Marion Morrison

“ Wagons, with six mules attached, were filled with the wounded and dying, and the cowardly drivers whipping their mules47 at every jump. The groans of the dying and the curses of the wounded were enough to make the knees of terror tremble. One would think, that if human suffering would expiate the crime of treason, all this army should be forgiven; for they suffered from hunger, thirst, fatigue, and all the ills that follow a defeated, routed, broken and disheartened army. ”

“ 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. ”

“ When the Regiment is engaged in battle, unless there is immediate need for him in the rear to care for the wounded, he will leave his post, as a non-combatant, and seeking some position in the advance, he is seen deliberately firing away at the enemy with his revolver. If there is a man wounded he hastens to the rear to attend to him. ”

“ In conversation with a citizen from Illinois, who visited the battle-ground a week or ten days after the battle, I learned from him that the offensive smell of the dead was almost insufferable. That, together with the diet upon which the soldiers had to live, produced disease to an alarming extent. Here the Regiment remained in camp until the 29th of April, over three weeks. On that day it removed, with camp and garrison equipage, towards Corinth ten miles, and bivouacked. It moved forward again on the 30th, five miles further, and went into camp. ”

“ Our forces met on their own chosen ground, at least an equal, and it is thought, a greatly superior force of the enemy; drove them from their position, after a smart skirmish; captured a large amount of their stores, with about fifty prisoners. About $8,000,000 worth of public property was destroyed. Destroyed because two long bridges on the Railroad had been burned by the enemy. About 500 head of horses and mules were captured. And at least 2,000 negroes were brought in with our forces; thus weakening the hands of our enemies, and obtaining that, by which to strengthen our own hands. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ This assured us that the place was not taken, but that they had approached very near it, as we could hear the guns of the forts. The cannonading and musketry was incessant from daylight until about 1 P. M. At that time, orders came to move us back to the rear. We took up our line of march to Dixie. Although we were prisoners in the hands of the enemy, yet we were jubilant. We knew they had been repulsed; that the stars and stripes had again been triumphant; and though we had a prison-life, and even starvation staring us in the face, yet there was not a man despondent. ”

“ That more effectually to accomplish the work of clearing the Rebels out of the country, the Government had resolved to arm the negroes and make soldiers of them. Hence, he must take her negroes also. Finding she could accomplish nothing by her entreaties with the Col., she was returning to the house, when she saw that they were taking her corn to feed their animals. Some of the boys were also chasing her chickens, and they were rapidly decreasing in numbers. She now set up a terrible lamentation, and commenced praying that God would send the Yankees out of the country. ”

“ 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. ”

“ A man who has captured more prisoners and more guns than the world-renowned warrior, Napoleon Bonaparte, certainly does not need, at this day, a written defense of his military career. Suffice it to say, the officers and men who fought under him, even at Shiloh, become restless if a word is said against him. ”

“ General Oglesby, commanding our Brigade, was wounded the day previous, and Col. Mersy assumed command of the Brigade. Major Kuhn, of our Regiment, was also disabled, and Captain Hawes assumed command of the Regiment during the fight on the 4th of October.
The slaughter of the enemy, in the efforts to capture "Battery Robinett," was terrific. A true picture of the ground, taken ere the dead were removed, shows the ground to be literally covered with the dead, often lying one upon another. ”

“ When on the return march from the raid to Grenada, Miss., as has been stated, there was a drove of about 2,000 negroes followed the returning column. They were of all ages, and both sexes. Old grey headed grandfathers and grandmothers were there. Men and women in the vigor of life were there. Prattling little boys and little girls were there. Suckling babes were there also. This great crowd of colored people were there, some of them pretty well clad, others almost naked. It is described as a sight sufficient to touch the heart of any one. ”

“ 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. ”

“ There were a number of ferries for crossing at different points. But having reconnoitered the country, and destroyed several of the enemy's ferries, it was thought our train might be brought down with safety.
From the time we left camp at Pocahontas, until our train was brought down, we had been out 23 days, and on the march nearly all the time. During this time, we had with us no tents or covering of any kind, except such as we carried on our animals. We would march all day, often making 40 and 45 miles, and then lay down on the ground at night, with no covering but our blankets. ”

“ After crossing the river, one battalion, under command of Captain Lowe, proceeded by a circuitous and Westerly route. The remainder of the Regiment proceeded by the direct route to Athens, Ala., arriving there before sunset. A few miles North of the town, one man of Company G, was taken prisoner when out foraging, by a few Rebel soldiers who were in the neighborhood. A small force of Rebel cavalry had occupied Athens on that day, but they speedily left on our arrival. The advance of our column came very rapidly into town, pursuing the party who had captured our man. ”

“ Our Regiment was sent down here all alone, in the midst of an enemy's country. No one knew the exact strength of the enemy. It was fifteen miles to Prospect, where our nearest forces were. The Elk River intervened, and was often past fording. At that time there was no way of crossing it, except on a very small boat which would only carry one wagon. It was a hazardous position we occupied, at best. There was a heavy force of Rebels South of the Tennessee River. ”

“ The top of his head seemed to cave in, and the blood spouted straight up several feet. I could see men fall as they attempted to run, some with their heads to pieces, and others with the blood streaming from their backs. ”

“ 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. ”

“ During the latter part of September and the first week in October, there was much talk that we would be removed, and take up the march somewhere. Gen. Sherman's forces from Vicksburg, were constantly passing towards Corinth, for two or three weeks. It was reported that they would take the place of the 16th Army Corps in occupying Memphis and Corinth and the Railroad between them; and that our Corps would move into an active campaign. Thus we were kept, as soldiers often are, in suspense from day to day. Not knowing what a day might bring forth. ”

“ Halted, for rest and feed, two hours at 1 o'clock, A. M., of the 28th, and then moved forward again eight miles North-east from Florence. A detachment of the 7th Kansas Cavalry destroyed two large woolen factories, four miles from the city. We drove in the videttes of the enemy, and when we were within one hundred yards of the town, they opened on us with a battery of two guns, throwing schrapnel with great accuracy, compelling us to move from the road, by the left flank, into the timber, to avoid the deadly missiles. ”

“ Six companies of the 9th Ill. Inft. were dismounted, and deployed as skirmishers. They, and the 5th Ohio Cavalry, held the enemy in check for two and a-half hours, until the artillery had crossed the several most wretched fords of Mud Creek. One of the caissons getting stuck in the mud, we were compelled to leave one-half of it there, and as it completely blocked up the crossing, we had to destroy the five baggage wagons that were behind it, to prevent their falling into the hands of the enemy; everything we could possibly save, being brought over the ford. ”

“ We passed through Corinth, and to the outer works on the West of it. Sometime before we obtained our position behind the rifle-pits, three had been heavy fighting on our left. We took our position here, feeling confident we could hold it against a vastly superior force. The enemy were gradually approaching from the front, and our line was being engaged, when I noticed a panic in my company. I was on the extreme left of our Regiment. Many of my men broke out of the ditch and started back. I ordered every man back to his place. They told me the 12th Ill. and 81st Ohio were running. ”

“ The cavalry then moved over the river and took the flank of the skirmish line. The right wing of our Regiment were recalled from their position on the South side of the creek, and placed in reserve of the left wing. We then moved rapidly forward, until within a few hundred yards of their fortifications, when we made a charge upon their works and drove them out, by a charge from our skirmish line. We moved forward,59 thinking that they had left. But when in the suburbs of the North side of the town, the Rebel cavalry came charging down on us from the North-east and East parts of the town. ”

“ Not finding any more force, he was returning to camp the next morning with his prisoners, when he was met by a dispatch from Gen. Dodge, stating that a large body of Rebels had crossed about Florence, and ordering him to reconnoiter and watch their movements, and develop their strength. A squad of men were sent in with the prisoners, with orders for one company more to join him. He had gone out with only one days' rations. The company that joined him could not carry rations to him, for we were short in camp. Our teams had gone to Pulaski for rations. ”

“ In the skirmish the opposite side of the river, none of our men were hurt. The enemy lost several in wounded and captured, none are known to have been killed. At 7 A. M., the 31st, the entire column moved toward Corinth, and we reached camp there at 1 P. M.
During this expedition, the Regiment was out six days, and engaged in two skirmishes with the enemy. The object of the expedition seemed to be the destruction of public property and stores which would be of advantage to the enemy. ”

“ The sight which the citizens beheld, as our forces passed, was no doubt to them a sore one. A long train of negroes, men, women and children were accompanying us. At last $1,000,000 worth of property, as slaves had formerly been rated, was leaving them. They had long been accustomed to regard these persons as the great source of their wealth. ”