Showing posts with label 22nd IL INF. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 22nd IL INF. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 10, 2017

3rd Sergeant Charles Wright Wills: November 13, 1861

Bird's Point, November 13, 1861.

Home once more. We all call this home now. Just as we landed last night the Iowa 7th was forming for dress parade. One company had but 11 and another but 15 men; all that came out of the Belmont fight safely. Other companies had half and some three-fourths of their men they started with. General Grant tries to make out that there were about 150 or 175 men lost on our side, but I’ll stake my life that we lost not less than 500. I am sure that the 22d Illinois lost not less than 175, the 7th Iowa at least 200, and the other three regiments 150 more. Grant says that he achieved a victory and accomplished the object of his expedition. It may be so (the latter part of it) but almost every one here doubts the story. He says his object was to threaten Columbus, to keep them from sending reinforcements to Price. Well he has threatened them, had a fight, and why they can't send reinforcements now as well as before, is more than I know. I never will believe that it was necessary to sacrifice two as good regiments as there were in the West, to accomplish all that I can see has been done this time. Altogether there were some 6,000 men from here, Cape Girardeau and Ironton, on the expedition that our regiment was on marching by different roads. Grant says now that we were all after Jeff Thompson. I don't believe it. I think the Paducah forces were to take Columbus, Grant was going to swallow Belmont, we were to drive all the guerrillas before us to New Madrid, and then with Paducah forces and Grant's we were to take Madrid and probably go on to Memphis or maybe join Fremont with our Army of say 15,000 men. Well, Grant got whipped at Belmont, and that scared him so that he countermanded all our orders and took all the troops back to their old stations by forced marches. There was some very good fighting done at Belmont by both sides. The 22d Illinois and 7th Iowa did about all the fighting, and sustained much the heaviest loss. The boys are not the least discouraged and they all want to go back and try it again. The whole camp has the Columbus fever, and I don't believe there are 20 men that would take a furlough if they thought an advance would be made on Columbus while they were absent. The enemy there are very well fed, clothed and armed. Arkansas and Tennessee troops with some Mississippians. The retreat was a route, for our men were scattered everywhere. I don't care what the papers say, the men that were in it say that every man took care of himself, and hardly two men of a regiment were together. The men ran because they were scattered and saw that the force against them was overwhelming, but the universal testimony is that there was no panic, nine out of ten of the men came on the boats laughing and joking. They had been fighting six or seven hours, and cannon and musketry couldn't scare them any more. There are hundreds of stories, and good ones, out but I always spoil them by trying to put them on paper.

SOURCE: Charles Wright Wills, Army Life of an Illinois Soldier, p. 42-3

Tuesday, May 9, 2017

3rd Sergeant Charles Wright Wills: November 11, 1861

Cape Girardeau, November 11, 1861.

We have just arrived here after a week's absence from any sign of civilized life. Saturday the 2d we (our company) went out six or seven miles from the Point to guard a bridge on the Cairo and Fulton Railroad. Sunday we came back to the Point, and found the tents of our regiment all struck and everything prepared for a march. By dark we were all safely stowed on the “Aleck Scott,” and also five companies of the 11th Illinois. At 10 p. m. the boat shoved out, but had to tie to all night about 10 miles up the river on account of the fog. Monday at 10 a. m. we landed at Commerce between Cape Girardeau and Cairo and stayed there all night. Up to this time we had not the most distant idea of where we were going, but here we began to guess that we were after Jeff Thompson and company. Tuesday morning we started back into the country and camped for the night on Colonel Hunter's farm, a distance of 18 miles. (I forgot to mention that the 18th and 22d Illinois with three companies, cavalry and two pieces artillery joined us before we started from Commerce, making a total of some 2,200 men.) This Colonel Hunter is in the Rebel Army When we stopped at his farm there was a large flock of sheep, at least 40 goats and pigs, turkey, geese, chickens and ducks without number. After we had been there a half hour I don't believe there was a living thing on the farm that did not come with our train. I never saw a slaughterhouse on as large a scale before. The next day the boys made an awful uproar on the road, playing that the sheep, hogs, geese, etc., inside of them were calling for their comrades. Wednesday night we stopped at Little Water River and the slaughtering commenced immediately. All along the road up to this place every horse or mule that showed himself was gobbled instanter, a bridle cramped, and some footman made happy. It was hard to tell whether our force was infantry or cavalry that night. This was too much for the colonel, so next morning he drew the brigade up in column of company and gave us fits. He made the men turn every horse loose; told us that the next man that cramped anything without permission would be dealt with as severely as the regulations would allow. That suited me. I never have been disgusted with soldiering save in those two days, and I tell you that I did then feel like deserting. When we are marching through a country as thoroughly secesh as this is, I think that the men should be allowed fresh meat at the expense of the natives; but there is a proper and soldier-like way to get it. We can send our foraging party ahead and have all we want at camp when we halt, but to allow men to butcher everything they see is mob-like. Wednesday night Jeff's men tried to burn a bridge a short distance from us and this led to a little brush, but the cavalry only were engaged. Thursday we marched all day and went into camp at night without seeing a horse. The march was through the “Black Swamp.” The ground was covered with this black moss four inches deep and so thick that 'tis like a carpet. That was an awful gloomy road and I was glad enough to land at a nice clear stream and have orders to pitch tents. That night not a thing was pressed. The next day we got into Bloomfield about 9 a. m. and found Jeff gone. For the third time we pitched tents on one of his deserted camps. I have just now heard that we started with orders to push on down to New Madrid, but here the orders were countermanded and we were started to Cape Girardeau. This Bloomfield is a rank Rebel hole. The first Rebel company in Missouri was raised here. It is the county seat of Stoddard or Scott, and a very fine place. Here the boys got the understanding that we were to be allowed some liberties and take them they did. They broke open four or five stores whose owners had left, and helped themselves. Colonel Dick (Oglesby) thought this was going too far, so he stopped it and sent a police force around to collect the stolen (pressed rather) property. I walked around and took a look at the pile they collected. There were lots of women's bonnets, girl's hats, mallets, jars of medicine, looking glasses three feet long, boys' boots, flat irons, a nice side table and I don't know what wasn't there. It beat anything I ever saw. The men had no way to carry these things but on their backs, and what the devil they stole them for is more than I know. Well, the colonel divided the stuff out again among the men, but stopped stealing entirely for the future. We have been a respectable regiment since then. On the march back to the Cape, the 10th Iowa was ahead of us and they fired several houses. We (our regiment) saved one of the houses but the rest burned down. The march back to the Cape was a fast one but quiet. We arrested some 20 or 30 of Jeff's men but released them all again. At Bloomfield my tent was pitched under a tree on which we saw the marks of three ropes to the ends of which Colonel Lowe attached three men not very long since. The ropes had cut through the moss on the tree and the marks will be visible a long time. We also arrested a number of men that had been concerned in hanging Union men through the country, At Round Pond an intelligent man told us that 17 men (Union) had been hung and shot inside of three days and he saw their bodies in one pile lying in the woods. We have marched over 100 miles this trip, and we have not seen a mile of prairie. I haven't been 20 feet from a tree for three months. The 17th are going into winter quarters here. Our regiment will certainly be in the next fight at Columbus. We start back to the Point at 3 to-morrow morning.

SOURCE: Charles Wright Wills, Army Life of an Illinois Soldier, p. 39-42

Friday, May 5, 2017

Private Charles Wright Wills: October 2, 1861

Bird's Point, October 2, '61.

Just at noon yesterday orders came to strike tents and in an hour we were under way and have come to a halt in this forsaken hole. It seems that the 8th can't get out of hearing of the Cairo morning and evening gun anyway. Our major says they are talking of chucking us into Cairo and making us garrison it this winter. I'll be tempted to desert if 'tis so. The 22d call us the featherbed regiment now, and if they keep us this way much longer we will be tender as women. It was late and we were tired when we pitched our tents last night and we didn't “ditch round” as usual, trusting to providence for a dry night. But 'twas confidence misplaced and some of the boys found the ground slightly damp under them this morning. It has been raining like the devil all a. m. and the mud is quite salubrious. I find my old Havana schoolmate, Jem Walker, here in the 28th, Ritter's company. Haven't seen Smith yet. The Rebels came right up to Norfolk after we left last night, and about 3 I heard the cavalry called out, and this morning I see the 2d Iowa and 11th Illinois are gone. Suppose they all went down that way. I have disposed of all my surplus baggage and now have two shirts, two pair socks, one blanket, one pair pants, one coat, one pair shoes, one hat, toothbrush and one pocket comb. That's all I'm worth. I can get all the clothing I want of the quartermaster any time. You scout the idea of one's liking such a life as this. I tell you that I never was so well satisfied in my life as I have been since I joined the army. I do really enjoy it all the time, and if our boys here write the truth home they will say the same. Nobody ever heard me grumble a word about soldiering and never will if they don't station us in Cairo.

SOURCE: Charles Wright Wills, Army Life of an Illinois Soldier, p. 35

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Interesting Items From The Army

The correspondent of the N. Y. World from [Pittsburg], May 7, writes as follows:

CONDITION OF THE TROOPS.

We prefer to offer no complaints about the state of the army, but, lest some good people be led to expect too much from it we are bound to say that it is no means the grand army it is supposed to be.  In the first place it is not 166,000 strong; and in the next place, fully one-third of its numerical strength is not effective.  We witnessed a division review by Gen. Davis to-day and were pleased with the appearance of the troops on the ground.  We were however struck with the diminished size of the regiments.  Several regiments, which we had known, in their better days a full thousand strong turned out with less than three hundred men.  Sickness, battle, wounds, deaths, heavy detail for transportations, and the camp guard have caused the reduction. – the men left in the ranks look well, go thro’ the evolutions well, and, we firmly believe, will fight well.  The cavalry is worn down by roads and consequent scarcity of forage.  It will hardly ever be worth anything in an engagement.

The artillery horses are also much worn down, but the men have been improved by their past experience.  Several batteries which lost their pieces have been merged into other and older batteries, where they will probably do better.  The army is in good fighting order but is not large, nor need it be expected to accomplish impossibilities.  The whole army go [sic] into the next fight to conquer – the determination is fixed, they must conquer and will.


BRIGADIER GENERALS.

We have probably on the whole as many good officers as there are in any army in the world, and possibly as many bad ones!  Of officers of high rank this may be said, because we have so many of them.  Brigadiers are so numerous that no one person can be found who knows their names.  We hear day by day of the creation of new ones by the dozen, some of whom are heard of for the first time.  The bill limiting the number of Brigadiers is regarded favorably, and it is earnestly desired that these should be made for distinction in the field.

It is also a subject of some remark that, out of the number of recent creations the claims of Col. Sweeny, of the Twenty-second Illinois should have been quite overlooked in Washington.  We was made Brigadier General of three months’ volunteers under Lyon, lost an arm at Cherubusco, was in active service eight years in the west, distinguished himself at Springfield, and received three wounds in his gallant conduct at the late battle at Shiloh.

There is also the “fighting doctor,” as he is now called through the army – Dr. Conyn who during the Sunday’s fight fought one gun in the [company] with the Captain for two hours, in the thickest of the fight and afterwards commanded one of the siege guns, in the absence of its proper officers, which contributed to greatly to the repulse of the exultant enemy; Major Cavender also the heroic commander of the batteries of the Missouri First, whose deeds have shown conspicuously from the beginning of the war, in a series of desperate battles; both have been worthy recipients of promotion for their services to the country.


PERSONAL – GEN. HALLECK.

The appearance of some of our commanders may be interesting to those who have not seen them.

General Halleck in the field is hardly the same person who might have been seen quietly gliding from the Planters house to headquarters St. Louis.  He does not look a whit more military in appearance, but looks, in his new and rich though plain in uniform, as if he were in borrowed clothes.  In truth he bears a more striking resemblance to some oleaginous Methodist parson dressed in regimentals, with a wide stiff rimmed black felt had sticking on the back of his head at an acute angle with the ground.  His demeanor in front of his tent is very simple and business like.  No pomp, no unusual ceremony, no lack of order.  His camps are pitched on a declivity on the south side of the village of Monterey.  When on horseback his Wesleyan character is more and more [prominent].  He neither looks like a soldier, rides like one, nor does he carry the state of a Major-General in the field, but is the impersonation of the man of peace.  His face is large, tabular, and Teutonic; his eyes the eyes of a genius – a kind of indistinct gray, not without expression but of that deep welling kind that only reveals the emotion without indicating its character.


GEN. CULLUM.

Gen. Cullum, who is Chief of Staff and Chief of Engineers, is a bland gray bearded old gentleman, who seems to have been in his prime fifty years ago.  He is also accoutered in the black Quaker hat, and bears a close resemblance to common engravings of Don Quixote mounted on his steed Rozinante [sic].  He exults too, in some enormous and new-fangled [leggings], which e buckles upon his shrunken calves to the great merriment of all on-lookers.  From his conversation you will soon learn that he was on the staff of Gen. Scott in Mexico – a fact which he has not forgotten.  He is supposed to be a master of scientific warfare, and we believe has a very high opinion of his chief.


GEN. GRANT.

Gen. Grant a personage now somewhat notorious, is the same unalterable good natured little man he has so often been described. – He has none of the soldier bearing about him but is a man whom one would take for a country merchant or a village lawyer.  He has no distinctive features, there are a thousand like him in personal appearance in the ranks and it is by the conspicuous stars alone that he is distinguished as a high dignitary.  A plain unpretending face, with a comely brownish-red beard, and a square forehead, of short stature and thick-set.  He is we would say a good liver, and altogether an [unpronounceable] man; he is so like others as to be only described by general terms.  He is an inveterate smoker.

Apropos of this General, the passages published from a private letter of his containing a so-called vindication of his conduct at the late battle are the laughing stock of the entire army.  He is a sad jester.  To say that he was not surprised, to intimate that all are cowards who blame him, or to excuse his being absent from the field, are insults to the intelligence of all here.  None but the brave have I heard speak thus of him, and if by accident Gen. Halleck should be disabled and he succeed to the command it would be but the beginning of much trouble.


GEN. POPE.

Gen. Pope is a large, portly person, of sociable bearing, and marked by no unusual characteristics of feature.  He is the type of a bon vivant – evidently enjoys to the full the blessings of physical comfort.  He affects a snappish and positive manner, which is not innate, but is rather put on with his uniform.  He is, we should say, ambitions and vain; this prompts him to continual action.  He is not above speaking well of his own accomplishments. – He believes, however, in fighting the enemy, and this fact wins him the best opinions of his army.  His judgment is well demonstrated in the selection of his staff officers, who rate high above the average of such selections. – His army is commanded by some of the best officers in the service, and will do him great honor when opportunity officers.  Of the other leading personages with this column more at another time.


SWINDLING CONTRACTORS.

Now that the army is in the field, with bad roads and the stock tasked to their utmost to supply the necessary rations and forage, the knavish dealing of contractors presses more heavily than ever.  While we lay encamped by the river the rations of the horses and men could be eked out by various means.  We are surprised to learn that systematic frauds upon the government have long been common in furnishing the food of the men and horses.  In the latter case it has been brought to our notice.  So many pounds of hay, oats, or corn are allowed per horse; this is rated and measured out by the bale or stack.  We are credibly told that hardly a bale of hay or a sack of oats or corn holds its full weight.  Sacks are doled out to the Quartermaster for 150 pounds, weighing actually 140, 125 and even 120 pounds, with no evidence of any loss by carriage.  The same is the way with hay and potatoes.  Bales of hay are meted out at 380 pounds, weighing less and 300.  With the hard bread, bacon and beef, there is probably not so much opportunity of fraud, as they are marked weights as issued from the scales.  The loss, I need hardly say, comes upon the poor beasts, who are now called upon to do double duty.  It is difficult to say whether the purchasing Quartermasters [sic] is privy to this swindle, but in charity let us presume he is not.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, May 24, 1862, p. 1

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Late News - By The Mails

Later from Gen. Grant’s Column.

The Enemy will make another Stand.

THEIR STRONGHOLDS NOT TAKEN.


Special to the Chicago Tribune.

CAIRO, April 11.

Our reporter has just arrived from Pittsburg, and furnishes the following:

The attack commenced about daybreak Sunday morning. Taylor’s battery and Waterhouse’s battery opened the fight, supported by the 23d Illinois on the right, the 77th Ohio supporting the left of Taylor’s, and the 53d Ohio supporting the left of Waterhouse’s. These regiments belonged to Sherman’s Division, occupying the extreme right. Both of the Ohio regiments ran – the 77th without firing a gun – leaving Waterhouse without support. He fought half an hour, however, retreating with only three guns. Capt. Waterhouse was wounded in the thigh by a Minie bullet, but not fatally. His battery was very badly cut up. His 1st Lieutenant, Abbott, was slightly wounded in the shoulder, with Chandler and Woodward, and five gunners were also wounded.

Taylor continued the fight, supported splendidly by the 22d Illinois, until he and his support were outflanked on both sides. He then retreated through a cross fire, having but one man killed and seventeen wounded. He lost 12 horses, his forge and battery wagons.

Meanwhile Waterhouse, with his three guns, took up a second position, supported by the second brigade of McClernand’s division, Colonel Marsh commanding, composed of the following troops, viz: the 11th, 17th, 20th, 45th and 48th Illinois. During the forenoon they were compelled to retire through their own encampment with heavy loss into some woods in the rear, where they formed a second line of battle.

McClernand ordered an advance. They advanced 100 rods and came in sight of the rebels, and here commenced on of the most fiercely contested engagements of the day, resulting in the repulse of the enemy, who were driven back through our encampments. The enemy met strong reinforcements and our ammunition being out retired. Another brigade took our place, but were compelled to retreat until within half a mile of the river; at that time our artillery and gunboats opened fire, the latter causing awful slaughter. The enemy were occupying our camp and the gunboats threw shell over our heads, and the ground was literally filled with rebel slain.

When Taylor’s battery took up their second position, it was upon the parade ground of the first division. The rebel battery took position about eight hundred yards in their front, resulting in a splendid artillery duel, which silenced the rebel battery and blew up their caisson. Our boys set up a shout which fairly drowned the musketry. Taylor’s battery, after that, were ordered in the reserve.

The left wing, with Prentiss on the left of Sherman, were drawn back parallel with the right. The gunboat firing was kept up all night.

Poor Carson, the scout, was killed about sunset. He had just come across the river with intelligence that Buell was crossing. He reported to the commanding General, stepped back, and that instant his head was shot off by a cannon ball.

Several Mississippi regiments who had arrived Saturday night at the rebel camp, double quicked to the battle-ground and were immediately repulsed.

Col. Hicks of the 40th Illinois is badly wounded, but not fatally. Lieut-Colonel Kilpatrick, 14th Illinois, killed; Lieut-Colonel Ross, 32d Illinois, wounded, dangerously.

Col. David Stuart was wounded through the left chest, but in spite of his Surgeon’s remonstrances, he went back upon the field.

When the boat left Col. Wallace was still living with faint hopes of recovery.

Col. Sweeney, of the 32nd Illinois, was wounded four times, not fatally, but kept the field until ordered off.

Col. Haynie was also wounded.

Gen. John McArthur was wounded in the foot.

Dr. Roscotton of Peoria, brigade surgeon, was seriously injured. Dr. Young, 48th Illinois, was wounded in the head; Frank W. Rielly, assistant surgeon 48th Illinois had a Minie ball shot through his leg, but his wound is not fatal.


SECOND DAY.

The attack was commenced by Lew Wallace’s division, who had come up in the night from Crump’s Landing, on the enemy’s left. The enemy fought with bulldog courage, and were driven back inch by inch, hotly contesting the ground. Six of our batteries were recaptured, and about thirty of the rebel guns taken. A Michigan battery captured by the 16th Wisconsin on Monday.

At this time, Beauregard was wounded in the arm, in his efforts to recover their battery. He led the attack in person, urging his men on with his sword. He was successful in taking the battery, but it was again taken from him. It was captured and recaptured no less than six times. Co. A, Chicago Light Artillery, was so severely handled on the first day that they were only able to man three guns on Monday. – But with these, after a desperate conflict, they succeeded in completely silencing and capturing a rebel battery of six guns, but they were compelled to relinquish it from lack of horses to draw the guns off. They had to take off their pieces by hand.

Out of seven men who were drawing one, five were struck down, two killed and three wounded. There were in all two killed and thirty-two wounded.

The general retreat of the enemy commenced about dark Monday. Our cavalry followed them up all night until their horses were tired. But for the impassable condition of the roads (it having rained) the rout would have been complete, and would could have carried their entrenched camp at Corinth. This latter will be impossible, for the above reasons, for some days. Their artillery is superior to ours. They have some of the finest ordnance officers in the country. Their small arms are also equal to ours.

Our reporter places the loss of the enemy at 15,000 killed and wounded, and our loss at 10,000 killed and wounded. These will be found moderate estimates. The enemy have taken more prisoners than we.

The 8th Iowa, Col. Geddes, were captured almost en masse. Gen. Prentiss, after he was captured, escaped and came into our camp alone.

The rebels had the very flower of the Potomac army with them. Breckinridge was reported killed on Sunday.

When our reporter left Wednesday morning, our advance, which had been pursuing, had only occupied the ground formerly held by him about seven miles from the enemy’s entrenched camp, which is located half-way between Corinth and Pittsburg.

The enemy are straining every nerve to get in reinforcements, and bloody work must yet occur before we drive them from their position.

The names of the killed and wounded are coming, but are so numerous and scattered as to preclude the getting of anything like a detailed account. Every means of transportation is being used for the wounded, and every facility afforded those who have so nobly come forward to care for them.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Monday Morning, April 14, 1862, p. 1