On the afternoon of
October 23rd we left Columbus by boat on an expedition, destination unknown until
we reached New Madrid, Missouri. The force consisted of Companies A, C, I and
H. under my command and two sections of Captain Rodgers' Battery, 2d Ill.
Artillery. At New Madrid we were joined by Captain Moore's Company of Cavalry
(2d Ill.), the whole being under command of Captain Rodgers. We arrived at New
Madrid in the morning, disembarked and at once proceeded on our march toward a
place called Clarkson where there was a lot of rebels encamped. It was a
beautiful day, the sun shone warm and pleasant. We marched about eighteen miles
and it being the first march for most of the men, they had blistered feet, but
they kept up well. We reached the beginning of the plank road that leads
through cypress swamps and through sunken lands which were caused by a great
earthquake years before. Although the day had been so pleasant yet it commenced
raining at night, and as we had to go without fires it got to be very cold;
toward morning it commenced snowing. We started at 2 o'clock a. m. To prevent
any noise they left the artillery horses behind and the infantry pulled the
guns with ropes while the cavalry led their horses alongside the road. Captain
Moore had sent some men forward who had captured the rebel picket, and who, not
dreaming of an enemy being so near, had gone into an old log house to keep
warm. To me it was a romantic scene; although a bright night the snow was
falling lightly, the bright barrels of the guns of the men shining; the
quietness of the scene only broken by the tread of the men, the rumbling of the
artillery wheels, the cracking of the broken wood caused by the cavalry horses
tramping on it; and the danger ahead, made it all most interesting. We reached
the town about daybreak and found the rebels asleep. The artillery was posted
on the hill commanding the town, while the infantry and cavalry were dispersed
so as to surround it. All at once the artillery opened on the barracks and soon
the most astonished set of Rebs you ever saw came tumbling out not knowing
which way to run. They mounted their horses without any bridles, nothing but
the halter, and soon came rushing toward the lane where I had my men posted. We
gave them a volley which brought them to a halt and surrender. The fun was soon
over and we commenced to gather up our prisoners, our Surgeon Powell doing what
he could for the wounded, and the men catching horses, we were soon on our
retreat. The artillery horses had been brought up and were hitched to the
artillery. I never saw such a cavalcade before—the artillery going ahead, one
of the cannons in a wagon, it having been dismounted by its carriage being
broken. A company of infantry mounted on horses and mules, then the prisoners
surrounded by a guard, then more mounted infantry and lastly, the cavalry.
Several houses had been set on fire and women were screaming and crying because
their husbands, brothers or sons were being taken away. We camped about ten
miles from Clarkson that night, reached New Madrid the next night and Columbus
the following day. An incident occurred at Clarkson that may not be to my
discredit to relate. In firing into the barracks of the rebels a number of
houses were struck by shells which frightened the women and children almost to
death. I saw a number of them running out of a house, the children in their
bare feet. I ordered my men to keep quiet and went to the women and told them I
would help them with their children and lifted a couple in my arms; the poor
things were frightened but I told them I would not hurt them; while doing this
the shell from our artillery was falling thick around us, but I could not see
women and children suffer without helping them.
SOURCE: Joseph Stockton,
War Diary (1862-5) of Brevet Brigadier
General Joseph Stockton, p. 3-4
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