CHAPTER III.

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.