FROM THE RE-ORGANIZATION TO TIME OF LEAVING PADUCAH.
_Re-organization--Roster of officers--Drill at Cairo--Change to
Paducah--Promotions and assignments to duty--Attack on
Saratoga--Reconnoisance towards Columbus by 1st
Brigade--Commissions--Reconnoisance towards Fort
Henry--Regiment paid--Incidents._
As will be seen from the preceding chapter, the 9th Ill. Inft. was
mustered out of the service on the 25th of July, 1861, and an order
dispatched from Gen. Scott granting permission to re-organize it. It
was consequently organized for the three years' service, at Cairo,
Ill., and mustered into the service for three years, unless sooner
discharged, on the 28th day of July, 1861. The Regiment reported for
duty on the same day to Brig. General B. M. Prentiss, commanding the
forces at Cairo, Ill.
The field, staff, and line officers were "mustered in" as follows:
Colonel--E. A. Paine, July 26th, 1861.
Lieut. Col.--Aug. Mersy, " " "
Major.--Jesse J. Phillips, " " "
Surgeon.--S. M. Hamilton, " " "
Assistant Surgeon.--Emil Guelick, " " "
Adjutant.--Thos. J. Newsham, " " "
Regt. Quartermaster.--Wm. G. Pinckard, Aug. 26th, 1861.
Chaplain.--James J. Ferree, July 26th, "
Co. A.--Captain, John H. Kuhn, " " "
" --1st Lieutenant, Emil Adam, " " "
" --2d Lieutenant, E. J. Weyrich, " " "
Co. B.--Captain, Wm. C. Kneffner, " " "
" --1st Lieutenant, Hamilton Lieber, " " "
" --2d Lieutenant, Fred. Vogler, " " "
Co. C.--Captain, D. F. Tiedeman, " " "
" --1st Lieutenant, Oscar Rollmann, " " "
" --2d Lieutenant, Chas. Schevir, " " "
Co. D.--Captain, Rodolph Beckier, " " "
" --1st Lieutenant, Edward Krebbs, Aug. 10th, "
" --2d Lieutenant, Wm. Bohlen, " " "
Co. E.--Captain, Alex. G. Hawes, July 26th, 1861.
" --1st Lieutenant, Wm. D. Craig, Aug. 6th, "
" --2d Lieutenant, R. B. Patterson, July 26th, "
Co. F.--Captain, Loren Webb, " " "
" --1st Lieutenant, Wm. Britt, " " "
" --2d Lieutenant, Geo. W. Williford, " " "
Co. G.--Captain, Edgar M. Lowe, " " "
" --1st Lieutenant, John S. Sutten, " " "
" --2d Lieutenant, Isaac Clements, " " "
Co. H.--Captain, Wm. F. Armstrong, " " "
" --1st Lieutenant, Cy. H. Gillmore, " " "
" --2d Lieutenant, Alfred Cowgill, " " "
Co. I.--Captain, Jas. G. Robinson, " " "
" --1st Lieutenant, Wm. Purviance, July 31st, "
" --2d Lieutenant. S. T. Hughes, " " "
Co. K.--Captain. Geo. B. Poor, July 26th, "
" --1st Lieutenant, John L. A. Reeves, " " "
" --2d Lieutenant, Jas. C. McClery, " " "
After the re-organization of the Regiment, it remained at Cairo, Ill.,
until September 5th, 1861. During this time they were principally
engaged in doing guard duty and drilling. The great matter was to have
men well drilled. War was a new occupation to most of them. They were
men who had been spending their lives quietly at home on their farms,
behind their counters, in their offices, and among their tools in the
work-shop. The peaceful walks of life were those they were accustomed
to tread. When their country was threatened by those who would destroy
it, at the call of that country, they left those peaceful walks and
rushed to its defence. It was new work, and they must be trained for
it. Much patient drill must be passed through. The officers themselves,
many of them, must learn what a military life is, and how to do its
work. The men must, day after day, endure the patient drill. They must
learn the picket's duty, and how to perform it. They must learn that
while on picket each picket is, for the time being, commander-in-chief
of his post. When he cries "Halt," his order is law. No Captain; no
Colonel; no General, dare disobey it, unless he has his pass or can
give the "countersign." A Corporal in Co. E, once narrated to me his
first experience in picket duty. He was handling his gun rather
awkwardly. The officer of the guard came along and reproved him for his
awkwardness. "Let me have your gun, sir, until I show you how to hold
it." Anxious to learn every part of a soldier's duty, in all the
simplicity of his heart, he handed his gun over to the officer. "Now,
sir, what are you going to do for your gun? Suppose I was the enemy,
what kind of a fix would you be in?" He at once saw the embarrassment
of his position. "Did you ever stand picket before?" "No, sir." "On
that account you are excusable; but on no other. Never give up your gun
again; no officer, no General has any right to it." It was a wholesome
lesson. He profited by it. From that time forward, no man ever got his
gun when on picket.
On the 5th day of September, 1861, the Regiment left Cairo, Ill.,
embarked on a steamer and moved up the Ohio River to Paducah, Ky. Here
it occupied the advance position on the Columbus road.
Col. E. A. Paine was promoted to be Brigadier General, September 3d,
and Lieut. Col. August Mersy being absent, Major Jesse J. Phillips
assumed command of the Regiment.
On the 8th day of September, 1861, Brig. Gen. C. F. Smith relieved
Brig. Gen. Paine of the command at Paducah, and Lieut. Col. Mersy
returned and relieved Major Phillips of the command of the Regiment.
Adjutant Newsham was detached as Acting Assistant Adjutant General, and
Quartermaster Pinckard as Acting Assistant Quartermaster.
About the 20th of September, Brig. Gen. Paine was assigned to the
command of the 1st Brigade. This Brigade consisted of the following
regiments: 9th Ill. Inft., 12th Ill. Inft., 40th Ill. Inft., 41st Ill.
Inft., Buel's Battery, and Thielmann's Independent Cavalry Battalion.
Lieut. Adam, of Co. A, 9th Regt., was detached as Act. Assist. Adj.
Gen. of the 1st Brigade.
On the 3d day of October, 1861, Adjutant Nusham was promoted to be
Captain and Assistant Adjutant General, and assigned to duty on Gen.
Smith's staff.
By this time the boys were getting anxious for a fight. To use a common
expression, they were "spoiling for a fight." They felt that now they
were ready to fight with and conquer the whole South. On October 15th,
1861, a portion of the Regiment had an opportunity to try their pluck.
Major Phillips, with Companies B, H, and I, filled to their maximum by
details from other companies, with Lieut. Patterson as aid to
commanding officer, moved up the Cumberland River above Eddyville,
where they disembarked. It was ascertained that a detachment of 300
rebel cavalry were in camp at Saratoga. Major Phillips moved upon them,
surprised and completely routed them; killing from 10 to 15, wounding
from 25 to 30, and capturing 20. Major Phillips' detachment had Capt.
Kneffner slightly wounded, and Corporal Greblig of Co. B, and private
Gatewood of Co. K, severely wounded. It returned to camp on the 16th
of October, bringing in the prisoners and a large amount of captured
property.
First Lieutenant John L. A. Reeves, of Co. K, resigned, and his
resignation was accepted October 2d, 1861.
On the 6th day of November, 1861, the 1st Brigade, Brig. General Paine
commanding, moved on the Columbus road to Mayfield Creek, and
bivouacked for the night. The next day they moved forward to Milburn,
Ky., 31 miles from Paducah, and 11 miles from Columbus, bivouacked
there for the night, and commenced the return march by daylight on the
8th. Reached camp at Paducah by 2 P. M., of the 9th. This was about the
first heavy marching the boys had undergone. It was very fatiguing.
There was a disposition to straggle. To prevent it, in the 9th, a rear
guard was appointed, which compelled all to keep their places. This,
some of the boys who were very tired, no doubt thought to be cruel. But
the result was, the 9th Regiment came into camp in Paducah in splendid
order, while the 40th and 41st Ill. Regiments seemed to have lost their
organization altogether on the return march, and came straggling into
camp in small squads, during the entire days of the 9th and 10th. Gen.
Smith issued an order highly commending the 9th for their orderly
conduct, and condemning those Regiments which returned in such
disorder. This pleased our boys so much, that they almost forgot their
heavy marching, and there was no more complaining about rigid
discipline.
On the 9th of September, 1861, Capt. John H. Kuhn was appointed Provost
Marshal of Paducah, and his Co. (A) was detached to act as Provost
Guard.
December 2nd, 1861, commissions arrived as follows: For Lieut. Col.
Aug. Mersy to be Colonel; Major Jesse J. Phillips to be Lieutenant
Colonel; Capt. John H. Kuhn to be Major; 1st Lieut. Emil Adam to be
Captain, and 2d Lieut. E. J. Weyrich to be 1st Lieutenant of Co. A. On
the 5th of December, Sergeant Scheel, of Co. F, received a commission
as 2d Lieutenant of Co. A, but was assigned to duty in Co. D, 2d Lieut.
Bohlen of that Co. having been transferred to Co. A.
Capt. Geo. B. Poor, of Co. K, resigned, and his resignation was
accepted on the 10th of December. First Lieutenant E. J. Weyrich, of
Co. A, resigned on the 25th of December.
Capt. Armstrong, of Co. H, was appointed Provost Marshal, to relieve
Major Kuhn, and his Co. (H) relieved Co. A, as Provost Guard, on the
6th of December, 1861.
On the 15th of January, 1862, the entire force at Paducah, except the
40th Ill., moved towards Viola, 13 miles, and bivouacked for the night
at Hickory Creek. Brig. Gen. C. F. Smith commanded the Division in
person. Col. McArthur, of the 12th Ill. Inft., was in command of the
1st Brigade, and Brig. Gen. Lew. Wallace, of the 2d Brigade. The
Division was about 5,000 strong. On the 15th, moved to Mayfield Creek,
28 miles from Paducah. On the 17th, the command marched 23 miles to
Clark's River, and bivouacked for the night on its banks. On the 18th
and 19th, owing to rain and mud, the command moved a very short
distance. It reached Calloway Landing, on the Tennessee River, 20 miles
below Fort Henry, on the 22d of January. Finding no enemy in that
vicinity, and none nearer than Fort Henry, the command returned to camp
at Paducah, Ky., arriving there January 25th, 1862. It had marched
altogether, during the reconnoisance, 125 miles. The most that was
accomplished, was accustoming the men to hard marches.
Second Lieutenant Wm. Bohlen, resigned, and his resignation was
accepted on the 31st day of January, 1862. On the same day a commission
arrived for private Henry H. Klock, of Co. F, to be 1st Lieutenant and
Adjutant, to rank from October 3d, 1861, the date of Adjutant Newsham's
promotion.
Major I. N. Cook paid the Regiment up to January 1st, 1862. It had been
previously paid by Major C. P. E. Johnston, to September 1st, 1861.
During the time the Regiment was in camp at Paducah, some incidents of
interest occurred. All were longing for an adventure of some kind. The
routine of camp life was becoming wearisome. One day Major Phillips, of
the 9th Ill. Inft., and Major McDonald, of the 8th Mo. Inft., rode
outside the pickets. After they had rode out two or three miles, Major
McDonald remembered that he had an old acquaintance living ten or
twelve miles out that road. It was proposed and agreed upon, that they
would ride out and see him. Before reaching there, they passed where
the enemy had their picket fires the night before. Things looked
suspicious. A rebel soldier was seen riding up to a neighboring house.
They proposed to go and take him. But their friend with whom they
stopped, insisted on their not doing it, saying that if any fuss
occurred there, they would burn his house at once, as they were
threatening him anyhow, because of his Union sentiments. Dinner was
ready in a short time, and they must stay for dinner. Major Phillips,
always disposed to watch rebs. closely, proposed to stand picket while
the rest were eating. He then hurriedly drank a cup of coffee, and they
mounted their horses and started for camp. In a short time they saw two
cavalry men riding before them. Taking them to be rebels, they gave
them chase. Major Phillips, mounted on a splendid horse, soon came
close on them. Suddenly they checked up, wheeled around, and drew their
sabres. Before our Major could check his horse, he was close upon them.
With pistol drawn, he inquired what command they belonged to. The reply
was, "Thielman's Cavalry." The Major mistook it for Tilman's (Rebel)
Cavalry. He inquired the second time. The same reply came, and he
labored under the same mistake. By this time Major McDonald came fairly
up, and they demanded the surrender of the two men, and they
surrendered. At this point, they saw a short distance from them, about
25 men coming towards them. They felt that they were in a close place.
Says Major McDonald to Phillips, "What shall we do with these two men?
shoot them?" "No; we will take them with us, and if they don't keep up,
then we will shoot them," was the reply. Says Major Phillips, "I would
give a horse to be in Paducah." "Paducah!" says one of the prisoners;
"we belong there, too. We are Willson's Dragoons." The mistake arose
from the fact that the Rebels had a band of cavalry, known as Tilman's
Cavalry, while the Federals had a battalion of cavalry, known as
Thielman's Cavalry. The prisoners being Germans, the one was mistaken
for the other. This matter explained, their prisoners were released,
and they returned to camp. Having reached camp, Major Phillips reported
to Gen. Smith, when the following interview took place. I give the
substance:
"General." "Well, Major." "General, having permission to go outside of
the pickets to-day, I gained some valuable information, which I thought
the good of the service required that I should report to you." "How
many men had you, Major?" "General," (afraid to confess there were but
two,) "Major McDonald was in command of the expedition." "How many men
had Major McDonald?" "I was with him." "But, sir, how many men did you
have?" Finding the truth must come, he replied, "The Major commanded
me, and I commanded him." "Well, sir, you both deserve to be punished,
and if you had shot those two men, I should have had you both
cashiered. But as it is, I will let it pass. What is the valuable
information you have gained?" "I learn, at a certain point, a Rebel
company is to be organized on to-morrow." "Well, sir, as you are fond
of adventure, you will take a detachment of forty men, and proceed to
that point and disperse or capture them." But as the next day was very
rainy, the expedition was abandoned.
Another incident. Major Phillips and Captain Kuhn rode outside the
pickets late in the evening. After getting outside the pickets, they
saw some fresh wagon-tracks. Captain Kuhn, who was then acting Provost
Marshal, said that there were two wagons, loaded, that went out, of
which he was suspicious, but that with his instructions he could not
examine them. They concluded to follow them. They had gone but a short
distance until the road forked, and there were fresh tracks on each
road. The Major took one road, and the Captain took the other. The
Major soon came in sight of them, and pushing on, came up with them. On
inquiring what they were loaded with, he was told that they were some
groceries for a store in the country. Things looking suspicious, he
procured an ax and broke open some of the boxes, and found that it was
a regular lot of military stores. By this time Captain Kuhn came up,
and after a little consultation, they concluded to let them go on, and
told them that all was right, they could go on. They returned
immediately to town. They had gone out about five miles. On their
return, the Major again presented himself to General Smith. "General."
"Well, Major." "General, Captain Kuhn and myself rode outside of the
pickets, this evening. After getting out a short distance, we saw
wagon-tracks, which were suspicious. We followed them a few miles and
came up with them, and I am satisfied they are loaded with goods to
supply a rebel camp. We did not bring them in, from the fact that the
Captain's instructions, as Provost Marshal, would not justify him in
doing it." "Another of your fool-hardy dashes, Major." "Yes, General;
but I thought the good of the service demanded it." "Well, sir, how
many men will you have to bring those wagons in to-night?" "Five men,
General." "Adjutant, make a detail for five men, to report here
immediately for duty." The men came, and the Major started on his
expedition. He overtook the wagons, which had been driving on all
night, and brought them back to Paducah, and turned them over to the
Quartermaster.
Still another incident. Citizens were frequently coming into town.
There was not much difficulty in getting in, but they could not go out
again without a pass. One young fellow from Kentucky, having, as he
supposed, some of the _noble blood_ in him, said he would not apply for
a pass. He said the "niggers" had to have passes, and he was not going
to put himself on an equality with "niggers." So he refused to apply
for a pass. After staying in town a few days, he made an attempt or two
to run the pickets, and as a consequence, was put in the guardhouse.
After staying in town a month or two, the young nobleman was compelled
to put himself on an equality with the "niggers," and apply for a pass.
Still another. When out on a scout, at a time when every house would be
guarded as the troops were passing, and not a chicken or goose must be
touched, the Quartermaster went into a house to purchase some chickens
for his mess. The woman refused to sell any. "Well," says he, "we must
have something to eat. If you won't sell your chickens, we will steal
your geese." "If I sell you some chickens, sir, will you _swear_ that
you won't steal my geese?" He promised he would. Two or three chickens
were caught for him, and then the old lady got upon a chair and reached
down an old Bible for him to swear on, that he would not steal her
geese. I guess he swore for her, but not very reverendly.
One more incident. Perhaps on the same scout as the above, it was
suspected that Company K had stolen a goose. Col. Mersy got wind of it.
He addresses Lieut. Col. Phillips as follows: "Col. Phillips, I tink
Co. K steal one coose. You take de charge de right wing, while I goes
to see." The Col. rode off to Co. K, but could find no goose. He
returned to the command, thinking, I suppose, that Co. K was "all right
on the goose."
That day is now passed in the army. As our army now marches along, the
boys weary and suffering for water, there is not a guard stationed at
every well to prevent their quenching their thirst. When they are
hungry, if chickens and geese are convenient, they are not interfered
with if they try to catch them. Often have I seen our boys coming in
from a scout, many of them having a chicken or a goose swinging at each
side of their saddle.