On wheels and how I came there

Front matter

Shelf ,.S-4-?

The Author: "On Wheels."

AND HOW I CAME THERE

Introduction

jTO'EKE is a book that every boy and girl in all oi^-^ this nation ought to read. Its universal circulation would be a national blessing. Abraham Lincoln was fond of telling of his indebtedness to Weems's Life of Francis Marion^ in forming his character and kindling in his soul the fire of patriotism.

If this republic has future struggles before it, and is to come out victorious in them all, we must see to it that the children of each generation know by heart the glorious history of their country.

The boys of '63 were in the army by the ten thousands. How. they got there was a mystery. The legal age for enlistment was eighteen, and yet thousands of them were only seventeen, sixteen, fifteen years old.

The beautiful poem, " Driving Home the Cows," is founded upon a true story of a mother who sent her boy to perform this duty years before. He obeyed at last, but in the meantime he had been to war and back again. That boy was in his teens.

1 INTR OD UCTIOK

Lieutenant dishing was but twenty-one when lie blew up the Albemarle and sent her to the bottom of the river. The Albemarle was a powerful rebel cruiser w^liich was about to put to sea to prey upon our commerce, when this boy, at deadly peril to his life, ended her career before it w^as fairly begun.

This book, On Wheels : and How I Came There, is a story of one of the boys of that period. He was only fifteen when he entered the service of his country, and the war was over before he was twenty.

The story of his marches, battles, and prison life will hold the interest of the reader from the first page to the last.

If you want to buy for any boy or girl a Christmas gift that will rival in interest the romance of Robinson Crusoe, select the true story told by the author of On Wheels : arid How I Came There.

C. C. McCabe.

7/

CHAPTER I. PAGE Enlisted l'>

CHAPTER n.

Uniformed 24

CHAPTER m.

Off for the War 32

CHAPTER lY.

Joining My Regiment 39

CHAPTER V.

Camp Life 48

CHAPTER YI.

On to Camp Cocran 56

CHAPTER YH.

Off for the Meridian Raid 64

CHAPTER YIH.

On the March Through Jackson 73

CHAPTER IX.

The Skirmish 82

CHAPTER X.

The Battle 89

CHAPTER XI.

After the Battle 100

1 2 Contents.

CHAPTER XII. p^GE

At Meridian 110

CHAPTER XIII.

A Foraging Expedition 118

CHAPTER XIV.

Our Return March 127

CHAPTER XV.

Again at Vicksburg 136

CHAPTER XVI.

Off for a New Field 147

CHAPTER XVII.

Our March to Rome, Georgia 155

CHAPTER XVIII.

Guarding Railroad in Sherman's Rear 165

CHAPTER XIX.

Busy Behind Sherman 176

CHAPTER XX.

Battle of Moon Station and Capture 186

CHAPTER XXI.

Marching to Prison 198

CHAPTER XXII.

Arrival at Andersonville 208

CHAPTER XXm.

Entering Andersonville Prison 220

CHAPTER XXIV.

Andersonville Experiences 333

Contents. 13

CHAPTER XXV. page

RexMoved to Millen Prison 244

CHAPTER XXVI.

Removed to Blackshear Prison 252

CHAPTER XXVII.

Flying from Sherman 261

CHAPTER XXVIII.

Again in Andersonville 270

CHAPTER XXIX.

Diversions of Prison Life 279

CHAPTER XXX.

The Fate of a Beefhead at Andersonville, as Witnessed by a Boy Prisoner 288

CHAPTER XXXI.

Last Days in Prison 298

CHAPTER XXXII.

Released from Prison 304

CHAPTER XXXIII.

The Bliss of Freedom 314

CHAPTER XXXIV.

Homeward Bound 323

CHAPTER XXXV.

Home at Last 331

AND HOW I CAME THERE.

CHAPTER I.

Enlisted.

f^HE first gun of the great American Civil War, 4, fired upon Fort Sumter in the spring of 1861, which thrilled our entire country with wild excitement, found me, a wiry lad of thirteen, attending school in the little town of JN^aples, 111., which is situated on the eastern bank of the Illinois Kiver, some one hundred miles north of St. Louis, Mo.

I had listened to one of the famous debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas, which occurred in our town in the year 1858. Upon that occasion Mr. Lincoln took dinner with my uncle, Mr. John White, then one of the leading Republicans of the community, and being present I heard the conversation between these two great men on the exciting political topics of the time, which I now recall with pleasure.

In 1860, during the lively political campaign v/hich resulted in the election of Mr. Lincoln to tlie presidency of the United States, I was the youngest member

ON WHEELS.

of the uniformed Lincoln Wide Awake Club of Naples.

Many circumstances conspired to incite me to tlie life of a soldier. In my early life I had listened to the thrilling Indian stories of one of my grandmothers, who, with her family, had lived ten years among the Pottawattamie Indians, and to the war stories of one of my grandfathers, who was a soldier in the War of 1812, and of other relatives w^ho served in the Mexican War.

During the summer of 1861 I became familiar with the work of enlisting soldiers and raising companies and regiments for the Union army. During this year the then Colonel U. S. Grant, afterward the great Union general of the Civil War, and still later President of the United States for two terms, having been placed in command of the Twenty-first Illinois Infantry Regiment for purposes of discipline — the regiment being a difficult one to manage — marched it across the country from Springfield to Quincy, 111., and while en route held it in camp at Naples for some days. During their stay I witnessed the attractive drilling and maneuvering of the regiment by its gallant commander, who rode with grace and managed with ease his large, light-colored claybank horse, a color to which I was by no means partial, being an admirer of dark bays, jet blacks, and dapple grays.

I was often about the colonel's tent, where I could see him at close quarters, and noticed his slouch hat, plain blue blouse, and quiet bearing, and, like many other boys of the town, I thought if I were the governor I could have selected a much better looking

Jiorse, and, iiotwithstancling his good liorsemansliip, a iniicli better looking rider as commander of the regiment.

While at Naples Colonel Grant liad his son Fred, since United States Minister to Austria, with him. Being abont the same age, Fred and I soon became acquainted, and were together much of the time during their stay, and greatly enjoyed such sports as bathing, boating, fishing, etc.

In addition to these experiences, many of my comrades and schoolmates were enlisting and going to the army, which had a decided tendency to keep me in a feverish state of excitement, and to beget an eagerness to trade my Lincoln Club torch for a musket and march to Dixie.

Bnt with all my stretching and measui"ing and marking I could not, during the earlier years of the war, reach the I'equired standard of height for soldiers, and, although I was actually growing rapidly, it seemed to me as if by some means I had become stunted and that my growth was checked.

In the meantime the soldier boys who came home sick, wounded, or on furlough had many thrilling experiences to relate, which were eagerly listened to, especially by the boys, and had a tendency to make me the more eager to quit school and join the fellows at the front.

The exciting months sped by, and I made real progress in growth, though to me it seemed very slow. The year 1803 found me fifteen years of age, and barely measuring U]) to the required soldier standard, five feet and six inches, with not a fraction to spare.

About tliis time Captain W. W. Strong, of Company K, Fourteenth Illinois Infantry, wliose regiment was lying in winter quarters at Camp Cowen, in the rear of Yicksbiirg, Miss., was at home in onr connty raising recruits for the army, and visited Naples. Frequent meetings were held in the little old church, where I had attended Sabbath school and chni'ch services from my early childhood, for enlisting recruits. Now, instead of the sweet, peaceful songs of Zion, lined by the venerable minister in clerical black with white cravat, and sung fervently by the devout worshipers, the rostrum was occupied by the stalwart Union officer in blue with shoulder straps of gold, patriotic war songs were heartily sung, and stirring speeches Avere made. Martial music of fife and drum filled the air and all was enthusiasm and excitement.

A number of my schoolmates and other associates were enlisting, among them my chum and seatmate, Hardin Abrams, and the influence upon me was overwhelming. I decided to enlist if the recruiting officer would accept me and my parents would give their consent ; for, with all my eagerness to go, being the only son of a crippled father, I did not w^ant to leave him without his consent.

On the evening of December 21, 1863, in the old church, its pulpit gracefully festooned with the stars and stripes, just after the singing of the patriotic

song,

"Yes, we'll rally round the flag, boys, We'll rally once again,"

I stepped forward, and with pen in hand signed the enlistment roll as it lay on the communion table. The next morning our measnre was taken, and now the only thing to impede my onward march to tlie enchanting tields of military glory was my age. But Captain Strong told me if I should not pass the required surgical examination he would take me as his private clerk.

This was as music to my ears, and off I started for home in double-quick time, thrilled with emotions of joy at the prospect of realizing my long-cherished hopes on the one hand, and with grave misgivings on tlie other lest my parents should refuse their consent. However, after carefully and fully weighing the matter, my parents gave their written consent," probably the more readily because my age might be the occasion of my rejection, and I might after all have to remain at home. At any rate, father gave me money with wdiich to return from Springfield in the event of ray faihire to pass.

In giving his consent my father said : ''Will, you can go if they accept you to carry a gun in the ranks, but if you are to act in the capacity of a clerk or waiter you can come home and wait on us."

The eventful day of our departure came, with the affecting scenes of the last farewell. Mother and sister gave the parting kiss, and a mother's Christian advice was tearfully given. The weather was very cold, but amid the excitement of the parting scenes I forgot my overcoat, and, rather than repeat those trying experiences, I was going to take the trip of fourteen miles across the country to Winchester, 111., where we were to join other recruits, without it; but one of my young friends having a horse close at hand, sprang into tlie saddle, rode over to mj home, and brought it to me, and so off we started.

On arriving at Winchester we met with a hearty reception by tlie hidies and citizens generally of the city, and found in waiting a royal supper for the recruits who were coming in from various directions. The bountiful supper and the kind and generous entertainment accorded us in their homes by these patriotic citizens were greatly appreciated by the boys, and indicated the general willingness and desire to help in every possible way those who volunteered in our country's cause.

From Winchester we were taken to Jacksonville, 111., and there carefully examined. So many of us being quite young, the examination w^as made all the more rigid. Here we were required to hop around the long hall in which the examination occurred, first on the right foot and then on the left, as rapidly as we could, and then to run around it twice at the top of our speed — a gait, by the way, which was not so very slow. The minute examination of eyes, ears, teeth, and limbs made a deep impression on my mind, and had a tendency to create within me a feeling of uneasiness lest, after all, I should not be accepted.

However, I was found to be of requisite height, and phj^sically sound in every way ; but now came the greatest barrier of all, my age. This emergency, though, I had clearly foreseen. I fully understood that while eighteen years was the legal age for acceptance as a soldier, yet with the parents' written consent, which I had obtained, a boy seventeen years of age w^ould be accepted if otherwise admissible.

Wlien tlie dii^iiitied, spectacled surgeon caiue to question ine as to my age I straightened myself np so as to look as tall as possible, and determined to confront this emergency. Althougli a great admirer of George Washington, for the time I seemed to iose sight of the little hatchet story, and I so represented my age that a discrepancy of two years is to-day found between my enlisting age, as shown by my discharge papers, and my actual age, as shown l)y the old family Bible at home.

At this juncture the examining surgeon eyed me closely, and said : " You young rascal, you're sound enough," and then shakirig his head added, " but I don't know so well about your age, judging from your appearance ; " however, the point was not further pressed, and I was ordered to the side of the room with the boys who were accepted.

But while my sudden and not altogether creditable leap in age cleared ni}^ way to the enticing fields of military glory, it also led me to sufferings and exposures most severe, and resulted in shattered health for all my subsequent life.

Our next transfer was to Springfield, Bl., where, after another rigid examination, I fouiid myself, with many others, finall}^ accepted. Having now run the gauntlet of several rigid ti-ials, I was proud of the fact that I was at last a soldier, and should in reality exchange my Lincoln torch for one of " Uncle Sam's " glistening Enfield rifles.

The question as to which branch of the service I should enter was decided befoi'e I left home, several considerations leading to the final conclusion. The infantry, cavalry, and gunboat service eacli Lad special attractions for nie.

The gunboat service was the most fascinating to me because of my familiarity with the water. I could swim like a duck, and was as mucli at home in a boat as on land. In the absence of a boat it was nothing unusual for me to swim a great distance carrying a line in my teeth when seining, or to perform similar feats. But I liked my freedom so w^ell that the coniinement of tlie gunboat service decided me against it.

There w^ere some very special attractions to me in the cavalry service. I was very fond of horseback riding, which I had often enjoyed on my Uncle White's horses and mules ; besides, my cousin, Sam White, was a member of the Second Illinois Cavalry, and nothing would have suited me better than to join him ; but my experiences with uncle's horses and nmles had impressed me quite unfavorably.

When riding Joe, a little brown mule, at full speed he was almost sure to stumble, and often I would find myself suddenly thrown under him, and I would bo compelled to extricate myself as best I could ; Rube, an old raw-boned roan horse, Uncle John's buggy nag, not kept for beanty so much as for reliability, had a fashion, when ridden into the river for water, of plunging Jiis head in np to his ears, and then, while vigorously shaking the water out of them, I found it difficult to stick on him with both hands clinging to his mane and my short legs tightly clutching to his bony sides ; Pete, a little round bodied bay mule, was full of tricks, and threw every man or boy that ever mounted him. lie was my forlorn hope.

ENLISTED.

I never wanted to ride liim unless it was my only chance, for after working a half hour to get on him I had no assurance of more than a few rods ride, to be followed, perhaps, by a half day's chase in catching him. So these unfavorable exploits at horsemanship decided me against joining my Cousin Sam in the cavalry service. Besides, my enjoyable hunting expeditions, the long tramps with gun that I could take, the heavy loads of game I could carry, and the great fatigue I was capable of enduring, led me to believe I was better fitted for the marches and fatigues of the infantry service, and so I decided.

CHAPTER II. Uniformed

FTER our second and final examination at ^3^ Springfield we were marched out and up the street two or three blocks to a laro-e o'overnment storeroom, where we drew our equipments.

On entering tlie room, which I had noticed had no sign to indicate " Uncle Sam " was doing business there, we found there were no counters nor shelves, bnt in lieu of these was a row of long tables on each side loaded down with soldier uniforms, etc. Each table contained but one kind of article, excepting the one where we drew plate, cup, knife, fork, and spoon, where all these were handed out on the plate. Bcliind each one of the tables stood a bhie-coated clerk, with book in hand, doing a general credit business, requiring no references, and asking only for our names. This was so very different from the manner onr home merchants conducted their business I was impressed that " Uncle Sam" was very reckless in the management of this store.

After each of us received his knapsack, canteen, and haversack, and its belongings, we drew the following articles of clothing: two pairs of gray M'oolen socks, one pair of heavy sewed brogans, two pairs of

UNIFORMED. 25

heavy drilling drawers, one pair of light bhie woolen pants, one each dark blue woolen blouse, dress coat, and cap, one light blue woolen overcoat with cape, two gray woolen shirts, and one pair of gray woolen blankets with the large letters U. S. woven in the center of each. All coats and caps were supplied with the regulation brass button, surmounted with the king of birds, which just suited my boyish vanity. As I liad already pi'ovided myself with a pair of high top boots with which to wade through the Confederacy, I drew no shoes.

" Uncle Sam " wrapped no goods and furnished no paper nor twine. As we were hustled past the tables w^e were hastily sized up, and the articles previously mentioned were handed or tossed to us. No time was given for folding, and before Ave had reached the overcoat table the avalanche of accouterments, blankets, and clothing had us completely overloaded. Although I had up to this time been very anxious to get my wardrobe of blue, I was now very glad there was no more of it, for I was about to lose a part of what I had received. But we waddled along as best we could with our enormous loads, and as we did so we presented a comical appearance indeed.

Before being marched out of the room we were allowed time to pack, or try to pack, our knapsacks. Some of us had never so much as packed a valise, and now as this band of recruits was down on the floor, each trying to pack his cart load of government clothing, together with his two large army blankets, in his knapsack, it made a very ludicrous scene.

The fact is, we could get but a portion of our new wardrobe in our knapsacks, and wlien the order to march was given we gatliered the rest up in our arms.

By this time it was nearly dark, and we were marched out to Camp Yates, a distance of some two miles, througli a deep snow. Although it was very cold, yet our heavy, bunglesome loads and exercise in wading throngh the deep snow warmed us up to fever heat and cansed us to perspire freely.

We arrived in camp just at dark, and were assigned quarters in wedge tents, which were supplied with a liberal amount of straw. After getting inside the tents we threw down our loads, nnslung our knapsacks, and soon found ourselves chilled to the marrow, and with chattering teeth. Having no lights or fuel, w^e wrapped ourselves in our blankets, which were our only protection against freezing.

We were soon notified that supper was ready for us in the barracks, distant about a hundred yards, but the weather having suddenly turned bitterly cold, the wind howling and shrieking furiously outside, we decided to spend our first night in camp supperless rather than face the terrible blizzard.

We had just come from pleasant homes with their warm suppers and comfortable feather beds, and this seemed like a decidedly cool reception by "Uncle Sam ; " however, it did not chill our young ardor, but it did make us want to get South, away from the fierce clutch of the ice king.

The ofiicers had not anticipated this sudden cold wave, or we should have been better provided for. The night was simply terrible. I was awake a good

UNIFORMED. 27

portion of it rubbing n\j nose, ears, hands, and toes, trying to keep them from freezing. I had previously read Washingto7i mid Ills Generals^ and during my rubbing exercise, trying to keep warm, I reviewed Valley Forge and his freezing men, and it was a serious question in my mind if we were not going to have a duplicate of it at Camp Yates with frost-bitten boys.

The first day of January, 1864, is memorable for the severity of its cold in that latitude. On that morning, when the time for roll call came, the mercury was twelve or fifteen degrees below zero. We w^ere all badly frost-bitten. My nose, ears, toes, forehead, and finger ends were frozen. As soon as our situation was known by those in charge of us we w^ere moved into one of the large barracks ; but before those of us who had boots could go we were compelled to wait until the camp guards could thaw them out, for they w^ere frozen so hard we could not get them on.

After getting thawed out, which was about 9 a. m., we were marched to the dining room barracks for breakfast, but, on arriving, we found the victuals so frozen we were compelled to take them to the stove in the other barracks and thaw them out. Our breakfast was served on long tables in tin dishes, and each ration consisted of a half loaf of baker's bread, one pint of cofiee, a plate of boiled beans, and about six ounces of meat, now known by the tame and modest name of bacon, all of which were frozen solid except the coifee, and the ice was an inch thick on that.

Being of an observing turn of mind, I noted a few peculiarities about this dining room, different from the one I was accustomed to at liome. In the first place they had neglected to spread the cloths on the table ; there was also a noticeable absence of chairs, so that guests were expected to eat standing ; and, although I had had no supper, and breakfast was quite late, and I was consequently as hungry as a bear with keen scent, yet I could smell no victuals, so I could but note the contrast between this breakfast and the savory meal which was presided over that morning by my little black-eyed mother at home, where, if I could have been present, I would have had a whiif of hot buckwheat cakes, smoked sausage, and. the delicious aroma of boiling coffee.

This first night's lodging and breakfast at " Uncle Sam's" expense, amid these disagreeable conditions, put our patriotism to as severe a test as any Ave met until we entered Andersonville Prison.

The large barracks we were in were of but one thickness of inch boards, and contained but one large stove, and that for some unaccountable reason, unless it was to prevent its being upset, was in one end instead of the center, so that but few could get near to it at a time, while the rest were compelled to resort to the most vigorous exercise, such as jumping, wrestling, etc., in order to keep from freezing when out from under their blankets.

We were kept here but three days, when, the weather having sufficiently moderated, we were marched to Camp Butler, a distance of some six miles.

At Camp Yates we had packed our citizen's clothes

UNIFORMED. 29

and expressed them liome, and donned our suits of bine, which seemed to ligliten onr hearts as well as onr knapsacks, and, although our toes were frost-bitten and sore, yet we stood this tramp to Camp Butler quite well.

Here the barracks were better and the weather had moderated, so that we were quite comfortable, except from the stinging and burning of our frost-bitten parts.

These barracks were one hundred feet long, and contained a double row of bunks on each side. Here we indulged in our first letter writing. Tin plates resting upon our knees were our writing desks, and as we sat with our feet dangling over the edge of our bunks the room had the appearance of an immense bluebird house, with part of the birds on their perches and part on the floor, and all having a merry time.

Here, drawn up in line outside the barracks, with uncovered heads and uplifted right hands, we were sworn into the service "for three years, or during: the war." Myself and comrades were assigned to Company K, Fourteenth Regiment, Illinois Yolunteers, Infantry.

We were then marched to the paymaster's quarters, where each man received three hundred dollars bounty in new crisp greenbacks. This looked like another piece of reckless business management on the part of " Uncle Sam," giving a lot of young fellows so much money in advance on a contract, befoi'e they had hardly commenced the job, which rather impressed me that it must be a ticklish piece of business, and that he was very anxious to have it finished.

Fifteen dollars was tlie most money I ever had of my own at any one time before, and this amount of bright new bills looked like an immense sum to me ; but as I knew my parents were in moderate circumstances only, and, as I knew, keenly felt the absence of their only boy in more ways than one, before my bomity was given to me I had fully made up my mind what I would do with it. Twenty dollars went into my left trousers pocket, and the rest, a roll of two hundred and eighty dollars, into my right pocket ; and with my hand on this latter amount I went directly to the express ofhce, where for an hour in the great crowd I clutched my roll before I could exchange it for an express receipt, which I immediately inclosed in my first letter home. A number of the boys did the same, but many of them kept all they got. The twenty dollars I got changed, and, when 1 returned to the barracks, secreted the most of it in my underclothing for safe keeping.

On my return to the barracks I found there a lively trading scene. The sharpers w^ere there in full force with trays and baskets full of knives, combs, pocket-books, revolvers, watches and chains, and all manner of pinch-back jewelry, and brass and silver-plated letters and numbers for soldier caps. Each trader was surrounded by a group of recruits, eager to exchange their new greenbacks for the sharper's trash, and when the curtain dropped on the scene some of the young blue-coats were loaded down Avith one or two revolvers each, and supporting a watch and chain and other jewelry in proportion.

As for myself, I purchased a silver-plated laurel

UNIFORMED.

wreath, about two inches in diameter, and a silver-plated conipnny letter, K, and State letters, Illinois, and the number of my regiment, 1^, which were all placed on top of my cap, the letters and the numbers all going within the wreath, and all appearing very neat, and, as I thought at that time, giving a very important finish to my uniform ; though, for reasons which w-ill appear later on, I did not keep them very long.

CHAPTER III. Off fok the War

\y»^y E were kept at Camp Butler but a few days only, waiting until transports, whicli liad been much delayed by heavy ice in the Ohio and Mississippi Kivers, could arrive at Cairo, 111., to take us South.

About January 9, 1864, we boarded a train, were phiced in good passenger coaches, went to Decatur, 111., and thence to Cairo. '' Uncle Sam " still indulged in his extravagance by furnishing free lunch and calling for no tickets; but he was heading us southward, and knew what he was about.

After a jolly ride on the cars we arrived at Cairo in due time, and were immediately marched to the wharf on the Ohio River side of the city. There we found several transports in waiting.

We embarked on the large government steamer City ff Alton. On looking around I could see no difference between this and the beautiful Illinois River side- wheel steamers with whicli I was familiar, excepting the arrangements for the protection of the pilot. It looked as if a very large boiler had been cut in two crosswise and a piece seven or eight feet long set on end in the pilot house and then split