year persimmons and opossums in abundance. Jack says: "Possum am better
dan chicken. In de fall we hunt de possum ebbery night 'cept Sunday. He
am mitey good an' fat, sah; sometimes he too fat."
We move at ten o'clock to-morrow.
11. We have settled down at Mitchellville for a few days. After dinner
Furay and I rode six miles beyond this, on the road to Nashville, to the
house of a Union farmer whose acquaintance I made last spring. The old
gentleman was very glad to see us, and insisted upon our remaining until
after supper. In fact, he urged us to stay all night; but we consented
to remain for supper only, and would not allow him to put our horses in
the stable.
We learned that a little over a week ago the rebels endeavored to
enforce the conscription law in this neighborhood, and one of Mr.
Baily's sons was notified to appear at Gallatin to enter the Southern
army. He was informed that if he did not appear voluntarily at the
appointed time, he would be taken, either dead or alive. He did not go,
and since has been constantly on the watch, expecting the guerrilla
bands, which rendezvous at Tyree Springs, ten miles distant, to come for
the purpose of taking him away. When, therefore, he saw Furay and me
galloping up to the house, he mounted his horse and rode for the woods
as fast as his steed could carry him. After we had been there half an
hour, he returned, and, while shaking hands with us, said: "You scared
me out of a full year's growth."
Morgan, with a force, the strength of which is variously estimated,
passed near this a few days ago. Many of Mr. Baily's neighbors are
members of the guerrilla bands, and all of them willing spies and
informers.
We had a splendid supper: chicken, pork, ham, milk, pumpkin pie; in
short, there was every thing on the table that a hungry man could
desire.
I had introduced Mr. Furay as the correspondent of the Cincinnati
Gazette; but the good folks, not understanding this long title exactly,
dubbed him Doctor. There were three strapping girls in the family, who
did not make their appearance until they had taken time to put on their
Sunday clothes. To one of these the Doctor paid special attention, and
finally won his way so far into her good favor as to induce her to play
him a tune on the dulcimer, an abominable instrument, which she pounded
with two little sticks. The Doctor declared that the music was
good--excellent--charming. He now attempts to get out of this outrageous
falsehood by affirming that he referred simply to the air--the tune--and
not to the manner in which it was executed by the young lady. This,
however, is a mere quibble.
It was quite dark when we said good-by to this kind-hearted, excellent
family, and started on our way back to camp. The woods were on fire for
miles along the road. Many fences and farm buildings had caught. One
large house tumbled in as we were passing, and the fences,
out-buildings, and trees were all enveloped in flames. While riding
slowly forward, and looking back upon the dense cloud of smoke, the
flames stretching as far almost as the eye could reach, the dry trees
standing up like immense pillars of fire, we were startled not a little
by the sentinel's challenge, "Halt!" There had been no pickets on the
road when we were going out, and we were, therefore, uncertain whether
the challenge came from our own men or those of John Morgan. "Who comes
there?" continued the sentinel. "Friends." "Advance friends, and give
the countersign." Going up to the sentinel, I told him who we were, and
that we had not the countersign. After a little delay, the officer of
the guard came and allowed us to proceed.
12. To-day farmer Baily came to see us. I sent his good wife a haversack
of coffee, to remunerate her somewhat for the excellent dinner she had
given us. He urged us to come again, and said they would have a turkey
prepared for us this afternoon; but I declined with thanks.
15. At eight o'clock to-morrow morning we shall move to Tyree Springs, a
little village situated in the heart of a wild, broken tract of country,
which, of late, has been a favorite rendezvous for guerrillas and
highwaymen. Citizens and soldiers traveling to and from Nashville,
during the last two months, have, at or near this place, been compelled
to empty their pockets, and when their clothes were better than those of
their captors, have been compelled to spare them also.
We have no certain information as to the enemy's whereabouts. One rumor
says he is at Lavergne, another locates him at Murfreesboro, and still
another puts him at Chattanooga. General Rosecrans is now in command,
and, urged on by the desires of the North, may follow him to the latter
place this winter. A man from whom the people are each day expecting
some extraordinary action, some tremendous battle, in which the enemy
shall be annihilated, is unfortunately situated, and likely very soon to
become unpopular. It takes two to make a fight, as it does to make a
bargain. General John Pope is the only warrior of modern times who can
find a battle whenever he wants to, and take any number of prisoners his
heart desires. Even his brilliant achievements, however, afford the
people but temporary satisfaction, for, upon investigation, they are
unable to find either the captives or the discomfited hosts.
I predict that in twelve months Rosecrans will be as unpopular as Buell.
After the affair at Rich mountain, the former was a great favorite. When
placed in command of the forces in Western Virginia, the people expected
hourly to hear of Floyd's destruction; but after a whole summer was
spent in the vain endeavor to chase down the enemy and bring him to
battle, they began to abuse Rosecrans, and he finally left that
department, much as Buell has left this. Our generals should,
undoubtedly, do more, but our people should certainly expect less.
19. At Tyree Springs. Am the presiding officer of a court-martial.
The supplies for the great army at Nashville and beyond, are wagoned
over this road from Mitchellville to Edgefield Junction. Immense trains
are passing continually.
20. General Bob Mitchell dined with me to-day. He is on the way to
Nashville. Blows his own trumpet, as of old, and expects that a division
will be given him.
30. This is a delightful Indian summer day. I have been in the forest,
under the persimmon and butternut trees. It is the first ramble I have
had at this season for years, and I thought of the many quiet places in
the thick woods of the old homestead, where long ago I hunted for
hickory-nuts and walnuts; then of its hazel thickets, through which were
scattered the wild plum, black-haw, and thorn-apple--perfect solitudes,
in which the squirrels and birds had the happiest of times. How pleasant
it is to recur to those days; and how well I remember every path through
the dense woods, and every little open grassy plot, made brilliant by
the summer sunshine.
DECEMBER, 1862.
2. We move to-morrow, at six o'clock in the morning, to Nashville.
9. Nashville. Every thing indicates an early movement. Whether a
reconnoissance is intended or a permanent advance, I do not even
undertake to guess. The capture of a brigade, at Hartsville, by John
Morgan, has awakened the army into something like life; before it was
idly awaiting the rise of the Cumberland, but this bold dash of the
rebels has made it bristle up like an angry boar; and this morning, I am
told, it starts out to show its tusks to the enemy. Our division has
been ordered to be in readiness.
The kind of weather we desire now, is that which is generally considered
the most disagreeable, namely, a long rain; two weeks of rain-fall is
necessary to make the Cumberland navigable, and thus ensure to us
abundant supplies.
The whole army feels deeply mortified over the loss of the brigade at
Hartsville; report says it was captured by an inferior force. One of our
regiments did not fire a gun, and certainly the other two could not have
made a very obstinate resistance. I am glad Ohio does not have to bear
the whole blame; two-thirds is rather too much.
10. During all of the latter part of last night troops were pouring
through Nashville, and going southward. Our division, Rousseau's, moved
three miles beyond the city, and went into camp on the Franklin road.
14. Our court has been holding its sessions in the city, but to-day it
adjourned to meet at division head-quarters to-morrow at ten o'clock A.
M.
The most interesting character of our court-martial is Colonel H. C.
Hobart, of the Twenty-first Wisconsin; a gentleman who has held many
important public positions in his own State, and whose knowledge of the
law, fondness for debate, obstinacy in the maintenance of his opinions,
love of fun, and kind-heartedness, are immense. He makes use of the
phrase, "in my country," when he refers to any thing which has taken
place in Wisconsin; from this we infer that he is a foreigner, and
pretend to regard him as a savage from the great West. He has,
therefore, been dubbed Chief of the Wisconsins. The court occasionally
becomes exceedingly mellow of an evening, and then the favorite theme is
the "injin." Such horrible practices as dog eating and cannibalism are
imputed to the Chief. To-night we visited the theater to witness
Ingomar. On returning to our room at Bassay's restaurant, the members
took solemn Irish oaths that the man with the sheep-skin on his back,
purporting to be Ingomar, was no other than Hobart, the Wisconsin
savage; and the supposition that such an individual could ever reform,
and become fitted for civilized society, was a monstrous fiction, too
improbable even for the stage.
It should not be presumed from this, however, that the subject of our
raillery holds his tongue all the time. On the contrary, he expresses
the liveliest contempt for the opinions of his colleagues of the
court-martial, and professes to think if it were not for the aid which
the Nation receives from his countrymen, the Wisconsins, the effort to
restore the Union would be an utter failure.
Bassay's restaurant is a famous resort for military gentlemen.
Major-General Hamilton just now took dinner; Major-General Lew Wallace,
Brigadier-Generals Tyler and Schoepf, and Major Donn Piatt occupy rooms
on the floor above us, and take their meals here; so that we move in the
vicinity of the most illustrious of men. We are hardly prepared now to
say that we are on intimate terms with the gentlemen who bear these
historic names; but we are at least allowed to look at them from a
respectful distance. A few years hence, when they are so far away as to
make contradiction improbable, if not impossible, we may claim to have
been their boon companions, and to have drank and played whist with them
in the most genial and friendly way.
16. This afternoon Negley sent over a request for help, stating that his
forage train had been attacked. The alarm, however, proved groundless. A
few shots only had been fired at the foragers.
17. The news from Fredericksburg has cast a shadow over the army. We
did hope that Burnside would be successful, and thus brighten the
prospect for a speedy peace; but we are in deeper gloom now than ever.
The repulse at Fredericksburg, while it has disabled thousands, has
disheartened, if not demoralized a great army, and given confidence and
strength to the rebels every-where. It may be, however, that this defeat
was necessary to bring us clearly to the point of extinguishing slavery
in all the States. The time is near when the strength of the President's
resolution in this regard will be put to the test. I trust he will be
firm. The mere reconstruction of the Union on the old basis would not
pay humanity for all the blood shed since the war began. The extinction
of slavery, perhaps, will.
While the North raises immense numbers of men, and scatters them to the
four winds, the enemy concentrates, fortifies, and awaits attack. Will
the man ever come to consolidate these innumerable detachments of the
National army, and then sweep through the Confederacy like a tornado?
It is said that many regiments in the Eastern army number less than one
hundred men, and yet have a full complement of field and company
officers. This is ridiculous; nay, it is an outrage upon the tax-payers
of the North. Worse still, so long as such a skeleton is called a
regiment, it is likely to bring discredit upon the State and Nation; for
how can it perform the work of a regiment when it has but one-tenth of a
regiment's strength? These regiments should be consolidated, and the
superfluous officers either sent home or put into the ranks.
20. This morning, at one o'clock, we were ordered to hold ourselves in
readiness to march at a moment's notice, with five days' rations. Court
has adjourned to meet at nine o'clock A. M. Monday. It is disposing of
cases quite rapidly, and I think next week, if there be no
interruptions, it will be able to clear the docket.
A brigade, which went out with a forage train yesterday, captured a
Confederate lieutenant at a private house. He was engaged at the moment
of his capture in writing a letter to his sweetheart. The letter was
headed Nashville, and he was evidently intent upon deceiving his
lady-love into the belief that he had penetrated the Yankee lines, and
was surrounded by foes. Had the letter reached her fair hands, what
earnest prayers would have gone up for the succor of this bold and
reckless youth.
There was a meeting of the generals yesterday, but for what purpose they
only know.
21. The dispatches from Indianapolis speak of the probable promotion of
Colonel Jones, Forty-second Indiana. This seems like a joke to those who
know him. He can not manage a regiment, and not even his best friends
have any confidence in his military capacity. In Indiana, however, they
promote every body to brigadierships. Sol Meredith, who went into the
service long after the war began, and who, in drilling his regiment,
would say: "Battalion, right or left face, as the case may be, march,"
was made a brigadier some time ago. Milroy, Crittenden, and many others
were promoted for inconsiderable services in engagements which have long
since been forgotten by the public. Their promotions were not made for
the benefit of the service, but for the political advancement of the men
who caused them to be made.
Last evening, a little after dark, we were startled by heavy cannonading
on our left, and thought the enemy was making an attack. The boys in our
division were all aglow with excitement, and cheered loudly; but after
ten or fifteen minutes the firing ceased, and I have heard no more about
it.
The rebels are before us in force. The old game of concentration is
probably being played. The repulse of our army at Fredericksburg will
embolden them. It will also enable them to spare troops to reinforce
Bragg. The Confederates are on the inside of the circle, while we are on
the outside, scattered far and wide. They can cut across and concentrate
rapidly, while we must move around. They can meet Burnside at
Fredericksburg, and then whip across the country and face us, thus
making a smaller army than ours outnumber us in every battle.
In the South the army makes public opinion, and moves along unaffected
by it. In the North the army has little or nothing to do with the
creation of public sentiment, and yet is its servant. The people of the
North, who were clamoring for action, are probably responsible for the
fatal repulse at Fredericksburg and the defeat at Bull run. The North
must be patient, and get to understand that the work before us is not
one that can be accomplished in a day or month. It should be pushed
deliberately, yet persistently. We should get rid of a vast number of
men who are forever in hospital. They are an expense to the country, and
an incumbrance to the army. We should consolidate regiments, and send
home thousands of unnecessary officers, who draw pay and yet make no
adequate return for it.
23. The court met this morning as usual. We are now going on the fifth
week of the session. New cases arise just about as fast as old ones are
disposed of.
The boys in front of my tent are singing:
"We are going home, we are going home,
To die no more."
Were they to devote as much time to praying as they do to singing, they
would soon establish a reputation for piety; but, unfortunately for
them, after the hymn they generally proceed to swear, instead of prayer,
and one is left in doubt as to what home they propose to go to.
25. About noon there were several discharges of artillery in our front,
and last night occasional shots served as cheerful reminders that the
enemy was near.
At an expense of one dollar and seventy-five cents, I procured a small
turkey and had a Christmas dinner; but it lacked the collaterals, and
was a failure.
For twenty months now I have been a sojourner in camps, a dweller in
tents, going hither and yon, at all hours of the day and night, in all
sorts of weather, sleeping for weeks at a stretch without shelter, and
yet I have been strong and healthy. How very thankful I should feel on
this Christmas night! There goes the boom of a cannon at the front.
26. This morning we started south on the Franklin road. When some ten
miles away from Nashville, we turned toward Murfreesboro, and are now
encamped in the woods, near the head-waters of the Little Harpeth. The
march was exceedingly unpleasant. Rain began to fall about the time of
starting, and continued to pour down heavily for four hours, wetting us
all thoroughly.
I have command of the brigade.
27. We moved at eight o'clock this morning, over a very bad dirt road,
from Wilson's pike to the Nolansville road, where we are now
bivouacking. About ten the artillery commenced thundering in our front,
and continued during the greater portion of the day. Marched two miles
toward Triune to support McCook, who was having a little bout with the
enemy; but the engagement ending, we returned to our present quarters in
a drenching rain. Saw General Thomas, our corps commander, going to and
returning from the front. We are sixteen miles from Nashville, on a road
running midway between Franklin and Murfreesboro. The enemy is supposed
to be in force at the latter place.
28. At four o'clock P. M. we were ordered to leave baggage and teams
behind, and march to Stewart's creek, a point twenty miles from
Nashville. Night had set in before the brigade got fairly under way. The
road runs through a barren, hilly, pine district, and was exceedingly
bad. At eleven o'clock at night we reached the place indicated, and lay
on the damp ground until morning.
29. At eight o'clock A. M. the artillery opened in our front; but after
perhaps two hours of irregular firing, it ceased altogether, and we were
led to the conclusion that but few rebels were in this vicinity, the
main body being at Murfreesboro, probably. Going to the front about ten
o'clock, I met General Hascall. He had had a little fight at Lavergne,
the Twenty-sixth Ohio losing twenty men, and his brigade thirty
altogether. He also had a skirmish at this place, in which he captured a
few prisoners. Saw General Thomas riding to the front. Rosecrans is
here, and most of the Army of the Cumberland either here or hereabouts.
McCook's corps had an inconsiderable engagement at Triune on Saturday.
Loss small on both sides.
Riding by a farm-house this afternoon, I caught a glimpse of Miss
Harris, of Lavergne, at the window, and stopped to talk with her a
minute. The young lady and her mother have experienced a great deal of
trouble recently. They were shelled out of Lavergne three times, two of
the shells passing through her mother's house. She claims to have been
shot at once by a soldier of the One Hundred and Nineteenth Illinois,
the ball splintering the window-sill near her head. Her mother's house
has been converted into a hospital, and the clothes of the family taken
for bandages. She is, therefore, more rebellious now than ever. She is
getting her rights, poor girl!
30. A little after daylight the brigade moved, and proceeded to within
three miles of Murfreesboro, where we have been awaiting orders since
ten o'clock A. M.
The first boom of artillery was heard at ten o'clock. Since then there
has been almost a continuous roar. McCook's corps is in advance of us,
perhaps a mile and a half, and, with divisions from other corps, has
been gradually approaching the enemy all day, driving his skirmishers
from one point to another.
About four o'clock in the afternoon the artillery firing became more
vigorous, and, with Colonel Foreman, of the Fifteenth Kentucky, I rode
to the front, and then along our advanced line from right to left. Our
artillery stationed on the higher points was being fired rapidly. The
skirmishers were advancing cautiously, and the contest between the two
lines was quite exciting. As I supposed, our army is feeling its way
into position. To-morrow, doubtless, the grand battle will be fought,
when I trust the good Lord will grant us a glorious victory, and one
that will make glad the hearts of all loyal people on New-Year's Day.
I saw Lieutenant-Colonel Given, Eighteenth Ohio. Twelve of his men had
been wounded. Met Colonel Wagner, Fifteenth Indiana. Starkweather's
brigade lost its wagon train this forenoon. Jeff C. Davis, I am told,
was wounded this evening. A shell exploded near a group, consisting of
General Rosecrans and staff, killing two horses and wounding two men.
STONE RIVER.