FROM PADUCAH TO PITTSBURG LANDING.
_Preparations for opening the Cumberland, Tennessee and
Mississippi Rivers--Fort Henry taken--Fort Donelson taken--Part
taken by 9th Ills., number killed and wounded--List of killed
and wounded--Trip to Nashville and back--Incidents._
At the opening of the year 1862, it was becoming evident that to crush
the "hideous monster" rebellion, would require a great effort on the
part of the government. While our armies were being raised and
disciplined, the rebels were planting themselves firmly at many points
in the South-west, as well as the East. Columbus, Island No. 10,
Memphis, Vicksburg, Port Hudson, and other points on the Mississippi
River, were being strongly fortified. Fort Henry and Fort Donelson were
fortified, and commanded the entrance of the Cumberland and Tennessee
Rivers. General Fremont had urged the early occupation of these
points, before the enemy should fortify them. But for some reason, (I
suppose a good one on the part of the government,) the enemy were
allowed to make these points strong-holds. Magnificent preparations
were making, however, to take possession of these rivers, by the
government, as great national thoroughfares. Gunboats, floating
batteries &c., were being built with that view. These were brought to
bear, early in 1862, on the work of opening the Cumberland and
Tennessee Rivers, and dislodging the enemy of their strong-holds on
these rivers. A heavy land force must of course co-operate with the
fleet. In this work, the 9th Ill. Inft. was destined to act a
conspicuous part. The material for the greater portion of its history
is found in the part it has taken in subduing the rebellion in
Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama. At Cairo and at Paducah its work of
discipline had been carried on until it was well prepared for meeting
the enemy on the field. It left Paducah, a large and well-drilled
Regiment.
On the evening of February 4th, 1862, Companies A, B, C, D and E, under
command of Col. Mersy, struck tents at Paducah, and embarked on board
the steamer "Wilson," with camp and garrison equipage. This wing of the
Regiment moved up the Tennessee River the same night, and reported to
Brig. Gen. John A. McClernand at Brown's Landing. The remainder of the
Regiment, (except Co. H, Provost Guard,) under command of Lieut. Col.
Phillips, came up on the steamer "B," on the evening of the 5th
February. The two wings of the Regiment formed a junction on the left
bank of the Tennessee River, five miles below Fort Henry, on the night
of the 5th. They moved up the river towards Fort Heiman, on the 6th,
reaching and occupying the Fort the same night. Brig. Gen. Smith's
Division had left Paducah, and passed up the river to this point. They
did not reach here in time to participate in the engagement. Fort Henry
was reduced by the gunboats alone, none of the infantry taking part in
the engagement.
When Fort Henry surrendered, the enemy quartered at Fort Heiman
evacuated the place, leaving behind them all their camp and garrison
equipage.
Brig. Gen. Smith's Division was ordered to move across the river and
garrison Fort Henry, on the 7th. But the heavy rains had swollen the
Tennessee River to such an extent that it was impossible to reach the
boats, in order to cross. Hence, a Division already on that side of the
river was assigned to that duty.
It was the high stage of water, and the consequent difficulty of
landing, that prevented the land forces from co-operating with the
gunboats in the attack against Fort Henry. Had they been permitted to
co-operate as designed, they would have been able to cut off the
retreat of the enemy, and capture the whole force. This would have
prevented the reinforcement at Fort Donelson, and made the engagement
there less sanguinary. But perhaps the victory would not have been any
more complete than it was.
The enemy that had evacuated Forts Henry and Heiman fell back and
strengthened Fort Donelson. The next thing in the programme, was to
reduce Fort Donelson. The gunboats consequently were to descend the
Tennessee River and ascend the Cumberland, while the land forces would
march across the country, only twelve miles, and attack in the rear. In
accordance with this plan, Gen. Smith's Division, still camped on the
opposite side of the river, on the 12th of February, 1862, crossed the
river with two days' rations, and no transportation, and moved towards
Fort Donelson and bivouacked for the night about four miles from that
place. At 11 o'clock at night, moved forward again, two and a half
miles further, and bivouacked. At 11, A. M., of the 13th, moved forward
to support McAllister's Battery, remaining here until 2, P. M. At this
hour, McArthur's entire Brigade, (the one to which the 9th Ill.
belonged,) were ordered to the left of McClernand's Division, to
prevent a flank movement of the enemy on his left. The Brigade remained
here until night, when it moved one-half mile further to the right.
Company A, Capt. Adam commanding, was detached at this place, to
support a battery, and Lieut. R. B. Patterson, of Co. E, was ordered
with Co. A.
On the evening of the 13th, from having been warm and pleasant when
they left camp, the weather changed and became extremely cold. Rain,
sleet and snow fell alternately during the night. No fires were
allowed. Hence, they suffered much from cold.
At midnight, a heavy volley of musketry was fired in front of Col.
McArthur's Brigade. We were immediately ordered into line, and moved
three-quarters of a mile further to the right, occupying a position in
Gen. McClernand's Division and reporting to him.
The Brigade was moved again on the 14th, to the extreme right of our
line, reaching that point after dark. The 41st Ill. occupied the
extreme right, and the 9th Ill. next. At daylight of the 15th, the
enemy made a furious attack on this part of Gen. McClernand's line. The
9th and 41st Ill. Regiments moved forward one hundred yards, to a high
ridge, from which they held the rebel columns in check. The 9th moved
forward to the ridge in echelon, the 41st in line of battle. At the
second onslaught of the enemy, the 41st broke and fell back, and the
12th Ill. promptly occupied their place. The 9th Regiment held its
position for two and a half hours, when all its supports on the right
and left giving way, and its ammunition being exhausted, it fell back,
slowly and in good order. The enemy did not press our front, but moved
rapidly on our right flank. So rapid was their movement in this
direction, that twice we were compelled to halt and make demonstrations
to prevent their charging us. About 11 o'clock, A. M., the Regiment
passed through the second line of battle, received a new supply of
ammunition, and moved to the left and rejoined Gen. Smith's Division,
to which they properly belonged.
On the morning of the 16th, the 9th Regiment was ordered forward to
complete the work so gallantly begun by the 2d Iowa Inft. on the
previous day. That Regiment had charged the rebel breastworks, and in
part taken possession of them. To make another charge, and completely
drive them out, was the work assigned to the 9th for this day. But
before the final order to charge was given, the enemy surrendered
_unconditionally_. The 9th Ill. Inft. and the 2d Iowa Inft. were
granted the honor of first marching into the outer works of the enemy.
On entering the works, the 9th Ill. took charge of the following rebel
regiments: The 14th Mississippi, 32d, 14th and 18th Tennessee, and 2d
Kentucky, in all about 2,000 men.
The 9th Ill. went into the fight, on the 15th, with about 600 men
reported for duty. Its loss during the action was, 35 killed on the
field, 160 wounded, and 6 taken prisoners. Most of those taken
prisoners were wounded and unable to fall back with the Regiment.
Companies A and H were not engaged in the fight. Company H had been
left as Provost Guard at Paducah, and Company A, as mentioned above,
had been detached on the night of the 13th to support a battery, and
had not rejoined the Regiment at the time it was engaged.
Among the wounded, were the following officers: Capt. Robinson of Co.
I, and Capt. Beckier of Co. D, both slightly; 1st Lieuts. Lieber of Co.
B, Britt of Co. F, and Sutton of Co. G. These were all severely
wounded. Lieut. Lieber lost his left arm, and Lieut. Sutton was
disabled for life.
The following is a list of the killed and wounded in the various
companies:
COMPANY A.--Supporting a battery, lost none.
COMPANY B.--_Killed_, Corp. Lugenbuehler. Corp. Dettweiler, Benkers,
Jacob Eierkuss, Henry Gonnermann, Henry Hurick, Christian Koch, Albert
Newmann, Leech. In all 9 killed. _Wounded._--First Lieut. Hamilton
Lieber, Privates Adolph Aldo, Peter Bauer, John Berger, Charles
Daehner, Albert Donner, Michael Fath, Joseph Gantner, Paul Geist,
Sergt. Louis Grieser, Privates Jul. Hoffmann, John Krieger, Charles
Lobe, Frederick Menne, Louis Messerschmitt, Hermann Moser, Josep
Oberfell, Simon Pohn, Corp. John Schab, William Schlott, Sergt. John
Schmidt, Henry Schneider, Anton Schwarzkopf, Frederick Lensel, Henry
Weber, Daniel Werner, Christian Wickermann, Joseph Cropp. In all 28
wounded.
COMPANY C.--_Killed_, Lorence Bersig and Heinrich Hillmann.--2.
_Wounded_, Henry Arndt, George Fichter, John Graus, Christopher Klein,
John Pietz, Adam Reesh, John Riedel, Adam Lammons, Henry Schmidt,
William Vogt, Peter Weis, William Miller, and Corp. Charles King. In
all 13 wounded.
COMPANY D.--Company D had 20 men wounded, including the Captain. The
most of them were slight wounds, which did not disable the men. Three
only were dangerously wounded.
COMPANY E.--_Killed_, Privates Cassius C. Atchinson and Jas. Dyer.--2.
_Wounded_, Corps. John A. Gilmore and Frank M. Tillotson, Privates John
Beatty, John A. J. Bragg, Russell W. Cool, Wm. Evans, Michael Farley,
John Fletcher, Dennis C. Frothingham, Jas. B. Gilmore, Simon Hagar,
Joseph B. Jones, Wm. T. Kelley, John Kemberlin, F. M. Moore, Francis J.
Murphy, Geo. Snyder, John Till, Wm. G. Triplett, David M. Durham, Geo.
M. Gilmore. In all 21 wounded.
COMPANY F.--_Killed_, Privates David N. Ashton and Constant Roland.--2
killed. _Wounded_, 1st Lieut. Wm. Britt, Sergts. Thos. C. Kidd and
Andrew J. Webster, Corp. Andrew J. White, Privates Geo. M. Campbell, E.
Carrey, John W. Dye, Wm. M. Ellis, James Getty, James Hicks, Nathan
Lynch, Geo. McIrish, Eli J. Singleton, Richa Lumpkins, Thos. J.
Wallace, Frank Wagner, John Rank, Joseph L. Garrett, Harlow Bassett. In
all 19 wounded. This is not a complete list. There were 23 wounded. The
records of the company have been destroyed.
COMPANY G.--_Killed_, Benjamin Jacob, Emsley Walker, James Willhelm. In
all 3 killed. _Wounded_, 1st Lieut. John S. Sutton, N. G. Brown, Wm. B.
Dubois, Thos. J. Pleasant, Jas. Canton, Jas. E. Mason, Jacob Willhelm,
John J. White, John A. Stotlan, William J. Higlai, C. C. Akin, Jos. H.
Watley, John Collin, Jas. M. Brown, and Wm. R. Gore. In all 15 wounded.
COMPANY H.--Absent at Paducah as Provost Guard.
COMPANY I.--_Killed_, James N. Johnson, Augustus Cluge, G. W. Kinder,
Charles Loymer, David Lain, Alonzo Livingston, Hugh McMahen, John
McKinney, Charles McDermot, Geo. M. More, Joseph P. Stevenson, David
Williams. In all 12 killed. _Wounded_, Capt. Joseph G. Robinson, 2d
Lieut. S. T. Hughs, Sergts. Geo. Woodbury and W. Jarvis, Corps. R. R.
Swain, John G. Irwin and F. A. Courmon, Privates Wm. Baird, John Baird,
D. G. Breyfogle, Jas. G. Ballard, Zachariah Burgess, Aaron C. Bordon,
Jos. Crews, G. W. Clark, Charles Dayton, Emanuel Davis, John Ellett,
Henry Fitzsimmons, Theodore Fisher, H. Fuller, John Graham, James
Hawratty, William Helms, David Johnson, David Kyle, Geo. Lent, Geo.
Lawson, Sam'l Morehead, James Mitchel, Chas. S. Patton, Samuel Read,
John R. Vanhooser, William Willson. In all 34 wounded.
COMPANY K.--_Killed_, Corp. Walter Walsh, Privates Reuben M. Anderson,
And. J. Burton, Charles Casebeer, John Emery, Johna. Hazlewood, David
Newcomb, Jas. Patterson. In all 8 killed. _Wounded_, Sergts. A. J.
Snider and John Barbour, Corps. Chas. N. Brown, Geo. Lincoln and Samuel
W. Sloan, Privates Jas. Broadie, Jos. N. Condon, Simon P. Casey, Wm. A.
Daily, Frank F. Cogles, John Gibson, Albert W. Kimball, Aaron Lipe,
John Mallory, Albert Mitchell, John Seivers, Wm. Thompson and H. C.
Ulen. In all 18 wounded.
The desperate struggle in which our Regiment was engaged, and the
persistence with which the boys fought, may be seen from the list of
killed and wounded as presented above. Only about 600 went into the
fight. Of these, 195 were killed and wounded; just about every third
man.
The boys had, it will be remembered, when they left Fort Heiman on the
morning of the 12th of February, only two days' rations. They received
nothing more until the evening of the 15th, after they had been engaged
in the severe battle of that forenoon. Thus their two days' rations had
to last them four days. Many of the officers, who had entrusted their
haversacks to their servants, became separated from those servants, and
were almost without anything to eat for the last forty-eight hours.
There was no chance for foraging there. Often now, our Regiment will go
out on a scout with three days' rations, and live very well on it for
six or eight days. Such was the battle of Fort Donelson, and the part
the 9th took in it.
The Regiment remained at Fort Donelson until the 22d of February, when
the Brigade proceeded up the Cumberland River to Fort Sevier near
Clarksville, where they disembarked and went into camp on the 25th.
Major Kuhn, formerly Provost Marshal of Paducah, and Co. H of the 9th
Regiment, his Provost Guard, reported to the Regiment for duty on the
23d. The Regiment remained in camp here until the 27th, when it
embarked on board the steamer "Woodford," and proceeded up the river
to Nashville, Tenn., arriving there on the morning of the 28th. Here it
remained until March 1st, when it returned to camp at Fort Sevier.
When our forces advanced up the Cumberland River to Clarksville and
Nashville, they found no enemy to oppose them. After the rebels
surrendered Fort Donelson, they seemed to be seized with terror. The
rebel Governor and Legislature fled from Nashville in terror, taking
with them whatever they could of State property. The writer, being then
in Illinois, well remembers the public rejoicing there was over the
result of this victory. There seemed to be a feeling prevailing in the
North that the "backbone" of the Rebellion was broken, and that we
would soon have peace. But two years have passed away, (I write this
sketch on the 16th of February, the anniversary of Fort Donelson's
surrender,) and, although we have several times since that been cheered
with the promise that the "backbone" of the Rebellion was broken, still
it lives. It is said a snake's tail does not die until sunset, even
though its back may be broken and its head mashed. Perhaps, as the
rebs. had, at first, a snake for their emblem, this may be the reason
it is so long dying. Maybe it is only the tail of it that now remains
alive. When, however, sunset will come, and its tail cease to live, is
difficult to determine. May it be soon.
Some incidents occurred during this period, worthy of note. During the
time the Regiment was engaged in battle at Fort Donelson, James Getty,
of Co. F, aged about 60 years, was observed by Lieut. Williford of his
Co., to decline laying down to load. He stood, loaded his gun, and
fired as deliberately as if he had been shooting at a target for a
wager. The Lieut. told him he had better lay down to load, or he would
get shot. His reply was, "I reckon I know my business," and again
raised his gun and deliberately lowered it upon his selected rebel.
Soon the Lieut. saw him tumble over, and supposing he was killed, went
to him. But he jumped up, and said he guessed he was not much hurt. He
was shot in the shoulder, but he gathered up his musket and went to
firing again. It was not long until another ball struck his
pocket-book. He had some silver in it. The ball struck a silver half
dollar, and mashed it up, driving it against his thigh, bruising it
very much. Two or three buckshot were lodged in him. Still he stood
firing away at the enemy. I might also say in this connection, that
this same man, at the battle of Shiloh, when the Regiment ran out of
ammunition and had to fall back for a new supply, fell in with some
other Regiment; procured a supply of ammunition from some one, and went
to fighting again. When that Regiment in turn fell back, he happened
in with some other one, and there fought. In this way he spent the
whole of that terrible Sabbath day. When he ceased fighting with any
company, he was careful to go to the commander of it, and get a
certificate, stating that he had been fighting with it. When he
returned to his company in the evening, he had certificates from
several Captains and one Colonel. He preserved these certificates, so
that he might show, when he returned to his Regiment, that he had not
been _straggling_, but _fighting_. He went into the fight on the next
day, and was shot in the head. From this wound he recovered, but was
afterwards discharged on account of it.
Another incident. Surgeon Gulick (then Assistant Surgeon) was taken
prisoner by the "Texan Rangers," while attending to his duties in the
hospital. He insisted, that being Surgeon, he should not be retained as
a prisoner; that there were a large number of wounded men under his
charge, and no one to care for them but himself. The rebels persisted,
however, in taking him. They told him that they had some wounded men,
and he must come and attend to them. One of them was leading his horse
along, taking him back to where their wounded were. He was in the rear
of a rebel Regiment. The man who led his horse was shot. The Doctor
does not say _by whom_ he was shot. He put spurs to his horse to make
his escape. He had to ride through a rebel Regiment. A perfect shower
of musket balls followed him. To increase his danger, our own soldiers
supposing him to belong to a party of rebels making a charge, fired
upon him from the front. He was riding Surgeon Hamilton's horse.
Strapped to his saddle was a buffalo robe. He had often joked with Dr.
Hamilton about having that tied on there as a protection when he would
be making his escape from the enemy. Five balls passed into this robe,
and were lodged among its folds. The Doctor made his escape; but thinks
he would never attempt to make another such.
Still another incident, with which the Doctor was connected. After the
battle at Fort Donelson, he was placed on board a steamer with 275
wounded men, and shoved out into the river, without any medicine,
without anything for the men to eat, with no instruments but carpenter
tools, and in that condition remained for three days. If he attempted
to take off a limb, he had to use a common cook's knife for a
dissecting knife, and a carpenter's saw to sever the bone. He had no
bandages with which to wrap up the wounds, except he take the only
shirt they had. This truly was a trying position in which to place a
good surgeon.
Still another. The present color-bearer received a shot in the arm. The
ball was lodged there. The Doctor cut the ball out, but he would not
wait to have a bandage put on it, but snatched his musket and rushed to
the fight again.
One more incident. At the battle of Fort Donelson a soldier of Co. K
found in the knapsack of a Southern soldier, who had been killed in
battle, the picture of a beautiful young lady. He carefully preserved
it. At the battle of Shiloh, this soldier was killed. On examining his
knapsack, to make the proper inventory of his goods, the Orderly of his
company found this picture. He remembered the circumstance of its being
found. He carefully preserved it. It was a great favorite with the boys
in the company, and received the name of "The Daughter of Co. K." When
the Regiment was on the march from Corinth to Athens, in November,
1863, it passed through the town of Pulaski, Tenn. As Lieut. Oats, of
Co. K, was riding along the streets of Pulaski, he saw a young lady
standing at the door of one of the residences of the town, whom he at
once recognized as the original of the picture in possession of Co. K.
Speaking of the matter to others in the company, they all agreed that
this was the original. The Lieutenant learned afterwards, to a
certainty, that it was the same. The picture still remained in his
possession, until near the last of January, 1864. At the time Gen.
Roddy's forces made a dash upon our camp, when the Regiment was nearly
all out, the officers, as well as men, lost everything that was in
their tents. Among other things, the picture of "The Daughter of Co.
K," was taken. Its loss is much regretted by the boys.