Footprints through Dixie

Front matter

I IK

WR

;Eti!' Lifci u if the Maun Under a JMu«k*t.

Chapter One — Camp Massillon to Cincinnati and Lexington, Ky. 21

Muster in — Trip to seat of war — Enemy threatens Cincinnati — Autocrat of the picket line. "Raw material" under cover — First experience under fire — Austrian muskets in action — Grand rounds has narrow escape — Preacher handy with a rawhide — Squirrel hunters — The "nubbuh" brigadier — Vile water — Boys threaten the "nubbin" — Protecting rebel property — Called out by false alarms — March to Lexington — Ambulances crowded with "victims" of "Tadpole" pond — Change of commander — Severe drill and discipline — Ritchey delighted with drill and steady job — Captain resigns — Christmas box that never reaches us — Reilly's penetrating voice — First "sting" of the grayback — Midnight order to march.

Chapter Two — Richmond to Mt. Vernon, Kentucky 39

March to Richmond, Ky. — Pass home of Clay — Build fortifications — First pay day — Desertions — Officers resign — March to Danville, Ky. — Slaves advertised for sale — March to Frankfort, Ky. More officers resign — On provost duty — Thirty-two mile march to Danville — On to Camp "Dick" and Lexington — Again tenting on the old camp ground — Drill and camp duties a plenty — Car ride to Nicholasville — Find what we are looking for — Chased back to fortifications — Rebs capture pickets — March to Lancaster, Crab Orchard and Mt. Vernon

Chapter Three — Mt. Vernon, Ky. to Knoxville, Tennessee 49

Scouting in Wildcat mountains — No end to drills — Inspections — In the guard house — Clean faces and equipments — Conscientious sergeant pacified — Kentucky pies — Development of brigadiers under muskets — March to Camp Nelson, Somerset and Danville — Again "tenting on the old camp ground" — Prepare for march through the Cumberlands — March to Cumberland river — "Eli hides behind his knapsack" — Nick's disloyalty — In the mountains — Helping artillery over hard spots — Mountain scenery new but not pleasing — Parson Brownlow — Arrive at Knoxville — Hearty welcome by citizens — Flank movement to Cumberland Gap — Enemy surrenders — Return to Knoxville — Lively discussion in the ranks — Vote for Brough for governor — Four votes for Valandingham in regiment — Siege of Knoxville — On guard at Citizens prison — Hospitable rebel family — Rebels close in and siege begins — Enemy repulsed at Ft. Sanders — Carry off rebel dead — Nearing point of starvation — Sherman with Fourth Corps to the rescue — Disappointed secesh girls — Enemy retreat — Shower of mail from home — March to Strawberry plains — Scouting in surrounding country — Starvation and cold — Valley Forge of Civil War — Seely's "graybacks starving" — Piteous cries of famishing mules — No base of supplies — Living off devastated country — Sergeant writes a chapter in my diary — "Dad" Schooley secures a job as miller but business is poor — Not much to grind — Jake makes a "killing" — Hospitals crowded with fever and scurvy victims. Return to Knoxville.

Chapter Four — Knoxville and Return 83

Warm clothing and full rations — Another scout east of the city — Arrive at "Valley Forge" and bivouac — Navigation open on the Holston — March to New Market, Mossy Creek and Morristown — Pickets attacked — Enemy driven back— Retreat to Mossy Creek — Return to Morristown and on to Bulls Gap — Yonie a reliable weather prophet — Tear up railroad and burn bridges — A bug in his ear — Recruits arrive — Return to Knoxville — On provost duty — Brownlow re-establishes his paper calling it "The Knoxville Whig And Rebel Ventilator."

Chapter Five — Knoxville, Tenn. to Chattahoochie River Ga 95

Goodbye to friends in Knoxville — March to Redclay, Ga. — Snake Creek Gap and Rockyface Ridge — "Rolling stones gather no moss"

M Mil

Battle of Resaca, Ga. Yonie's weather predictions dependable — Cassville, Cartersville, Dallas and on to Kenesaw mountain — Blazing fireworks from summit of Kenesaw — Dodging from cover to cover on the skirmish line — The Chaplain't dilemma — "Many are the hearts that are weary tonight" — On to Marietta and Chattahoochie river — Bath and swim — Camp for short rest at Isham's Ferry.

Chapter Six— Atlanta, Ga. to Decatur, Ga 108

End of fifty miles of digging, chopping, marching and fighting — Physical examination of the army. Many have dropped from the ranks through exhaustion — "Fresh Fish" passes first degree — On to Atlanta — Enemy driven to works defending the city — Assault by the enemy repulsed — Reilly promoted to brigadier — Death of McPherson — Building fortifications — Lured into a trap at Utoy Creek — A brothex's devotion — Patriotic Tennesseans — Death of our captain — Flank movement decided fate of Atlanta. "Atlanta ours and fairly won" — In hospital at Atlanta — Depopulation of city. "War is Hell."

Chapter Seven — Decatur, Ga. to Nashville, Tenn 123

Camp at Decatur, Ga. — Loss since beginning of campaign — Seventy-five miles of graves — "Salamanders" — Planter on his dignity — Ritchey makes trouble between Yonie and Fritz — Enemy cuts cracker line — Oracles losing faith in Sherman's generalship. — March to Altoona — Kenesaw mountain — Enemy's assault repulsed by General Corse — In pursuit of enemy — Hood tearing up railroad and burning bridges — Enemy evasive and dodging battles — "Hold the Fort" — Boys discouraged — Fritz says Sherman is crazy — Sherman's army divided — Beginning of march to the sea — Fourth and Twenty-third Corps left to look after Hood — Dixie ladies do not love Yanks — Thrilling experience passing over skeleton bridges — Arrive at Nashville — Vote for Lincoln — Boys discouraged — Smitty and Fritz may be wiser than they look.

Chapter Eight— Nashville, Tenn. to Clifton, Tenn 135

Battles of Franklin and Nashville — Exciting foot race — Narrow escape at Spring Mill — Grilling night retreat — Visit Zolicoffer Hotel — Rebel army annihilated — Boys pester Yonie and Fritz — Smitty realizes on his troubles — Visit Franklin battle field and bury our dead — Capture our wounded who are cared for by citizens of Franklin — Nearly two thousand new made graves — March to Columbia — Chicken for Christmas dinner — Spare ribs and backbone — March to Clifton, Tenn. — Adventure with bushwhackers — Rebel letter.

Chapter Nine— Clifton, Tenn. to Wilmington, N. C 162

Down Tennessee river on transports and up Ohio to Cincinnati, O. — Again on native soil — Over Snow bound country to Bellaire by rail — Feasting on the way — Adventure on "French" furlough — On to Washington, D. C. — Georgia "Woodticks" — Down the Atlantic to Ft. Fisher and Cape Fear — Seely makes his will — Landing at Smithville — Capture of Ft. Anderson and Wilmington — Enemy destroy property and retreat — Celebrate capture of enemy's last seaport — Sergeants have an "argument" — Overstocked with tobacco, cigars and whiskey — Andersonville prisoners — On provost duty in city.

Chapter Ten — Wilmington to Greensboro, N. C. and Home 174

March to Goldsboro — Fine plantations — Fences decorated with pickaninnies — Meet advance of Sherman's army — Contrabands of war — Whipping post and auction block — Evacuation of Richmond and surrender of Lee — Great rejoicing in camp — Davis on the hunt of new seat of government — Cavalry on the hunt of Davis and one hundred thousand dollar reward — March to Raleigh — Assassination of Lincoln — Alarm at Raleigh — Surrender of Johnson to Sherman — Sultana Disaster — Regiment takes possession of property — About four hundred yanks land in the midst of thirty thousand Johnnies — End of war — Convention of Ohio soldiers endorse General Cox for Governor of Ohio— Visit old battle field of Guilford Court House 1781— Muster out and return home — Unknown correspondents.

Dedication

To the children and grandchildren of my eighty-seven comrades who have answered the final roll call, and to my twelve surviving comrades of company "B" 104th, Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, who near three score years ago marched out one hundred strong in defense of the Union and to my brave and loyal East Tennessee and Kentucky comrades of the 23d Army Corps who suffered persecution rather than forsake their state, and their country's flag; driven from devastated homes, secreting themselves in caves and fighting their way through mountains in endeavor to reach Union lines, forming into company's and regiments, gallantly fighting and making the sacrifice of life in defense of their State and Union, this little volume is dedicated.

Alliance, Ohio, August, 1919.

Preface

RITERS of war history necessarily confine themselves to causes of war, the movements of armies, the results of battles and matters of major importij ance making for the weal or woe of contending forces engaged, history that goes down through ages and lives long after those who bore the storm of shell and fire, felt the pangs of defeat or joined in the shout of victory, have returned again to their kindred dust.

But there is another history, an unwritten history. It is the story of the every day life of the soldier in arms, the lights and the shadows of the men on the field and in camp, the life and work, the heart-beats and throbs of the men on the firing line, the history as only those engaged as comrades know it and which largely finds expression only at campfires as they meet in after years.

It is this history, the story of comrades in the ranks, this little volume records, a history compiled from a diary, the notes made day by day through the years of service by the author himself. It is the story of battlefields, character sketches of types found in every company, incidents grave and gay of comrades who met face to face the grillings, hardships and dangers of military service.

In the belief that it might prove of interest to comrades who are still living and to kindred and friends of those who have passed away, with the further hope that it may prove of value as a family heirloom with a record entered therein showing the valor and daring of fathers, brothers or husbands, typical of the character and life they lived and duty performed in a nation's trying hour, has this little volume been written and sent adrift to the world by the

—AUTHOR

SERVICE RECORD

This space is for filling by comrade, widow or children of departed soldier, or soldier of our country's wars as a record or heirloom for the passing to posterity in the way of family history — something that cannot other than become more a pride with the passing of years.

WAR OF REBELLION

Name

Brigade Division.

SERVICE RECORD)

WORLD'S WAR

Name

Brigade Division.

WAR WITH SPAIN

Name

Brigade Division.

OTHER WARS

Name

Date of Enlistment.

Company Regiment.

Brigade Division.

Name

Brigade Division.

INTRODUCTORY

"We are Coming Father Abraham, Six Hundred Thousand More."

It is now nearing three score years since we responded to this call and marched out to meet a threatened invasion of the North by insurgent forces who had driven our forces northward threatening Washington City and Cincinnati, Ohio.

This history is compiled from a diary written while serving in the ranks with the 104th Volunteer Infantry, 23d Corps, Army of \\ Ohio, throughout the last three years of the war in the middle western Army.

First year we were engaged in drilling, cleaning up camp grounds, dodging, chasing and being chased by rebel cavalry and wearing out shoe soles on the hot and dusty pikes of Kentucky, in the meantime burning up many top rails from plantation fences.

Then with General Burnside, from Kentucky through the Cumberland mountains to Knoxville, Cumberland Gap, siege of Knoxville and operations in East Tennessee. After about six months service in this state we entered upon the Georgia campaign and united with Sherman, forming a part of his forces concentrated near Chattanooga, Tenn., and on to Atlanta, Ga., and back to northern Alabama. Then under General Thomas at Columbia, Spring Hill, Franklin and Nashville, Tenn. The Confederate army having been driven from the southwest we accompanied General Schofield on a mid-winter trip from Clifton, Tenn., to the Atlantic coast, via Washington, D. C, and down the Potomac river, Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic coast on transports to Cape Fear, N. C, and through this state to Wilmington, Goldsboro, Raleigh, ending with the surrender of enemy forces at Greensboro, N. C, and end of the struggle.

Almost incredible, it now seems, are the memories these old diaries awaken as I scan their faded and time stained pages. The incidents and scenes recalled seem as a dream of the past. Reading over the pages noted down day after day recalls to mind many incidents not recorded at the time and apparently forgotten.

Again I see tear stained faces of mothers, sisters and wives as we wave farewell from the train bearing us to the seat of war, the youthful and beardless faces of comrades who if now living have passed the allotted years given to man. The camping grounds and tented fields spread out before me. I hear the patter of rain upon our tents, or upon our ponchos under which we often sleep without other shelter—the tattoo, the reveille and assembly call— the call of the company roll from Adams on down the line to Zentz.

I see ill fed and half clad boys facing blasts of winter in Tennessee, the exhausted and footsore soldiers apparently on the verge of collapse, yet pluckily keeping their place in ranks during our forced marches in withering heat of a Georgia midsummer sun. I hear the beating of the long roll, the snapping of the bayonet along the line as we await the bugle call, the scream of shot and shell, the rebel yell as they advance upon our works. I see dead and wounded on the field and hear agonizing appeals for help and for mercy. Memories of all these are vivid. These scenes again pass before me as a motion picture film thrown upon the screen.

To the young these diaries of half a century agone are a fragment of ancient history. To the survivors of the civil war it seems but yesterday when v/e responded to the call of Lincoln for "six hundred thousand more." Yet looking backward over intervening years and noting the great progress of our country with its trebled population, its advancement to a well-earned position among the leading nations of the earth, the application of electricity and arts that benefit mankind, we know that these and hundreds of other achievements the mind of man has wrought could not have been accomplished without much time and energy. Messages then transmitted by wire with dots and dashes now fly through space by some invisible power and unknown channel. Telephones were unknown, gasoline and electricity were unknown as a controlled power to supply heat and light. Men who were bold enough to attempt to work out the problem of navigating the air were sometimes railroaded to insane hospitals.

The close of the conflict of 1861-5 was the beginning of a new era. Our united country with its blight of two hundred years or more removed, is working in harmony for the good of mankind. The unity of the states is firmly established. That we have lived to see all this and feel that the man in the ranks with his able commander have contributed to the welfare and progress of the country is a pleasing recollection during the closing years of our lives.

History makes scant note of the every day life of the man under a musket upon whose courage, vigilance and stern sense of duty the safety of the army depends, either in battle or during the sentinel's lonely vigil in the dark forests of the enemy's country; always on the alert to give warning of the enemy approach or movements — not knowing when the scouting foe may be drawing a deadly aim. The every day life of the man in the ranks, while on the march, in the camp, on the firing line and in the trenches cannot be given by the historian. A history of the war will never be written. Tortures of Andersonville and other prisons or the sufferings endured during active campaign in a hot blistering climate cannot be expressed in words but are deeply impressed on the minds of all who passed through the experience. No hours are fixed for the bugle's assembly call or beating of the long roll calling to arms. From reveille to tattoo and from tattoo to reveille the soldier must be ready to answer the call of duty.

No attempt is here made except in a general way to give account of the movements or manipulations of the army to which we belonged. To get a clear understanding of the purposes and results of these movements the reader and writer must refer to history for information. A man in the ranks is but a small part of a mass forming a unit operated by his commander, therefore he is not in a position to give reliable information showing movements or details of engagements in which he takes a part. These are left to the historian who has access to documents in the war department or possibly to him who directs the movements of the forces under his command. A man in the ranks sees but little that occurs outside his company or regiment. Assaulting the enemy line or defending our own is an exceedingly busy time, as well as exciting, and always alarming. We look neither to the right or left, but straight ahead delivering and dodging ammunition, forgetting for the instant that dodging at the "zip" of the ball or explosion of the shell is a vain effort to escape injury.

If the writer gives his experience in the army more prominence than is given to other members of the company it is not because he performed more or better service than did his comrades. In fact, the contrary will be shown as the personal records of the soldiers are shown further along. This diary was a private record giving the writer's personal experience, and events coming to his notice, adding as much of the record of members in the company as could be obtained from other sources. It is not aimed to impress readers with the idea possessed by the boy who, after years of listening to his father's daring exploits, the doubting son wanted to know if "dad didn't have some help in putting down the rebellon." The old veteran probably now realized the fact that his absence from the army would not have changed the course of events during that trying time.

The writer's experience was practically the experience of all who answered the call to duty during campaigns in Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and North Carolina. The same routine of duties was performed and the same discipline prevailed throughout the infantry branch of service, the measure of discipline enforced, depending somewhat upon former training of commanders.

It is now over half a century since the survivors of the regiment were mustered out of service. Of the one hundred men belonging to Company "B" thirteen are now (1919) believed to be living. The writer has aimed to give a correct record of the service of each member of the company as these records are shown by the Orderly Sergeant's daily report, showing the number of months each man was in line with his command ready for action when called upon to perform duty with his company and covering the time from the day he shouldered his musket and marched into the unknown until his death or discharge from service.

The few survivors of the regiment are living near their old homesteads in Stark, Columbiana and Portage counties, Ohio, together with their descendants and the descendants of those who have answered to the final roll call. To these this little volume may be of interest showing the part their ancestors took "That the government of the people, by the people and for the people might not perish from the earth."

Thirty-three members of this company enlisted from Marlboro township, twenty-two from Paris township, nineteen from Lake, seven from Plain township and Canton, Stark county, eleven from Columbiana county and the others from townships adjoining.

During our two years' and ten month's service, the average time of service given by the three commissioned officers on duty with their company, was nine months, and of the thirteen non-commissioned officers nearly fifteen months. The average time of service given by the eighty-four private soldiers was nearly nineteen months. The average age of the commissioned officers was thirty-one years and of the non-commissioned officers about twenty-five years. The average age of the private soldiers was under twenty-two years. Forty of the latter were twenty years of age and under, and twenty-three were under nineteen years of age. Ten of these boys had not arrived at the age of eighteen years, and three had not reached their seventeenth year.

But few escaped the ills incident to military service when on active duty in the field and in camp life. This was due to the change from home food to the army ration, to irregular eating and impure water. These conditions together with the hard marches and exposure, brought on fevers, rheumatism and bowel troubles that sent, perhaps, ninety percent of the men to the hospital at some period during service, and many to the grave. Unless seriously ill those reporting at the morning sick call were cared for in the field hospital or left to remain at their quarters and report to the surgeon for treatment. Others were sent to the general hospitals. Of the latter a few returned for duty and the others were either discharged from service or transferred to the Invalid Corps and placed on light duty in the rear of the army as guards over commissary or ammunition stores, nurses and helpers at hospitals, etc.

At the close of the first year's service the company had lost but two men in battle, yet it was found it had been reduced about one-half from its original number. Eight had been discharged for various reasons, five had died, seven were transferred to the invalid corps, four had deserted, one resigned and fourteen were either on detached service or in hospitals. Referring to the roster of Ohio soldiers it is found that at the close of the first year's service less than one-half of the commissioned officers in the regiment were with their commands. Favoritism or political pull seems to have placed too many straps upon the shoulders of privates. Five of these officers had died, three were on detached service and fifteen had resigned. Taking the experience of the company and regiment as a basis to figure from, it appears that less than fifty percent of the officers and men who entered the army were left to face the rough and tumble of field service throughout the war.

About the same condition existed in the ranks. To detect the infirmities of those afflicted with chronic weariness, or the cunning dodgers of duty was beyond the ken of examining surgeons. The surgeon did not demand certificates showing the characters of recruits examined. He merely wanted to satisfy himself that recruits were sound in wind and limb and possessed home-grown teeth sound enough to tear a cartridge or crack a hardtack. This was sufficient. Horses and mules passed about the same examination with fewer mistakes perhaps.

Sixty eight members of company "B" were boys from the farms and country villages, many of whom were strangers to the outside world and its ways. These boys were sometimes afflicted with homesickness, a malady that would not yield to doses of quinine and had to run its course. They found trouble in adjusting themselves to changed conditions and modes of living. It required an effort to change from mother's comfortable bed, her bread and butter, pies, dumplings and doughnuts and many other good things often dreamed of but never found on the quartermaster's bill of fare. Fat and rusty bacon, pickled pork, hardtack and black coffee served any old way was a poor substitute for mother's good cooking with her full rations served on the table and a chair at the accustomed place. The soft side of mother earth (very soft at times) with cartridge box or knapsack for pillow, with snakes, lizards and bugs as occasional bedfellows was a trying experience for boys not far past the spanking age. Mother wasn't there to tuck in the blanket or with extra covering when needed. The sudden change from quiet home life to the activities and excitement of military service was not fully realized until a gun was placed in the hands and military discipline exacted. At home when dad called in the morning to get up, curry and feed the horses and get out on the plowing job, the boy promptly answered "y-e-s," then with a snort and a yawn he just rolled over and slept on. Dad would sometimes stand for several of these repeated calls, but with Uncle Samuel, it was different. The reveille was the first and last call. Uncle never called reveille twice on the same day. All he did was extra duty for the sleeper with a promise of a lot more extras if the offense was repeated. He was an expert at breaking boys into habits of prompt obedience, with no apologies, excuses or back talk allowed.

From this raw material made up from enlistments in the rural districts of the west, middle west and border slave states were men of endurance, self reliance and pluck. After a few months these boys having become inured to military service and discipline, those remaining were ready and willing to answer to the call of duty and when it came to the matter of rations it was quantity they were looking for instead of quality. They seldom turned over for another nap at reveille and at roll call were present or accounted for. They served under Thomas, Sherman, Wilson, Schofield and others during the last years of the war, eating the vitals out of rebeldom and finally bringing under subjection the entire southern confederacy, outside the state of Virginia. The fact that the western army met v/ith but few defeats seems to warrant the conclusion that success was due to the power of endurance and fighting qualities of the hardy western soldier and his able commander.

At the time of enlistment the war had been under way over a year. A few victories had been won in the west. When it was not "all quiet on the Potomac" we knew who was responsible for the disturbance. It was the prevailing opinion the war was on in earnest. Yet, at the time of our muster in at Massillon, Ohio, Governor Tod was present and made a speech to the regiment predicting that the war would soon be over and we would all be at home in time to partake of the usual turkey dinner on the following Christmas day. We cheered the Governor, of course, yet we believed he was "stringing" us concerning an early closing of the war and Christmas turkey. The governor was an accomplished politician, one who could make a pleasing and plausible as well as a promising speech without disclosing any more facts than would serve his party's purpose. Inadvertently, perhaps, the governor became "mussed" up in his speech and thought he was talking to constituents instead of soldiers; hence he believed a promise of some kind was necessary. The desire to cheer the governor might have been inspired because of the nerve he displayed in giving us this line of talk at a time when Lee was trying to overtake the army of the Potomac and was getting dangerously near to Washington, and a rebel army was almost within shelling distance of Cincinnati. Even the copperheads in the governor's own state were rallying at "Fort Fizzle" to resist a threatened draft.

Notwithstanding the governor's speech the outlook for an early closing of the war did not look promising to us. Boys who left their comfortable homes to enter the service were not moved by rash promises, or to make this sacrifice through excitement, a spirit of adventure or of gain. About forty cents a day was not an alluring inducement for one of sound mind to become a target, or to endure the hardships of active military service. It was evidently an earnest sense of duty and devotion to the Union and the cause of freedom that inspired these boys to offer their services. They were needed at their homes to help till the soil and many were needed in the school room to complete their education, an opportunity that was lost because of the sacrifice they made.

They knew the primary cause of the war was slavery as it then existed in the south. They knew slavery was protected by the laws of ie country, yet was a great wrong that reason could not de end Th v believed the beginning of the war was the beginning of the end of very and a firmer unity of the states should the northern amy prevail.' With no thought of reward these boys answered the In coheir country, yet believing that the south would carry out call of their country, _y submitting to the

its determination to fight to the iasi unci humiliation of defeat.

M the final roundup, when the rebel army in the west was almost destroyed at Franklin and Nashville, Tenn.. and the western "my had marched thousands of miles throughout the confederacy destroying and capturing the enemy's source of supplies, we found ourselves confronting his "last ditch" near the border me of Nob Carolina A war of attrition conducted in Virginia had reduced he Confederate forces to about fifty thousand men consequently the services of the Western Army was not needed or desired.