CHAPTER XV.
December 24th, 1864, we received marching orders. We got on board a boat and started for Baton Rouge. We arrived there at two o’clock. On the morning of the 25th we got off of the boat and went into camp on our old camp ground. We relieved two regiments from guard duty, whose time had expired, and they started home at two p. m. We had grand review that day. That was a dry Christmas for us, but we kept up a little fun just the same.
On the evening of the 29th we received marching orders, struck tents, and marched on board the “Laurel Hill.” We landed at New Orleans on the morning of the 30th and reported to General Hulbert. We got orders to run up to Carrollton. Here we disembarked, marched out one mile on the Shell Road and pitched our camp.
January 5th, 1865, we drew four months’ pay and one installment of our bounty. On the 11th we were reviewed by Lieutenant Colonel Smith at two p. m. We received orders and marched to Kennerville on the 19th. We went into camp and had such bad rainy weather that we had to wade around camp in mud that was knee deep.
On the 24th we received marching orders. Every one rejoiced because we were all tired of that mud hole. At four p. m. we marched on board the steamship “Corinthian,” which was bound for Pensacola, Florida. On the morning of the 25th we ran to the gulf, the distance being one hundred miles. As we pulled out of the mouth of the river the waves were rolling agreat deal, and several of our boys got very sick and almost threw up their socks. After we had sailed an hour, the water became smooth and we glided along very nicely.
We ran in sight of our gunboat fleet which was anchored at the mouth of Mobile Bay. At ten p. m. we cast anchor in Pensacola Bay, near Fort Pickens, Florida.
The morning of the 26th brought to view some grand sights in that mild tropical climate that were new to us. There stood two large forts. Fort Pickens and Fort Barancas with their monstrous guns pointing out through many embrasures. There also stood the lighthouse towering up two hundred eighty-four feet above sea level.
We hoisted anchor and ran over to the wharf. We got off of the vessel, marched out eight miles, and went into camp near Fort Redoubt, which is below the city of Pensacola, Florida. This was a beautiful, sandy shore beach covered with a pine forest.
At eight o’clock the left wing of our battalion came in on the ship “St. Mary.” On the morning of the 27th the balance of our brigade, commanded by General Andrews, came in, and we all moved out one mile and went into camp.
All of the regiments were lined up in camp, making a fine show of camp life. Each company went to work and ornamented their quarters with evergreen and white and yellow sand, writing numbers and names in the white sand with the yellow sand. This was the most magnificent camp that I ever saw. There were pictures of animals, birds, and all kinds of flowers in front of our tents.
We lay here until February 11, 1865, with nothing to do except to have battalion drill four hours each day. The remainder of the time we put in by wading out in the bay and carrying out shoulder loads of oysters. We were having a good timethen, but we did not know when the storm would come, although we did know that come it would.
We had protracted meeting and several marched down in the bay and were baptized.
On the 12th we had grand review by General Granger. We had no more drill after the 16th. One day a salute of eleven shots was fired over the arrival of General Asboth.
On the 17th and 18th we had target shooting, and in the evening Generals Asboth and Andrews came over to see the Twenty-fourth Indiana perform on dress parade. On the 29th a brigade came in and we sent our baggage and camp equipage over to Fort Pickens. This fort mounted two hundred eighty heavy pivot guns. This is the place where Major Brown held against General Bragg’s army at the commencement of the war. I was in the lookout, two hundred eighty feet above the sea level. One can see for miles over that vast blue water. Two ships came in with a battery on each vessel.
March 8th we received marching orders, but lay here until the morning of the 11th. At six o’clock we marched out through the peninsula, and after traveling twelve miles came to the town of Pensacola. This had the appearance of a nice city, but fire had consumed the most of the buildings.
At four o’clock we moved out near Jackson’s old fortifications and went into camp. This is the place from where General Jackson marched his troops to New Orleans and whipped General Packenham, in the year 1812.
On the 15th we had our camp in good shape again, and we had dress parade in the evening. Fifty rebel cavalrymen made a dash on our cavalry outpost and drove them back. General Andrews happened to be out in the advance and they made him cut dirt to get back to our main lines.
On the fifth we drew five days’ rations and began marchingat six o’clock. On the morning of the 20th five thousand cavalrymen came from Barancas. They passed us and took the advance. We marched in the direction of Pollard on the Mobile and Atlanta railroad. The country was low and swampy, covered with a pine forest. We had a time getting our train and batteries through. Many of them mired down and had to be pulled out by hand.
After a march of twelve miles, tired and worn out, we went into camp. That night we could hear the roar of the cannon at Fort Spanish, near Mobile. A heavy rain poured down all night, and it was still raining the next morning. We marched out five miles and went into camp, as all of our wagon trains and batteries had been left in the rear mired down. Some of them were almost out of sight in the mud. A heavy detail was sent back to build corduroy roads and bring them up.
Our pioneer corps was at work in front, constructing a bridge across a bayou. Several of the boys in different regiments were killed by falling trees while they were cutting trees with which to build the roads. In some places the logs laid three tiers deep to hold our batteries out of the mire.
At two p. m. on the 22d the rain ceased falling, and the weather became clear. Here two regiments of cavalry and two brigades of colored troops passed us on their way to the front.
We began marching at ten o’clock on the morning of the 23d. After a distance of twelve miles had been marched, we went into camp. Here our cavalry had run into a small force of rebels. They had quite a skirmish, but drove the rebs back. We lay in camp on the 24th waiting for a bridge to be built so that we could cross Piney Barren. At six o’clock we crossed over, moved out two miles and went into camp.
On the morning of the 25th at seven o’clock we began our march. After a march of two hours we ran into a rebel forceof about four thousand, commanded by General Clayton. Our cavalry and mounted infantry charged them, and after forty minutes’ hard fighting, the rebel force fell back. They were all mounted troops. We followed them, and our advance kept up a continual skirmish until three o’clock. The rebels then formed in line of battle and made a stand. Our cavalry made a grand charge. We came up as a support. The rebels, seeing that we meant business, fell back and were soon on full retreat, across the Escanby river. They set the bridge on fire and tried to make a stand, but Nims’ battery made it too hot for them and they soon fell back. Some in our cavalry were drowned in trying to cross the river after them.
We captured one hundred, forty-two prisoners. Their loss in killed and wounded was twenty, ours fifteen. Their general was wounded in the first charge.
At four thirty p. m. we went into camp on the advance line. We were all very tired, as we had driven the rebels eighteen miles that day. On the 25th our brigade crossed the railroad bridge. We had to march single file and it took some time to cross, but after two hours had elapsed we were all across and standing on Alabama soil.
We began marching at eight o’clock, and in a few hours we came to the little town of Pollard. A few straggling rebels were in town, but they did not stay to see what we wanted. A great deal of tobacco was captured at this place, and the depot and several warehouses were set on fire, making quite an excitement.
The women in this place came out by scores to see the yankee army. They were surprised, and some of them said, “Youalls is the best lookin’ set of men that weuns ever seen. Mr. Davis told weuns that youalls wore little red coats and had horns like cattle.”
This was the most ignorant set of girls that we had met inthe southern Confederacy. All of them chewed and smoked tobacco. Each onehad a reticule, filled with tobacco, hanging on her arm. They were dressed in home-spun dresses and were barefooted. Our boys had more than a little fun out of them. Quite a number of grown girls started to follow us off, and our major had to drive them back. Enlightened America, where was the ignorance of these good people hedged in at, at this late date of our civilized government?
After the depot had been burned and a mile of railroad track torn up and burned we moved out two miles and went into camp. We were all tired after our march of fourteen miles.
On the 27th a detachment of cavalry, which had gone by the way of Evergreen Station, came into camp and reported. They had captured one hundred forty prisoners and two trains loaded with tobacco. This they burned. We began marching at twelve o’clock, our regiment detailed as train guard. After a fourteen mile march in the direction of Mobile we went into camp.
At one o’clock on the morning of the 28th heavy details were sent out to build corduroy roads. We were out of rations and had to move on. We went into camp, nine miles farther on. The cavalry and colored troops passed us on the way to the front. The Ninety-seventh Illinois lost one man by a tree falling on him.
We began marching at six o’clock. Our regiment was building roads. It began raining, making the roads terrible. We marched only nine miles and went into camp at six p. m. We were tired and very hungry, as we were out of rations. On the morning of the 30th we began marching at seven o’clock. We reached better roads after a half day’s march. We went into camp at seven o’clock. One company of cavalry was sent out tothe Alabama river. They captured twelve prisoners and returned.
On the morning of the 31st, at six o’clock, we marched out over a very rough, broken country. At half past five we crossed the Tennsas river and went into camp. We were very tired, as we had marched almost twenty miles with but little to eat.
April 1st, 1865, we marched at eleven a. m. We traveled six miles and halted. We tore up the railroad track quite a distance. We could hear heavy cannonading in front. We completed our work and marched on. We went into camp at seven p. m. Our cavalry captured eighty prisoners and a stand of colors belonging to the Forty-sixth Mississippi. Here we drew quarter rations.