Author 
 
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 Title 
 
 Imprint. 
 
 Irt- 17372-2 GPO 
 
 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 D0DD14t.Dfi57 
 
A TRUE SKETCH fl 
 
 OF 
 
 HIS ARMY LIFE 
 
 BY 
 
 S. C. BECK 
 

A TRUE SKETCH 
 
 OF 
 
 HIS ARMY LIFE 
 
 BY 
 
 S. C. BECK 
 
 I volunteered at Otterville, Jersey county, Illinois on August 11, 
 1862 being twenty vears and nine days old. having first secured my 
 parents consent. At this date there was a recruiting officer in the neigh- 
 borhood seeking recruits. Quite a number of the young men enlisted 
 at this time. Soon the day arrived for us to go to Springfield, Ills. This 
 meant verv much to us — to leave home and friends. The probabilities 
 were some of us would never return, which time proved to be true. 
 Most of us were young and thought we were able to make good soldiers, 
 anyway we were willing to try. The first sixteen miles were made in 
 wagons, when we reached the nearest railway station. In due time 
 the train came along which took us to Springfield. 
 
 Springfield was the largest city many of us had ever seen. Our 
 first night at this place many slept but little, our beds being the floor of 
 a hotel. In the course of a few days the nj^n who went to make up the 
 one hundred men who composed our Company — Co. C. 124th Regiment 
 of Ills, Volunteers, assembled in the city, and organized by electing officers 
 to command said Company from their numbers. 
 
 When we were fully organized with Company officers elected, being 
 the third Company ready for "muster" of the ten who composed the 
 124th Reg. were permitted to choose our letter, which we did, chosing 
 "C." The first Company chose "A." Their position was always on right 
 of Reg. The second Company chose "B." Their position was on the 
 extreme left. Company "C" was the right center of the Reg. and was 
 "Color Bearer." These three positions were selected or obtained by 
 rioritv. The Flag of the Reg. in time of battle or anywhere was what the 
 _ifr«i/) aligned them selves on, being the center. Now all Reg's, 
 used the same letters but in different positions in their respective Reg's. 
 But the right center Company always carried the Flag of the Reg. Com- 
 pany "C" was made up of three squads of men from as many different 
 neighborhoods and as far as possible each squad had their percent of 
 officers. 
 
 After a few days we were ordered to move to Camp Butler which 
 was five miles distant. We had to march, and Oh- how tired we were 
 when we reached this camp. We had no covering either day or night for 
 several days. The examining officer came and examined us and those 
 
lie thought unfit for a soldier's duties were rejected. I think of my 
 squad four were rejected. 
 
 Th<> Government then issued to each man a blanket, suit of clothes, 
 .shoes, knapsack, haversack and canteen: but no gun as it did not have 
 them at this time. 
 
 After several days there were barracks built that we might have 
 shelter. We w^re eating government rations that we had to cook our- 
 selves. We had very much to learn to be soldiers so we could go through 
 all the military movements, that we could know what was wanted of us 
 ;)y word of command. We had to learn how to cook our rations, pack 
 our knapsacks, to stand guard, to mount guard, Company drill. Regimen- 
 tal drill, all of which we went through every day. 
 
 The day came when we the 124th Reg. was mustered into the U. S. 
 service. When will we get our guns? That we did not know; and 
 wnen we would be sent South to meet the enemy nobody knew. We 
 u.^-d sticks in our drills in place of guns. At this camp were perhaps 
 t;:--en thousand soldiers all eager to meet the Southern fellows, not 
 w iiliout guns however. As Reg's were armed th-ey were ordered to the 
 front where needed the worst, to indulge the realities of war. After we 
 had been at this camp four or five weeks our Reg. received marching 
 orders to go to Cincinati, Ohio. By this time many of us would rather 
 have eone home to our mothers, but we were sworn to Uncle Sam or 
 during the war Many of the boys had wives or s^veethearts; but that 
 rebellion had to be put down and we must help to do it. So we cheered 
 up, took fresh courage to do the part assigned to us. 
 
 A train of box cars on the Wabash railroad stopped at can^^p for 
 UP and w^ were marched on to this train. Meantime there had been 
 issued to every man a gun and accouterments. Before we reached 
 I»*-<atur, received orders to go to Cairo, Ills. At Decatur we were tians- 
 ,*-rred on to the Illinois Central road and went on to Cairo. Our time 
 nerf was short: long enough however to see some of their monstrous 
 rats that were so plentiful along the wharf. They were surely twice 
 as large as any I had ever seen. We wer^e glad to give them a wid^ j^ 
 berth. Here we were ordered aboard a steamboat, for where we did***"^ 
 know. Were soon ploughing down the great Mississippi river- Our 
 destination proved to be Columbus, Kentucky. The rebels had posses- 
 son of the Mississippi river below Columbus, Ky. As we were nearing 
 The enemy our authorities issued us some amunition for our guns. We 
 were soon trying them to see what we might expect of them when we met 
 the enemy. Imagine our surprise when we found a majority of them 
 would not burst a cap, and those that did were otherwise disabled. The 
 one 1 had — when the hammer was set back to fire the gun I could not 
 .--ee the top of the gun barrel. The men did raise a storm of protest 
 vhen we found we were armed with a lot of condemn-ed guns. We were 
 ■" iig to fight but we wanted arms that would do execution. We 
 
 :::ht we should not go any nearer the enemey with such guns, but were 
 
 ■ed to mount a train of cars. We had sworn to obey our superior 
 
 • rs, what should we do? Finally our Colonel made us a speech say- 
 
 - ve would have to obey orders and promised us that we should have 
 
 -ood guns as soon as the Government could furnish them. It would 
 
 .lave been suicide to have ordered us into battle with such guns. 
 
 We went aboard the cars and were taken to Jackson, Tennessee. 
 At this place our Reg., one thousand strong was marched some distance 
 
 :r future oamp. A thousand men in "ranks" make somewhat of a 
 How the 61th boys (another Ills. Reg. t did welcome us, as a 
 
 ■' "' '^^ '".rant's army was camped at this place at that time. 
 ^ County soldiers who enlisted in 1861 belonging to the 
 
 _ i.try ] found here. We visited them and they came to 
 our camp to see us 'green soldiers." 
 
 om 
 
 A.atbar 
 
3 
 
 At this place we drew our first tents. They were of the wedge 
 pattern, intended a tent for four men. My tent sheltered seven. We 
 had drawn a certain number of tents for each Company. Our Com- 
 pany being large we were very crowded. Our camp here was in a chest- 
 nut grove, and was not long before we were utilizing some of the trees 
 building a pen the size of tent and about three or four feet high, placing 
 the tents on top of pens gave us more room. We arrived at this camp 
 October 6, 18 62. 'Twas not long until we were assigned to the 1st Brigade 
 3d Division of the 17th Army Corps. Our Colonel's name was Thomas J. 
 Sloan of Chicago. Our Brigade Comander, Colonel Marsh, Col- of the 
 20th Ills. Reg. Our Division Comander was John A. Logan of Ills. Our 
 Corps Comander was Gen. James B. McPherson of Ohio. We were a 
 part of the Army of the Tennessee commanded by Gen. U. S. Grant. 
 Our duties here were light, such as guard duty. Company roll was 
 called five times a day. If a man failed to answer to his name he was 
 marked for extra duty— fatigue duty — which was all sorts and kinds; 
 not very laborious on those who were accustomed to labor at home- 
 On Sunday morning we had to fall in for inspection. That meant everj'- 
 thing a soldier had, his gun accoutrements, knapsack what he had in it 
 and his tent. If any portion failed to pass inspection he had to make it 
 so it would pass, if it was his brass plates on his accouterments, his 
 gun, or even the brass buttons on his coat, for these were expected to 
 shine as much as possible. At first many of the boys were rather negli- 
 gint about how they looked on inspection. But the lessons received 
 we e sufficient to make us all put on a good appearance. 
 
 The hardtack we received here were full of worms. These facts 
 were reported to the Colonel, he investigated the matter and went to 
 Division Quartermaster who issued good ones to his men. As I remem- 
 ber this only happened the one time. One day George Rutherford and 
 I had strolled some distance from camp when we found a lost shoat. We 
 concluded we would take it home with us. So we "after it" and caught 
 it (being swift on foot) skinned it and wrapped it up in a blanket and 
 slipped it into camp safely, \vithout being detected. Undoubtedly it wag 
 the first of its kind that ever came into the 12 4th Reg. There had 
 been strict orders issued to all soldie s against such conduct, and 
 although there was a stir made about it through the different camps, we 
 were never found out. 
 
 The duties such as guard and picket became heavier and heavier. 
 We were learning to be soldiers- Three of the companies drew new- 
 guns to replace the almost worthless ones. How we did envy them, those 
 guns, but that did not help us any. 
 
 During the last days of October we began to hear rumors of march- 
 ing orders, and within a few days they came. We were marched to the 
 R. R. depot boarded a train of flat cars was run in a Southerly direction to 
 the town of Bolivar, Tenn. Here I saw some more Jersey county boys 
 belonging to the 61st Ills, who I never saw again during the war. We 
 stopped at Bolivar one night. The next day we fell into ranks and 
 started on our first march, having large knapsacks to carry with our 
 overcoats rolled on top. The old soldiers would say to us as we passed 
 them "we'll get your overcoats before night." In many instances they 
 did, but I can truthfully say they did not get mine. How tired I was. 
 Nevertheless I was bound to keep all if possible. It seemed the straps 
 would cut my shoulders off. 
 
 In the course of two or three days we reached Lagrange. Tenn.. 
 where we remained over two weeks. During this time Gen. Grant was 
 concentrating a large army at this place. Our camp here was very good, 
 all but the water. This we had to haul three miles from Wolf river. I 
 drove a six mule team for the first time in my life — and the l;<st also. 
 
I graduated in one day. The team ran away with me before i :;vit to the 
 river, so they had a good time to run with empty wagon and empty bar- 
 rels. 1 would never try it again after that experience. I enlisted ^o carry 
 a gun so m.v mule "whacking" ended right there and then. 
 
 There is a great army at this place. It means there is somethinfe 
 going to be "doing" That is what we came down here for. If we can 
 And "Mr. Johnnie" and Gen. Grant says the word to go. We will go 
 anywhere the Johnnies will let us. We are kept drilling or on duty, 
 fatigue or picket, every day. At this camp was the first chance I had to 
 see Brother Joseph; he having enlisted in 1861, was in another Division 
 and Corps. We were always so glad to see anyone we had known at 
 home, amidst the thousands of men from many different states. We 
 had been in the field about one month. Lagrange is East of Memphis. 
 Tenn., perhaps fifty or seventy-five miles, a long way from home. We 
 wrote many letters to the friends we left at home. The mail reached 
 us quite often which made us even more determined to do our very best 
 to put these Johnnies out, glad to "holler enough." 
 
 After being at Lagrange a week. Gen. Grant moved his army South 
 following the Mississippi Central R- R. We suppose the Johnnies are 
 South of us somewhere. • The second day out we camp on a creek called 
 Cold Water, properly named for it was as cold as spring water. We found 
 that the rebels were camped here while we were at Lagrange. They 
 tri^ec^'to pollute the water of this creek so v. e could not use it, bv throv,-- 
 ing all the offals of the cattle they slaughtered into the creek. We used 
 it as freely with all their great pains. 
 
 The rebel army had retreated South, and as they would not come to 
 us we would show them we were down there to "do business" with them, 
 if they would give us an opportunity. The next day we marched into 
 Hollysprings, Miss. All were gone but women and children and negroes, 
 and how it did rain. Our tents were in the wagons somewhere in the 
 rear and we were without shelter, wet as water could make us. We 
 moved on the next day in the mud to somewhere; some were jolly and 
 happy and some were not. 
 
 We thought we were gaining on the Rebels for could hear canonad- 
 ing in the distance when we would holler "give it to them" and we 
 took longer steps anxious to get to them, even with our old condemned 
 guns. The next day brought us to the Tallahatchie river where rebel 
 Gen. Price had made a stand for a short time, and had burned all the 
 bridges then retreated. We soon replaced the bridges and were on after 
 them and continued to follow them for about a week. Every day we 
 s.aw rebel soldiers come to our lines and surrended, had had enough 
 of war. The thought came to us if they all do that we wont get to 
 fight any. The trains in our rear were keeping pretty close up with 
 supplies (rations). Rebel Gen. VanDorn with a few thousand Cavalry 
 swung around to our rear and captured Gen. Grant's supplies for his 
 army. What VanDorn could not use he burned. Gen. Grant faced his 
 army north. I had not yet got a shot at a rebel. We were disappointed. 
 
 On Christmas eve we camped in the mud on the Tallahatchie river 
 bottom (1862). On the next day we moved about a mile into the tim- 
 ber and halted for several days. We had neither tents nor rations. 
 Gen. Logan said we could have some corn, that of the two the mules 
 could starve, so corn in the ear was issued to us. We could roast that 
 as best we could and eat that or nothing. In a few days our Regment 
 with five or six wagons marched out to a plantation filled these wagons 
 with bacon, sweet potatoes, corn meal, peas, hogs and some fresh beef 
 and back to camp same day. We were mad all over because we were 
 hungry. Soon rations were plenty. We went back to Lagrange. The 
 next move was west on the Memphis and Charleston R. R. distributed 
 along to guard this R. R. We were stationed near Colliersville at a long 
 and high trestle bridge. While here our tents found us, also a snow 
 
storm came to us, snow about six inches deep. We also got several live 
 hogs here. 
 
 Sometime in January, 18 63, received marching orders that took us 
 to Memphis. Had a good camping place in the timber three miles from 
 the city. While in this camp the Regiment drew Enfield rifles in place 
 of those old useless ones we had been carrying for three months or more 
 Here we went to winter quarters, our tents following us. Our duties 
 were camp, guard, picket and fatigue. A mail carrier went to the city 
 every day for our mail- The health of the boys was pretty good; had 
 plenty to do and plenty to eat. 
 
 Sometime in February we were paid two months pay. By this time 
 many of the boys had taken sick. A great many means were brought 
 to bear upon the men to persuade them to desert, by Northern copper- 
 heads who visited the army at this camp. There were only a few who 
 left our Regt. We were proud of our new guns. They were sighted 
 for eight hundred yards; were of the blach barrel kind. 
 
 At last to our joy marching orders came, after being at this camp 
 about one month. Those who were not able to do active duty were 
 sent to a hospital in the city. These were never with us afterwards — 
 some were discharged and sent home, some died there and some were 
 detailed on special duty. I do not remember that I had up to this date 
 been sick at all. We struck tents, did them up in as small compass 
 as possible to be loaded on to our wagons to follow us. We always left 
 camp in a cheerful mood, some singing, some hollering, bands playing, all 
 feeling good that we were on the move. 
 
 We were marched through tl^e cty of Memphis to the river wharf 
 then on to a boat — the "Platte Valley." Col. C- C. Marsh who bad com- 
 manded our Brigade from Jackson, Tenn., was superceded by John 
 Haynie. On February 22d we steamed down the river. It was a grand 
 sight to behold the vast fleet of transports loaded with soldiers. The 
 following day we were landed at Providence, La. We marched out about 
 five miles from the river and went into camp on the bank of Lake Pro- 
 vidence in a very fertile and beautiful country. Here Charles Barton 
 of our Company took sick and died. We hurried him on the bank of 
 this lake. Had been here near a month when were ordered to break camp 
 having passed through some great rains. 
 
 Our orders took us back to the river and on to the transports. Were 
 taken up river a half-doxen miles where we disembarked and went into 
 camp. This was called Berry's Landing. While here we were paid four 
 months wages. The mortality of the Reg't- was over fifty. We were 
 here near a month. Were then marched aboard the transports and 
 taken down river to Milleken's Bend, where we found a large portion of 
 Gen. Grant's army in camp. Were ordered to go into camp here, awaiting 
 further orders. 
 
 We are now about twenty-five miles by river above Vicksburg. 
 where the enemy has possession of the river. They intended that Grant's 
 Army shall not have Vicksburg. "Yanks" think we wiiy — that is what we 
 are after at present. It was naturally a strongly foriied place. 
 
 We'had a thrilling experience with the mosquitoesi'while on "picket." 
 Were to have no fire at the reserve post; but we did just the same. 
 Were compelled to have a smudge to keep them from eating us up. 
 There was no danger that the rebels would be prowling around hunting 
 Yankies amidst such varmints, for they were no respectors of persons. 
 The torrents of rain had produced a wonderful crop of them. 
 
 Gen. Grant asked for volunteers to run the blockade past Vicksburg 
 on transports loaded with army rations. He had failed thus far to get 
 on the Mississippi side of river where the Rebel army was- His plan 
 was to get army supplies below Vicksburg accompained with what gun- 
 boats he had, then could march his army down on opposite side of river. 
 There were many more who volunteered to go than were wanted, so none 
 
were taken from the 124th Ills. Those who went had a thrilling expel*- 
 lenre. Th^'.v had seven miles of batteries to pass, the Johnnies firing 
 at them as long as their boats were in range. The outcome was, a bril- 
 liant success. Of the entire fleet only one transport was disabled It 
 floated to saf^-ty and another boat went to its assistance and towed it on 
 to Its friends. The enemy was prepared to build huge bonfires on the 
 levee or bank of river which made it as light as day. and whv thev did 
 not destro.ved many of these boats it seems that "Providence" was on 
 Gen. Grant s side Only a few were killed some more were wounded 
 iiT rM "f"'^ "'■'''"■ '"'^^ '^^^ *^^ 13th Corps comnarded by .John A 
 
 McClernand. and the 17th Corps commanded by Jam^s B. McPherson 
 were to -forward march" on the Louisiana side of river. This was 
 
 ^^!,nfT."n"H^°^''^''' '' ''"''''" '"' "^^^ Vicksburg Campaign." Gen. 
 Grant called his ( orps commanders together to learn their views as'to 
 
 Vnn nf /i^'^-' '° ^*^'J" ^^ '''''' "^ Vicksburg and the Confederate arm^^ 
 a'r^diSXlaTning °it'" ^'^"' ^"' '' '''' ^^^" ^"^^^^^^^ ^^ ^^-^^ ^av. 
 H^n.i*^'? '^^•'"" ^'^- \^^^' ""'■ POf'^'on Of this army started from Milleken's 
 nH T;^"^ T' t^"»« "°* '« «^ them again for nearly three nfonths 
 —until we had captured the Rebel army in Vicksburg and that citv 
 
 s^a'son'of fhe""'"' '.^', '"^^^^' ^° ^°"^ ^^^^ ^'^ never cJuld do At tMs 
 count?v B.t he'' 'r«?°^'- '" ."• t'-emendous storms in this part of the 
 ,? rL n . Campaign wa son, rains and floods could not stop 
 
 It. Gen. Grant acted as if he thought a wet soldier was as good as J 
 
 A..*^^^il*;^Bur?he "c""' "'^..^^™^ ^-^^ ''-'' - ^« tents were^'aken on Ou 
 
 ir-u ^■a^t^virs.u-^us'^anrrh^":^':^ ''' '^- '--^ -- - 
 
 in nil^/r?""*"""*^ '"''" *^^ ^^^^^ batteries at" Grand Gulf and were used 
 to place Grant s armv across the river Onr R^cr-f r.^'ll'^vt ■ f 
 
 afternoon of 4nril 'Vi lec-j / ou ^^S t. crossed the river the 
 
 h". LJ ?";; '"''."■" ^""reeled In getting across of the river 
 the river had .Parted on out n 'tH^'"-''/^-^' ^^^ preceeded us across 
 
 the faster we traveled entrpr 7^ hJi ^"®'^^- ^^^ the farther we went 
 until about one o'c ock ?n the P M "^"^ '"^" '^ "«^^^d- ^n and on, 
 surgeons wee caring for the woifnded men ''on ^ ^, ,h«"«« -here our 
 
 separl't: pi"' whi^h \°e'dirnol'sr'''"? '.""^^"^^ ^^^«»^ ^""^P^"-- had a 
 marched on to the front Uok onr nf 'k ^"^ ^""^ °'' ^^^ ^^''^- We then 
 were ordered to "charge'' which wp S"/.'' '^V' °^' '=- ^'""^J'- Soon 
 a Confederate sold er doinV hj^l ll^f't ^""^ ^'''' *^^ ^'""^ *'"™^ ^ ^hot a. 
 do not think I hit him nfrhans hp U""' ^""'^'' ^'"""^ ^^e Yanks. I 
 halted. Soon Gen Grant c«m^^riH k^^ running too fast. We wer.. 
 
 do better. Of c^urse'he waTt" 1 n%'1h^\?u7i ""t^^ ""T ^"^' ^«'^-- 
 courageous and proud as we had H^Ll/.l I .., i"'^ "^'^'^^ "« ^^el very 
 
 rorwara an. „,ar<.eV',f„!'lt''aS .^l^."' \°™r>l „7l,rers Zl:;"^ 
 
in some woods fired at us but fortunately for us they aimed by the sound 
 we were making and shot over us, not hitting a man. The Col. ord-ered 
 us to return the fire which we did. We saw the blaze of their guns and 
 had a much better aim at them. We were halted soon for the night. 
 Hearing the groans of a man, my Captain and others went to the 
 sound and found a Rebel officer mortally wounded — shot through the 
 stomach. They picked him up, brought him into camp and did what they 
 could for the poor man. He died early next morning. Our return fire 
 did its deadly work for him. 
 
 We slept very little that night as we had no blankets for covering; 
 had marched away from them not knowing that we would ever &ee them 
 again. Were up early and after the Johnnies next morning. Soon 
 entered the town of Port Gibson. To delay Grant's army the Rebs had 
 burned the bridge spanning Bayou Piere. We were marched up this 
 Bayou for some distance, were halted, ordered to strip off our clothing 
 and wade the stream, whfch we did and did not need a bridge. In find- 
 ing our way back to the main road that we had left and the R-ebs werej 
 on, we found a large pile of hams and shoulders, the size of which pile 
 every man was expected to do his share in reducing. This meat was 
 sent out there by the citizens of Port Gibson to be safe from the Yankies. 
 However their particular pains worked for our good in this instance. 
 This meat was so good: had been smoked and as good as could be made. 
 
 We followed Mr. Johnnies until they crossed Black River. So far 
 the campaigning had been all in our favor. We had killed two Rebel Gen- 
 erals several hundred men and captured many prisoners. We stopped at 
 this place three or four days. The night we reached this resting place I 
 was taken very sick, the first sickness I had since 1 was a boy. Our knap- 
 sacks came to us here. I want you to know we were so very glad for 
 each man to get his own knapsack. This was important for each con- 
 tained valuable personal, private property, (valuable to us) and our 
 blankets, change of under clothing, etc. 
 
 We afterward learned that we were waitiing for Gen. Sherman's 
 Corps that we had left at, or opposite Vicksburg, to come to us. As Grand 
 Gulf was evacuated, Sherman crossed the river there with his men. 
 When he came to us we refilled our harversacks and cartridge boxes and 
 bid good bye to communications with the North and supplies of every 
 kind. Gen. Grant's army was sweeping on into the interior of Mississippi. 
 Grant had so completely baffled the Rebel authorities they did not know 
 where he was or where to find him. When we got marching orders I 
 had partially recovered from my sickness. My Captain told me he had 
 tried to get me in an ambulance, but they were so full I would have to 
 march, so I did sick as 1 was. About the third day out on our march 
 Grant's army, or the portion we belonged to, came across a Rebel force 
 that put up quite a fight, lasting a couple hours. The casualties of bur 
 Brigade was several hundred. In our Reg't was light. A Rebel General 
 was killed. This battle is known as "the Battle of Raymond." This 
 battle was fought on May 12, 18 63. The battle of Port Gibson or Thomp- 
 son Hills on May 1, 1868. The battle at Raymond was fought mostly by 
 Logan's Division- — the one the 12 4th Ills, Reg't belonged to. 
 
 We had been marching in an northeasterly direction on the east 
 side of Black river and parallel to it; the three Corps each on separate 
 roads, within reinforcing distance of each other. The day after the bat- 
 tle at Raymond Grant's army pushed on toward Jackson, the capital of 
 the state. No fighting. The next day we found the enemy in strong 
 fortifications at Jackson. Oh, how it did rain, marching in the rain 
 and mud, shoe-mouth deep was fearful. But there was a battle on which 
 excited the men's nerves. We pushed on that we might help all possible. 
 Soon gained the battlefield and came to dead men. A black smoke was 
 rising over the city and the word came to us that the Rebels had evacuated 
 
set th-f'ir roniinissaries on fire, leaving tlie city for Grant to take posses- 
 sion of How we shouted, for it was another victory. Sherman's troops 
 fouKht this battle at .Jackson on .May 14, 1863. Gen. McPherson's men 
 would have been in the tight had it lasted long enough. Gen. Sher- 
 man's men wene ordered into the city and destroyed all property of value 
 to the Johnnies or public property. 
 
 Gen. Joseph Johnston commanded the Rebel forces at Jackson, i^e 
 retreated to the north of cit.v while Gen. Femberton's army that was at 
 Vicksburg was somewhere west of us at this time and we were between 
 rhe two Rebel forces. As soon as Jackson was captured we were ordered 
 to "about face" and march out over the same road we had come into 
 Jackson on. We were then headed toward Vicksburg, or marching west 
 hunting Pemberton's army. All day of the 15th of May we marched 
 very hard. If he was as eager to find us as we are to find him we surely 
 wlli meet soon. After a good nights rest we fell into line. Forward to- 
 ward Vicksburg was the word. Had been on the road a short time when 
 artillery began to roar. Then our boys would shout "give it to them" 
 or "we are coming to help you" in fact all sorts of imaginable phrases. 
 Soon we heard the musketry roar; and such a roar, sounded as if no one 
 could live amidst such continuous firing. All artillery on both sides 
 was busy. It was terrible, beyond human power to describe. 
 
 We were told that Grant's army and Pemberton's army met at 
 about 10 a. m. Our part of the army arrived about 1 p. m. We filed 
 to the right about one mile, halted, fronted and ordered to lay down. 
 The rest was nedcd for we had been marching very fast for several hours. 
 The battle was yet going on furiously. Our rest was short. Were soon 
 called to "attention" which means to stand in ranks, ordered to load 
 our guns, we ktiew that business would soon be on. Gen. I^ogan came 
 along saying "Now boys th<> hotter the quicker" meaning the harder we 
 fought the sooner it would be over with giving the command "Forward, 
 double quick, march." At this time there was a Rebel Brigade of four 
 Regiments within two hundred paces of us while we were resting but 
 we did not know it. They were on the Rebel left and facing very much 
 to the left of ours, so that when we came into range of them, or rather 
 in sight of them, we had an enfilading fire on them. As the Rebels 
 would say we shot into them en-ways. Ths Rebel Brigade lay on or 
 near a small creek from where we were; we were on the top of a hill 
 perhaps fifty feet high. Where we rested was just behind the crest of 
 this hill, and they did not know there were any Yanks so near them. 
 We were on to them without a stop, captured, killed or wounded the 
 whole Brigade, there being a very few v.ho escaped. There were over 
 seven hundred prisoners taken. The killed and wounded lay the thickest 
 I ever saw anywhere, several hundred on a small piece of ground. The 
 enemy's artillery being on a high hill over shot us. The casualties of the 
 12 4th Reg't. was over fifty, of(Tl>5^'ompany two, one mortally wounded, 
 one who recovered from his wounds but never returned to the Com- 
 pany. We in this sketch left Gen. Sherman with his Corps at Jackson, 
 •Miss., destroying public property such as would be beneficial to the Con- 
 federate Government. When the battle opened at Champion Hills we 
 were twenty-five miles west of Jackson or over a day's march from 
 Sherman's troops. Gen Grant, as soon as the two armies were engaged 
 in battle at Champion Hills, sent orders post haste to Gen. Sherman to 
 hasten to Champion Hills with his Corps of men, which order he obeyed 
 traveling over the same road that McPherson's men had traveled. 
 
 I will again take up the doings of Gen. Logan's Division which I left 
 off at the little "Run" or creek, where they destroyed the Rebel Brigade 
 for further use to Gen. Pemberton. After a short rest the order came 
 to "forward march." Away we went climbing a steep wooded hills. As 
 we neared the top of these hilis we discovered the Rebels in strong 
 force. Their artiller.v shotted with grape and canister was fired too soon 
 
to be effective. The officer in command of these guns was sitting on his 
 horse and gave the order to "fire" as soon as we came in range of his 
 eye, but before we had come in range of the guns. The whole holacust 
 of iron hail passed just over our heads. So fortunate for us that he made 
 that mistake. Now was our opportunity, and we improved it. A volley 
 of musketry from us killed the officer, all the men but two and all the 
 horses but one. We captured this battery, which was supported by In- 
 fantry, but the onslaught was such that the Rebel Infantry could not 
 stand such great force and took to the rear as fast as they could go to 
 save themselves from capture. This movement completely turned the 
 left flank of the Rebel Army until we were in the rear, or between P'em- 
 berton's army and Vicksburg. Also gave us the main wagon road that 
 runs from Vicksburg to Jackson, on which Pemberton came out and the 
 one he would want to use to get back to Vicksburg to get out of the 
 trap he was in. Pemberton ordered his entire army to retreat after the 
 battle had been on six or seven hours or they would have been captured. 
 They slipped by some by roads, out and on some four miles before they 
 came into the road we held. It was near sun down when the victory 
 was complete. This was the fourth time we had fought the Southern 
 soldiers and had whipped them every time on their own ground. How 
 elated we were! What a days work we had done, marched about ten 
 miles and had fought a half day. Did not know how tired we were 
 until the day's work was done. 
 
 Gen. Grant hastily sent a courier to Gen. Sherman with news of 
 the victory of this day, and orders to march to the right and cross Black 
 river to the north a few miles (Sherman having a pontoon train with 
 him) when across the river to march direct to Haynes Bluff on the Yazo 
 river north of Vicksburg. This Sherman did, thereby preventing John- 
 ston's Army that we had whipped at Jackson and Pemberton's Army unit- 
 ing. It also opened up communications with our supplies and our homes, 
 as the Yazo river was navigable from its mouth to this point for our 
 transports. At this time Grant's Army had been near four week's in 
 the interior that the Government Officials knew nothing of where we 
 were nor what we were doing. 
 
 On the next morning after this battle we were up early and off after 
 Pemberton and what soldiers he had left. Soon we heard canonading 
 ahead, telling us that some of our boys had ovetaken them and were 
 saluting them with our destructive shells. On we went. The nearer we 
 came to them the swifter was our pace, were wanting another victory. 
 We felt that we could whip Pemberton's Army in an open field fight any- 
 where. When we got within three miles of the battle the firing ceased 
 and soon the word came that the battle was at Black River Bridge, and 
 that the enemy had burned the bridge and was doing their best to get 
 into their fortifications at Vicksburg which was twelve miles away. 
 
 In the five battles Pemberton had lost them all. Had lost several 
 thousand prisoners, all of his artillery — some eighty pieces. So far, it 
 had been fight and retreat. A few more like results and Pemberton 
 would have no army left. 
 
 Black river was some two hundred feet in width. Each Corps had 
 to provide (or did provide) their own crossing. The 13th Corps crossed 
 near where the bridge had been; the 17th Corps about three miles 
 farther up stream; the 15th Corps fifteen yet farther up. Our Corps 
 (17th) tore down buildings for lumber, using cotton bales for floaters. 
 We got across by the close of the second days hard work, as all artiller.v 
 and wagons had to be drawn up the high river bank by hand with a long 
 stout rope with a hundred men pulling. It is astonishing what a load a 
 hundred men can move. 
 
 Now we hear the booming of artillery in the direction of Vicksburg. 
 Later on we learned that Sherman's Corps had made a hurried march 
 
from JaokFon to tlip Vazo river, a distance of fifty miles without meet- 
 ing anv of the enemv to retard his progress. Gen. Sherman had the 
 enemy "••flying" to Vicksburg. He opened up communciations with Por- 
 ter's Fleet and supplies for the entire army. 
 
 Gen. Grant's plans from the beginning of this campaign had worked 
 like clockwork. Had shut Gen. Pemberton's army up wthin his forti- 
 fications at Vicksburg. Our exultations of the achievement Gen. Grants 
 army had attained knew no bounds. While on the other hand the Con- 
 federate army must have been correspondingly discouraged. 
 
 Bv .May 2f>th Grant's entire army was up in the vicinity of the Vicks- 
 burg fortifications. Our artillery kept busily engaging the Confederates 
 while the infantry was maneuvering getting into position for to do the 
 best work possible to make a continuous line of defense, which was 
 twelve miles in length. By the 22d of May, Grant had thought best to 
 assault their works, which proved unsuccessful. We got up to their 
 works and planted our flag on their works, but could not go over only as 
 prisoners. We had to lay beneath the crest of their works until after 
 dark. Grant had lost heavily in men while the Confederates loss must 
 have been light. After this he settled down to a siege. The position 
 of the 124th during the siege was within six hundred feet of the Rebel 
 works. Samuel Alexander was the first man of my Company to be 
 wounded. He was struck on his left arm by a minie ball, losing about 
 six inches of bone between the shoulder and elbow. Of course he waa 
 never v. ith the Company afterwards. The Confederates kept up a con- 
 tinuous sharp shooting so there was no time but what we were in danger. 
 
 Our position was on a hillside from them. We had to dig out places 
 to sleep, to keep from sliding down the hill. We now were on full ra- 
 tions. Our transports run up to Haynes Bluff from where our teams sup- 
 plied us with rations, clothing, amunition, etc. Our duties were good 
 and plenty such as digging for and planting batteries, making rifle pits 
 and sharpshooting. The .Johnnies surely enjoyed their fortifications 
 judging by the amount of firing they kept up. We soon had near three 
 hundred guns playing on their works and thousands of sharpshooters 
 shooting at anything that had life in it, near^Hj or far off. Near our 
 right was a large ravine that passed from our rear through their forti- 
 fications (the Rebels) on west aaid emptied into the Mississippi river 
 just north of the city. We being on high ground had many opportunities 
 of seeing something to shoot at as we had plain view for over two miles. 
 We had only been here a few days when, by our day and night indus- 
 try, we had as good a place to sharpshoot from as our neighbors had: 
 thereby making it interesting for them as ammunition on our side was 
 plentiful. 
 
 The "Sap" or trench we dug was twelve feet wide, six feet deep 
 and some seven hundred feet long commencing at our left rear and ex- 
 tending up to a Rebel Fort in our front. It v.as made very crooked so 
 that the Rebels could not rake it from any direction. The loose dirt from 
 the ditch was thrown on the side of the Rebel fire. Square timbers were' 
 placed on top of this dirt with gains cut on bottom side for us to look 
 through and to shoot through without exposing ourselves to their fire. 
 The&e breast works served us the entire siege, were occupied day and 
 night where be became very efficient marksman. If a Reb exposed him- 
 self in the slighest degree he was our "meat" sure. The same could be 
 said of the Rebels. The boys would often test .Johnnies marksmanship 
 by placing a hat or cap on ramrod and push it up above the top of our 
 logs which were about twelve by twelve inches square. It was astonish- 
 ing how soon the Rebel bullets would find said cap or hat. It demon- 
 started to us that the Rebel soldier could shoot to the mark, and for. our 
 safety not to expose ourselves. Constant firing of artiller.v and sharp- 
 shooting day after day and night after night and digging rifle pits in 
 
ii 
 
 every available place constituted oiir duties. We were up so close to the 
 enemy picket duty was abandoned, firing from the rifle pits took its 
 place. 
 
 On May 2;')th, white flags were seen on the Rebel works. We won- 
 dered what that meant. Soon learned that it meant an armistice or 
 cessation of hostilties for four hours in which to bury the dead. The 
 stench was so offensive to the Rebels th-ey asked it, the dead being so 
 much closer to them than to us. It included many mules as mule feed 
 was scarce on the Rebel side of works and they thought to drive them 
 over their breast works. We had positive orders to shoot them which 
 we did. The dead mules would fall on either side of their works which 
 added greatly to the stench. 
 
 On May 2 9th a Captain Rogers in command of a section of McAl- 
 lister Battery on our left front while in action playing on Fort Hill (in 
 our front) was killed by a Rebel sharpshooter. I located the spot where he 
 fell for the Chairman of the Military Park Commission in the year 1902. 
 I visited this old battle ground again in the year 1908, and found a 
 suitable monument had been erected on this spot to the memory of 
 Captain Rogers. 
 
 Captain Foster our Division picket officer thought to erect an ob- 
 servatory where he could get high enough to look down on the Rebs 
 within their works and camps. This tower was located half way be- 
 tween us, on our left front, and the Rebel works. He supposed our 
 sharpshooters had silenced all the Rebel batteries and his tower was 
 bullet proof, that the Rebels would respect it as a Yankee trick. The 
 sequel will show. Away on our right the Rebels had a twenty pound 
 parrot gun planted in a position that our boys in its front could not 
 reach with any kind of arms. The first day they saw this observatory 
 they turned this gun on it and had a picnic knocking Foster's lookout to 
 "smithereens." Don't think anyone was hurt for after the first shot 
 there was no one in it. Foster did not rebuild his tower so it was a 
 failure. This observatory stood out in the open where the Rebels could 
 see it from top to bottom, was about six feet square with ladder for 
 climbing to top on the inside. The timbers were prepared in the rear 
 and conveyed to place where it was erected in shades of night. It was 
 also built in the night. As I remember it was from twenty to thirty 
 feet high. This Captain Foster, all our boys knew so well. 
 
 This Rebel parrot gun annoyed our Reg't. very much. It almost 
 had the range of the entire length of 124th. On one particular occa- 
 sion it turned loose at us sending its shots one after another just as 
 fast as they could shoot them until they fired eight or ten shots. The 
 only one hurt was a colored cook who had one hand taken off by a 
 shell. I felt the effects of those shots (the wind of them) as they passed 
 me; passing very close perhaps thr&e or four feet of me. About this 
 time our officers were planning how best they could stop this disturbance. 
 They succeeded in getting two thirty pound parrot guns from Porter's 
 Fleet from the Mississippi river. These guns were about fifteen feet in 
 length, pe-.haps eighteen inches in diameter at the breech, rifled the 
 same as our Enfield muskets and shot very accurately. These guns were 
 taken by way of the sap or ditch that we had made to Fort Hill, perhaps 
 near midway from us to Fort Hill where they were planted, and trained 
 on this Rebel gun. After our guns had fired a few times at it our men 
 thought it strange that it was still doing duty. Our officers watched 
 with their field glasses and when the muzzle of the Rebel gun came into 
 the porthole our guns were fired. One of our guns struck it in its muz- 
 zle, tore the end off and landed it to the rear about thirty paces down 
 in a ravine. Considering the distance that was a wonderful shot, the 
 distance being nearly a mile. You want to know how I know this. 
 In a few weeks after this occured the Rebel army surrendered and a 
 
chain guard or a continuous line of men were placed on guard on the 
 Rebel line of works. 1 was one of these guards. We were on duty two 
 hours, off four hours. Our res<-rve post was near this Rebel gun. While 
 at the reserve post 1 went to look at this gun that had worried us so 
 much. Found it as described, with this additional. While I was look- 
 ing at it a Rebel soldier came to me and interested me with this infor- 
 mation. He said the instant the gun was struck the gunner was sighting 
 the same and his head was shot off. While w^e were talking I picked up 
 a piece of the frontal skull bone of a man's head and this Rebel soldier 
 said that no doubt it was a piece of that gunner's head. 
 
 I must tell you why our guns had failed to silence this gun sooner. 
 It set on a plank platform, the left wheel was chained fast to the plat- 
 form. When it fired the recoil turned the gun in a circle carrying it 
 far enough in circle that the gun was clear of the port hole. The shot 
 that hit it ruined the gun, broke its anchorage and sent it to the rear 
 where we found it. Our guns up to the last shot had been firing at the 
 puff of smoke of the Rebel gun while the recoil was on and it was out 
 of danger. 
 
 The spring that furnished us w^ater during the entire siege was 
 about forty rods from our camp. To get to it in daylight was very 
 dangerous as some fifty paces of that distance was in plain view of the 
 Rebel sharpshooters. Some of our boys were killed at this place. We 
 sooi; learned to run fast while in the open as the enemy could not hit us 
 only when moving slowly, they having to shoot near forty rods. Boeing 
 a weak spring we were compelled to go to it in daytime, that is, a part 
 of us who could not be supplied during the night. When I visited this 
 battlefield in the year 1908 I went to this same old spring nnd took a 
 hearty drink. It was yet furnishing about the same amount of water 
 as it did in 1863. 
 
 The continuous roar of artillery cannot be described. There were 
 three hundred field pieces on Gen. Grant's line of works besides some 
 heavy siege guns. There were two eighty-four pounders planted near 
 Gen. Logan's headquarters that were veiy active, playing on the Rebel 
 forts. The sharpshooters of Grant's army had made it so dangerous for 
 the Rebels to use their artillery that it was practically silenced during a 
 greater part of the siege. 
 
 Gen. Grant would visit us in the trenches every few days and would 
 talk encouraging words to the boys such as "we have got them right 
 where we want them," or "it is only a question of time, they must sur- 
 render soon or starve." "It is impossible for them to obtain commissary 
 supplies. The time must come when the last meal would be eaten." Of 
 course such was encouraging to us. 
 
 Gen. Jos. Johnston whom we drove out of Jackson, Miss., threatened 
 to raise the siege by attacking Gen. Grant's rear thereby letting Gen. i^eni- 
 berton's army out of Vicksburg. Gen. Grant expected he would try that 
 game and made ample provisions for just such a move. :^ had a force 
 of troops extending from the Yazo river to Black river to attend to Gen. 
 Johnston. Gen. Grant had his fo ce of troops perhaps forty or Hftv 
 thousand sent him from other departments to guard his rear, to watch 
 Gen. Johnston. These troops took no active part in the siege but those 
 who did felt perfectly safe that Johnston's troops would not harm us, 
 while our men were on the lookout for them. Gen. Johnston's armv 
 never got closer than forty or fifty miles of Vicksburg. Our Cavalry was 
 also scouting and watching Gen. Johnston all the while so Gen. Grant 
 knew every day what was doing in the rear as well as in the front. Gen 
 Pemberton knew it would be suicide to attempt to cut his wav out of 
 Vicksburg to join Johnston so he resolved to defend the city to "the last. 
 
 We received our mail quite regularly, letters from friends and papers 
 to get the "war news" from other departments. 
 
13 
 
 The pesky minnie ball was getting in its deadly work. One could 
 hear it passing along making its whistling music. With our utmost pMs- 
 caution many of the boys were crippled for life or killed by them. There 
 was a Reb-el sharpshooter off to our right who did much deadly work. 
 The bullet from his gun had a peculiar sound of its own. This fellow 
 was doing such terrible work among our boys that it attracted the at- 
 tention of our superiors and they scanned the Rebel territory to locate 
 Mr. Sharpshooter with their field glasses. They found him perched 
 up in a tall tree concealed by a heavy foliage. They soon brought to bear 
 on this sharpshooter a six pound brass rifle piece. After taking deadh' 
 aim, distance one-half mile, they fired. One shot was all that was needed 
 for Mr. Johnnie came tumbling to the ground. That put an end to his 
 mischief. This I saw as true as that there were any Rebels to shoot at. 
 
 On June 14th my bunkmate and I as usual were sharpshooting side 
 by side all day until near night when Mr. Phillips (that was my bunkie's 
 name) was shot in the face. That blinded him and he fell over back- 
 wards. He was placed on a stretcher and carried to the hospital where 
 his wound was dressed. Mr. Phillips and I had been bed fellows from 
 the time we had left home until this time. He and I, and all though-(' 
 his wound was not dangerous, that in a short time would recover and be 
 active again. In fact he was up and came to our camp on a little visit 
 to see us boys. But it was ordered otherwise. Erysipelas developed 
 in his wound which soon proved fatal. This grand soldier's death was 
 a terrible loss to me. He told m.v parents he would take care of me — he 
 and my parents were near neighbors prior to our enlistment. Mr. Phil- 
 lips left a wife and three children to mourn his loss as well as so many 
 comrade friends. This comrade was very conspicous when in battle, 
 was a great maiksman with a gun. His death occured on the 2 8th of 
 June just two weeks to the hour from the time he was wounded. I 
 must say just here, when I visited the beautiful National Cemetery at 
 Vicksburg in 1902, to my joy and pleasure I found that this true comrade 
 with others of my Company and Regiment had been placed within its 
 walls and their graves were being cared for by the Government that they 
 had died to save. 
 
 The Vicksburg National Cemetery was established in 1866. Is lo- 
 cated two miles due north of the Court House at Vicksburg. It con- 
 sists of forty acres of land. Is inclosed with a brick wall three and a 
 half feet high. The great Mississippi river flows close by. All the U. 
 S. soldiers (Federals) who were killed or died of disease or otherwise 
 during the war within a radius of many miles of Vicksburg were sought 
 out and placed in this Cemetery. In 1902 the number of burrials were 
 sixteen thousand seven hundred and eighty-four. The number 
 known was four thousand twenty-one. Unknown twelve thousand seven 
 hundred and sixty-two. Each grave has a granite marker. Where 
 known the soldier's name is on stone at head of grave. Where unknown 
 the marker is aHya umbered. 
 
 The siege wore along with all kinds of rumors, soir.elime^ that Gen. 
 Joe Johnston was going to attack us in the rear. This did not worry us 
 for we had enough confidence in Gen. Grant to know he was looking out 
 for our rear as well as our front. Our duties were heavy. We were 
 completing the ditch up to the Rebel Fort and sharpshooting day and 
 night. Since my bunkmate died from his wound I put in double time 
 in the riflle pits sharpshooting. Must even up matters if possible. We 
 often hollored over to the Johnnies asking them to oil or grease; they 
 would say "yes." then we would say "well grease yourself and slide 
 back into the Union." Bang would go their guns for our kind advice. 
 Then we would retort. "Oh, Johnnie, we've got you, you are our prison- 
 ers, but you are boarding .vourself." Then we would ask them how mule 
 meat was for a daily ration. Then the bullets would fly for awhile. They 
 
14 
 
 would ask us when we were coming into the city. Perhaps we would 
 want to know of them why they did not come out to reinioi*'! Gen. Joe. 
 Johnston, that he was needing them. They made various replies. Our 
 supe.ior officers soon put a stop to this bantering. 
 
 In digging the trench from our lines up to the Rebel fort our men 
 had a flat car covered with cottonbales which they rolled in front of the 
 sappers to prevent the Rebels from disturbng the miners. As soon as 
 it got near enough the Rebels threw turpentine balls lighted on to this 
 car and burned it up. That spoiled our protection. After this we usied 
 l)ales of cotton, as w-e advanced the cotton bales were rolled ahead of us. 
 Some genius made a wooden morter out of a log. He hollowed out the 
 log placed some bands or iron around it and by using a small charge 
 of powder it would toss a six pound shell over the works on to the 
 enem.v. The Rebels had a heavy gun to our left front we called "Whistl- 
 ing Dick," that made us hunt our holes. Being out of range of our 
 fjus '.vc fnii!(1 not silence it. Very many of its sheels vould not burst 
 until after they had struck the ground, then it would tare up the ground 
 so that a mule or two could be buried in the holes it made. 
 
 Our duties we thought were very heavy. We did our own cooking, 
 washed our clothes once a week, that was very necessary on account of the 
 vermin being so plenty, sharpshooting and digging trenches. At last we 
 got the trenches done, the big trench being completed up to the R-ebel 
 fon, about the middle of June. All the while we kept up active sharp- 
 shooting from every avaiable spot at every thing we saw move — man 
 or beast. 
 
 It was thought best by some to blow up Fort Hill. That would 
 break the Rebel line sufficient to allow the Federals to march through 
 the lines and take possession of Vicksburg. So miners were put to work 
 drifting under this fort. They made a main shaft near the center of the 
 fort then drifted three in dilferent directions. When they completed this 
 they planted three mines of powder twelve hundred pounds each, and 
 filled up the drifts with timbers and cordwood. Being all ready the ex- 
 plosion took place at four P. M., on the 25th of June. The artillery all 
 along the line was active at that hour. The purpose was to hold the 
 Rebels from reinforcing where the explosion took place, thereby the as- 
 saulting column would not meet with so heavy resistance. Our Bridage 
 was to be the assaulting column which was as follows: The 20th Ills., 
 ."1 Ills., 4.5th Ills., 124th Ills., 23rd Indiana. Having been notified we 
 v.-ere all ready. Every man had his gun loaded and primed waiting for 
 orders to movn. At last the explosion was heard. As soon as the debris 
 cleared away the 4 5th Ills, made the assault. In a few minutes the 
 3 1st Ills, took the place of the 45th boys. A few minutes more the 20th 
 Ills, relieved the 31st. AH fought desparately losing some valuable of- 
 ficers and a great many men. It was given up as a failure, the lay of the 
 ground on Rebel side of works was impregnable. The 12 4th Ills, was 
 standing in line nearby expecting to be ordered any moment into the 
 fray. But night coming on we were ordered back into the rifle pits to do 
 sharpshooting which was kept up all night. On the morning of the 2 6th 
 the 124th was ordered into the "Crater" or place of the mine explosion. 
 This place as near as 1 can describe it was shaped like a large wash basin 
 and was about fifty feet in diameter. There was next to the Rebels a 
 bank of the fort perhaps eight feet higher than any other part of what 
 was left of the fort after the explosion. There were eight Companies of 
 our Regt. two of which were ordered into the Crater at a time, staved in 
 twent.v minutes then were relieved by two other Companies. ' This was 
 the order for the entire day. One third of the men were placed as near 
 the top of this bank or crest of fort as they could get and not be seen 
 by the Rebels for the purpose of firing the guns the other two-thirds of 
 the men, who were lower down in the Crater, loaded and passed up to 
 
15 
 
 us. My position was up near the crest of the fort on the firing 
 line. Those gun barrels became very hot, so much so that my left hand 
 became seared or blistered in handling those hot guns. My duty was to 
 poke the loaded gun over this bank and tire it off having no knowledge 
 whether 1 was doing any execution or not. After firing passed the gun 
 down to be reloaded. Perhaps we had been two or three times in this 
 Crater when the Rebels began tossing six pound shells with lighted fuse 
 over at us. They came directly over my head, could have reached those 
 shells if so disposed. I knew too well their contents and what they meant 
 for us if we happened to be in their way. I think it was the first one 
 they threw over that rolled into Robert Vance's lap and exploded, he was 
 sitting down about sixteen feet from where I was. He fell forward on his 
 face mangled badly. In a few minutes another came over rolled to his 
 side then exploded tearing the poor man into shreads. Soon anofher 
 came over and exploded, mortally wounding George Grabendike and 
 George Lanham. All three belonged to my Company and were married 
 men. It was too much for mortal man to stand such destruction. Those 
 men of that vicinity who could get away did so, leaving the Crater and 
 went out into the trench. As the gunloaders had fled for saftey, I made 
 it my business to follow as I had no ammunition to work with. It was 
 a very hot place to be in if we had had nothing to have done, no breeze 
 could touch us. Then add those bursting shells that filled the air with 
 dirt throwing it all over us. It simply can not be described. It was 
 terrific. It was afterwards named "The Slaughter Pen." The Rebels 
 could tell they were doing execution for they could hear our men holler 
 and groan when struck, as there w'as only a few feet space between us 
 and them. This work they kept up for some hours. Other Companies 
 suffered badly. Many of our men had their hands wounded while firing 
 over the crest of the fort by bullets from the enemy. Toward evening 
 we were relieved by a Reg't of another Brigade. When my Company 
 fell in to be relieved there were only ten, that morning there were 
 twenty-two. These eight Companies had lost over fifty men. The Reg't. 
 that relieved us was not ordered into the Crater but was placed in the 
 trench to keep up sharpshooting all night. 
 
 After being relieved we marched to our camp — what was left of us 
 — tired and dirty, to get us some supper. By some miraculous power I 
 had not been hurt. 
 
 The days work p'oved useless. Our side had not gained any ad- 
 vantage by all this strenuous work. We settled down to regular siege 
 work — sharpshooting. We had become experts vs-ith out rifles. If a Reb, 
 or any living thing showed himself he was in great danger of a Yank.^ 
 bullet. You will wonder at our firing after dark and throughout the 
 night. The orders were to keep up a constant fire. Every man was 
 expected to fire forty rounds during his two hours of duty. All that 
 was expected of us was to point our guns toward the enemy and fire. It. 
 was a common saying with the boys that we were shelling the woods with 
 our bullets. After the surrender a Confederate soldier told me that a 
 Johnnie, was killed while walking his beat in front of Gen. remberton's 
 headquarters which was two and a half mile from the firing line. 
 
 So much firing caused us to pad our right shoulders, as the con- 
 stant back action was such that this padding became very necessary. 
 I have not to this day forgotten how sore my shoulder was at that time. 
 
 The engineers with a detail of men were busy drifting again beneath 
 Fort Hill, if successful to blow it up the second time. On .luly 1st, all 
 being ready the mine was sprung. Oh my, what a sight it was. limbers, 
 dirt, men all in the air at once. The Confederates presuming that we 
 would try to break the line at this point reinforced it heavily, notwith- 
 standing our artillery was playing on them all along the line. On they 
 came. Our punishment at first blowing up was sufficient to satisfy all 
 
16 
 
 concerned. The last explosion was terrific in its destruction. Of the rnen 
 we saw in the air there were six. three soldiers and three negroes, that 
 fell on our side of line all dead but one, that one a negro lad about fifteen 
 yeaiB old. Our boys said to him "How high up did you go Sambo? 
 Don't know massa. spec about tree miles. Oh no Sambo? Well 1 went 
 until I seen de stars. When 1 was coming down I met massa going up. 
 This negro was taken to our Brigade headquarters (Gen. Legget's), 
 where he remained as a lacky servant for some time. The punishment at 
 this second explosion was all on the Rebel's side. The immense amount 
 of dirt was mostly shifted towards the Confederates which buried about 
 fifty of their men alive. They expected the Yanks to charge at this time 
 in an attempt to break their line, but were happily disappointed. 
 
 The sharpshooting and shelling was kept up constantly day and 
 night by the Federals until the third day of July we noticed their white 
 flag on the Rebel works to our left and soon all along their line. This 
 meant an armistice — or to cease hostilities — to cease firing. 
 
 In a short time soldiers of both armies were up on their respective 
 works talking to each other and wondering what this all meant. The 
 t onfec'erates were as ignorant as we were. So*.'!. Gen. Gram and tour 
 or five other Generals of lower rank came riding along our large trench 
 as far as the fort where the? turned to the left, rode about one hund- 
 red paces and stopped. Then we saw three men ride out of the Rebel 
 lines to where Gen. Grant was awaiting them. This party proved to be 
 Gen. Pemberton and some minor officers. This meeting was for the pur- 
 pose o'i api I-'. Ailing terms of capitulation. Grant's le uis did not p'ease 
 Gen. Pemberton. The meeting was soon over each party going to their 
 respective headquarters, with the understanding that the white flags 
 should remain where they were until daylight the next morning. Then 
 if Gen. Pemberton accepted Gen. Grant's terms the white flag should 
 remain up, if not they would take them down and the fighting would 
 be on in full force. It appeared that Pemberton wanted to consult his 
 prominent Generals regarding terms that had t-_'en offered them, to 
 decide what he best do surrender or not. Sometime in the night of July 
 3d Gen. Grant received a communication from Gen. Pemberton that bis 
 terras were accepted. 
 
 The first thing we did on the morning of July 4th was to look for 
 the white flag. To our surprise they were yet waving, saying "no fight- 
 ing." What else it meant we did not know. The stillness was oppressive 
 no bullets whistling, no roar of artillery. All was absolutely still. How- 
 can we endure such a change was in every man's mind. For forty-seven 
 days and nights there had been a constant roar of musketry and artillery, 
 every moment had been full of excitement, our nerves had been strung 
 to the top notch. This extreme was almost unendurable. About nine 
 o'clock we received the word that Gen. Pemberton was going to sur- 
 render his army the city and military property. About ten o'clock the 
 headquarter Cornet Band came near to our camp. The first we knew of 
 them they commenced playing "Hail Columbia." It was the first note of 
 music we had heard for more than six weeks. While the band was play- 
 ing the Confederate soldiers marched to the outer side of their works 
 where they stacked their guns, accouterments and flags then returned 
 to the inside of their works. They were our prisoners. What a sacri- 
 fice had been made to accomplish this result. 
 
 Gen. Grant had on the battlefield at Vicksburg about forty thousand 
 men, and under his cotnmand at the close of the siege between eighty 
 and ninety thousand men. The very moment Gen. Grant knew^ that 
 Gen. Pemberton's army had surrendered, he ordered Gen. Sherman to 
 take an army and chase Joe Johnston and his men out of the state or 
 a long ways to the rear which he did. 
 
 Gen. Grant designated Gen. Logan's Division to march* into the 
 
17 
 
 city ahd take possession of the prisoners and also the government property 
 that would soon be stored or unload-ed in Vicksburg. The 45th Ills. 
 Regt. was in advance and soon their flag was flying from the top of Vicks- 
 burg's Court House. The 124th Ills. Regt. went into the city that day. 
 I with others was detailed for guard duty. There was a continuous line 
 of guards on the Rebel line of works from one end to the other, so 
 as to keep all the Confederate soldiers on the inside until properly dis- 
 posed of. 
 
 The capitulation of Pemberton on .July 4th meant much to the 
 Federal army, a double celebration. To our Regt. it meant among other 
 things that our tents would find us again once more. We had left them 
 at Millikens Bend on April 25th. 
 
 The Confederates were as anxious to get out of Vicksburg as we 
 were to get into Vicksburg. They were anxious to hear from their homes 
 and to learn the news from other departments. The lack of food was 
 the main reason for surrendering when they did. There were ten thous- 
 and citizens who were hungry, and who had fled from their homes to 
 caves in the hills as Porter's Fleet shelled the city all the while during 
 the siege. 
 
 Our Division Commander Gen. Logan was placed in command of 
 the Post. These confederate soldiers had to be fed, in round numbers 
 about thirt.v thousand, and a large per cent of the citizens of Vicksburg. 
 For the lack of transportation facilities. Gen. Grant decided to parole 
 the entire army that we had captured, which took five or six days. When 
 the paroles were all made out each soldier had his individula parole in 
 his pocket. They were allowed to march out through the line of guards. 
 As before stated I was placed on as one of these guards. Sometime 
 during the fourth of July a Confederate soldier came to me and asked 
 me if I would give him something to eat. I replied "yes." As I had 
 a full haversack I gave the poor fellow all I had except my coffee, for I 
 knew where close by could get plenty more. Of course while he was 
 filling up on Uncle Samuel's rations we were visiting. I asked him if 
 he was ever up north. "Oh yes," "Ever as far north as Illinois?" He 
 answered, "Illinois, Illinois," (with som-e hesitance" "I don't know sah. 
 I have an uncle somewhere in Illinois on the sea-coast." I said to him 
 that I didn't think he had ever been that far north. "Well" he said with 
 much boldness "I have been as far as Holly Springs, Mississippi," which 
 place was about one hundred miles from where we were then standing. 
 
 During my twenty-four hours detail I was taken seriously sick, was 
 compelled to remain where I was at the reserve post, but was excused 
 from further duty by the Seargant of the guard. The relief guard did 
 not come to relieve us until the evening of July 5th, quite late. I was 
 too sick to attempt to find my Regt. that night so st^ived at fhi:; reserve 
 post until the following morning. On the morning of July 6th I started 
 out to find by Regt. had not seen for two days. Did not have the least 
 idea where it was located. After much inquiring I found it about noon 
 about a mile out from the city. Our tents had arrived. The ground 
 they occupied was absolutely bare of a single shade tree. Oh, but it 
 was hot. The Doctor came to see me, but it was several days before was 
 able to do duty. About this time we received orders to strike tents, fall 
 in and march. We moved about two miles northeast and made camp 
 amidst some heavy timber, where we had beautiful shade for both man 
 and beast. As was our custom the first thing we did was to clear up thei 
 ground so it looked as if ladies had swept and garnished it. But to 
 see a lady in camp was something very unusual. Once in a great while 
 an officer's wife would come to visit him from th-e north. How pleased 
 we all would be to see them. 
 
 At this camp the paymaster paid us two months pay. For a private 
 soldier two months wages was $26. After a few days here I was taken 
 
1^ 
 
 verv sick and was carried to the Regimental Hospital. They had built 
 an "arbor for the sick men. I was placed under this arbor where I lost 
 consciousness and reinaind unconscious for several days. When I re- 
 gained consciousness I was in a hospital tent, and had one of my own 
 ('ompany for a nurse. Sometime during the fore part of August a general 
 order from the War Department was issued to send all sick soldiers, 
 who were able to be sent north. My nurse came to me and said "Steve, 
 you must change your hospital clothes and put on your own clothes. 
 you are going to be sent north." By the time I was ready an ambulance 
 came for me where I was loaded in and taken to the wharf at the boat- 
 landing at Vicksburg. This boat, I was taken aboard of, was fitted up 
 expresssly for sick soldiers. It was soon filled and steaming up the 
 river. 
 
 There were thousands of soldiers who needed to be sent notth so 
 this boat was unloaded at Memphis, Tenn., and returned for others. 
 We had come about four hundred miles north. I was placed in a large 
 building l<nown as Webster Hospital. After being there thirteen days, 
 iiaving gained a little strength, I was given a thirty day furlough to my 
 home, which I took. Went within six miles of home on the steamboat. 
 At the expiration of thirty days I was not sufficiently improved to return 
 to service. The attending physician gave me an affidavit to that effect. 
 I remained at home another thirty days. After which time I reported 
 to the Webster hospital at Memphis, Tenn. The head physician said to 
 me "It seems to do you bovs much good to be sent home." I replied 
 that it had done me a very great good. He asked me "Do you want 
 to go to your regiment or stay here a few days. I told him 1 ^vnnlod to ^o 
 to my Regt. He turned to an officer and told him to get necessary 
 transportation for me to my Regt. I was soon on my way ploughing 
 down the river to Vicksburg. During my absence my Brigade had been 
 sent twelve miles east to Black River Bridge, the which I soon learned 
 upon my arrival at Vicksburg. 1 boarded a train that took me out to 
 ■where I found the 12 4th Regt. The Company bo.vs were glad to see me 
 march into camp again. They said they never expected to see me again. 
 The last they saw^ me was in the Reginmental hospital three months be- 
 fore and very sick. I had entirely recovered and was immediately re- 
 ported for duty, on the Company books. Which duty consisted chiefly 
 of picket duty. 
 
 The Black river was the line between us and the Rebel territory. 
 At this camp we were ordered to go into winter quarters. We raised 
 our tents on a board wall from three to four feet high. Had a lower 
 and upper bunk with a brick fireplace for each tent and chimneys of 
 all sorts, perhaps ten feet high. In these tents we kept very comfortable. 
 Thus fixed we had kitchen, dining room bed room, all in one room about 
 seven by nine feet. There were about sixteen tents to a Company, eight 
 on either side of the street running through the center. Each tent had 
 from two to four soldiers in it. Each Company had to provide its own 
 fuel to burn, taking about a wagon load a week. 
 
 Our Division was known as the 3rd Division 17th Army Corps. The 
 Division was made up of the 1st, 2nd. and 3rd Brigades. The 1st Brigade 
 was camped at the railroad at Black river bridge. The other two Bri- 
 gades were in at Vicksburg. Our Division Commander Gen. Legget 
 thought it good to offer a $200 banner to the best drilled Regt. in his 
 Division. There were many conditions in the offer. It included cleanli- 
 ness of camp, soldierly appearance and conduct, Battallion movements,' 
 manual of arms, etc. This flag should always be known as a Division 
 banner or in other words, the Regt, carried it should belong to the 3rd 
 Division 17th Army Corps. 
 
 The officers of the 124th Regt. entered into the competition for 
 Banner for all that was in them, to win. So for two months we had much 
 
19 
 
 practice. Battallion drill every day, sometimeis twice a day, excepting 
 Sundays. A committe of five officers in the Division were appointed 
 judg-es to decide at each contest. Each Brigade was to drill separate 
 to decide which Regt. was the excelsior one in each Brigade. Each Bri- 
 grade was todrill on separate days, so that the judges could act for all. 
 They commenced with the 1st Brigade, all doing their best. The 12 4tli 
 Regt. won in the 1st Brigade. The 2nd Brigade drilled next. The 7 8th 
 Ohio Regt. won in that Brigade. Next was the 3rd Brigade. The 17th 
 Ills. Regt. won in that Brigade. In a few da.vs w^e were notified that we 
 would have to drill against the 7 8th Ohio and the 17th Ills. On a cer- 
 tain day at Vicksburg. When the day arrived a train of cars was senr, 
 out to take the 124th boys to Vicksburg. Leaving the cars we marched 
 to the grounds where we ate our dinner. The time set for the drill was 
 1 P. M. At the proper time the other two Regiments came on to the 
 grounds. There was a tremendous crowd of sightseers present, so many 
 that the drill ground had to be guarded b.v other soldiers. First the 
 Regimental Command recast lots to see who would drill first. It fell lo 
 the 12 4th to drill last. We felt while watching those two Regts. drill, 
 they did so well it was not possible that we could excell. Each Regt. 
 was to drill forty minutes. The signal was given for us to show what 
 we could do and every man determined to do his best. When the con- 
 test was over the judges unanimously declared the 124th Ills, had won the 
 Excelsior Banner. Our competitors cheered us hearitly. Then Gen. 
 .McPherson our Corps Commander rode forward and presented the Ban- 
 ner to our Colonel, John H. Howe, with a very complimentary speech. 
 W'e felt we were amply repaid for the strenuous work it had cost us. 
 
 We were taken back to our camp on a train of cars. Were met 
 at stopping place by our Brigade to do us honors for the success we had 
 achieved, sa.ving, if they could not win the Excelsior Banner they were 
 proud to have it come to the 1st Brigade. Surely we felt proud of our 
 achievements. 
 
 The next few weeks duties were not so arduous for us being mostly 
 picket duty. Occasionally the Rebel Cavalry would make a dash on 
 the outpost or videt picket. But they knew so well where to stop, not to 
 go too far. I was on picket once when they made a dash but they did 
 not come close enough for me to get a shot at them, yet they were in 
 sight. They were on horseback. They had a cowardly plan of slipping 
 up in the night and firing on our picket. 
 
 Our Brigade Commander issued an order that a small per cent of 
 the soldiers could go out in the timber squirrel huting, a diversion from 
 the monotony of lying about camp. I went one day but found no game. 
 The squirrels had fled across Black river to safety, we supposed. On 
 our way back to camp following along the river we came to a place wher« 
 some Rebs had felled some trees from each side of river into the river 
 interlacing the tops so as to make a foot-bridge whereby they could 
 cross over, fire on our pickets then recross under the cover of night. 
 
 We had some fine athletes with us such as wrestlers, jumpers and 
 foot racers. These fellows furnished much amusement during that winter. 
 We soon learned who the different champions were. John Vlearbone of 
 Company C. was the champion foot racer. Captain Fields of Company 
 C. was the champion half hammond jumper. Walla Baker of Company 
 H. was the champion three-jumps jumper. These three men were cham- 
 pions of our Regt. in their several spheres. 
 
 We were allowed to visit friends in adjoining camps, but always had 
 to have a pass when we wished to be absent from our Company, no matter 
 were we wished to go or for how short a time. This was necessary that 
 our officers might know where their men were at all times. 
 
 One of the daily duties* was dress parade. Every man was ex- 
 pected to go on dress parade unless excused by the surgeon. To be ex- 
 
20 
 
 cused from duty of any kind the soldier iiad to attend the sick-call, which 
 was sounded at a certain hour every morning, and be excused by the 
 Doctor. Otherwise he was subject to any duty that he was liable to be 
 wanted to perform. 
 
 It was almost a daily occurrence for citizens from across the lines 
 to come to our headquarters to purchase supplies. These were mostly 
 women. Thev would buv such as tobacco, cigars, gloves, drugs, but 
 nothing to eat of any kind. Usually the.v were a sorry looking outfit 
 To see a woman returning home with a great large cigar in her mouth 
 was a disgusting sight to us Northern men. The women of the South 
 use tobacco in some form, smoking, chewing or snuff as a generality or 
 did at the war period. 
 
 On the 2nd of February, 1864, we received orders to prepare to 
 march. Had been in this camp more than three months. On February 
 3rd the drum beat the "fall-in"call. Soon we were moving across Black 
 river to the east. As we had a winter's rest, were in fine trim to inarch 
 with the best of them. We soon learned that there was a large army to 
 keep company with us, the 16th Corps, commanded by Stephen A. Hurl- 
 bert, ai]d the 17th Corps, commanded by .Tames B. McPherson. Both 
 these men were Major Generals. The 16th Corps, twelve thousand strong, 
 and the 17th Corps, about fifteen thousand strong, with some Cavalry 
 and ArHllery sufficient to make a force of thirty thousand men, was under 
 the immediate command of Major General W. T. Sherman. The 17th 
 Corps was in advance. This size army, on a single road in marchin.n 
 order, including the necessary wagons that had to be taken along, would 
 cover a fifteen-mile stretch of road. A government wagon is hauled by a 
 six-mule team, with one man as driver, sitting on the near-wheel mule, 
 driving with a single line. The Artiller.v had from six to eight horses 
 to each gun, the same number to a Caisson or Ammunition chest. In- 
 variably the Government supplied the Artillery and Cavalry service with 
 horses, and the wagons to haul Government stores, camp equippage, etc., 
 with mules (that is, in the army that I was with). 
 
 Our tents were left standing at the place of starting. None of us 
 had the remotest idea where we were going but General Sherman. He 
 knew, of course, where we had started for, and it was up to the other 
 fellow whether we succeeded or not. 
 
 We had gone but a short distanec when we heard firing at the front. 
 The scouts had found Mr. Rebel, who had exchanged shots with our boys. 
 But this great force of men moved on the first day. The second day 
 there was enough force to dispute the right of way. Our advance de- 
 ployed two Regiments in line of battle, with skirmishers in front to clear 
 the road. As we advanced there seemed to be more of the enemy in our 
 front. Will say just here, an army as this was, had to eat cold dinner. 
 Every soldier was supposed to carry his own rations, and could eat at 
 any time he chose during the day; at night and morning, could build a 
 fire and boil his coffee and warm his "sow belly," if he had any, to go 
 with his hard tack. Sometimes he might have some sweet potato or 
 chicken for a variety to go with his Government rations. These, how- 
 ever, were not issued to us by Uncle Sam. 
 
 I think it was on the third day out that we came to the saddest sight 
 that I saw while in the army. It was one of our men lying by the road- 
 side with his head shot off by a cannon ball. We were told he was on 
 the skirmish line, was concealed behind a large gate post, but exposed 
 his head to a rebel gun near by with the result as above stated. The 
 entire head was gone, nowhere to be seen. Of the many men who I had 
 seen wounded in all conceivable forms and mangled to shreds, this 
 incident made the strongest appeal to my humane feelings of them all. 
 The gun. at the time it shot this man. was standing in the back yard of 
 a residence. While it was being fired at our men, a woman stood near it, 
 
21 
 
 and was killed by a bullet from some of our skirmishers, so we were told. 
 I did not see her, as they had carried her into the house ere our part 
 came along. 
 
 The enemy was not yet strong enough to give battle, so we made the 
 usual day's march. On the fourth day, early in the morning, our Bri- 
 gade being in front, we passed through Clinton, Miss. My Regiment be- 
 ing on the skirmish line, we soon met the enemy in force. We were 
 halted. While we were halted there was a piece of shell just missed my 
 head. I could not hear anything out of my left ear for the remainder 
 of the day. The 16th Corps was sent to the left, trying to get behind the 
 enemy, but they found it out in time to retreat and save themselves from 
 capture. We were ordered forward. This was the early part of the day. 
 The Rebels made no attempt to engage in battle that day. About camp- 
 ing time our Division Commander halted us, and said he had just received 
 word that our Cavalry had possession of Jackson, Miss., and they wanted 
 some Infantry to help hold it, also that he expected to go into camp here. 
 He said, "Will you go?" Some one asked him how far it was, and he 
 replied, three miles. The men said, "Yes, yes, we are good for three 
 miles more." We found those three miles long ones after three hours 
 of hard marching. They proved to be nine miles. He may have meant 
 .three times three, but did not say so. At any rate it was a real object 
 lesson to us ever afterwards; at least we were never fooled so easily 
 again. We made twenty-five miles that day, several of them in line of 
 battle. 
 
 The next morning I could hear very well, and the Rebels did not try 
 to retake Jackson. It was simply a ruse played on us completely. We 
 . got to rest the next day, while the remainder of the army overtook us. 
 
 This city, Jackson, suffered much from the war. This was the third 
 time the Federal army had entered it. The poontoon bridge soon was 
 laid across Pearl river, which flowed just east of the city. After crossing 
 the river, we pushed on to the east at regular rate, no organized Rebel 
 army being immediately in front of us. Thus we continued for a few 
 days, when the indications were plain that the enemy was increasing in 
 force in our front. About this time our Brigade of four Regiments was 
 ordered off to the right o fthe main column, to a station on the Vicksburg 
 and Charleston railroad, to burn the railroad bridge, tear up the track, 
 and burn what cotton we found, etc. Each man was to carry sixty rounds 
 of ammunition. Before we reached the station, we came to the Rebel 
 pickets, quartered in an unfinished building. In the same yard was a 
 family residence. By an order from the commanding officer, a file of men 
 from my Company was detailed to burn those houses. The poor woman 
 pleaded for her home, but that could not save it. Such was war. No 
 doubt the commander had justifiable reasons for issuing the order, but 
 to a private soldier it seemed contrary to the Golden Rule. 
 
 We soon discovered a strong force. Two Regiments of our men 
 were deployed as skirmishers, the other two as supporters. Orders were 
 given to advance on the double-quick. This proved to be the right move, 
 as the enemy hastily evacuated the place. In their great hurry they left 
 a number of loaded wagons in the small river near by, cutting the mules 
 loose, thereby making their escape from the Yankee Army. The Rebels 
 could easily have stood us off, for they outnumbered us, but they had no 
 way of knowing but what Sherman's whole army was coming onto them. 
 
 In making this advance, the Rebel bullets were singing pretty 
 plentifully. I heard a man of my Compnay say, "Oh, Lieutenant, I am 
 nearly dead." I looked to see what the trouble was, and to my surprise 
 I saw the Lieutenant had his sword against the man's back, keeping him 
 in place with this explosive, "Oh, damn you. you have never smelled 
 gunpowder yet, but you have got to smell it today." This poor fellow, 
 somehow, some way, in all the battles we had been in, was always miss- 
 
22 
 
 ing. Perhaps we would not see him for five days afterwards. His stoi-V 
 of his absence was that he had been fighting with some other Regiment. 
 Tlie boys had another version of the matter, however. For this man's 
 satisfaction, the enemy had flown, and he would not have to hunt another 
 Regiment to do his part with. I shall name this man John, as wilj 
 allude to him again, as he became notorious before we camped for the 
 night. 
 
 After we came into possession of Chunkeysville, the work of destruc- 
 tion commenced, which included the burning of a vast amount of cotton, 
 railroad depot, railroad track and bridge over the river, and two strong 
 stockades. This was railroad and Confederate property. When through, 
 turned and marched until we found the road the main column had trav- 
 eled, where we camped for the night. During the afternoon's march, in 
 passing a pretentious plantation house, an officer of my Company said, 
 "I will carry any man's gun and accoutrements who will go into that 
 house and bring me a coverlet." John said, "I'll do that." So it was 
 arranged and carried out. Soon after, we went into camp. Shortly after, 
 a woman, with some small children came into camp, all crying, and went 
 to my Colonel, saying that his men had taken all her bed clothes. The 
 Colonel told her to go through his Regiment, and anything that she found 
 that belonged to her, she should have. Suffice it to say the poor woman 
 did not find what had been taken from her. What I have related about 
 John shows that all who wore the "Blue" were not built alike; also that 
 if all were heroes, it must include on different lines of action. This tiak- 
 ing of personal private property was all wrong at that time, as any time 
 before or since. 
 
 We moved early next day, and marched into Meridian, Miss., where 
 we found Sherman's army. This town is located at the crossing of the 
 Vicksburg and Charleston railroad and the Mobile and Ohio railroad. 
 Our business was to destroy these railroad tracks, rendering them as use- 
 less for the future as possible. We tore up thirty miles of track within 
 the time we were there. We burned the ties, and twisted the rails by 
 heating them. Some of these we wound around trees — of course "with 
 our blessings." 
 
 Meridian at that time was a small village. Only fine Confederate 
 industry was located here, which was destroyed. OneJsherman's men 
 took this opportunity for revenge. It seemed that this fellow passed 
 through Meridian on a former occasion, being a prisoner of war. While 
 here a certain woman asked his guard the privilege of spitting in the 
 Yankee's face, which was given her. So at this time he called on the 
 woman, mentioned the fact what she had done, and told her that now it 
 was his time for sweet revenge. He set her house afire, which burned. 
 She rescued some of her chattels, carrying them to another house. He 
 followed her until he had burned three houses. It would seem that the 
 soldier came otT first best that time. 
 
 Meridian was near the east state line, about one hundred and fifty 
 miles from VMcksburg and our communications or base of supplies. When 
 the work of destruction at Meridian was done, we received orders to 
 march — to where, never concerned the private soldier. The thing for 
 him to do was to obe.v orders, let it take him where it would. When he 
 had done that, he was a good, faithful soldier, and had done all that was 
 expected of him. 
 
 When the army left Meridian, it moved in a north of west direction 
 through a pine forest. We surmised we were going back to where we 
 started from. The usual amount of skirmishing began, but not serious 
 enough to check the progress of the main army. 
 
 There were many unexpected things transpired with such an army — 
 some ludicrous, others ugly and serious. In passing a large residence, 
 some of our men went to one of the outbuildings, where they found a. 
 
23 
 
 middle-ag-ed man tied up. When asked what his being tied up meant, 
 he replied that the owner of the place was a "conscript agent" of the 
 Confederate Government, whose business it was to run down every man 
 who was able to bear arms in that country, with bloodhounds, and force 
 them into the Confederate Army. He was asked where the agent was. 
 The man pointed to a thicket of brush near by. Our soldiers went as 
 directed to tne thicket, and found Mr. Agent. He was brought to face his 
 prisoner at headquarters. The evidence was such that the agent was 
 ordered to be tied to the rear end of one of the government wagons, and 
 his prisoner, who had been found tied up, was to guard him with a revol- 
 ver for the day. After we had gone into camp, the agent was ordered to 
 headquarters for a hearing. When the trial was over, he was placed in 
 the charge of an officer and a detail of twelve men, with the order to take 
 him to "Dry Tortugas," which meant to his own execution. (Dry Tortu- 
 gas is a barren island in the gulf of Mexico.) The evidence showed that 
 this agent had brutishly caused many deaths, and that he was to receive 
 a stated amount for every man he furnished to the Confederate Govern- 
 ment. 
 
 Perhaps, the second day out, as we were passing a residence, the 
 air was swarming plentifully with honey bees. They were surely on the 
 warpath. Some sweet-toothed fellow had evidently tipped over a gum 
 to obtain some honey. The more noise we made, the more attractive they 
 became to the soldiers. While the men were reducing this apiary, a 
 young woman came out to warn the men to desist from further inter- 
 purting the bees, that they would get stung badly, whereon they paid no 
 attention to her warning — only laughed at her, saying, "No, they would 
 not bite." Then she retorted, "1 hope to God they will sting you to 
 death." That prayer did not save the honey, however. 
 
 Perhaps it was the second night out I was detailed to guard prison- 
 ers that our Cavalry had captured, amounting to thirty or forty, made 
 up of bushwhackers. Some were old men. When I was placed on guard, 
 some were crying, fearing they could not keep up next day, then the 
 guards would kill them by running bayonets through them. I tried to 
 console them by telling them that they should not be hurt while I was 
 their guard, also adding, "Tis true, your lives are in the guards' hands as 
 helpless prisoneak, but no true gua' d, one worthy of the name, will suffer 
 you to be harmed while in custody." 
 
 About a day after we crossed Pearl river, we came to the town of 
 Canton, Miss., located on the Mississippi Central railroad, in the richest 
 agricultural district I have seen in the state. I suppose the town had one 
 thousand inhabitants, possibly more. We captured twenty-two locomo- 
 tives and a large amount of rolling stock, which was destroyed in such 
 manner that it could never be of any more service to the Confederacy. 
 Having eaten all our rations that we had taken with us, it was a case of 
 necessity to forage off the enemy, as we were sixty miles from our sup- 
 plies with nothing else to subsist on. After burning the railroad bridges, 
 we remained there several days. Most of the time it was cold, rainy 
 weather. We thought of the snug quarters we had left, but now it was 
 out in the open, and had to take what came to us. 
 
 While here at Canton, quite a number of our Regiment, while out 
 on a scouting expedition, were captured by a force of Rebels dressed in 
 our uniforms. The scouting party were returning to the camp. The 
 Rebel force cut them off from the camp by forming across the road they 
 were on, and waited there until our men came up real close, when they 
 opened fire on them. Our men dismounted and fought them lUitil they 
 saw they were overpowered. Our commanding officer told our Uien, for 
 every man to look out for himself. Some were killed, some were cap- 
 tured, the rest came to us after hiding by day and traveling by night. 
 
 General Sherman sent a courier to Vicksburg for a train of 3upplies 
 
24 
 
 ur rations to come to our relief, which in an incredible time reached u^. 
 An ^nipty haversack is a great misfortune to a soldier. The train of 
 commissary rations that came to us was guarded by a Brigade of soldiers, 
 which usually was made up of from fifteen hundred to three thousand 
 men. This was the only time in my life that getting short of rations 
 happened. The chief quartermaster at Vicksburg. when making up the 
 supplies for this campaign, fell short one million rations by mistake. 
 
 Rain, rain, Oh, how it did rain! Yet the soldier had no choice. His 
 duties were continuous, wet or dry, warm or cold. The work of destroy- 
 ing all property that would be of any advantage to our enemy at Canton, 
 being completed, we moved on. the Rebel Cavalry ever lurking on our 
 flanks. The roads were almost impassable. We marched all day, making 
 six miles. It rained about a half of the time that day. We got into camp 
 i^ome time after dark. I was detailed to picket duty. Order was to re- 
 port to Division headquarters. This guard was from the Division, and was 
 about two hundred strong. We left headquarters about 11 o'clock that 
 night. I, with two German soldiers, was left out in an open field. These 
 men 1 had never seen before nor since. I, being the younger of the three, 
 left it to them how we should divide the time, and who should stand the 
 first tour. They took the first and second tours, leaving me Jhe third 
 tour, which ended at daylight. Our orders were to have no^^KwVgf during 
 the night. It was a cold night, a crust was frozen on top of the ground. 
 In ni.v efforts to sleep, I lay there with my teeth rattling "to beat the 
 band." All the covering I had with me was an oilcloth blanket, which 
 ivas alright to keep our ammunition dry. but not to keep out freezing 
 temperature, especially when there was nothing between it and the bare, 
 wet and freezing ground. The German comrades did not offer to splice 
 coverings, whereby we would all have been benefited, nor did I ask them 
 to. I suffered more that night from the weather than any other time 
 during my service. Why do the old soldiers think so much of the Flag 
 of our Country? Because of so much suffering and so much blood shed 
 by the truest men that lived at that period. We had that reverence for 
 the Flag burned into us during the summer months, froze into us during 
 the winter months, and shot into us during the entire year. 
 
 When morning came, those German fello\\s hiked out to help me make 
 a fire. There being an old rail fence near by. we soon had about twenty- 
 five top rails together and burning and our coffee cans heating. Mean- 
 while I was doing my best to get warm, being so near chilled through it 
 was almost impossible to get thawed out. My teeth kept rattling until I 
 had drunk nearly a quart of boiling hot coffee. While eating our break- 
 fast we could see our army moving on the march. With no instructions to 
 relieve ourselves, we expected an officer to come and relieve us from this 
 post, but none came. I knew it was the day for my Regiment to be rear 
 guard of everything, so after finishing my breakfast, having got thor- 
 oughly warmed up, I formed a column of my own. and pulled for the ad- 
 vance of the army. When I came to the 14th Illinois Regiment, I marched 
 with them until about three o'clock, when I stopped for my own Regi- 
 ment, knowing that the advance would soon go into camp to let the rear 
 catch up. About an hour after dark, my Regiment came along. It was 
 so dark I could not tell one man from another by sight, but I knew their 
 voices. Our Company, being the color bearers,. I watched for the flag 
 staff, which I could see between me and the blue sky. When I stepped 
 into my place, a number of men commenced helloing Beck, hello Beck, 
 where have you been for so long. For once I did wish they would keep 
 still, for their interrogating questions were going to get me into trouble. 
 The Regiment marched only a short distance, and camped for the night. 
 While fixing a place to sleep that night, my Captain came to me and 
 asked where I had been that day. I told him. and he said. "Didn't you 
 know it was against orders to be away from your command without per- 
 
mission?" I said that I did. Then he aslied me if I had permission from 
 any of my commanding officers. I replied I had none. He said, "Get your 
 supper, then you will go with me to the Colonel; I have to r^eport you." 
 In due time he came for me, and took me about half way to the Colonel's 
 tent, when he stopped and told me how surprised the Colonel was when 
 he had reported me to him, as the Colonel had said to him that he thought 
 I was one of the best soldiers he had in the Regiment. Then I told the 
 Captain I was on picket the night before, how I had suffered from the 
 cold, and had not slept a wink all night, and was not properly relieved 
 from the picket post in the morning, and that I knew that a man in my 
 condition could march easier in the advance than in the rear. "Well," he 
 said, "you go to your quarters; we will say nothing more about it." I have 
 always regretted that I did not insist on having an interview with the 
 Colonel there and then. I am thoroughly convinced the Colonel would 
 have given the Captain a genuine reprimand and dismissed me with his 
 blessing when he knew the facts of the case. This was the first and only 
 time that I was ever reported to my superior officers while in the U. S. 
 service. 
 
 The Rebels kept hovering near us, watching for an opportunity to 
 pounce onto an inferior force. Our men were veterans of warfare, never 
 fearing when the enemy did their best. 
 
 If the road conditions were favorable, this sized army would move 
 about fifteen miles a day. If conditions were very good, they did cor- 
 respondingly more. Eighteen or twenty miles would be above the aver- 
 age. 
 
 We finally reached our camp at Big Black river, where we had left 
 our tents standing thirty-one days before, they having been occupied by 
 the 47th Illinois Regiment while we were gone. They readily vacated, 
 and we took possession. We had traveled over three hundred miles. The 
 main army went on in to Vicksburg, which was twelve miles away. 
 
 Our duties for the next month were light, with the exception of 
 picket duty, which was heavy. The 1861 volunteers as Regiments had re- 
 enlisted, and were given thirty days' furlough. Most of our Division hav- 
 ing veteranized and gone home. General Sherman and his Corps and 
 Division Commanders left us for other departments to arrange for the 
 spring campaign, which would be on as soon as these veterans returned 
 from their furloughs. The 124th had not been in long enough to be 
 allowed to re-enlist, the time being two years. These Regiments leaving 
 us,' it proved we were never to meet again during the war. Oh, how weJ 
 did regret that we could not go with these officers and men who we had 
 been with us since arriving at our first camp in Tennessee eighteen months 
 before. We had passed through many battles together and all kinds of 
 campaigning, and we felt lost without the "old boys," as we called each 
 other. 
 
 When they returned from their furloughs and reported for duty, it 
 was to report in another field of operation, where they retained the same 
 name, known as the 3rd Division of the 17th Army Corps, as they had 
 always been known from the beginning. Consequently, under this order 
 of things, the 124th Regiment had to send the Excelsior Banner we had 
 won in the drill at Vicksburg, to them, as one of the stipulations when 
 presented to us was that it always should remain in the 3rd Division. 
 This Excelsior Banner was never carried by any other Regiment. 
 The Atlanta campaign coming on soon after, before the old Divison had 
 time to compete for it. It, with all unnecessary camp property, was 
 stored at Nashville, Tenn. So far as is known to this day, this has never 
 been heard from since. General Leggett. the old Division commander, 
 says in regard to it that he stored it at Nashville on the eve of the Atlanta 
 campaign, and that later on, when General Hood (Rebel) threatened 
 Nashville, much of the military property was re-stored and lost. At any 
 
26 
 
 rate it has been lost ever since. General Leggett bought and paid for the 
 Banner, and 'twas a natural thing for him to want his own Regiment to 
 carry this Banner. Many think it was a shrewd act of his to have the 
 124th Regiment detached from the 3rd Division, so that by another con- 
 test his Regiment, the 78th Ohio, would be more fortunate than at the 
 first contest, and win it. 
 
 Our march to Meridian, Miss., was the forerunner of what is known 
 as the "ATLANTA CAMPAIGN," by destroying so much railroad property 
 that would be used in supplying the Rebel armies further east, as the 
 southwest was the granary of the Confedracy, and Texas was their main 
 source of supplies of beef and transporting their troops and war material 
 o fall kinds. This destruction was incalcuable. 
 
 In the first week of April, 18 6 4, we were ordered to go to Vicksburg 
 to do patrol and picket duty in the city. This provost duty was far from 
 being a matter of choice or pleasant miltiary duty. We came in daily 
 contact with the riff-raff of the city — the toughs, the off-scourings of the 
 human race of both sexes. Gambling resorts were open, and crimes of 
 every conceivable nature known were being committed. The heavy de- 
 tails for this duty soon counted fast on our small Regiment, which in the 
 eighteen months of service had been reduced from ten hundred to less 
 than three hundred. 
 
 The necessary arrangements were made to send home a representa- 
 tive from each Company for recruits. This resulted very well for all the 
 different Companies. There were added to the Regiment more than one 
 hundred. Quite a number of ex-Confederate soldiers enlisted, and proved 
 to be faithful soldiers to the end of the war. 
 
 As the season advanced into summer, there was more sickness. 
 The army life demonstrated very forcibly that for size to withstand hard 
 service, the men being sound to begin with, whose weight was from one 
 hundrd and/vtwenty-five to one hundred and sixty pounds, would endure 
 for a lon&^erm of fatigue and hard service much more than the larger 
 men. I noticed this so plainly in my own Company when or before our 
 time expired. The large men had been weeded out. With most of our 
 big fellows, w^hen they got sick, it proved fatal or disabled them perman- 
 ently. 
 
 Our Regimental mail carrier went daily to the city postoffice for our 
 mail. Before going, he would pass by the head of each Company and 
 collected any mail matter that was ready to be posted, and posted it at 
 the office, so our postal system was quite systematized. We had no con- 
 cern or worry if we w'ere short on postage stamps, for the law was such 
 that a soldier could take his letter to a commissioned officer, who had 
 the right to "frank" it. This would insure its safe delivery, and was a 
 great convenience to the soldiers, as we we e not supposed to be where 
 we could procure postage stamps. 
 
 As all transportation and communication with the north was done 
 on steamboats, we soon learned by tl.e sound of a boat whistle comin.i: 
 down the river, when it would whistle for a landing, whether it had mail 
 on it or not. How the soldiers would scream, "Fall in for your mail!" 
 The letters from friends at home had a wonderful effect on the faithful- 
 ness of the private soldier, and all members of the army for that matter. 
 These letters were always so encouraging. 
 
 The great Sanitary Commission was active in relieving the sick and 
 ^wounded soldiers, and providing reading rooms in cities of the south 
 -be fed, for Uncle Sam had declared them free. The negro men whoj 
 -where our forces were in possession, and sending delicacies to the hos- 
 pitals for the sick and wounded, which the Government did not provide. 
 We all said, "God bless the loyal women and the United States Christian 
 Commission." I often visited the reading rooms at Vicksburg. 
 
 ^Thousands and thousands of negroes came to Vicksburg. who had to 
 
 
 
•ould pass the examination to enlist, became Federal soldiers. ManV 
 thousand enlisted. These had to be officered by white soldiers — privates 
 taken from Regiments. All commissioned officers, such as Lieutenants, 
 Captains, Majors, Lieutenant Colonels and Colonels, were white men, and 
 all non-commissioned officers were colored. It was a great opportunity 
 for those who wanted to avail themselves of those associations. There 
 were twelve to fifteen of my Company who were tjius promoted to com- 
 missions. I did not aspire to that kind of noto,jitty. I sanctioned the 
 measure with all my power. Let Mr. Negro help to obtain his freedom. 
 If he was good enough or man enough to stand up between me and a 
 Rebel bullet, he had my consent. 
 
 If the negro filled these conditions satisfactorily, he was entitled to 
 all the rights of an American citizen. These colored troops were used 
 mostly for garrison duty, and were mostly assigned to Heavy Artillery 
 Regiments, yet they were armed with muskets the same as Infantr.v, and 
 could do the duty of either branch of service if necessary. 
 
 For every command of colored troops, it let a command of white 
 soldiers free to be used in the field or on campiagn service. 
 
 The Southern Confederacy used these negroes as long as they could 
 in building their fortifications. When the Federal Government turned 
 the table on them by utilizing the colored race, it was a long and vital 
 stroke toward the termination of the great Civil War. 
 
 On May 2nd we moved our camp. We had just succeeded in making 
 ourselves comfortable when we received marching orders, and on the 
 4th of May we were otT on what proved to be an eighteen-day scout. 
 We found ourselves with the 11th Illinois and the 7 2nd Illinois, Colonel 
 Coates Brigade Commander and General McArthur in command of the 
 expedition. The weather was hot and the roads dusty. We made twenty- 
 two miles the first day, which was very hard on the men. The next da.v 
 we started at daylight, making twenty-five miles that day. We were 
 played and sung to sleep by a Rebel's daughter performing on a piano. 
 Her principal tune was The Bonnie Blue Flag. On May 6th we marched 
 seventeen miles. The principal feature of the day was the capture of a 
 squad of Rebels. As there had never been any Yankees in this part of 
 the country before, chickens were plenty in camp that night. We were 
 off at four o'clock on the morning of May 7th. Soon we heard cannonad- 
 ing in front. We were ordered to load Our guns, and were soon thrown 
 into line of battle. Skirmishers were sent out, and the enemy fell back. 
 We had two men killed. The Rebels left two men killed on the field, 
 whom we buried, We captured a courier with dispatches from General 
 Lee. 
 
 We remained here a few days while our Cavalry was busy scouting. 
 On the second day 1 took a tramp into the woods adjoining our camp. 
 Went out beyond our picket and came out into a road. I concluded had 
 gone far enough for my safety. In going back to th-e camp, at a turn 
 of the road I came upon the complete outfit of a Rebel Cavalryman — 
 saddle, haversack and canteen. I picked it up, as thought it quite a prize 
 for the boys to see, there being such a contrast in it and what our Gov- 
 ernment furnished us. I soon came to a picket guard, who said, "What 
 is that you have got, and where did you get it?" and I told him. He said. 
 "Well, I shot at a Rebel Cavalryman just a few minutes ago." The truth 
 of it was, at the crack of the man's gun, the horse wheeled and broke the 
 girth and dropped his mount where I found it. 1 took it to camp, and 
 kept the wooden canteen until the close of the war as a souvenir of the 
 Rebellion. It was made out of cedar wood, and when filled, the water 
 kept cool longer than in the metal ones. 
 
 This incident brought about a little later on a funny experience to 
 us. but not to the other fellow. After I had told the story about these 
 Rebel goods, a Captain of our Regiment obtained permission to take a 
 
28 
 
 l)ody of men and skirmish through the timber where I had been. He 
 asked for volunteers to go, and about fifteen or twenty of us volunteered. 
 We deployed as skirmishers. 1 was on the extereme left of line. Off we 
 went, expecting to find Rebels a plenty, but after going about a half mile 
 through the timber, we came to a fence, on the opposite of which was a 
 very large open field. Obliquely across this field sat three Rebels on 
 their horses. To the left of them sat a lone videt picket on a mule. I 
 told the Captain I would take the lone man. The rest fired at the three 
 to the right. I elevated my gun above his head at a dead rest on the top 
 of the fence. At the crack of the gun the fun commenced — for us. The 
 fellow wheeled his mule to the rear; I shouted, "See him go!" The poor 
 fellow, the way he did play "jubba" with his heels to that mule was a 
 caution. The four men lived to tell the story so far as our marksmanship 
 went. The man that I shot at, by the exertions he put forth, demon- 
 strated the fact that he realized that he was close to danger. They went 
 to the rear to an outbuilding. After we got through with our sport, we 
 returned to camp and reported where our affrighted men were. A twelve- 
 pound gun, loaded with a percussion shell, was trained on the gable end of 
 the house and fired. It was a center shot. When the shell struck the 
 building, it exploded. It was fun to watch those fellows "hike" away as 
 fast as their horses would take them. My, my, how they did go! The 
 fun was all one-sided that day. 
 
 The Rebel force that was about us belonged to Wirt Adams' com- 
 mand. Being mounted, we could not get close enough to give battle. 
 
 We marched to Yazoo City, quite a town, located on the Yazoo river, 
 one hundred miles from Vicksburg. I saw here a sawmill plant that had 
 been burned two years before, and the sawdust was still burning. From 
 here we went back to Vicksburg, arrived at our camp May 21st, having 
 accomplished very little on this campaign. The next few weeks nothing 
 transpired worthy of mention. We were on picket daily, and did some 
 fatigue duty. On June 2 4th I went to see a military execution. A negro 
 soldier had shot his wife, and was shot in the presence of a vast concourse 
 of people. He seemed to think it an immense joke to the last, and was 
 shot sitting in his coffin. He was pierced with five bullets, and expired 
 almost instantly. This was the first execution I had witnessed and the 
 last. It was too dreadful to describe. A few days later there was an- 
 other execution near us. Three negro soldiers had mutinied and were 
 shot. My brother witnessed this execution. The parties were a Sergeant 
 and two privates. At the crack of the guns they all fell, gut the Sergeant 
 would have gotten up, but the officer commanding the firing party v.ent 
 forward and killed him with his revolver. As far as 1 knew, this ended 
 mutinying among the negroes. 
 
 On the anniversary of our being in the slaughter-pen in Fort I-' ill. 
 in front of Vicksburg, on the 26th of June, 1863, our Colonel issued 
 and address oh June 26, 1864 which was as follows: 
 
 "Headquarters of 124th Ills. Infantry, 
 
 Vicksburg, Miss., June 2 6, 1864. 
 Officers and Soldiers: 
 
 I deem it fit and proper to make note and mention that this is the 
 anniversary of a day never to be forgotten by you — a day which will 
 live in history and of which you may well be proud, the day of the as- 
 sault by you upon Fort Hill, the bulwark of the defence of Vicksburg. 
 Consecrated by the blood of your heroic comrades who nobly fell in that 
 deadly contest of fire and blood, as well as by the steady, dauntless valor 
 of all engaged, it has shed untarnished and enduring lustie upon your 
 fame and powers as American soldiers. 
 
 Cherishing the memory of our fallen brothers, emulating their pat- 
 riotic devotions to the cause of freedom and good government, let us strive 
 lo maintain the reputation you this day won, and by the blessing of Him 
 
29 
 
 who rules the destinies of Nations, may its next return witness the final 
 overthrow of a wicked and causeless rebellion, the complete restoration of 
 the government over all the land, and a glorious and honorable peace, 
 nobly and honorably won. 
 
 J. H. HOWE. 
 Lieut. Col. Commanding." 
 
 On July 1, 1864 we were under marching orders, this time com- 
 manded by Major General Slocum, a fine, cool, and competent officer. 
 Our number was about two thousand muskets and one or two field bat- 
 teries and a train of wagons about one hundred in number — enough 
 wagons for ten times as many men for it took nearly half of the men to 
 guard the train. This expedition went to Jackson, Miss. As soon as we 
 crossed Black river we found the enemy and the farther we went the more 
 trouble they gave us. The heat of those July days was almost unen- 
 durable. Many of our men were overcome from the heat. The enem.v 
 made a stand saying to us that we had gone as far as we were going to. 
 We met the cavalry boys going to the rear saying to us, "They are over 
 there sho." To this our men would reply with all kinds of gibes. 
 
 The Infantry formed in line of battle. "Forward" was the order. 
 We moved through a dense thicket which was almost impossible to get 
 through. When we got through and formed again at the edge of a field 
 w»e could see the glimmer of the Rebel artillery about thirty rods in our 
 front. There was a swell of the ground midway between them and us, 
 so when their artillery was playing on us, to clear this swell the shells 
 would go above our heads, tearing the limbs of the trees, sending conster- 
 nation to some, and bursting shells seeking whom they might devour. 
 The Rebels sent their shells as fast as their guns would permit; they 
 would soon become so hot they would have to let them cool off. Among 
 the comical events of the hour was a big "nigger" who was dressed 
 with a long linen duster on. He surmised that the Rebels were shoot- 
 ing at him, paying their respects to him direct and he would hide be- 
 hind a big tree, then between shots would run to another tree for safety. 
 The shells kept trimming the branches of the trees so close to him that 
 he got out from beneath the trees and into an open place and laid flat 
 on the ground on his stomach. Soon a shell was sent near him and 
 bursted. That was to much for Sambo. He took it for granted that 
 meant for him to get to the i ear. He "beat it" leaving only a white 
 streak behind him. Don't think he wore the white duster after that days 
 experience. 
 
 These comical events were calculated for the time to take our minds 
 off our own serious surroundings, for we were in just as much or more 
 danger of being hurt than Sambo was. 
 
 This fusilade was kept up for some time. Our Colonel seeing to left 
 face his Regt. and a short space movement would take us out of this 
 exposure, ordered us to make this move. While executing this order 
 a solid shot passed through our ranks immediately in front of me miss- 
 ing me only a few inches. It struck beneath Seargeant Griffith's foot 
 (he was in Company I) and crippled him for life. 1 heard this shot 
 coming and I felt it would hit me, and was relieved to know it did not. 
 If it had struck me no doubt it would have cut me in two. 
 
 You may want to know where Sambo got his linen duster. The 
 government never issued it to him we know. No doubt he found it some 
 where and appropriated it. I saw this man Griffith some twenty-five 
 years after this. He was a seriously crippled man. He told me the Govern- 
 ment was giving him twenty-four dollars a month pension. 
 
 Gen. Slocum intended for us to charge this force across the field, 
 but changed his plan as the Rebels had as much Infantre back of the 
 artillery as there were of us. We were ordered out of this place to the 
 rear a short distance, then by the left flank as we were moving we 
 
30 
 
 could see the Rebels moving in the same direction that we w6re, perhaps 
 three-fourths of a mile from us. We went on into the city of Jackson 
 without any more fighting and destroyed much public property. 
 
 The day we went into Jackson the heat was almost unendurable 
 by man or beast. Once I remembered we went into the shade of a grove 
 to rest and there were only five guns to stack in my Company. The 
 others had given out, sunstruck, had failed to keep up. They came on 
 later. We remained here one day, leaving the city in the P. M. We had 
 got out on the Vicksburg road about three miles, when to our right front 
 we could see this same Rebel foi-ce marching to get possession of the 
 road we were on which they would have done had we stayed in the city 
 an hour longer. In a few minutes the battle was on. It seams the Rebels 
 had received a Brigade of reinforcements by rail and was now prepared 
 to clean us up according to their strength. We fought them until the 
 darkness put a stop to it. The next morning the battle opened up with a 
 brisk firing. 
 
 The immense train hampered us very much. Our Colonel was 
 ordered to move out and on the Vicksburg road and open it so as to get 
 the train in front of the army which he did. We found no Rebel forces 
 on the road so the train was put in front. Col. Howe had ordered to 
 take that train to Vicksbu'g or to the hot place. 
 
 Wliile the train was passing and getting in front, we were resting 
 on a high knoll where we could see both armies in battle only about a 
 mile away. While this train was going over this high knoll in plain view 
 of the Rebels a Rebel battery trained their guns on us and the struggling 
 wagon train. It was a laughable sight to watch those teamsters and 
 African refuges crossing this e.xposed place of about one hundred and 
 fifty yards with their black snake whips popping and the teamsters say- 
 ing "good mules, please come on, do hurry, now come on." When out 
 of danger of those solid shots their persusaive language sudd.snly changed 
 to one they understood. In passing this entire train that Rebel gun 
 killed only one span of mules which stopped one wagon. The Colonel 
 placed seven Companies in front and five in the rear, two Companies of 
 which number were loaned from another Regiment. 
 
 As soon as the train got a suitable distance on toward Vicksburg, 
 Gen. Slocum had his army to fall back leaving the wounded to become 
 prisoners— the dead .ijor the Rebels to bury. This was the first battle 
 and the last where our Regt. was enaged that this happened, that we 
 could not bury our own dead. Near the town of Clinton, Gen. Slocum 
 massed his artillery, supported it with his infantry. On came the Rebels 
 stimulated with whisky and gunpowder charging our batteries like 
 demons, our boys mowing them down as they continued to advance. Our 
 forces did not succeed in stopping them until they were within a few 
 paces of our guns, then only with double shotted sannister putting an 
 end to that battle. Gen. Slocum sent in a flag of truce arranging that 
 the Rebels would properly care for the wounded and bury the dead, etc. 
 Meantime had sent courier* through to Vicksburg for reinforcemejits; a 
 force of cavalry to be sent immediately to him which hesoon got. Slocum 
 then turned and went to Jackson, IMiss., and whipped the Rebels to a 
 frazzel. The.v did not want to fight Gen. Slocum any more. 
 
 With this cavarly force after arriving at Jackson Gen. Slocum turned 
 south and came out at Baton Rouge. There took boats and came back 
 to Vicksburg making a raid of several hundred miles. We took the 
 train through safely to Vicksburg. It was always a mystery to us of low 
 degree why they ever took such a train with only two thousand men, 
 unless some one imagined they could load the wagons with cotton. Cotton 
 would bring near a dollar a pound at that time. The soldier knew too 
 well how to burn cotton for any one to enter into that kind of business. 
 Had those wagons been loaded with cotton, they would have gone up in 
 
31 
 
 smoke long before they reached Vicksburg. ' Those lives that expedition 
 cost were offered for a principle, and not to be sacrificed for a niometary 
 gain or proposition. 
 
 We were out nine days from camp, and marched a distance of one 
 hundred miles. The heat punished our men more than the Rebels did. 
 We resumed our picket duty, which was nearly every day, as so many 
 men were ailing from excessive heat during the days, and cool nights. 
 We lost some of our best men from sickness. Our Company, too, was 
 visited by the "grim monster— death." 
 
 The next ripple of excitement that came to us was the Presidential 
 election. The enthusiasm ran high. We as Illinois soldiers could not 
 vote for President unless we were within the boundary line of the State 
 of Illinois, while the sister states allowed their soldiers to vote as free as 
 if they were at their own homes. You may wonder why this was so. The 
 Illinois Legislature refused to pass on an act allowing her soldiers this 
 right for the reason that a majority of that Legislature was in sympathy 
 .with the south, known in politics as members of the Democratic party. 
 All Democrats were not disloyal to the Governm>ent, but all Rebels voted 
 the Democratic ticket, or were Democrats. This act was a burning stigma 
 on the State of Illinois and a disloyal act to her soldiers. 
 
 At a vote taken in the 12 4th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, th-e Excel- 
 sior Regiment of the old 3rd Division, 17th Army Corps, and a Regiment 
 which presented one of the finest organizations of Illinois troops, the 
 following was the results: 
 
 Whole number of votes cast 516 
 
 For Abraham Lincoln 502 
 
 For George B. McClellan 14 
 
 George B. McClellan declared in his letter of acceptance of the nom- 
 ination as candidate for President, that after four years of internecine 
 war it had proved a failure.. As near as we could judge, he as leader of 
 the Eastern Army was decidedly a failure. The other candidate stood 
 for prosecuting the war until every armed traitor was willing to submit 
 to the authority of the United States Government, treason forever stamped 
 out, "one country, one language, one flag." We were proud of the results 
 of the straw vote of our Regiment. 
 
 The last of July, 1864, General N. T. J. Dana relieved General Slocum, 
 who left us for Sherman's army. We jogged alons^/iloing our share of 
 picket duty. The Marine Cavalry was disiy9>*.*<*fri«^he men were made 
 Infantrymen. They made some trouble about it, but it did not last long. 
 The Marine Brigade was placed within the fortification of the 5th U. S. 
 Cavalry Regiment. Ever and anon there were rumors that Vicksburg 
 would be attacked for the benefit of those soldiers within the fortifica- 
 tions. The city at this time was so strongly fortified that a few thousand 
 soldiers could have held the place against the whole Confederate army. 
 The Rebels knew this, and had no inclination to attack this point. 
 
 After a few days of rumors that we we, e going to receive marching 
 orders, they came for a fact. We left camp late in the evening, were 
 marched to the wharf, and on to a stern-wheeler steamboat, the "SHE- 
 NANfltO." bound up the river. In due time we arrived at the mouth of 
 the WlTite river, Arkansas. We seemed to be alone from Vicksburg. We 
 disembarked, and were soon ordered aboard a White river boat, supposed 
 to be bound up the White river somewhere to the interior of Arkansas. 
 Before we got started, a boat came down the Mississippi river as fast as 
 a tremendous head of steam could push her. A scare was on at Mem- 
 phis, Tenn. Forest's {;ommand was expected to capture the city unless 
 more troops were immediately sent to the rescue. Our Regiment and 
 one other Regiment were ordered aboard this steamer, and away we went 
 up to rescue Memphis. By the time we got there, the scare was over for 
 the time. We went ashore and on into Fort Pickering. Were quartered 
 
32 
 
 in some box cars, and were sent out b^eyond the city a tew miles to pro- 
 tect some wood-choppers, then returned to the Fort in the evening 
 Another scare developed, and we w-ere routed out, but it proved to be a 
 false alarm. Our next orders were to report at the mouth of the White 
 river, Arkansas, which we did, going down on the steamer "MAGENTA." 
 When we reached this point and reported at headquarters, were ordered 
 to proceed to.Vicksburg. Arrived there in the middle of the night. We 
 disembarked ^nd marched to our old quarters in mud shoe-mouth deep. 
 Distance traveled was eight hundred miles. 
 
 The mail that accumulated for us was eagerly read. After fixing up 
 and resting one day, we were sent into the city, and relieved the 72nd 
 Illinois Regiment, who had been doing provost duty for some time. The 
 5 8th Ohio Regiment of Infantry were our associates in this provost duty, 
 which we passed together very pleasantly for four months, relieving each 
 other every alternate morning. In that way we had a day on and a day 
 off duty continuously for the whole of both Regiments. Most of our 
 Regiment disliked this kind of duty. We were stationed in the jails, 
 refugees' quarters, steamboat landings, wood yards, stables, theatres, and 
 to hover around drinking holes, gambling dens and brothels. We had to 
 become posted in all the iniquity of the city, patrol all the streets, and 
 come in contact with all its V/^Hianies, and such a life can be but demor- 
 alizing to the average soldier. Had we been permitted to choose, there 
 were but few of our number but who would have gladly gone to the 
 front, despite its perils. 
 
 While we doing picket duty, there was a call for a detail from our 
 Regiment to guard a squad of deserters and conscripts to New Orleans. 
 It fell to me to be one of the detail to go. We were gone about ten days. 
 Nothing of importance transpired on that trip. We delivered the men 
 into safe hands. Had to wait for the boat to unload and then take a cargo 
 of freight. We were there some three days. This was a very enjoyable trip 
 o those who had never seen the lower Mississippi river. It is surely 
 named "The Father of Waters." One who has never seen it can not real- 
 ze its magnitude, for it is immense and then some. Only for the great 
 levees on each side to keep it within bounds, it would be miles and miles 
 wide. The surface of the river is much higher than the surface of the 
 land back of these levees, so the river looks as if it flowed along on a 
 ridge. We could see for miles beyond the levees. The farmers were busy 
 at work by the hundreds, on their plantations. Through the sugar-cane 
 district, the people claimed foreign protection, which was granted or re- 
 spected. At these refyfdences one could see the foreign flag noisted. 
 
 An incident occurred to me one day as we were nearing New Or- 
 leans. I spied an alligator lying in the river undisturbed, perhaps thirty 
 rods from the boat. I could not let the opportunity go by. I grabbed up 
 my rifle and gave him one round. I made a good line shot. The animal 
 was farther from me than he looked to be and I hit the river, that was 
 all. I was up on the hurricane deck when I fired. The officer came up 
 from below very much excited, supposing we had been attacked by the 
 guerrillas. He was pointed out the cause of the alarm, and told me not to 
 repeat it, saying "I would have been tempted to have done the same 
 thing myself." This officer was not a Regular Army man, or I would have 
 received punishment for this breach of liberty. 
 
 On our return to Vicksbuig, while in this foreign-protecced district, 
 the boat landed on the east shore at a wood-landing. I watched the boat 
 clerk measuring several cords of wood to be taken on. . Thinks I, they 
 will be quite a while putting on all that wood he has measured, and now 
 is my time to go ashore and get some vegetables or milk, and take a short 
 scout. I had wandered about fifty rods away from the boat when the 
 bell began to ring. Knowing what that meant, 1 put forth all my ener- 
 gies to get to the boat. The bell kept ringing while I was makfng all 
 
3.3 
 
 possible speed to reach the boat. When I did arrive at the boat-landing 
 there was just a foot plank left for me to get into tiu^ boat. The t.tages 
 had been pulled in. The pilot told nie afterwards that ho saw uio wnen 
 he first began ringing the bell; if he had not, I would have been left sare. 
 1 was frightened in thinking it over — -whatever would have become of me 
 no mortal man could ever have told. 1 would have been reported as a 
 deserter or drowned. Soon the boat landed ^n the west side of river for 
 wood. They took on there the supply they failed to takefln wrhere they 
 scared me so bad. At this landing there were plenty of large watermelons 
 for sale. I bought a twenty-pounder, and had the pleasure of sharing it 
 with the pilot who rang the bell so long. While we were eating the melon 
 he told me that the Captain of the boat ordered him several times to back 
 out. While he took the chances of straining his relations as an employee, 
 it was to satisfy my earnest desires and immense speed not to be left in 
 a foreign nation. I never knew why they did not take on the vmod I saw 
 the clerk measuring off. pZX-*'^ 
 
 In due time we arrived at Vicksburg ready for some experience. 
 Within a short period an order came to the 12 4th Regiment for a detail 
 of men to be sent to district headquarters for guard duty, consisting of 
 nine privates, three non-commissioned officers, two Corporals and one 
 Sergeant. These men were selected from their soldierly appearance, 
 G-eneral Dana being a West Point man. "How-some-ever as lightning 
 never strikes twice in the same place," I was hit. I and one other private 
 and one Corporal we:e detjuled to go from my Company. When this 
 Seargent reported this detai^nen at headquarters, he was shown what we 
 were wanted for. One guarO was placed in front of the General's head- 
 quarters to walk a beat. He had to salute every commissioned officer who 
 went in or out of those headquarters. The second guard was placed in 
 front of his Asst. Adj. General's office, across the street from the General's 
 where the duties were similar to those of guard No. 1. The third guard 
 was stationed at the headquarters horses' stables to guard all Government 
 property — horses and feed of all kinds — but did not have to walk a beat. 
 These duties lasted through the night as well as the day. We were on 
 duty every third day, then would be off two days. 
 
 Our orders were to salute all officers according to rank, also ordered 
 that if the officer did not return the salute, he should be halted and made 
 to salute, or turn him back. You may depend upon it that those orders 
 were strictly enforced. Some of the staff officers put on a vast amount of 
 dress and pomp, as if they owned that part of the earth. I tell you we 
 got a whole lot of satisfaction when the opportunity came to us to make 
 those swell head "mark time" until some officer would pass them into 
 headquarters. A true and faithful soldier will obe.v his orders whether 
 they seemeth to him right or wrong; his paramount duty was to obey his 
 superior officers. 
 
 This detail at headquarters lasted several months. During this time 
 my company was entitled to two more non-commissioned officers. My 
 orderly seargeant came tome and told me what they were going to do, and 
 urged me to go to the Company; that if I would I should be so honored 
 No, I reasoned this way: If I should return to the Company' some of 
 them would say I came back for no other purpose, only for the office. 
 He said to me, "You have earned it by your faithfulness as a soldier, your 
 honesty and integrity as a man; that no man in the Company had an 
 equal record." After due deliberation, I said to him, "If I were ordered 
 back to our command tomorrow, for we are liable to be any hour of the 
 day, I don't want promotion. I have only done my duty as an ordinary 
 soldier should do. I won't go; appoint whom you please. I will finish as 
 a private soldier." 
 
 Near as I can remember, about the first of December. 1S64. while ou 
 detail at headquarters, my health began to fail — the longer, the faster. 
 
34 
 
 1 reported to the post surgeon, who prescribed for me. His medicine did 
 not seem to do me any good. After some time lie (the surgeon) asked 
 me, "Why don't you apply for a furlough and go home?" 1 did not sup- 
 pose it was worth while. He said, "1 can't do you any good, nor any one 
 else here. You have your Captain fill out an application for one and 
 sign it and bring it to me; I will sign it. Then you will have to take it 
 to your Regimental surgeon for his signature." I did as he suggested, 
 and w-ent to my Regimental surgeon for his signature. He looked it over, 
 then examined me and said, "I wont sign it." His wife, sitting by him, 
 began to intercede for me, saying, "Let the poor boy go home." He said 
 his instructions in signing an application for furlough were to save life 
 or permanent disability, and that he could not do that in my case." My 
 health became such that I could not do duty excepting at the stable, where 
 I was allowed to sit down. I grew worse and worse. The post surgeon 
 did abuse the doctor for not signing my application. It would be s.howing 
 against his reputation as a skillful surgeon was his reason for not signing 
 it, was the post surgeon's version of the matter. By an order from the 
 post surgeon, I was sent to Hospital No. 1, a tented hospital, about the 
 first of February, 1865. Here I became much worse, lingering along 
 several weeks more dead than alive. 
 
 On February 2 5th my Regiment was ordered to go to New Orleans. 
 The Regimental surgeon came to see me, and, after examining me, said, 
 "Do you think a furlough would help you?" I replied that I did not 
 know; that I had grown no better at the hospital. He said, "I will see 
 what can be done. Will talk to the hospital surgeon, and will recom- 
 mend a furlough in your case." This was the last time 1 saw Dr. Kay 
 (that was the Regimental doctor's name). 
 
 In the meantime District headquarters had been moved from Vicks- 
 burg to Memphfs, Tenn., and all men on detached duty who were able for 
 duty were ordered back to the Regira-ent. Many of my Company came to 
 see me in the hospital before leaving Vicksburg. They told me afterward 
 they never expected to see me again. 
 
 It seemed while there in the hospital my turn would come soon, as 
 the sick were being dressed daily with a wooden overcoat, passing on to 
 the great and silent world from whence no traveler ever returns. Several 
 times while here very sick the deatli angel came within the walls of my 
 tent and took a comrade from my side. These occasional visitations were 
 not calculated to be of hopeful signs of good cheer to one who was entire- 
 ly amongst strangers. Among the many hundreds of the sick of this hos- 
 pital, there was not a single soldier that I had ever seen before. 
 
 My life for many weeks seemed to be hanging by a mere thread. 
 Why it was not broken, God only knows. Not a living soul I had known 
 was left me; duty had called them elsewhere. Then it came to me one 
 day: I win live if possible to see and know the final results of this 
 mighty strife. 
 
 Our armies were being more successful; were fast pushing the enemy 
 into the last ditch they had boasted somu ch about in former days, only 
 we were the fellows who were to go into the ditch accordng to their boast- 
 ings. The end was not far away. General Grat was drawing his grip more 
 firmly about General Lee's discouraged troops. General Sherman had 
 severed the Confederacy in twain by his irresistable "March to the Sea," 
 beginning at Chattanooga and ending at Savannah, Georgia. General 
 Thomas had completely annihilated General Hood's army at Nashville. 
 Tenn. These encouraging news came to us as an inspiration to want to 
 live on to the close. The marching and counter-marching and all the 
 details of military life would soon be over with. 
 
 At this date, February, 1865, the only fortified place in the west 
 that had not been taken by the Union army was Mobile, Alabama. General 
 Can by was organizing an army to attack it at as early a date as possible. 
 
3r, 
 
 while the other Union arraiee were making it a busy time for the Con- 
 federate armies elsewhere. For this purpose my Regiment was ordered 
 into the Department of the Gulf, to go to Mobile. 
 
 The surgeon of the hospital had sent a batch of thirty fjirloughs 
 to headquarters at Memphis for the Commander's approval, but wer< 
 returned without his signature. A few days after this, a steamboat cam- 
 to Viclvsburg as a hospital boat to take, as was supposed, the siclt to 
 northern hospitals. At least these same thirty whose furloughs had been 
 returned not signed were ordered to be placed on this hospital boat, and 
 were put aboard and quartered tliere for three days. During these three 
 days there came from the interior of tlae country over two thousand 
 prisoners, of our men, from Cahaba and Andersonville prisons. These 
 men had crawled much of the distance. Such sights 1 never expect nor 
 do I desire to witness again. They were simply indescribable — poor, 
 emaciated, black from the pitch-pine smoke, ragged, not sufficient cloth- 
 ing to cover their nakedness. I do not think that any loving mother 
 would have known her own son. Many died while near the "OI^D FI.AG" 
 that they had endured so much for. The condition of these men that I 
 there beheld will never be effaced from my memory. 
 
 There not being room enough for these prisoners and the squad of 
 thirty sick soldiers, that I belonged to, on that boat, the sick were sent 
 back to the hospital. I was so glad ta go back so as to make room for 
 those poor men. The first move made when these prisoners were marched 
 onto the boat was to strip them and scrub them, then cut their hair short 
 to g'et rid of the vermin. Clean clothes were furnished them, then they 
 were taken to a cot, where they were to remain until they got as far 
 north as this boat would take them, which, perhaps, was St. Louis, Mo. 
 
 These men could now communicate with wives, parents and loving 
 friends for the first time in months and months. What a happy lot of men, 
 and to know that they were under the protecting folds of the Flag of our 
 Country! They would sing, they would cheer, they would shout for joy. 
 Their joy was unbounded. A percent of this band of men became de- 
 mented. They would be calling or repeating over and over the names of 
 loved friends they had left at home — a mother, a wife, loving friends, an 
 Ann or Lucy or Elizabeth or Julia or some pet name. I could not but 
 weep as the sound came ringing in mine ears then, nor can I restrain the 
 tears as I chronicle these lines. I was indeed glad to vacate my cot for 
 one of these poor fellows, and we thirty were taken from whence we 
 camOi The name of the boat was "SULTANA." . 
 
 In the course of a few days this boat load of men was declared read <r 
 to start with its precious load of freight — something over two thousand 
 ex-prisoners of war. All went well until after they had passed Memphis. 
 Tenn., when, with an awful explosion in the night, the Sultana was blown 
 up, and those men, who at that time were dreaming of home and loved 
 ones, were hurled into the bosom of the "Father of Waters." Some of 
 them were scalded to death, hundreds were drowned. Out of the 22 
 hundred, only a fraction over seven hundred survived that catastrophe. 
 It was the most terrible calamity that happened during the war that I 
 know of. Those men had experienced almost everything but death, and 
 to be sent to a watery grave amidst such brilliant hopes was heart-rend- 
 ing. It would seem that it was an over-ruling Providence that we were 
 sent back to the hospital. 
 
 This catastrophe happened in March, ISGH. Soon after this, the 
 thirty furloughs were sent to District headquarters at Memphis, com- 
 manded by C. C. Washburn. They were approved, and in due time came 
 to us with his signature attached. We thirty were soon prepared to go 
 to the wharf to start on our homeward journey. Xothing unusual hap- 
 •pened to our boat until we were witliin ten' miles of St. Louis, when a 
 steam pipe in the engine bursted and almost instantly filled the room 
 
36 
 
 where the sick were lying, with steam. The pilot turned the boat straight 
 for the shore. We were immediately put ashore. Near by was a railroad 
 depot, where I went and got a train for St. Louis. The name of the boat 
 we left was "IMOLLIE ABEL." Soon after we arrived in St. Louis, this 
 boat came steaming into port. 
 
 I was transferred from the depot to an upper Mississippi river boat 
 which took me within six miles of my home. I went to a hotel for the 
 night. Next mo'rning I took the daily stag^e that carried the mail to the 
 county seat from Grafton. 
 
 I arrived at home about ten a. m., where both of my parents were, 
 and greatly rejoiced to see me and I thankful to be at home. My mother 
 was distressed to see me looking so frail, but when I related to her how 
 much worse I had been than I was then, she took fresh courage. My 
 father sent to Jerseyville for the family physician to come to see me and 
 prescribe for my ailments. He gave them encouragement, told them it 
 would take some time with careful nursing, what I would be allowed to 
 eat and what not to eat, and that 1 would soon be convalescing. This 
 was about the 2 0th of April. 
 
 A few days after leaving Vicksburg, we met the news of the assassin- 
 ation of President Lincoln. Words could not express our sorrow. What 
 a gloom was cast over the entire nation! The loss was irreparable. 
 What would be the outcome of this all manner of fears and doubts were 
 expressed everywhere. The nation was in great sorrow — the deepest sor- 
 row. The great President had been shot, his life put out by a fanatic, 
 and he was the best friend those lebellious people had on earth. How 
 the nation was stirred! It looked for a time that law and popular gov- 
 ernment was at an end. 
 
 It is beyond comprehension for an intelligent person to realize the 
 shameless ignorance of a la" ge percent of those southern white people. 
 To illustrate in a small way, I quote a conversation our Chaplain had 
 with a southern woman. "So, Chaplain, you really think this war is near 
 its end and no more bloodshed?" "Yes, madam, there may be a little 
 skirmishing beyond the Mississippi river." "Do you think the norf and 
 south will come together in peace and love each other?" "Yes, I think- 
 so." "Bless de Lord, husband, do you hear that? Bless de Lord. Oh, 
 my heart is glad! I never expected to hear such words. Gals, do .vou hea^- 
 dat? Bless de Lord. Do you think we can go up norf and take papers 
 and all such things like we used to?" "Yes, madam, I do believe that 
 not only is the war over, but very soon its bitte ness and enmities and 
 ruptures in social and business relations will be past, and we shall come 
 closer together from Maine to Texas." And then she arose from her chair, 
 and striking an attitude of over-mastering joy, raised her clasped hands 
 towards heaven and cried out, "Oh, my soul, bless de Lord! I will praise 
 Him. Do you hear what the Chaplain says? Do you hear it? And then 
 — (and the climax was evidentl.v coming, for she was almost wild with 
 joy) — and then I can get some more .laynesses pills. I haven't had any 
 lor two years. I laid n for two years at the beginning of the war, Chap- 
 lain, but we have been out for two years. Now I can get some more. Oli. 
 bless de Lord." And she sank back in her chair, exhausted, with her 
 hands upon her face, sobbing bless de Lord. The Chaplain bade the 
 family good bye, and took his departure, musing on the depth and quality 
 of southern Union sentiment. 
 
 Another ridiculous case is given, and is truthfully authenticated: 
 The fact was being urged by one of the Rebel soldiers that we were not 
 Yankees, but western men. They could whip five Yankees. Robert Lee 
 had uniformly done so and they could. This was often presented b.v the 
 defeated Rebels in the southwest as an apology for their failures, and our 
 boys had as often wished to take some of this lingering conceit out of them 
 ■some way if possible. So oVi this occasion one of the boys said, "I'm a 
 
37 
 
 Yankee." "Be ye?" said Johnnie; "one of the regular kind?" "Yis," 
 said our Yankee, adopting the twang, "Yis, I s'pose I be." "Well, thare, 
 on-e of them wooden nutmeg kind?" Yis I s'pose I be." "Well, thar, now 
 do you think you can fool me on one them things? Mebbe you never made 
 any yourself." "Yis, 1 s'pose I have." "Well, how do you do it? .Just 
 whittle them right out?" "Yis , that's all. It's nothing when you get the 
 hang of it." "Well, I say, you haint got one about ye, have ye. Mister? 
 You couldn't fool me with one of 'em no how, but I'd jest like to see 
 one of them things, to see how it looks." Our Yankee designedly had a 
 nutmeg in his pocket, which he readily handed to Johnnie as the last 
 specimen of his jack-knife manufacture. Johnnie took it, smelled it. 
 whittled it, tasted of it with the utmost painstaking, and at last returned 
 it, syaing, "I be durned if I can tell whether it is wooden or genuine, and 
 if you can, can whittle out such nutmegs as that, I can't see for my part 
 why you can't fight as well as anybody." Poor, non-plussed fellow, he had 
 honestly thought, with thousands of others in the south, that the Yankee 
 actually whittled out bogus nutmegs with their jack-knives. 
 
 I will summarize our three years' service as a Regiment during the 
 above period. The Regiment marched by land and traveled by water 
 over seven thousand miles; was engaged in fourteen skirmishes, ten bat- 
 tles and two sieges of forty-seven days and thirteen days respectively, 
 thus being under constant fire of the enemy eighty-two days and sixty 
 nights. The 124th Regini'ent's losses from all causes during its service 
 was over four hundred. Ths Regiment was at Montgomery, Alabama, 
 when ordered home to be discharged from U. S. service, the war bein.^i 
 over. It went Hirect to Vicksburg, where the Regiment was mustered out, 
 then sent to Chicago, Illinois, to be discharged and paid off. When exam- 
 ining their papers upon arriving at Chicago, it was found that the muster- 
 ing-out officer at Vicksburg neglected to sign these papers. There v/as 
 nothing to show any one that the Regiment had been mustered out of U. 
 S. service. This negligence caused a delay of two weeks before the men 
 could be discharged, paid off, and once more be free American citizens to 
 go to their homes, their families and friends. 
 
 After th.e expiration of about twenty-five days of my thirty days' fur- 
 lough, I received an order from Dr. Horton, of the Vicksburg Hospital, 
 from which I was furloughed, to report to the nearest mustering-out offi- 
 cer for the purpose of being mustered out of the United States service, 
 and to send him the mustering officer's address that he (Dr. Horton) 
 might forward the mustering officer my descriptive list. When a soldier 
 leaves his command, his descriptive list goes with him, that he can be ac- 
 counted for always or at any time. 1 had been away from my command 
 several months on detached duty and the hospital together, so it will be 
 seen how necessary or how much this descriptive list was worth to mc. I 
 complied with the doctor's o der, and reported to Springfield, Illinois, 
 learned the mustering officer's address, and sent it to Dr. Horton at 
 Vicksburg. I asked the officer where I should stay until the descriptive 
 list would arrive from Vicksburg. He mentioned different places I could 
 go. I said to him, "I am yet under the physicians charge; why c ui't I .go 
 home?" He replied that I could, but that I would have to pay my own 
 transportation both ways. "When shall 1 report to you again?" He rek- 
 plied, "Give plenty of time for your descriptive list to get here, say two 
 or three weeks." I returned home. Was slowly regaining my health at 
 this time. No doubt my mother's cooking had much, yea more, to do with 
 my convalescing than all else that was brought to bear. 
 
 I remained home this time three weeks, when I again reported to the 
 same mustering-out officer at Springfield. I introduced myself to him. 
 After looking over his papers he said to me, "V'ou are a free man, how do 
 you feel? You have been mustered out of the service about a week." He 
 gave me my descriptive list and mustering-out papers, an<l told me where 
 
38 
 
 T would find a paymaster who would pay me what the Government owed 
 me and would give me my discharge papers, which 1 received on June 
 25th, 1865. My discharge paper was dated May 25th, 1865, and received 
 pay to that date only, that being the day that my mustering-out papers 
 were signed. I did not tarry long in that city. 
 
 It was many months before my normal health was regained. My en- 
 listment covered a period of thirty-three months. I was dischai.tie(' by 
 reason of a telegram from the War Department of May 12th, 1865. The 
 service 1 rendered 1 have always been proud of. Although it was for the 
 most part very strenuous, I can truthfully say I was never punished for 
 disobedience of orders from my superior officers, was never placed under 
 arrest for any offense whatever, which onl.v a few can say. In time of 
 battle went where and when ordered to go where hundreds of ,^ood mon 
 fell yet I received not a wound nor my clothing touched to my knowledge. 
 
 This sketch would be incomplete if I did not allude to th.e soldier 
 comrades with whom I joined the military service, who failed to return to 
 home and friends as 1 did. Where were they? They were filling a sol- 
 diers' grave far away in the southland, having been cut down by the cruel 
 ties of war that this free government of the whole United Stato.^ should be 
 I>3rpetuated for all time; that its enemies should learn to submit to its 
 power, its authority and greatness, forever to be "ONE COTNTRY, ONE 
 LANGUAGE, ONE FLAG." Of the squad of thirty-three who went from 
 .Jersey county when I went, twelve returned. Of this squad, fifteen en- 
 listed from and around Otterville, my home town. Of the Otterville squad, 
 there were five who returned at the close of the war. I today know only 
 tljree of the entire number who enlisted from Jersey county at the time I 
 did, who are still living. 
 
 That so few returned was inexpressable g ief to me. The tics that 
 had been formed and so firmly knitted in our lives through the bitter ex- 
 perienoes of war and existed between us can not exist between any other 
 class of people. 
 
 At the close of the war. when this vast army of soldiers were to be 
 disbanded (discharged), a serious question arose amongst the civilian 
 class of citizens as to what would become of their property, their homes, 
 when all these idle men were turned loose amongst them. It was a query. 
 They did not know what the future would reveal to them. This uneasi- 
 ness was soon allayed to their surprise and satisfaction. The soldiers, 
 when they turned over their arms and got home, took up in most instances 
 the same avocations of labor that they had left when they joined the ser- 
 vice of the government. I took up my work on the farm, which T had left, 
 as soon as my health would admit. Shortly afterwards I overheard some 
 of my wealthy neighbor farmers say, how surprised I am ,o see and know 
 that the soldier boys were so quiet and peacable, and had gone to work as 
 if they had never been away from home." They were afraid we would d)o 
 everything that was mean, and that we would not stop short of plunder- 
 ing and robbing and making life unsafe. But what a happy contrast to 
 their groundless fears. I suppose these groundless fears existed all over 
 the entire northern states to a more or less degree. They could not real- 
 ize the discipline we were under as soldiers; that the three years of fear- 
 ful and terrible experience we had passed through that when the last shot 
 was fired, the last picket stood,, the great war was over and the R>ebellion 
 was put down, there were no citizens in all the land who welcomed peace 
 and happiness over this broad land more than did the ex-soldiet-s of the 
 "sixties." These remarks apply to the true soldiers. There wore bums in 
 Ibe army just as there are in all walks of life, who are n disgrace to ci- 
 vilization wherever they exist. 
 
 In 1902 culminated a long-cherished desire of mine to visit those 
 battlefields that I had taken part in making historical. My good wife said 
 to me, "Aren't you afraid to go down there?" What is there to be afraid 
 
;-9 
 
 of, I wanted to know? She answered, "Those men you shot at during the 
 war." I answered her with tlvese words, "Do you suppose I would harm a 
 Confederate soldier or suffer any one to harm him who came to my home 
 to visit me?" "No," she replied, "I know you would not." "Neither will 
 they harm me if I act a gentleman with them." 
 
 1 left home in the mouth of January in 1H02, to he gone four months 
 if I desired. I traveled over the Burlington Route via St. Louis, Mo., 
 ^iv'here I visited Ninian C. Beattv, my orderly sergeant. We had been 
 throughout the war together. When I told him my purpose, he said, "1 
 wish I could go with you." I took supper with him. We had a great re- 
 union together. He went to the depot with me to see me off on my 
 journey. Poor fellow, this was to be the last time we should meet in this 
 world, as he died shortly afterwards. It had been twenty-five years since 
 I had seen him previous to this meeting. The wonderful joy that came to 
 us at this meeting comes to no other class of mortals but Comrades who 
 have passed through perils of every description, escaping o)ily death, to- 
 gether touching elbows where it took all the moral courage that mortal 
 men could possess to obey orders. 
 
 I left St. Louis, Mo., over the Ohio and Mobile R. R. at eight-thirty 
 p. m. My train stopped twenty minutes for breakfast next morning at 
 Corinth, Miss. I was shown from the car window where in one of the bat- 
 tles fought at this place a Col. Rodgers, Confederate, was killed in leading 
 a charge on our men. The result of the battle was the Confederates were 
 repulsed and the I'nion army victorious. We soon passed on south, pass- 
 ing over where both armies had marched, which yet showed much signs of 
 devastation. I arrived at Meridian, Miss., at 2 p. m., where 1 left the train. 
 1 was now where we destroyed so lauob railroj 1 piop-vi-vy in Febvi'iry, 
 1864, thirty-eight years before, under the command of General Sherman. 
 A Mr. Johnson met me at the train, and took me to his home, where I 
 t'pent the evening and night and most of the next 'iay, -^njovn.j; tlieir great 
 hospitality. 
 
 Meridian, Miss., had, during the thirty-eight years of my absence, 
 grown to be the largest cit.v in the state, being the punction of the Ohio 
 and Mobile and the Vicksburg and Charleston railroads. They claimed a 
 population of twenty-two thousand. It was the most extensive cotton 
 market in the state. I visited their l.Lige compress cotton mills, which 
 were very extensive. Saw them at work. The cotton was brought from 
 the cotton gin in bales after being put through the compress power, where 
 its bulk was reduced almost half, then it was ready for the market of the 
 wo; Id. While here 1 said to ^Ir. Johnson, "Down that railroad some of 
 those trees have iron collars on them." I told him that General Sherman's 
 army left them dressed in that kind of trinnrings when here in 1S64. 
 He said, "Oh, no; Oh, no." I asked him how they ever got them off Hhe 
 trees, and he said they chopped the trees down and shipped the twisted 
 rails to rolling mills, where they were straightened and made good. This 
 man Johnson was a small child when Sherman's army made that place a 
 visit, did not remember seeing the army, so what he said to me was what 
 he had been told. 
 
 I took a Vicksburg train for Jackson, the capital of the state. I think 
 the second station from .Meridian west is Chunkeyville. When the name 
 was called by the conductor I was eager to see how it looked in time of 
 peace. * T hastened to a window of the car. This is the place where our 
 Brigade destroyed, by burning, an immense lot of cotton and the depot, 
 tore up the railroad track, and burned the railroad bridge over the Chun- 
 koy river, which was about one hundred and fifty feet wide, and scared the 
 Rebel command so they vacated in somewhat of a hurry, leaving three 
 loaded wagons in the middle of the river. They cut the teams loose from 
 the wagons and made their escape. I do not think our men bothered the 
 wagons. I looked out the car window for this wagon ford of ti.e river, it 
 
40 
 
 looked perfectly natural to me. The ford was yet being used, with thia 
 exception: the three wagons were gone. It came to me while here that 
 this was the place whereJohn thought he was nearly dead when the Lieu- 
 tenant had his sword to his (John's) back, keeping him to his place in the 
 ranks. 
 
 1 left the train at Jackson. On.e could see the scars of war hereflln 
 every hand. The city is located on the west side of Pearl river. From 
 this "place this river is navigable for small boats to its mouth, or the Mls^ 
 sissippi river. The population at this time was nine thousand. I visited 
 the old state house, where I found the legislature in session/.(i/4What a 
 grewsome story it would be if the full history of the happen^' that had 
 taken palce since its completion were told. This session of the legis- 
 lature was to be the last to convene in the old building, as they were 
 at this time erecting a new capitol building. 
 
 One story of the new building was completed at this time. 
 Jackson was many times punished. All the Confederate industries 
 were destroyed and the railroads badly put out of commission, being the 
 junction of the Mississippi Central and the Vicksburg and Charleston rail 
 roads. These roads were sadly out of repair during a greater part of the 
 war period. 
 
 I left Jackson for Edwards, about twenty-five miles to the west, near 
 the Champion Hills battlefield, where I arrived late in the p. m. After pro- 
 curing entertainment for the night, I stepped into a business house and 
 asked the proprietor if he could direct me to some Confederate soldier who 
 would likely go with me over the Champion Hills battle-ground the next 
 day. He studied a few moments, then pointing to a man, said he would be 
 just the man if I could get him to go. I went out into the street and 
 hailed him as captain. "Sah," he said, "you can call me captain, kunn,el 
 or general. 1 was captain in a Mississippi regiment in the Civil Wah, 
 kunnel in the Spanish-American Wah, and had the honoh to command the 
 Brigade that Kunnel Bryan's Regiment was in." I told him what I wanted 
 and that 1 was a Union soldier in that battle. He grabbed me by the hand 
 and said, "1 am glad to meet a man who will say where he belonged; that 
 a great many Yankees did not like to own that they were Yankees." This 
 man's name was Captain Montgomery. He said to me, "Nothing would 
 give me more pleasure than to go with you, but I cannot, as I am a mem- 
 ber of the legislature, and am on a commttee to go to the Gulf tomorrow 
 and inspect the harbor there. I would surely be delighted to go with you 
 and show you over this battle ground, for there is no one about here who 
 knows as much about it as I do." He asked me how I was fixed for the 
 night, and 1 told him 1 had made all arrangements for the night. He 
 said, "Well, sah, you meet me at the depot in the morning at eight o'clock. 
 There will be a freight train along, and we can go on that. I will go on it 
 to Jackson, and will find some one to go with you over the battle ground." 
 This battlefield was four miles east from Edwards, hence we took the train. 
 Captain Montogmery gave me a letter of introduction to a man on the 
 Champions plantation. After finding my man, he asked me if I would like 
 to go into the house and meet Mrs. Champions. I replied that I would, so 
 he took me in and introduced me to her, telling her where I was from and 
 my business there. She warmly greeted me by clasping my hand and say- 
 ing how delighted she was to do honor to a man who fought for his coun- 
 try. Mrs. Champions at this time was seventy-five years of age. Her 
 former home had been burned. The present home was some distance from 
 where thehome of 1S63 stood. She told me that in the morning of the 
 day of the battle, a Confederate officer came to her home and told her that 
 General Grant's army was coming within a few miles, and would pass 
 along the road that ran close to her front door, and that she had better go 
 to some of her neighbors. This she did. going to her father's, a few miles 
 away, leaving the place in charge of her colored people just as if she were 
 
41 
 
 going to visit a neighbor for the day. About ten o'clock that day a por- 
 tion of General Grant's army met General Pemberton's forces, and fought 
 them about six hours, when Pemberton's army was defeated. Mrs. Cham- 
 pion said to me, "I and my father opposed the Rebellion with all our 
 power, but my husband was a rabid secessionist." 
 
 My guide to go with me announced his readiness. We were off after 
 a cordial and pressing invitation from Mrs. Champion to take dinner with 
 her at 2 p. m., whicli I gratefully accepted. Our first stop was at her 
 former home, which was used by f^K ^ our surgeons for a hospital, but 
 now a school house for colored had been built on the site. I asked my 
 guide what made so many holes in the ground. He replied, "There is 
 where bodies of Union soldiers had been taken up and taken to Vicksburg 
 and burited in the national cemetery at that place." Our next stop was on 
 the ground that was fought over many times, beine a forest of black oal. 
 trees. To my surprise these trees showed the scar^of battle as plainly a- 
 plain could be. I asked my guide what was the cause of those scars. H( 
 said, "There is where the bullets struck them. If we had an axe we would 
 chop into one and you would find the bullet." I stepped up to a ttret 
 where some curious fellow had satisfied himself by chopping into the Irei 
 and finding the minnie ball. I noticed a tree about two feet in diameter 
 near the ground with a hole through it large enough for a house cat to go 
 through. 1 says, "Do you suppose that tree "^j'as struck by a cannon ball?' 
 He answered, "Yes, sir, that is the cause of that hole." I could hardly be- 
 lieve what I saw with my own eyes after thirty-eight years from the time 
 of the battle. 
 
 Our next stop was at a residence which, too, showed yet many marks 
 of the battle. I talked with the proprietor. He told me he was a child 
 and was living there at the time of the battle. "Did you remain her? 
 while the battle was raging?" "Oh, no." "Where did you?" "Over there 
 (pointing off to the south) about three miles; that was close enough to be 
 safe." This man had, I leckon. a cart load of relics of the battle undei- 
 his porch, of all sizes, that he had picked up. He gave me a ten-pound 
 solid cannon ball, which I brought home and have it at this time. He 
 offered me many others, but I did not accept them. 
 
 We next drove to a Mr. Austin's home. Now I was on the ground 
 where General Logan's Division had fought over, where the enemy could 
 not stop us. I found this Mr. Austin was an ex-Union soldier. A year or 
 two after the close of the war he went south and married his wife in this 
 vicinity. Mr. Austin went with me over the ground where my Regiment 
 had fought, from the place where we first formed, and where General Lo- 
 gan rode along the line of his men and said, "]\(en, the hotter the quicker." 
 meaning the harder we fought the sooner it would be over with. This 
 proved to be true in this instance. I recognized the lay of the ground 
 quite readily. What a contrast in the going over this ground the first and 
 the second time — the first time amidst the roar of battle when hundreds 
 of men were being killed; the second time no armed enemy in front of us. 
 no batteries to charge loaded with cannister to fear. 
 
 Mr. Austin gave me a number of war relics which I brought home 
 with me. One was a Barlow pocket knife that he had found when digging 
 a post hole in a Confederate soldier's grave, buried for twenty years. In 
 digging this post hole he came to a man's thigh bone, and by its side he 
 found this and an old pocketbook. I relate this incident to disprove the 
 statement that the pockets of the dead were robbed by our men. .Mr. Ausiiu 
 took me to his home and introduced me to the ladies of the house. Dinner 
 was awaiting him, and they urged me to dine with them. I told them that 
 I had promised to take dinner with Mrs. Champion, and they would have- 
 to excuse me. Thanking Mr. Austin for his kindness and bidding them 
 farewell. 1 went to my guide and then drove to Mrs. Champion's house. 
 
 When I entered Mrs, Champion's home she said^ "You are ten min- 
 
42 
 
 utes late, and you know a meal is not so good when not eaten as ^oon as 
 rtany. My cook had hegun to be uneasy, fearing that the meal would nut 
 be cujov'^d." I legged her pardon for causing any misgivings abotit tlip 
 meal, and that I esteemed it as a rare opportunity to dine with her. Such 
 a m^eal as we sat down to, Mrs. Champion and I alone, she sitting on the 
 opposite side of the table from me. This dinner was an extraordinary 
 meal, of every kind of vegetable and every kind of meat and sweets of 
 ^very description. I think we were at the table fully an hour, eating and 
 visiting. This dinner will never be forgotten by me during this life. I^ 
 seemed almost too good for any mortal being. She was busy telling me 
 much of their experiences during the war times. She said that our sur- 
 geni'S i!.'--ed ner dining table the day of the battle for an amp'it.'.tion table, 
 and that she could never clean the human blood stains from it. 
 
 As my train was soon due, I said to her that I must be going on soon. 
 She wanted that T should remain over until the next day. The best excuse 
 that I could offer was that I had not heard from home for many days, and 
 that I thought there was mail for me at Vicksburg that I was anxious to 
 r-ead. Expressing gratitude to her for the kindly hospitality she had 
 shown me, I bade the battle-ground farewell at three thirty p. m. for Vicks- 
 burg. never to forget the impressions that came to me while visiting this 
 historical place. In all Confederate accounts of this battl^ they gave it as 
 "Baker's Creek Battle-ground." 
 
 My train soon reached Black river bridge, our old camp of the winter 
 of 1863-64. It looked ve;y natural to me. I could see wher-e our tents 
 stood, and the old drill grounds where we drilled so many times to earn 
 the Excelsior Banner, which we afterwards got. 
 
 I arriv.ed at Vicksburg safely late in the evening. Found a hotel to 
 put up at while in the city, being run by an ex-Confederate soldier. I soon 
 found myself going to the postofHce for any mail there awaiting me. I 
 then went down to where was once the great river front when was here in 
 the sixties, and to my wonderful surprise there was no river, but instead 
 of the old wharf was built railroad tracks, railroad warehouses, depot, 
 cottonseed oil mills, compress cotton mills, door and sash factories and 
 lumber yards. I could hardly beleve what my eyes behsld. What Iiad be- 
 come of the river? There was some dead water there. Just in front of 
 the city, out in the old river bed, was an island grown up to brush of dif- 
 ferent kinds, Cottonwood trees thirty feet high.. This water was called 
 Lake Centennial. In IS 76 the Mississippi river was very high, overflov'irg 
 much river bottom land on the opposite side from tbe city, known as 
 Toung's Point. During this great flood of water, it cut a new channel 
 across this point of land, commencing six or eight miles above the city, 
 and re-entering the old channel about four and a half miles below the city. 
 When the great flood of water had subsided, Vicksburg was not on the 
 Mississippi river any more. The nearest point to the river was four and a 
 half miles, which point was as near as the steamboat could get to the city. 
 All river traffic destined for and from Vicksburg had to be hauled by teams 
 that distance. What a calamity! F.om a commercial standpoint it kilkd 
 this hauty and wicked city. 
 
 The chief point of interest to me was to visit the old battle-ground, 
 "Where my Regiment was placed on the line of investment during the lon;r 
 siege. I started early in the morning, and found it to be about three miles 
 out. I readily recognized the place. The White or Shirley house was stili 
 standing. I found the spot of ground I occupied so long during the siege. 
 Also found a stone marker that had been placed by my Regimental Assoc- 
 iation at some period prior to my visit, marking the spot where the Regi- 
 ment had spent so many days and nights of strenuous and intense hard 
 labor with both shovel and musket. 
 
 The sad memories of many thrilling incidents cam-e to me while view- 
 ing this old camping-ground after thirty-nine years. I went out and found 
 
r.) 
 
 the dear old spring of water that supplied us with life-sustaining fluid for 
 nearly eight weeks. It was furnishing about the same amount of wat/er, 
 1 judged, as in 18 63. 
 
 Having been given a letter of introduction by my Comrade and good 
 friend James Phelps before leaving home, to a Mr. William Blything of 
 Vieksburg, who was a member of his Company of an Iowa Regiment for 
 three years, I inquired after him, and learned that Mr. Blything had 
 ■eharg-e of a working party in the military park. This park consisted of 
 the' Vieksburg battle-ground. The U. S. Government had purchased a strip 
 of land covering the entire length of the battlefield, which was eight miles 
 in length. 
 
 The working party was clearing out the undergrowth, such as cane 
 thickets, briar patches and small bushes, and burning it, leaving only the 
 large trees standing. After some searching and inquiring, I found 
 Mr. Blything. I handed him Mr. Phelps' letter, and when he had finished 
 reading it he clasped me by the hand and said, "You are'a neighbor to 
 James Phelps, are you? How 1 would love to see Jim." We had a friend- 
 ly visit, and he kindly invited me to his home w^hile in the city. 1 then 
 took a street car, which runs from the city every thirty minutes, out al- 
 most to the parJEi for my hotel. 
 
 I looked over the city and noted many changes have taken place. 
 There are many scars visible showing the punishment the city received 
 from Admiral Porters fleet which lay in the river near by. There is now 
 an electric car line throughout the city. They claim a population of ten 
 thousand. ■«' 
 
 r went out to the National Cemetery which is located two miU'S 
 uo'th of the city — outside of the line of Confederate works, near the 
 bend of this great river, on the western slope of one of the great hills 
 overlooking what is now known as Lake Centennial (formerly the Miss- 
 isssippi river.) This cemetery consists of forty acres of land and is in- 
 closed by a brick wall three and a half feet high. This cemetery when 
 ready to receive the soldier dead was a succession of terraces. All kinds 
 of shade trees are planted in artistic style with the beautiful Magnolia 
 and other everg-. een trees interspersed. One would suppose at a short 
 distance it was a forest. On the tops of these several terraces is where 
 the dead were placed. I learned from the superintendent that he em- 
 ploys twelve men eight months of the year doing nothing elese but using 
 the lawn mowers keeping the grass as smooth as the mowers will make 
 it. The surface of the cemetery has a perfect coat of Bermuda grass 
 which requires clipping every few days as it grows very fast during the 
 growing season. The government furnisbed two stones for each soldier's 
 grave hurried here, one at the head and one at the foot. Where the 
 soldiers were known their names are cut in these granite markers, where 
 they are unkno\\n the marker is numbered. 
 
 There are buried in this cemetery sixteen thousand seven hundred 
 and eighty-four soldiers, four thousand twenty-two of whom are known 
 and twelve thousand seven hundred and sixty-two unknown. These 
 bodies were collected from a large territory adjacent to Vieksburg up 
 and down the river and on the battlefields where they had fallen. Truly 
 an army of heroes who gave their all that this government should not 
 be destroyed. A great many of the dead soldiers were taken by their 
 relatives north and hurried at home in the family hurrying grounds. I 
 visited the graves of three of my Company. I supposed there are more 
 buried there of my Company if; so they are among the unknown. 
 
 It appeared to me that this cemetery is the most beautiful place tha' 
 I had ever seen. The Government maintains a very large green housf 
 where it grows the almost numberless variety of flowers which are dis- 
 tributed on the graves throughout the cemetery during the warm months 
 of the year. Then stored away in the green house for the winter. One 
 
4 + 
 
 of the three of my Company who lie in this cemetery was my bunk-mate 
 from the time of our entering the service until he fell at Vicksburg. All 
 three of them left families at home. Several others of the Company 
 who were killed I know their relatives came and took them to their 
 northern homes. 
 
 The marbel shaft that was plac-ed on the spot where Gen. Pem- 
 berton capitulated with Gen. Grant on July 3, 1863 is now in this ceme- 
 tery to keep relic hunters from chipping it all away as souvenirs to carry 
 home. A heavy piece of Ordinance, a cannon was placed on that historic 
 spot and hears the same inscription as the marbel shaft. That monument 
 will mark the spot for all time. The following is the inscription on it. 
 "Site of interview between Major General Grant U. S. A. and Lieuten- 
 ant General Pemberton July 3, 1863." These words are cut into iron 
 about a sixteenth of an inch deep so they cannot possibly be erased. 
 This monument is about twenty inches in diameter at the br-eech and is 
 nine feet high" located about one hundred paces south of what is known 
 as Fort Hill by the Federal troops and the Third Louisiana Redan by 
 the Confederate troops. 
 
 Mr. Blything took me to the Park Commissioners office, was intro- 
 duced to Capt. W. T. Rigby who is chairman of the Commission. Had a 
 pleasant talk with him. The Captain gave me an outline of what they 
 had done and what they expected to do in the Park. 
 
 This Military Park at Vicksburg, Miss., contains twelve hundred 
 and thirty-two acres of land for which the Government paid on an 
 average of forty dollars and seventy cents per ac e. Only the land that 
 could be called fighting ground was purchased for this park. 
 
 The Commissioners plan was to build two roads or avenues, one 
 just in the rear of Confederate wo ks t6 be known as Confederate Ave., 
 the other one to be known as Federal Ave. and built just in the rear 
 of the first parallel line, or trench, of the Federal forces. The most of 
 the camps of the Federal Regiments are not in this park land. But they 
 propose that markers or tablets will be placed on these avenues stating 
 the exact location of each separate organization or command of both 
 armies. 
 
 This commission is appointed by the Secretary of War, and consists 
 
 fthree ex-soliders — two of the Union army and one of the Confederate 
 army. At this time the members were Captan W. T. Rigby, Captain 
 James G. Everet and Lieut. Gen. Stephen D. Lee, all of whom were parti- 
 cipants in this battle. 
 
 While talking to Captain Rigby I told him where I served du ing 
 the siege of Vicksburg. He said to me, "I want you to go with me 
 out on the line where you was during the siege and show me some points 
 that we may erect suitable monuments." I told him 1 would go and if 
 
 1 could give him any information I would gladly do so. We went out as 
 pre-arranged. The first place we went to was the Crater, or "Slaughte- 
 Pen," the boys called it. This Rebel fort had been leveled down. He said 
 to me, "Show me where you think that fort was." I stepped to where I 
 thought it was. He remarked, "Don't you think it may have been here?" 
 he was standing ten feet east of where I stood. T told him that it might 
 possibly have been. I think he was pleased that I could so nearly locate 
 the exact spot. No doubt in my mind I was as nearly correct as he was 
 as this fort was sixty feet in diameter. 
 
 We next went to the place where my Regiment was located during 
 the siege. I pointed, it out to him. He then asked me to show him 
 where Captain Rogers' Battery stood during the siege and where Captain 
 Rogers was killed. I soon showed him where the guns stood for the 
 parapet was plain to be seen, they stood behind a bank. Hp said to me. 
 "You must be correct." Then he asked me to locate the spot where 
 Rogers was killed. The exact spot I did not know. I related to him the 
 circumstances under which Rogers was placed and led to his death. 
 
"Well you take this hatchet and drop it where you may think that Rogers 
 was killed and down goes the stake." I dropped the hatchet and saw him 
 drive the stake and make a note of it in his note book. A suitable 
 granite stone has been erected to th-e memory of this gallant man on this 
 spot. 
 
 On our wa.v back to the city Rigby took me to a 'well preserved 
 cave that was used by the people to live in during th« siege thirty nine 
 years ago as most all of the citizens of the city lived in caves in those 
 hills at that time for safety. 
 
 The next tour 1 made I went out with Mr. Blything on to the battle 
 line where his Regiment was located during the battle. They were 
 more north of the city and under Gen. Sherman. I picked up some 
 grape shot near an old fort in front of this Iowa Regiment's position. 
 The hill they charged up in front of the Rebel works was very steep. 
 Blything pointed out to me th-e advance point that any of his Regiment 
 obtained and where some of his field officers were killed. We then went 
 on through their camp to the spring of water that supplied thousands 
 of soldiers and horses during the battle. A large volume of water 
 flowed this spring.. We went on to the east until we came to Gen. 
 Grant's headquarters. Gen. Sherman's headquarters was forty or fifty 
 rods west of that of Gen. Grant. 
 
 The Confederate line started from the Mississippi river north of 
 city ran a nearly easterly course for two and a half miles thence south- 
 west for six miles to the river below the city. 
 
 We started back to city and crossed the Confederate line at what is 
 called Stockade Fort, where much furious fighting was done. We passed 
 over the ground where 1 laid very sick in an Arbor Hospital, when I 
 regained consciousness was in a tent and from this was sent to a boat to 
 be sent north and was unloaded at Memphis, Tenn. 
 
 We passed much ground that had been at one time very familiar 
 to me. We soon reached Mr. Blythng's home where supper was wait- 
 ing for us, having tramped probably fifteen miles. Mrs. Blything was 
 a young lady of Vicksburg at the time of the battle there. She with 
 her mother lived in a cave for safety until the siege was over. She 
 pointed to her piano and said, "We had that in the cave with us." 
 
 The next day I put in visiting in the city. Went to the court house 
 wiiose cupola contains the city clock. We could often hear it striking 
 the hour during the siege three miles away. It was still doing its 
 faithful dut.v and how readily 1 recognized its familiar sound. 
 
 I went to the Park Commissioners' office to see Captain Rigby, but 
 he was out. A gray haired gentleman inquired if he could wait uupn 
 me, and told me that he was one of the commissioners — Lieut^'^teu^Ben 
 D. Lee. 1 spent a very pleasant hour with him. He told vw^-llurt he 
 was from another family of Lee's than that of Gen. Robert Lee. Said 
 his family was of South Carolina while Robert Lee's family were Vir- 
 ginians. He said to me "When Vicksburg fell the war should have 
 closed that they were whipped then and it was useless to prolong the 
 struggle." "Yes," 1 said, "I thought that was true but a large per cent 
 of the Southern people did not have enough of war. they could not 
 realize that they must lose out in the struggle at last." 
 
 i note that the ground where we earned the Excelsior Banner in 
 a drill contest w'as covered with buildings of different industries. I 
 also visited the present boat landing which is four miles below the city. 
 
 Word came to me that a Confederate soldier whose home was near 
 Port Gibson was in the city and wished to see me, having learned of my 
 presence there, and the number of my Regiment. Mr. Blything and I 
 went to see him. When we found him he asked me if I knew a man b.\ 
 name of George W. .Jackson of Co. G. 124th Regiment. I told him that 
 1 did. He then said, "I want to send him word that his name that he 
 
4(i 
 
 ' ;it on a beech tree near Port Gibson is as plain to be seen as it was the 
 day he cut it, in May, 1863. Thirty-nine yea.s afterward when this man 
 told me this. I had visited Mr. Jackson a few years prior to this, spent 
 a night at his home, but he had died before this message reached him. 
 
 I must relate a conversation 1 had with a man whose small shack 
 stood near the park limits, in fact his possessions embraced some of 
 the park lands, which the Government had bought. This fellow was ten 
 or twelve years old at the close of the Civil War. Of course he was a 
 bitter, but a smart aleck. He said "The northern soldier was paid to 
 fight, got all the Government had promised them, when they hired out 
 to the Government and that they ought to be satisfied. That he and all 
 the Southern people were taxed to death to pay them the pensions they 
 were getting." "Yes pay, my friend how would you feel do you think 
 ro stand up and let me shoot at you for thirteen dollars a month?" 
 Talk about pay! As to you being taxed to help pay our pensions, how 
 much do you suppose it costs you? He admitted that he did not know. 
 'Well sir, it does not cost you a farthing unless you buy whiskey or 
 tobacco. These pensions are paid from the int'ernal revenues of the whole 
 country." He admitted that he did not know that before. Then he 
 asked "What is that German officer visiting the United States for, spy- 
 ing our coast defences? What is the strength of their armi-es? I said 
 "I do not know, and I do not care. I am sure we are not afraid of any 
 foreign nation on the globe." He then said, "I hope to God that some 
 foreign nation would .iump on to the Unit-ed States and whip her to a 
 finish." I said, "You don't have to stay in this country if you choose to 
 leave it. Suppose there was a foreign army landed at the mouth of the 
 Mississippi river. How far do you think they would advance into the in- 
 terior of this country?" He d:d not know. 1 told him "that he would 
 shoulder his gun quick enough to help drive the invader out of the 
 country, if you wouldn't your wife would." 1 left him as there was no 
 atisfaction in listening to his useless remarks. Mr. Blything said, 
 "lou hit him hard when you spoke of whisk-ey and tobacco as he uses 
 both. He has one or two drams on now more than common." Men of 
 his age I observed are the fellows who harbor bitter enmity towards the 
 Xorthern people. Tbe soldiers of the Rebel army can and are willing to 
 fraternize with TifKbi|prthern*^ld-ier at all times. 1 received from them 
 in every instance th^very best of kindly greetings from each and every 
 one I met. 
 
 Having spent one week viewing the many points of much interest 
 to me in this vicinity, connected with my army life I prepared to go to 
 my home to return at some future date if possible, when the park is more 
 in a finished state. 
 
 In the month of .January, 19 08, I and my wife and daughter Anna 
 went South with a double pu pose, to spend the winter amongst rela- 
 tives and to visit the National Park at Vicksburg, Mississippi, which place 
 we reached some time the second weak in March. After getting located, I 
 first called at the Park Commissioners' office where I met again Captain 
 Rigby who seemed highly pleased to see me. I told him of my purpose 
 and of the party that was with me. He said, "You go to a certain barn 
 and tell them to let you have the team I drive. I will let my Adjutant, 
 Mr. Longly go with you. Take your dinners along and put in the day. 
 Go up the Lake Centennial road through the National Cemetery, and 
 go the entire lengtb of^he battlefield for the first day. Mr. Longly 
 has been my clerk /fbir^Tlie first and he can show and tell you all the 
 points of interest."/ His kindness we greatly appreciated. 
 
 As previously arranged we were off at an early hour for the day 
 behind a spirited team of horses \i^a two seated carriage. We entered 
 the National Cemetery near the southwest corner. Th driveways are 
 very crooked to make the ascf-iir easv. Our first stop was to see the 
 
47 
 
 niarUel shaft, the Grant and Peniberton monument which had been moved 
 from the battlefield to its present location for safety. Anna being equip- 
 ped with a camera took some pretty views from this place. We drive 
 on and up until we reach the northeast corner of the cemetery. The 
 Superintendent's office was near by. After refreshing ourselves with a 
 drink from a cistern we pass on through the enclosure of the cemetery, in- 
 to Federal Ave. Soon we come to Regimental monuments telling us what 
 command had been stationed at each of these monuments. Some were 
 Brigade monuments, and also iron tablets showing the advanced position 
 gained by, or taken by the different commands during the battle includ- 
 ing the different batteries. We pass on to the "Tunnel" that was made 
 in front of Gen. Thayer's command. (This Gen. Thayer was once G0V7 
 ernor of Nebraska.) At this place was where the Regiment of Mr. James 
 Phelps of Edgar, Nebraska, operated during the battle. We went over 
 the ground that these comrades fought over and made an assault up the 
 hill on the Rebel line and got almost to the Rebel works when were re- 
 pulsed. Here Anna took several snapshots with Kodak. At very close 
 intervals we find these monuments along side of the Avenue and on the 
 front side or side next to the Rebel works. We pass near Gen. Sher- 
 man's headquraters and on to Gen. Grant's headquarters which was in a 
 tent all the while of the battle. It is marked by a monument. Near this 
 place are several State Memorial Monuments, Pennsylvania, Massachu- 
 setts, New York and Michigan. These are beautiful and costly monu- 
 ments. From here we go in a soutliernly direction about a mile and 
 come to the "Shirley House" and the Illinois State Memorial Monument 
 which stands wthin a few feet of where the 124th Ills. Regiment was 
 located during the battle. We ate our lunch here near the Shirley House 
 and near to our old camp. 
 
 The Shirley House has been restored to its former beauty and use- 
 fulness by the Government. 
 
 The Illinois Memorfal Monument can be seen from nearly any part 
 of the Park. It is over sixty feet high, circular in form and fifty-eight 
 feet in diameter. It is lighted from its dome of which about one-third 
 of the diameter of the entire structure is left open and uncovered. On 
 the interior wall of this monument was placed the name of every Illi- 
 nois soldier who was on the Vicksburg yujunaiffn or \i\ the^ege of Vicks- 
 burg. His name is placed ^g/^ bronze JCtfww wliidi xii*lff*Tc;ouiplete belt 
 of bronze a'ound the entire interior of tlie Monun%nt. The names are 
 placed by Regiments of Infantry, Regiments of Cavalry, batteries of 
 Artillery, also by Companies so that the visitor can find readily the name 
 of any of the soldiers in a very short time. This structure cost the State 
 of Illinois two hundred thousand dollas. I was so overcome with its 
 niaj^nitude and grandeur when I saw and realized what my native state 
 '•lad clone in honor of her soMivirs, I could not but weep. 
 
 We leave here to go south. We first come to an observation tower 
 which is over a hundred feet high. It stands near Gen. John A. Logans 
 Iieadqua! ters. The general Government had this tower built or appro- 
 priated money for its being placed there. The sights which can be seen 
 from the top of this tower can not be described. One can look right 
 into the city near three miles away, and can see nearly the whole length 
 of the park wMth its costly monuments and towering granite shafts. It 
 is located near the center lengthwise, of the Park of nine miles in length 
 We go on south and soon pass a shaft of granite which is ninety feet 
 high, nine feet square at the base and six feet square at the top erected 
 by the State of Minnesota. Farther on and across the railroad we come 
 to the Iowa State .Memorial Monument erected at a cost of one hund- 
 red and fifty thousand dollars. We diMve on to near the end of Federal 
 Avenue where we cross to the west "W Confederate Avenue. This is just 
 to the rear of the Rebel line of earthworks. We stop to let the ladies 
 
48 
 
 see a Rebel fort, which is yet quite well preserved. It was known as the 
 Square Fort. Very much of sanguinary fighting was done in about' this 
 Fort. 
 
 The day being far spent we push on over Confederate Avenue, back 
 to the old river bed of the Mississippi. Just on the bluff is a fort the Con- 
 federates called Fort Hill. We went into this Fo.t and inspected it. It 
 was from this fort that some of the Rebel guns sank some ships of 
 Admiral Porter's fleet during the battle. Here the Avenue turns north 
 and intersects Federal Avenue at the northeast co.ner of the National 
 Cemetery, which we drive through again and on to the city having driven 
 about twenty-five miles. 
 
 These Avenues are each two rods wide with a crown in concrete and 
 cement sewerage on either side so they are practically dry all the 
 time, and just as smooth as they could be made. Where the Avenues 
 cross bayous there are artistic bridges built of galvanized iron. There 
 are several of these in the Park. 
 
 In size the Regimental and Battery monuments are three by five 
 feet with the proper" inscription thereon — the name of the command they 
 represent, etc. Wherever a piece of Artillery stood during the siege 
 of both armies, there are mounted guns representing said gun or guns 
 and proper marker or tablet with name and history of each battery or 
 gun. The same can be said of the Infantry, suitable markers are placed 
 showing the advanced position of each command and with a history of the 
 (iesparate fighting done by each command throughout the length of the 
 l)attle ground. 
 
 The purpose of the Government is to make this battle-ground as 
 realistic as possible to all visitors for the coming generations — a per- 
 manent battlefield. 
 
 Our next visit to the battle-ground, we went out on a street car that 
 took us w ithin a short distance of the the Park. W^e took our lunch so 
 as to put in the entre day sightseeing. We come to the spot where our 
 forces blew up Fort Hill. I am so glad that I am premitted to view this 
 place agT,in having my wife and daughter with me. There was so 
 much to tell them and to e.xplain to them and to show them of what took 
 place here forty-five years before when day and night the battle was on 
 and men were being blown into eternity, mangled by the terrible shells 
 and slain by the deadly niinnie ball. The constant roar of the battle was 
 terrific. Now we a:e here to note what our great Government is caus- 
 ing to be done to perpetuate the heroism of its defenders in its chosen 
 way. This Park when all completed will be a wonderful sight to behold. 
 The Southern or Rebellious States expect to do a large work in placing 
 suitable monuments in me;nory of their soldiers. Some have al.eady done 
 this. 
 
 We move on to the Illinois Memorial Monument. Our hearts swell 
 with pride as we comprehend to a degree what this great and magnificent 
 structiire stands for. During the eleven days we visited this part of the 
 Park altogether, this being my home district during the battle. My 
 daughter took scenes of important places to me with her kodak which 
 will keep to the end of the race. 
 
 The "Shirley House" that stood so near to our camp is the only 
 house within the Park limits. Mrs. Shirley was living in the house and 
 lying sick when the battle commenced. By an order from Gen. Mc- 
 Pherson, our Corps Commander, this lady was taken to the rear to a 
 place of safety where she was properly taken care of during the battle, 
 which lasted forty-seven days and nights. While on our visit at this 
 time, we noticed that Mr. and Mrs. Shirleys' graves are nearby in the 
 rear yard of this home. A family lives in this house to care for it. I 
 was told that a portion of this house was to be used as a war museum. 
 
 I take wife and daughter to the spring of water that supplied us 
 
49 
 
 during the time the battle was on. We all had a drink of it and Anna 
 took a picture of it. I told them of how difficult it was for us to get 
 to this spring in daylight as a part of the distance was in point blank 
 range of the enemy's muskets. We soon learned that when we came to 
 this exposed place we would run for our lives in its truest sense. "Get 
 there Eli or get hit" was our slogan and our business. Some of the 
 boys were killed at the best. I presume the Confederate soldiers re- 
 ceived much sport in seeing the Yankees run for their lives. It created 
 some unpleasantness on our side, but no extra amount of hatred for 
 our neighbors for we knew full well that we were guilty of doing the 
 same by them every opportunity we had. The distance at this place from 
 them to us was about forty rods. The wonder is that they did not hit 
 oftener than they did. 
 
 I notice that the points of interest I showed Captain Rigby when on 
 my visit to this battlefield in 1902 had suitable monuments placed, these 
 monuments being of granite. 
 
 One day while we were near the Illinois State Memorial Monument 
 there were three men came near me and were reading the inscription on 
 a monument. I said to them, "Is there any prticular place that you are 
 looking for?" They said "No, we are from the north and just came out 
 from the city to see the battle-ground." They were I judge born since the 
 war. One of them said to me, "I supose that house (pointing to the 
 Shirley House) was Gen. Grant's headquraters?" "No indeed it was 
 not I replied." "Come with me a few paces, I will show you where Gen. 
 Grant's headquarters were." They went with me and I pointed it out to 
 them, it being about a mile to the north from where we were standing. 
 One man said, "We were told that this white house was the place." "Well 
 your informant did not know," I replied, "I do know for I was here from 
 start to finish of the siege. I know what I am talking about." "What 
 you here then? Yes sir, I will show you where my Regiment lay during 
 that battle." I pointed out a stone marker to them and told them that 
 my Regimental Association placed it there years before the Park was 
 thought of. They were very much surprised at the general information I 
 was able to give them, and remained with me the rest of that day as 
 long as they remained in the Park. We went to Fort Hill that was blown 
 up on June 25, 1863. I gave them as well as I could a description of the 
 heroic fighting done that day and cited them to many tablets Inat they 
 could read for further proof of that which I had told them. They 
 asked where it was that Grant and Pemberton met to arrange the terms 
 of capitulation. I took them to the place and told them to "read the 
 inscription to be satisfied that it is the spot and so long as you live yolu 
 can say that you have seen the present monument marking the place 
 where the two Generals met to arrange terms of peace." I told them 
 that that was the third monument that has marked that spot. Those 
 Generals stood beneath an oak tree to hold their council but within a few 
 months the Union soldiers had made souvenirs out of it even digging 
 up its roots until there was not a vestage of it left. The second was a 
 marbel shaft. This stood for a time then the relic hunters began chip- 
 ping it off and carryng it away as souvenirs. The Government moved 
 this monument to the National Cemetery where it now stands. The one 
 .vou now see is the third monument." These men allowed that they will 
 not be chipping that one, it being a large cannon standing on its breech, 
 twenty inches in diameter and nine feet high. These men grasped me 
 by the hand and tried to tell me how glad they were in meeting me 
 and for what I had told them. While near the Illinois State. Memorial 
 Monument one of them said, "I wonder if anyone is allowed to go inside 
 to look at it." I said to them "Certainly, that is what it is for." It was 
 a great sight to them, one they will never foget, to know what that state 
 had done to honor her soldiers. Their homes were in three separate 
 
50 
 
 states: Oklahoma. Wisconsin and Indiana. They had fallen in together 
 on their trip and were traveling together. I never heard from them 
 after our meeting that day. 
 
 While visiting with these gentlemen, wife and daughter sght-seeing 
 looking up many points of interest nearhy. They each picked up a min- 
 nie ball one of which was flattened on one end. It had done its mission 
 work no doubt during the time of battle. Just after a heavy rain the 
 little negro children who live in the vicinity of the old battle-field search 
 for these relics, as the rain uncovers their long secret biding place, to sell 
 them to the Northern visitors to carry home as souvenirs of the old bat- 
 tle ground. It was surprising to us to know how successful these little 
 fellows are in this traffic. 
 
 It is astonishing to anyone to know of the great number of visitors 
 from the northern states who come here to view this historic place. I 
 have no doubt but that the number runs way into the thousands each 
 year. 
 
 After a two weeks stay here at Vicksburg and nearly three months 
 visiting in the South we leave Vicksburg for our home in Nebraska, to 
 carry with us always the memory of what we saw on the old Vicksburg 
 Rattlefield. 
 
 It may be a wonder to you what we did with the dead soldiers. I 
 did not think to tell you before in this sketch. When on a campaign 
 when a soldier was killed or died from any cause, he was rolled up in 
 his woolen blanket, and a shallow grave vas mgde, in which he was bu:- 
 led. Where there were many klled, as in a battle, a trench was dug, two 
 feet deep, eght, feet wde, and as long as was necessary to contain the dead, 
 who were collected at a given point. The boys were laid side by side, 
 as close as they could be laid in the trench. Their woolen blankets were 
 spread over them, and the trench was filled up and properly marked 
 with head boards, on which was written the soldier's name and the com- 
 mand in which he served. After same battles, there had to be made many 
 of these trenches for the dead. When in camp, when a soldier died, a 
 detail usually from his Company, esco ted the body to the burial place. 
 They carried their guns, and were headed by the Regimental band or 
 drum corps, which played a funeral dirge with muffl'Sd drums. When 
 the burial ceremony was over, the a med escort would fire three volleys 
 over the body of the dead soldier. This was "being buried with the hon- 
 ors of war." At the general hospitals where I was, where so many died, 
 the Government furnished rough pine box to each dead soldier to be 
 buried in. They were buried without military escort or any other cere- 
 mony, only that his friends or relatives in the north v.ere notified of his 
 death. 
 
 The duties of a Chaplain of a Regiment of soldiers was to look after 
 the spiritual interests of the Regiment, visit the sick, give comfort in all 
 case of affliction and distress, perform religious ceremonies at the graves 
 of the dead, as well as to pi each and council with the living. These 
 Chaplain were supposed to be licensed ministers before entering the ser- 
 vice, with a good moral charcter. Their salary was about the same as 
 the First Lieut-enant — one hundred twenty dollars per month. He was 
 expected to board himself, the same as all commissioned officers. A good 
 and faithful Chaplain earned his salary. He was not supposed to expose 
 his body in time of battle, but if he was a faithful Chaplain, he got to 
 the wounded men as soon as possible, to administer to his necessities and 
 seek after his comfort, giving words of cheer to the despondent one, both 
 spiritual and temporal, often taking the last message in writing to loved 
 ones at home. When in camp, at all times the Chaplain was expected, if 
 able, to hold some kind of religious service each week, preaching or prayer 
 service. The religious element in the 124th Illinois Regiment was quite 
 strong, as there were many who were preachers before their enlistment 
 
51 
 
 into the army. There was an organized band, made up of the several 
 Companies, for a centralization of religious workers to combine all relig- 
 ious efforts or work in the Regiment. All who wished were privileged to 
 unite with it. Just before the day of mustering out came, each member 
 was given a letter of recommendation to any evangelical church that their 
 lot might be cast after they were discharged from the military service. I 
 have only been speaking here of what took place in my own Regiment. 
 Other Regiments, no doubt, had their own plans for looking after the 
 morals of the many Comrades. 
 
 This sketch would be incomplete if I did not tell something about 
 our Medical Staff Of the Regiment. The 12 4th Illinois Volunteer Regi- 
 ment had a surgeon and two assistant surgons, first and second. There 
 duties were to give medical treatment whenever called upon to do so, and 
 to alleviate the suffering of the soldier, whatever the circumstances might 
 be. These three surgeons were well read men in their profession. After 
 a time, the surgeon was promoted to Division surgeon, which took him 
 away from our Regiment. The assistants were promoted, first assistant 
 as surgeon and second assistant as first assistant surgeon. When on 
 campaign duty, one surgeon stayed in camp to look after the sick who 
 could not go with us, the other to go with the command to look after any 
 who became sick and the woun'ded men. This assistant surgeon was a 
 German, not in full sympathy with the prosecution of the war in the way 
 it was being done. Of a morning, at the sick call, he would get busy 
 discussing the war policies with the sick men, and would keep them wait- 
 ing an unusual length of time to be prescribed for. He finally became 
 unbearable, and was asked to resign, which he did, or he would soon have 
 faced some charges which would likely brought about his dismissal from 
 the service b ya court-martial. The men deserved better treatment than 
 they got from him, and would not put up with it any longer. Some of 
 the sick men nicknamed him "Bills." When a sick man went to him for 
 medicine, invariably he would say, "L^, me see your tongue." Then he 
 would say, "I give you dree cadardic^lls. You take one dis morning, 
 one dis noon, one dis night. If dat don't fix you, come back; I fix you 
 myself." No matter what the complaint might be, it was always, "Let 
 me see your tongue," and was followed up with the "cadardic bills," hence 
 his nickname. Being German, the word tongue was not given the English 
 pronunciation. I relate this to show you that even though a man is an 
 officer, he must respect the rights that belong to the private soldier. This 
 man was with us nearly or quite two years. He went home, where he 
 could talk politics to his heart's content among well men. 
 
 The men who were allowed to ride in campaign or on the march in 
 the Infantry branch of the service, they furnishing their own horses, were 
 as follows: Colonel, Lieutenant Colonel, Major, Adjutant, Quartermaster, 
 Wagon Master, Surgeons'and Chaplain. All others were supposed to walk 
 or march. Each man carried his gun and accoutrements, haversack of ra- 
 tions and canteen of water, excepting the commissioned officers of the 
 several Companies, namely. Captains and Lieutenants. 
 
 In writing this brief sketch of my army life from 1862 to 1865, my 
 sole purpose has been to make what I have touched upon plain, that the 
 future generations of my posterity may have a souvenir of the Great Civil 
 War in America. Most of the different phases could have elaborated on, 
 and possibly should have been, but I adopted the plan of being as con- 
 cise as possible and to be readable, and if this sketch will fill a place in 
 the distant future, then 1 have not labored in vain. 
 
 May we forever adhere to the proposition, "ONE COUNTRY, ONE 
 LANGUAGE, ONE FLAG." 
 
 (The end.)