therefore not to share
in the pursuit of this noted raider.
I returned with my command to Henderson and redistributed them at
various exposed places in my district. But this proved the end of my
military operations in Kentucky. General Burnside had been ordered
from the East to assume command of the Department of the Ohio, and was
preparing the concentration of his forces for a movement for the relief
of the loyal people of East Tennessee, and I felt sure my regiment
would be included. Hence I was not surprised to receive orders on the
7th of August, 1863, to move the Sixty-fifth Indiana Mounted Infantry
to Glasgow, from which place Burnside's movement was to begin.
I was quite satisfied at this change. As early as February I had made
a visit to Louisville to ask General Boyle if he could not give me a
more active service. The guerrilla warfare which I was carrying on
was of a very unsatisfactory and unprofitable kind. My troubles with
the disloyal citizens and the civil duties as to officials and the
elections were not to my taste. As a soldier I longed to be relieved
from these unwelcome duties, and to bear my share in the real military
campaigns of the war. During my year's service in the district I had
received the warmest exhibitions of friendship from the Union citizens
of Henderson and that region. Being stationed so near to my home, my
wife often visited me, and these kind-hearted citizens always insisted
on making her their guest. I received various testimonials of their
esteem, among others a beautiful jeweled sword, sash, and belt. When
it became known that my regiment was to be ordered away, an earnest
petition was sent to General Boyle asking our retention, signed by all
the Union citizens, headed by ex-Governor and ex-Senator Dixon.
Hon. Thomas E. Bramlette, Governor of the State of Kentucky, wrote
President Lincoln, asking that I might "be retained in western Kentucky
in charge of the defenses of that section. I have recently passed all
through western Kentucky and find from personal observation the immense
good which the vigilant and successful military guardianship of Colonel
Foster has done for that section." General Boyle, in a letter to the
Secretary of War, said: "I beg to say that Colonel J. W. Foster is one
of the most vigilant, active, and useful officers in the volunteer
army. He is a man of the first order of ability, with capacity to fill
almost any place in the service, and no man known to me has done better
service than Colonel Foster."
In an editorial notice of some length the "Evansville Journal," in
noticing the departure of the Sixty-fifth Regiment, said:--
While we are glad the gallant boys of this excellent regiment are about
to be afforded an opportunity to engage in more active service, and to
see some of the excitement of war on its grander scale, yet we cannot
help regretting their departure from our vicinity. For a year past the
people along the border have felt that the Sixty-fifth was a wall of
safety, a mountain of rocks between them and the guerrillas. Colonel
Foster during his administration of affairs in the Green River region,
has won not only the admiration of the friends, but also the respect of
the enemies, of the Government.
VII
THE EAST TENNESSEE CAMPAIGN
No portion of the people of our country had shown more devotion to
the Union or suffered greater hardships on account of their loyalty
during the Civil War than the citizens of East Tennessee. Almost the
entire population of military age had fled over the mountains into
Kentucky and enlisted in the Federal army. And those who remained--the
old men, the women and the children--endured many privations and much
persecution. It had long been the desire of the Federal Government to
occupy East Tennessee with troops and free the loyal people from their
oppression, and President Lincoln in 1863 determined that this relief
should no longer be delayed.
The army under General Burnside numbered approximately twenty thousand
men, a force which it was thought was sufficient for the purpose in
view of the fact that General Rosecrans with a much larger army was
moving from middle Tennessee toward Chattanooga and northern Georgia.
In a letter to my wife from Glasgow, dated the 18th of August, I say:--
"We arrived here yesterday. Found marching orders for this morning to
go to Burksville with our brigade. The brigade left this morning, but I
got permission to stay over to-day to shoe horses and more fully equip
the regiment. The indications are that the cavalry division will go
direct to Knoxville, after a few days' delay at Burksville."