Carroll County, Indiana - Chapter with an unread heading (no. 32 of those read), 1882

Chapter with an unread heading (no. 32 of those read)

TMMEDIATELY upon the oompletion of the term of service of -*- the Ninth Regiment, under call of the President for 100-days' men, the regiment was re-organized for tlu-ee years, and a large proportion of the officers and men composing the regiment in its original form volunteered anew. With these as a nucleus, and other companies and recruits afterward coming into service, the present regimeut was formed and prepared to enter the field. This re-organization took place at La Porte on the 27th of August, 1861, less than one month after the other had been mustered out of service, and the companies composing it were chiefly made up in the Ninth Congressional District. It was mustered into service at the same place, on the 5th of September, with Col. Robert H. Milroy, formerly^ of Carroll County, in command. Without more delay than was necessary for preparation, the regiment was ordered to Western Virginia, and proceeded thither by rail. Reaching Webster, it disembarked and marched to Elkwater Valley, thence to Cheat Mountain Summit, where winter quarters were built, and remained there until the ilthof January, 1862. In the meantime, however, it had participated in the battles of Greenbrier, October 3, and of Alleghany on the 13th of December, 1861. Leaving winter quarters, it marched to Fetterman, Va., and remained there until the 19th of February, when it was transferred to Gen. Buell's army, and transported to Nashville by the way of Cincinnati. At Nashville, it was assigned to Gen, Nelson's division, and, on the 29th of March, left for the Tennessee River, reaching there in time to participate in the second day's fight at Shiloh, afterward marching to Corinth, Miss., and, when the rebels had evacuated the place, pm-sued them as far as Booneville. From that point it moved on to Nashville, by way of Athens, Ala., and Franklin and Murfreesboro, Tenn., moving thence to Bowling Green, Ky., and finally back again to Nashville. Leaving Nashville, it marched to Louisville, Ky.; whence it pursued Bragg through Bardstown, Perryville, Danville, Camp Dick Robinson, Crab Orchard and London, to the Wild Cat Mountains, retiu-ning to Nashville through Crab Orchard, Somerset, Columbia and Glasgow. During this march, it was engaged in the battles of Perryville, Danville and Wild Cat Mountain. The regiment afterward marched to Murfreesboro, where it participated in the battle of Stone River, December 31, 1862, and January 1 and 2, 1803, after which it marched across the Cumberland Mountains and the Tennessee River to Chattanooga. On the 19th and 20th of September, it was engaged in the Ijattle of Chickamauga. Subsequently, it retm-ned to Chattanooga and participated in the battles of Lookout Mountain, November 24, and Mission Ridge on the 25th, and then marched over the Cumberland Mountains again to Bridgeport, Ala., and thence to Whiteside, Tenn. At this place, the Ninth re-enlisted as a veteran organization, on the 15th of December, 1863. Returning home on Veteran furlough, on the 21st of February, 1864, it left Valparaiso, Ind., for the fi'ont, passing through Indianapolis, Madison, Louisville, Nashville and Chattanooga to Cleveland, Tenn. The Atlanta campaign commenced in the spring following, and the Veteran Ninth participated in all the marching of that campaign, through Ringgold, Dalton, Resaca, Kingston, Calhovm, Cassville, around the Altoona Mountains, through Ackworth. Big Shanty, Marietta, the investment of Atlanta, in the flank movement around Atlanta, through Jonesboro and Lovejoy, and back again to Atlanta, taking part in the skirmishing on the route and in the engagements at Taylor's Ridge, Buzzards' Roost, Dalton, Resaca, Cassville, Dallas, New Hope Church, Kenesaw Mountain, Marietta, Peach Tree Creek, Atlanta, Jonesboro and Lovejoy ; then in the retrograde movement in the pm-suit of Hood's army, to Dalton, and afterwai'd through Summerville. Georgia, Galesville, Bridgeport. Stevenson and Huntsville, to Athens, Ala., and on to Pulaski, Tenn., where it arrived on the 1st day of November, 1864. Falling back on Hood's advance on the 26th of November, it was engaged in the fight at Cohunbia, in the heavy skirmishing that followed on the route to Franklin and in the severe engagement at that place. It entered Nashville on the 1st of December, and on the 15th participated in the battle of Nashville, after which it set out with the army in pui-suit of Hood's retreating rebels, following them to Huntsville, Ala., where the pursuit was abandoned. From the 6th of Januaiy to the 13th of March, 1865, it remained at Huntsville, afterward marching into East Tennessee beyond Bull's Gap, and again back to Nashville, reaching the latter point on the 25th of May. Soon after, it was transferred to the vicinity of New Orleans, and then to Texas, where it remained as a part of Gen. Sheridan's ai'my of occupation until September, 1865, when it was mustered out of service and set out on its retm'n to the State of Indiana. On reaching the capital, it was discharged, and tho men returned to their homes.

Regiment in the State - Its CoMeosiTiON the Contribution OF (Several Countie.s - ()rg.\nization - JIovejient Toward THE Seat of War - In Ki mm . ky-.Vt Siiu.oh After the Battle - Skirmishing I hi mi..! ..i Cokintii - Subsequent Campaigns - Gen. Rom. i:\ss c . i.mili.mknts - Movements in 1803 - ExPERiENrES-SKii;Mi,siii>, Battle.s, etc. - Roster of Carroll Coin r\ Mi.n- Imuvidual Record- Incidents and Reminiscenci:s i.i Iniii\ iihal Member.?, Etc.

THE Forty-first Kegiment coustituted the first complete regiment of cavalry formed in the State, and was made up of complete, or nearly complete, companies, from Carroll, Wayne, "Wabash, Clay, Sullivan, Fayette and Elkhart Counties, designated respectively as Company A, Company C, Company F, Company G, Company I, Company L and Company M, while Companiei B, D, E, H and K, were made up of surplus portions of other companies enlisted in as many different counties, and not otherwise assigned to branches of the service on active duty in the field. The organization was effected at Indianapolis, in the month of September, 1801, and the regiment was placed under the command of John A. Bridgland as Colonel. Thus constituted, it broke camp on the 16th of December, 1861, and moved across the counti-y to Louisville. Ky., and from there to Camp Wickliffe, remaining there diu'ing the eai-ly part of the winter of 1861-62. With Btiell's army, in February, 1862, the regiment moved towai-d Nashville, and thence to the Tennessee River, reaching the field of Shiloh after the terrible battle at that place had been fought and won. It engaged in a skirmish with the enemy while on the road to Corinth, on the 0th of A[jril, and, on the loth, fought the rebels at Pea Bidge, Term., losing a considerabJe numbar of men in killed and wounded. On the 22d, it participated in a reconnaissance in force, driving the enemy three miles. Afterward, dm'ing the siege of Corinth, it was actively engaged, and, after the evacuation, marched with Buell's army into Northern Alabama, and, on the 31st of May, had a skirmish with the enemy at Tuscumbia; the loss in killed and wounded, however, was inconsiderable. Afterward, moving into Tennessee, the reg- iment engaged the enemy at McMinnville, on the 0th of August, and at Gallatin on the 21st and 27th, losing several men in killed and woundi-'d and missing. A few days later, it marched into Kentucky, and took part in the Bragg and Buell campaign, and engaged the enemy at Vinegar Hill on the 22d of September, and at Perryville on the 8th of October. "On the SOthof November, while the regiment was at Nashville, a detachment under command of Maj. Samuel Hill, was highly complimented by Gen. Kosecrans, in special field orders, for having recaptui-ed a Gov ernment train, defeating rebel cavalry, killing twenty and capturing two hundred prisoners "

Having been on duty near Nashville during the winter of 1862, the regiment moved temporarily into Kentucky, and retm-ned again to Tennessee. In an engagement at Triune, Tenn., on the 11th of June, 1863, it suffered considerable loss. After ward, during the fall of that year, it was on duty along the line of the Nashville & Chattanooga Kailroad, then in East Tennessee. On the 29th of November, while on duty ferrying, several men of the regiment were drowned. December 29, it engaged in a sharp conflict at Talbott's Station, but without material loss. On the 10th of January, 186-1, when at Mossy Creek, Tennessee, the regiment re-enlisted, and was afterward, dm-ing the winter and spring, engaged in numerous scouts and skirmishes, suflfering some loss.

In May, 1864, it went out with Sherman's army in its campaign against Atlanta, diu'ing which the regiment was engaged in numerous skirmishes and battles, among which were the following: "May 9, at Varnell's Station, near Resaca: July 1, near Ackworth; July 28 and 30, near Newnan; August 30, near Atlanta. After the occupation of Atlanta, the non- veterans were ordered to be mustered out. and, on the 14th of September, 1864, the remaining veterans and recruits were consolidated into a battalion of four companies, and placed in command of Maj. Koswell S. Hill. In November and December, 1864, the battalion was on duty in Kentucky, and in January, 1865, was transferred to the vicinity of Eastport, Ala. Joining the army of Gen. Wilson, it participated in the raid through Alabama, engaging the enemy near Scottsville on the 2d of April, and at West Point, Ga., on the 16th. In the latter battle, the regiment suffered severely, Maj. Hill having one of his legs shot off while leading a charge. Returning from this raid, it proceeded to Nashville, and was there mustered out on the 22d of July, 1865. Shortly after, it moved to Indianapolis, where it was finally dischai'ged. "

Captain - Samuel T. Ferricr, mustered out with battalion. Firet Lieutenants - Hiram Sampson, resigned March 4, 18G3; Edward M. Barnes, mustered out October 4, 1864.

Lieutenant, musiiel T. Ferrier, promoted Second Liini out October 4, 1864, as private; Riehan uant of Eleventh Cavalry; Frederick valfy, re-organized.

George R. Thompson, transferred to Second Cavalry; re-organized. Isam Tomlin, captured at Centerville, Ga., September, 1864. Jonathan H. Trumel, captured at Newnan, Ga.; mustered out July 31, 1865.

Company In The Cavalkt Sebvice

I was in command of a detachment of fifteen men, guarding the fords of the Little Tennessee River. We were stationed at a point about eight miles above Motley's Ford, where the first battalion of our regiment (Second Cavalry) was quartered. This was the only sujiport we had nearer than Loudon, a distance of thirty miles. I had received orders from my commanding officer to subsist my detachment upon the country. This was a difficult order to obey, owing to the scarcity of subsistence occasioned by previous raids, first by one army and then by another.

I started on the 13th of March, 1864, with four men - Charles C. Davis, Francis Lampe, Francis Veron and a mulatto boy called " Marion " - on a foraging expedition. We went up the river about six miles, crossed over and got what forage we could carry. I loaded the " pack-mule," and directed Lampe and the negro to move ahead to the ford, while I should receipt for the forage. Anticipating some difficulty in crossing, as the river was high, I followed soon after, but did not find Lampe and Marion on the lianks of the river, as expected. We rode over the river (Chai-lie, Frank ami I), and across an open lot to the foot of the mountains, which extend in places to the river bank, and, entering a defile, or kind of gateway, between two spm-s of the mountain, covered with a heavy growth of timber and small underbrush, riding by file, myself in front, and not thinking of danger, we were brought suddenly to a stand by " Halt ! Halt ! Halt ! " from the bushes on the side of the narrow roadway. At the same intant, four lusty rebels sprang into the road in front of me and by my side, with long guns, shouting at us to siu-render or they would shoot us do^vn. This order was emphasized by the most fearful oaths. I at once realized our situation, and, thinking to parley with them until my own men could fii'e upon them, I said: " I have halted; what do you want? " They bawled out, " Siu'- render, or we'll shoot you down! " and, running up, one of them almost touched my breast with his long gun. My horse was frightened beyond my control, and kept rearing and trying to get away from him; so I said, " Don't scare my horse!" At this time, Charlie and Veron appeared on the scene. Veron, who had said he would never submit to be taken captive, drew his revolver, when a big fellow, whom we afterward found to be John Carr, standing by my side, drew up and instantly fired, shooting Veron through the heart. At the report, my horse made a feai-- ful spring, which gave me an opportunity to look back, when I saw poor Frank's lifeless body roll out of the saddle and fall to the ground. At first, the scene had some comical features - for men, inured to danger and to the hardships of the field, look upon its shifting 'changes with a kind of reckless indifl'erence. But suddenly we realized that we were the unwilling actors in a dreadful tragedy. Frank Veron was a model soldier, quiet, obedient and industrious, keeping his arms, his horse and accouterments in the most excellent condition - a man of few words, who attended to his own business. He had few confidants and no enemies. The muscular young fellow who had at first singled me out still followed, urging his demands with threats and oaths, until, seeing that we were at the mercy of our enemies already, and looking into the muzzle of his long gun all the while, I gave up my arms. At the sametime, Charlie was disarmed and dismounted. They then hurried us around the spui- of the mountain, where we found Lampe and Marion under guard, the eyes of the former - who will he remembered as possessing a frank, open countenance - looked now like two young moons, such was his astonishment and chagi'in at ovu" situation. The rebels had so surprised the two boys that thoy were taken in without the firing of a shot, or making any noise by which we, coming after them, might have taken alarm.

Our captors stripped us of our spm-s, watches and what money they could get, changing their old hats for the better ones of ommen. Then they mounted our horses and started us on the run across Smoky Mountain, toward "Dixie." We traveled sixteen miles that afternoon, passing over some of the highest peaks and along some of the most dangerous precipices, the yawning chasms and the roai ing, angry waters, rushing down the mountain gorges far beneath us, surpassing anything I had ever read of or seen of mountain scenery. I had often been on the mountains before, and had felt, to some extent, their indescribable power to charm ; but, of all panoramic exhibitions, this magnificent scenery, viewed by me as a prisoner of war, like an enchanted vision, remains with me still. When we had reached the summit of the mountain, we were standing on the North Carolina line, looking wistfully northward; away down the sloping pine-tops we could see the Tennessee River winding its serpentine course through the valley below, presenting one of the most lovely and romantic landscapes ever looked upon by the eye of mortal man. Far down the receding hills, in full view, lay the " Parker farm," where the balance of our battalion was encamped. Help and deliverance were within sight, but iifteen miles distant. How our hearts seemed to sink within us as we took a last fond look, and bade adieu forever to the entrancing vision, and forever, for aught we knew, to our comrades in arms, and our loved ones far away in the beautiful, loyal North, ere we slowly began the descent of the mountain's shadowy side toward the " Sunny South." Late at night, we arrived at a house situated in the midst of a rough, craggy region, approached only by bridle-paths. No wagon nor vehicle of any kind had ever been seen near that wild abode. We were taken inside, given a place in front of a large tire-place, with the family, which consisted of the frightened father, the woe-begone- looking mother, and three or four squalid, unwashed and unkempt, shoeless and shirtless children. In front of the fire was an old-fashioned oven, watched over by the woman, and from which, after long watching, she produced a "corn-pone," that was placed on a rude table, and after another, as we thought, infamous delay, for our run over the mountains had whetted up almost ravenous appetite, the " lone, lorn" looking woman brought up some " rye coffee." These two articles of food comprised the supper with which to appease the gnawing himger of near a dozen famished soldiers. The bread all disappeared, and the rye coffee, too, long before any one had half enough.

This plainest of food was keenly relished, and, after the meal, we lay down on the floor to sleep, the men guarding us all night We began to put ourselves on our good behavior, and the rude severity of the rebels began to relax in the same ratio. Early the next morning, after a repast similar to the supper, we took up the line of march, our captors growing more familiar and less exacting as the distance between them and danger from the Yankees increased; allowed us to ride (alternating with them) a small portion of the time. On the 16th of March, we reached the camp of the Cherokee Indians, at the confluence of one of its tributaries with the Tennessee lliver. These Indians had taken up arms against the Government, and were uniler the command of one Col. Thomas, with headquarters at his residence. Our arrival being reported to him, he sent for mo, and, after a long interview, in which I prevailed upon him to compel the soldier who had taken my watch to return it to me, he kept Marion, the mulatto boy, for a teamster, and sent his Adjutant, a very clever little fellow, with us to report at Asheville, the county seat of Buncombe County, N. C. This young officer was very kind, and did all in his power to make our condition comfortable. We made easy marches by day, and lodged with the farmers by night, who entertained us with the best they had, giving us a good bed and plenty of substantial food. I, being the only commissioned officer captured, was generally made the central figure to every gaping crowd we met, and all of them had the greatest curiosity to hear what I had tu say. I had the President's "Amnesty Proclamation " with me, and, the fullest liberty of speech being allowed, I stopped at any or every house, as I liked, to expatiate on the merits of that great instrument. The blockade having cut off the supply of imported goods, coflee, as a beverage, had long since disappeared; therefore, the cry of the mothers and grandmothers of the land was, " Oh, if you Yanks would only let us have some coffee 1 " I would tell them that the streets of Delphi literally flowed with good coffee. At such as this, and many similar recitals, they would express the greatest astonishment, and seem prof oundly grateful, gazing all the while upon me as though they had seen a visioiL Many amusing incidents occurred during the march, which it would be too tedious to mention here. On the '25th of March, we arrived at Salisbury, and, for want of transportation to Libby Prison, to which we had been consigned, we were transferred to the military prison at the former place. Here we found confined seven officers of our army, and about two hundred and fifty enlisted men, with about the same number of convicts from the rebel army - deserters - many of them Union men who had been forced into the rebel army, and having refused to serve, giving " leg bail" - had been arrested. Many were rogues - some of the worst men in existence. The building used for a prison had been a cotton factory, and belonged to a Union man. At the beginning of the war, the factory was confiscated to the rebel government, and all the machinery shipped South. The prison was three stories high. The deserters' and the rogues' gallery were in the basement; on the second floor, the enlisted men captured from the Union ai'my were quai'tered; while the third story was oceiipied by the eight commissioned Union officers. Among the Union prisoners were some prominent citizens of the North, of whom were Albert D. Richardson, correspondent of the New York Tribune, and Junius H. Browne, of the Cincinnati Gazette - two men of rare intelligence, social and magnanimous to a fault The Union officers with whom I was quartered were Maj. Harry White, of the Sixty-seventh Pennsylvania Infantry; Maj. W. R. Stirling, A. D. C, Army of the Potomac; Capt. C. S. Kendall, First Massachusetts Infantry; Capt Ralph O. Ives, of the Tenth Massachusetts; Capt Litchfield, of the Fom-th Maine; Capt. Reed, of the Third Ohio; and Lieutenant W. C. Holman, of the Ninth Vermont Volimteers. I was inti-oduced and duly installed into the officers' mess, and found them clever, genteel soldiers. We found many friends among the citizens of Salisbury, men of influence and means, who were allowed to visit us daily, and to bring us vegetables of different kinds, and books from their extensive libraries, for om- use, free of charge. We drew the same rations that the soldiers on guard over us received, which, added to what was brought in, and the little we could buy, ought, it would seem, with the other advantages mentioned, to have brought us a reasonable degree of contentment. But the question uppermost in our minds was how to escape. Tunnels from the ba.sement were begun, discovered and tilled up time and again, and the poor Yankees punished for their perseverance and desire for liberty.

A large number of other prisoners were brought to the incloslu'e on the evening of our arrival in the city, and, in the confusion incident thereto, at about twilight, Capts. Keed aud Litchtield walked out unnoticed by the guards at the gate, and. without delay, struck for the North country. They traveled at night, and concealed themselves in barns or other outbuildings diu-ing the day. After suffering untold hardships from cold and hunger' and from exposure, for the space of two weeks, they were unable longer to conceal themselves from their pursuers, were re- captured and returned to Salisbury Prison, arriving on the I'ith of May. A more weary, exhausted pair of soldiers was seldom seen.

On the 27th day of May, at 5 o'clock P. M., we shipped, with all the Federal prisoners, for Georgia, reaching Charlotte, forty miles distant, at dark. Here, Charley Davis and sixteen other soldiers, by cutting a hole in the car, managed to make good their escape. We were kept separate from ihe private soldiers, and more closely guarded; but, notwithstanding this fact, we got " escape on the brain " also, and should have succeeded had not the guards built a fire so near oui- car that it was unsafe to venture. In consequence of a broken engine, oiu" train was delayed here until the following evening (Sunday, May 29), when we got under way again. We were put into a stock cai-, next to the tender, and next to us was an open-slat stock car, full of our boys. Om-s was lighted only by a window, two by three feet, extending to the floor at each end of the coach. These openings were secured by iron rods about four inches apart, running perpendicularly, each end made fast into the frame. As soon as night came on, we monopolized the rear end, gradually crowding the guards into the front and center. We made down our bed, and proposed, in the presence of the guards' to hang a blanket over the window to keep out the cold air, which would be unpleasant before morning. They saw nothing wrong in this. The blanket, indeed, was a blind in more than one sense. A short time afterward, it being understood by all who were to participate, some of us lay down, ostensibly to sleep, but really, " tired nature's sweet restorer" did not fold one of us in her restful arms that night. At this time, we had the rebel Lieutenant, a Sergeant, and seventeen men under them, all in the front part of the car. One side door being closed, they put two guards in the other, and the rest of them lay down to sleep. We had with us a conmion table or case knife, the back of which, with the aid of a three-cornered file, had been converted into a saw. This had been shaped and set long before for just such an emergency. It was owned and made by Maj. Sterling. Each one had his part assigned him, and I might mention that mine was to sit toward the center of the car and sing, to divert the attention of the guards from the operations in progress at the window. I sang all the songs I knew, and think, on that occasion, I was a success, as they pronounced me "a splendid singer." By this time, Maj. Sterling and those who had previously " retired " had succeeded in opening a passage through the window by sawing down into the outer side of the sill on either side of the two bars or rods, which enabled them, by the use of a small lever that was found in the car, to split out the wood between, thus releasing the two bars at the bottom, which, with a slight pressiu-e, were drawn from the frame above, thus making an opening of twelve inches by three feet. Just as we got fairly under way with our little scheme, we ran into Chesterville, S. C, where there was a crowd of people on the platform, with torches, making quite an illumination. They had baskets of provisions with which they were to feed a train of wounded rebel soldiers, coming down in our rear. On seeing this, the rods were replaced in the windows, aud all was quiet until we had passed.

It was now near 12 o'clock at night, and we were making about fifteen miles an hour. The engineer blow the whistle, and, as the train began to slacken speed, approaching Young's Station, some fifteen miles below Chesterville, Maj. Sterling touched me and whispered, " Follow me." He crept out at the opening, and

I after him. He reached the next oar over the coupling, and worked his way to the side by holding to the slats. Here he halted, and left me exposed on the bumpers between the two cars, when I expected every moment my position would be revealed to the guards. I thought he would never jump. The moments seemed hours. Finally, swinging down by his hands until his feet touched the groimd, he quickly ran in plain view a distance of three or four rods to the bushes. I was sure he would draw the fire from the guards, but he disappeared unharmed. I hastily clambered to the corner and lowered myself until my feet touched the ground, when, having around me a government blanket near the color of the ground, I lay flat down close to the road imtil the train had passed. The other three who escaped did in like manner, and, after the train had disappeared, we whistled ourselves together. Maj. Sterling, in jumping from the train, lost his hat, and afterward went back for it It was a good while before we found him, on that account. We started directly west, away from the railroad. Our critical position imparting impetus to our limbs, every muscle responded to the faintest eflbrt of the will. Just as Maj. Sterling struck out in the lead, he ran astride a stump, which threw him sprawling on the ground. We thought, in the darkness, that he was shot, but he scrabbled up and we all ran for dear life until we were out of breath, when, slacking up, the Major discovered, to our mutual loss, that he had lost his " saw-knife" and tin cup in his fall at the start - the only implements of the kind in the crowd. This was a severe loss, as we found out before we got through. Striking a road leading northwest, we thought best to follow it, traveling until day began to break in the eastern sky. Then we held a brief council under a large oak tree. This was a solemn time. The stillness was oppressive. Peering into each other's face, hope and despair, love of liberty and fear of the tyrant, seemed to alternate, as our hearts rose or sank within us. We decided to separate, Maj. White, Capts. Litchfield and Keed standing together. Maj. Sterling and I, being Western men, had long before agi-eed to cast om- fortivnes together - thus forming two companies. That was a grave and impressive parting. "Few were the words we said." *********

" We carved not a line, we raised not a stone, but we left it alone in its glory " - that old oak tree, consecrated by the remembrance of that night's parting.

The Maj or and I had the good fortune to preserve our watches from our rapacious captors, although we had been formed into line and searched in the prison-yai-d at two difterent times. Maj. White's party had none, so I gave mine to Capt Litchfield. At the parting, Maj . White and his men agreed to go into a bai-n near by and conceal themselves diu-ing the day by buiTowing into the straw, while we pushed ahead a mile or two and concealed ourselves in the brush and weeds until night, afterward establishing a line of communication with the negroes on a large plantation adjacent. We saw no more of Maj. White and his party, but learned afterward that, having suii'ered greatly from hardships and exposm-e for two weeks, they were tracked, run down by blood-hounds, re-captured, taken back to prison, and finally exchanged. Capt. Reed, one of the most dai-ing spirits I ever knew, was subsequently killed in the battle at Nashville.

The negi-oes told us that the whites had heard of oiu- escape, and wei'e patroling the country to strike our trail, advising us to lie still that night and the next day, as the blood-hoimds would be on our track. An old black man called " Matt " brought us some coarse corn bread and bacon, with some sour milk. The bread was innocent of any salt or other seasoning, but it was the unadulterated corn-meal, stirred in water and half baked, and was sweet and nourishing as any morsel I ever ate. How grateful we felt toward that simple, unlettered old slave, as he gave us the best he had, and at the risk of life, words can never tell!

We agreed with the blacks that we would conceal ourselves in the barn for the next day, and they left us, but our hiding-place was so small and close that we cou.ld not stand it; so we left in the night and went to the woods. Here we lay and slept until late in the morning. AVe found ourselves on an open, elevated piece of gi'ound, with a growth of scattering pine shrubbery that neither concealed us from view nor protected us from the heat of the sun. We could see many rods in all directions, and the baying of hounds anon reaching our ears, we were almost afraid to move, much less to walk about. AVe lay there all day, without water, in the broiling sun - a situation that chafed and vexed us not a little. It became necessary, therefore, to re-establish our line of communications that had been broken when we left the barn. The Major being older, and rather infirm from long imprisonment, this kind of work usually fell to me, as I was younger and lighter. In order to intercept the negroes on their way home from work, it was necessary to cross an open space, about eight rods wide, and conceal myself in the fence. I started a little after sundown, and, coming to a little rill of water, I slaked my long thirst and ran across the green, fortunately striking a " slip-gap" in the fence. Having hastily slipped myself through and replaced the rail, I had only just settled myself in the high weeds, when " Matt's " young master, with a gun on his shoulder, passed by almost within reach of me through the fence. The negroes told us afterward that he and his father had been hunting far us all that day. By and by, the blacks came from the fields, when I told them to send Matt out with some food. He came alxjut 10 o'clock at night, with some more corn bread and milk. He said the white men were watching and questioning the blacks to ascertain whether they had seen any Yankees about. They asked him, and he said "No," thinking, as he told us, that we were all his fi'iends, and were doing what we could for his people, while they were doing all in their power to keep them down. He said that the excitement was so great 'that we had better get out of that neighborhood. We took his advice, and he went a long distance that night with us, and, putting us on the right road, bade us good-Vjy, saying that, if we should never meet again on earth, he hoped we might all meet in heaven - and thus we parted.

After leaving " Matt," we traveled a part of the night, when Maj. Sterling was taken sick, and we went to the brush, lying there until morning and the greater part of the next day. A cold, drizzling rain set in, and the general stillness, the absence of any familiar sound, such as the barking of dogs, the lowing of cattle or the crowing of chickens, made our hiding place gloomy and forlorn indeed. This lieing in the month of June, the forest was thick with foliage, all vegetetion was rank, and the insects were very niuneroufe. As we lay upon the ground, they would creep over us; the little chameleons would reach out their bright little heads and peer at us with apparently the greatest curiosity. Venturing nearer, they would inspect us in a quizzical, comical way, harmlessly, but seeming to say, " What strange visitors are these? " We watched these little creatures for hoiu-s together, trying thus to beguile the time away. The very monotony of the surroundings convinced us that wo were in a large forest or wilderness, very sparsely inhabited. In the afternoon, the corn bread that " Matt " had given us soured, so that we could not eat it, and, hungry almost to desperation, we left our hiding-place and wandered through the unbroken forest until about sundown, when we heard the barking of a dog away to the northwest. We started for that point, and, after a long tramp over logs and brush, thi'ough the darkness, we came to a fence, and afterward saw a house in the distance, but a careful reconnoiter of the premises induced the conclusion that there were no negroes about, and white men there we could not trust. Finally, we found a road leading westward, and we followed it. and, seeing a light, determined to get some food, if possible. So, coming upon an open shell of a house, we surveyed the prospect; spying around, Indian fashion, we discovered that it contained two women and several children. Then we went back to the gate and " halloed." A woman came to the door and asked what we wanted. We answered, " Something to eat." "Who are you?" she said. We answered, " Soldiers going to the front." She took us in and gave us a delightful supper of bread, milk and bacon. She and her danghter-in-law were living alone with the children, both husbands being in the rebel army. Our talk was such news to them, they declared us to be such clever fellows they would put up a lunch for us. After resting and getting all the information we could, we left the rebel "war widows" very happy, thinking, no doubt, we were rebel soldiers. Of course, we were on our good behavior, and did some good talking.

We traveled that night, and, coming to cross-roads, by the Major's assistance I climbed the sign-post, and read, by moonlight, " To Columbia, fifty miles." That was enough - we took the other end of the road. All the next day we lay in the woods, subsisting on the war widows' ham and corn-bread. I was not so successful in establishing my line of communication on this evening. It was raining, when, a little before dark, I saw a young colored woman out in the lot splitting kindling wood off an old stump. I cautiously approached from the reai% and she did not see me until I was within a few yards of her, when, looking round, the whites of her eyes stood out like two orbs of the night for an instant, then, dropping the ax, she started for the house like a frightened deer. I said, " I am your friend; don't run." But she heeded me not, and fearing discovery, I, too, ran, but to the woods. Sterling was watching from his hiding-place, and laughed inordinately at my adventm-e. That night, we concluded to rest, and crept into the barn on the same plantation. We lay in the loft on a few bundles of corn-tops, and in the morning I could see the people about the house at their morning work. Sterling was still asleep, and I lay near him, in full view of the stairs, in my blue uniform, when a little negro boy came whipping up the stairs, humming a kind of melody. He seemed about four or five yeai-s old. He was after a corn-husk to fix his mother's spinning-wheel, as I guessed, for I heard the hiun of that instrument, which I had not before heard since my childhood. He wheeled about and ran down stairs again, not seeing me at all. I was within fifteen feet of him. I aroused Sterling and told him how we had es- Ciped. We then crept into a corn-ciib adjoining, filled with straw, into which we burrowed and remained all day. By night, Maj. Sterling was so weak and famished for water that he could not leave the crib until I had got the negroes to take him some water. Then, at St o'clock at night, they fed us and helped us in many ways. Thus we struggled on, de])ending upon the colored people altogether, until we reached the mountains of North Cai'olina, where Union men were quite numerous. We generally followed the highway on o\ir night journeys, passing through Rutherfordton, the county seat of Rutherford County, N, C, at the dead hour of midnight, passing the court house and other prominent points; and, during the four weeks spent in reaching the Un\on lines, we were not once halted, nor in any way molested or betrayed.

Once, we trav.'led all night in the rain, got lost, waded swollen streams, fell out with each other and came out in the early morning where we started the night before, wet, muddy, tired and hungry. The same good Samaritan woman who had started us on our way the night before again took us in, warmed and fed us, hid us through the next day, and sent us again on our way rejoicing. Depending on the colored people wholly for the first two weeks of our pilgrimage, they never once betrayed us, but were ever ready and glad to administer to our wants whenever we could acquaint them with our condition. We never had any hesitation in approaching a black man. No one in that covmtry understood the spirit of the great conflict going on better than he. They washed onr clothes, mended our boots, concealed us through the day and piloted us through the night in dangerous sections of the country, when their lives would possibly have paid the penalty had they been discovered. All the colored people, old and young, on the plantations where we might stop, would come out to see us. Sometimes as many as a hundred would know of our presence, and, hearing of our coming, they would meet us in crowds in the I'oad in the middle of the night, with cooked chickens, cakes, bottles of honey, etc., more than we could carry - in fact, enough for any ten men at a time. Dusky yoimg girls and toothless old women would take us by the hand with all the grateful enthusiasm they would have greeted long-lost brothers or friends. Such words can give but a faint idea of the matchless loyalty and love of the colored people for the Union cause. They have a strong desire to learn to read, and more than one old spelling-book was brought from its hiding-jilace and shown with pride.

We reached the French Broad River on the '24th of June. Here Maj. Sterling broke completely down, and was quite sick. A very good Union man brought him through on horseback to Knoxville. He reached our lines some days in advance of me, and went directly to Chattanooga to report to Gen. Hooker. I met him a few days afterward on his way honie. I arrived at Mossy Creek, a station on the East Tennessee & Virginia Railroad, on the 28th day of June. I was yet only about forty rods from the railroad when I saw three soldiers coming down toward the crossing. One of them seemed to have a familiar swing in his walk which interested me, and, on going closer, whom should I meet but Charley Davis! the same good-natured smile on his face; but he looked "seedy," for a fact. This meeting was the most striking thing that occurred. It will be remembered that he escaped on the 27th day of May, two days before we got away, and we had not known anything of each other's whereabouts since that time until within two days' mai'ch of oiu- army. He had two men with him- Andi'ew Kiltner, of the Fifth ludiana Cavalry, and Henry E. Finney, of the One Himdred and Fifth Ohio Volunteers. I had also picked up a man of the Forty-ninth New York Volunteers, thus swelling om- niunber to five in all. We found a detachment of our troops at Strawberry Plains - a very pleasant sight to us. We were kindly received and cared for by Lieut. Col. Trowbridge and Capt. E. S. Brooks, of the Tenth Michigan Cavalry. We reached Knoxville on the 30th of June, where the best attention was bestowed upon us by Gen. Carter, Gen. Ammon, his staflf officers, and others. I drew clothing for the man with me. and received orders to report with them to

The Second ludiana Cavalry, while near Nashville, Tenn., was ordered to the relief of Knoxville, then invested and besieged by the rebel army under Gen. Longstreet. Our command had reached Caney Fork, a ti-ibiitary of the Cumberland River, on the evening of the 2yth of November, 1863. The weather was freezing cold, and, the river being very high (past fording), the troops suffered not a little from the exposui-e and delay. We found a small ferryboat - an open, flat-bottom, just large enough to hold six horses abreast and about a dozen men. By the use of picket ropes, we finally improvised a ferry. The water being from ten to fifteen feet deep and very swift the boat was kept in position by the aid of six men detailed for the pm-pose, who, holding on to the ropes, which were f.istened on either shore, working hand over hand, thus keeping the stem of the boat inclined down stream, when the strong cmTent, acting on the sides of the scow, would easily propel it from shore to shore. But, as the sequel will show, this was exceedingly hazardous business, for, unless the boat was held at a certain angle - about eighty degrees - with the cm-rent, it would become unmanageable. Company A had passed over, and six horses, with their riders, had been put aboard from Company B, and at the word " Ready! " the men at the rope pulled out into the angry stream. When about the middle of the river, the boat was in some way placed at right angles with the current, which, striking squarely against the sides, and the five men pulling on the, rope against such fearful odds, caused the vessel to dip, and it instantly capsized, turning completely bottom side up. Horses and riders went under the surging waters. The horses came to the surface and swam ashore. Two of the men clung to the boat as it shot down the river and disappeared. One of the men, T. J. Kendall, of Company A, held on to the rope, and, hand over hand, pulled himself to the shore. Eight men were drowned, and their bodies, loaded with their iire-arms, sabers, etc., sank close by, and were afterward recovered and properly bm-ied. After all was still at the ferry, the two men who had climbed to the top [bottom] of the boat were heard far down the river calling frantically for help. After drifting with the cm-rent for about one mile, they caught in the branches of an overhanging tree, and thus drew themselves ashore, escaping with their lives. A party immediately followed in pursuit, by land, and when the men were found they were ueai'ly fi'ozen, their clothing being solid cakes of ice. They were kindly cared for and finally restored to health. This sad event cast a much dai-ker shadow over the command than a large loss would have done had it occurred on the battle-field, for, if at the first we had exercised the wisdom thus dearly bought, this hoiTor might have been averted. Another boat was secured, and we were finally on the march again, sadder, if not wiser, men.