Diary of Lieutenant-Colonel John Beatty: August 8, 1861

Major Wood, Fifteenth Indiana, thought he heard chopping last night, and imagined that the enemy was engaged in cutting a road to our rear.

Lieutenant Driscoll and party returned to-day. They slept on the mountains last night; were inside the enemy's picket lines; heard reveille sounded this morning, but could not obtain a view of the camp.

Have just returned from a sixteen-mile ride, visiting picket posts. The latter half of the ride was after nightfall. Found officers and men vigilant and ready to meet an attack.

Obtained some fine huckleberries and blackberries on the mountain to-day. Had a blackberry pie and pudding for dinner. Rather too much happiness for one day; but then the crust of the pudding was tolerably tough. The grass is a foot high in parts of my tent, where it has not been trodden down, and the gentle grasshopper makes music all the day, and likewise all the night.

Our fortifications are progressing slowly. If the enemy intends to attack at all, he will probably do so before they are complete; and if he does not, the fortifications will be of no use to us. But this is the philosophy of a lazy man, and very similar to that of the Irishman who did not put roof on his cabin: when it rained he could not, and in fair weather he did not need it.

SOURCE: John Beatty, The Citizen-soldier: Or, Memoirs of a Volunteer, p. 47-8

Diary of Lieutenant-Colonel John Beatty: July 31, 1861

The Fifteenth Indiana, Colonel Wagner, moved up the valley eight miles.

The sickly months are now on us. Considerable dysentery among the men, and many reported unfit for duty.

My limbs are stiff and sore from yesterday's exercise, but my adventure proves to have been a lucky one. The mountain path I stumbled on was unknown to us before, and we find, on inquiry, that it leads over the ridges. The enemy might, by taking this path, follow it up during the day, encamp almost within our picket lines without being discovered, and then, under cover of night, or in the early morning, come down upon us while we were in our beds. It will be picketed hereafter.

A private of Company E wrote home that he had killed two secessionists. A Zanesville paper published the letter. When the boys of his company read it they obtained spades, called on the soldier who had drawn so heavily on the credulity of his friends, and told him they had come to bury the dead. The poor fellow protested, apologized, and excused himself as best he could, but all to no purpose. He is never likely to hear the last of it.

I am reminded that when coming from Bellaire to Fetterman, a soldier doing guard duty on the railroad said that a few mornings before he had gone out, killed two secessionists who were just sitting down to breakfast, and then eaten the breakfast himself.

SOURCE: John Beatty, The Citizen-soldier: Or, Memoirs of a Volunteer, p. 39-40

Diary of Lieutenant-Colonel John Beatty: July 14, 1861

The Ninth and Fourth Ohio, Fifteenth Indiana, and one company of cavalry, started up the mountain between seven and eight o'clock. The Colonel being unwell, I followed with the Third. Awful rumors were afloat of fortifications and rebels at the top; but we found no fortifications, and as for the rebels, they were scampering for Staunton as fast as their legs could carry them.

This mountain scenery is magnificent. As we climbed the Cheat the views were the grandest I ever looked upon. Nests of hills, appearing like eggs of the mountain; ravines so dark that one could not guess their depth; openings, the ends of which seemed lost in a blue mist; broken-backed mountains, long mountains, round mountains, mountains sloping gently to the summit; others so steep a squirrel could hardly climb them; fatherly mountains, with their children clustered about them, clothed in birch, pine, and cedar; mountain streams, sparkling now in the sunlight, then dashing down into apparently fathomless abysses.

It was a beautiful day, and the march was delightful. The road is crooked beyond description, but very solid and smooth.

The farmer on whose premises we are encamped has returned from the woods. He has discovered that we are not so bad as we were reported. Most of the negroes have been left at home. Many were in camp to-day with corn-bread, pies, and cakes to sell. Fox, my servant, went out this afternoon and bought a basket of bread. He brought in two chickens also, which he said were presented to him. I suspect Fox does not always tell the truth.

SOURCE: John Beatty, The Citizen-soldier: Or, Memoirs of a Volunteer, p. 28-9

Private William F. Powers, 15th Indiana Infantry: Pension Index Card

15th Indiana Infantry

Organized at Lafayette, Ind., for one year's service May, 1861. Reorganized for three years' service and mustered in June 14, 1861. Moved to Indianapolis, Ind., thence to Clarksburg, W. Va., July 1-6. West Virginia Campaign July 6-17. Attached to 1st Brigade, Army of Occupation, West Virginia, July to September, 1861. Reynolds' Cheat Mountain District, W. Va., to November, 1861. 15th Brigade, Army of the Ohio, to December, 1861. 15th Brigade, 4th Division, Army of the Ohio, to March, 1862. 15th Brigade, 6th Division, Army of the Ohio, March, 1862. 21st Brigade, 6th Division, Army of the Ohio, to September, 1862. 21st Brigade, 6th Division, 2nd Corps, Army of the Ohio, to November, 1862, 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, Left Wing 14th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to January, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 21st Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to October, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 4th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to February, 1864. Garrison, Chattanooga, Tenn., Dept. of the Cumberland, to June, 1864.

SERVICE. – Duty in Elkwater Valley, W. Va., July to November, 1861. Operations on Cheat Mountain September 11-17. Elkwater September 11. Cheat Mountain Pass September 12. Greenbrier River October 3-4. Ordered to Louisville November 19. Duty at Bardstown and Lebanon, Ky., till February, 1862. March to Nashville, Tenn., February 17-March 13, and to Savannah, Tenn., March 21-April 6. Battle of Shiloh April 6-7. Advance on and siege of Corinth, Miss., April 29-May 30. Pursuit to Booneville May 30-June 12. Buell's Campaign in Northern Alabama and Middle Tennessee June to August. March to Louisville, Ky., in pursuit of Bragg August 21-September 26. Pursuit of Bragg into Kentucky October 1-22. Battle of Perryville, Ky., October 8 (Reserve). March to Nashville, Tenn., October 22-November 7, and duty there till December 26. Lavergne December 11. Advance on Murfreesboro December 26-30. Battle of Stone's River December 30-31, 1862, and January 1-3, 1863. Duty at Murfreesboro till June. Reconnoissance to Nolensville and Versailles January 13-15. Middle Tennessee or Tullahoma Campaign June 23-July 7. Camp at Pelham till August 17. Passage of the Cumberland Mountains and Tennessee River and Chickamauga (Ga.) Campaign August 17-September 22. Occupation of Chattanooga September 9, and assigned to duty there as garrison. Siege of Chattanooga, Tenn., September 24-November 23. Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign November 23-27. Orchard Knob November 23-24. Mission Ridge November 25. Pursuit to Graysville November 26-27. March to relief of Knoxville, Tenn., November 28-December 8. Duty at Knoxville and vicinity till February, 1864. Ordered to Chattanooga, Tenn., and garrison duty there till June. Mustered out June 16, 1864 (expiration of term). Veterans and Recruits transferred to 17th Indiana Infantry.

Regiment lost during service 4 Officers and 103 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 76 Enlisted men by disease. Total 183.

SOURCE: Frederick H. Dyer, A Compendium of the War of the 3, p. Rebellion, Part 1124

Riley Hickman

Private, Co. D, 15th Indiana Infantry

Died February 3, 1863, Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Stones River National Cemetery

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Benjamin F. Markel

Private, Co. B, 15th Indiana Infantry

Stones River National Cemetery

Murfreesboro, Tennessee