Crawford County, Indiana - Chapter 14: The Civil War, 1926 (part 1 of 2)

Chapter 14: The Civil War

When the Civil War broke out in 1861, and President Lincoln ealled for volunteers to put down the rebellion in the South, Crawford County was expected to furnish her quota of volunteers. How nobly her sons answered the eall and how bravely her young men died on the battlefields history will never be able to reveal. Neither can justice be done to all of her noble sons who fought, bled and died upon the blood-stained fields of the South. Unknown to fame and forgotten at home many of her soldiers sleep in unmarked graves. The records are so deficient in many cases that one can not tell what became of the soldiers. The writer has spent much time and many days of hard study to deal out justice to one and all. So with malice toward none and with charity for all he will undertake the task.

There was a rush for the recruiting stations when Governor Morton called for men. Camp Noble was organized at New Albany and Camp Morton at Indianapolis. Six regiments were filled before any of our boys reached the camps.

The Seventeenth contained these men: George Lonnigan, Thomas Lough, Marsh Land, Eli Jones, Isaac Johnson, Thomas B. Goodson, Henry Baily, William Strand, Press O'Bannan and John Good. Baily died July 5, 1862, and William Strand was discharged on account of wounds. David Stephenson said that the history of this regiment was full of so many incidents: ''So gallant has been the conduct of the soldiers; so invincible on the field of battle that by common consent the regiment has been given the name of the 'Old Guard,' which name it proudly cherishes, and so far it has never recoiled.''

Roach of Fredonia, Isaac Johnson of Fredonia, were discharged in August, 1865. Lough of Leavenworth, died August 13, 1862; Goodson of Magnolia was discharged in September, 1862. Baily of Leavenworth died July 5, 1862. Strand of Leavenworth was discharged on account of wounds.

The next regiment which contained Crawford County boys was the Twenty-third Indiana Volunteers. One finds these names: Jim Totten, John W. Portlock, Charles Mansfield, Levi Brown, Harve Gibbs, 8. B. Portlock, William H. Toney, John Good, Jesse Fesler, Robert Cazee, Henry Epperson, James Acres, Luther Able, Fielding Gilliland (died of wounds at Kenesaw Mountain June 20, 1864); W. W. Thompson, William Riley, Robert Riley, Ross Culter, George Good, James Cunningham, William McBurn, Charles Pierson, Abraham Payton, G. W. Rajin, George A. Reason, George W. Rainey, Martin Stiles, John Snider, Daniel Stroughton, Paul Strickland, Lewis Sud-

The Twenty-third Indiana Volunteers was a noted regiment. It was organized at New Albany July 29, 1861. Company D contained five men and Company H _ had ninety-eight men from Crawford County. Captains Abbott, Moore, Lyons, McHugh, Springer and Moore were Crawford County men; Bullington, Good, Lyons, George Good and John Martin were first lieutenants.

The regiment remained at Camp Noble till August 13, 1861, when an order came to report at Indianapolis without delay. On the 15th at ten o'clock in the morning, the regiment marched out of the public square while the people of New Albany presented the regiment with a beautiful stand of colors. After the presentation the men were given time to bid their fathers, mothers and sweethearts good-by. When the farewell reception was over the regiment marched to Jeffersonville, Indiana, where it entrained for Indianapolis where the regiment arrived at two o'clock in the afternoon of that same dav. The regiment went into camp.

On the 17th of August the regiment was ordered to St. Louis where it arrived on the 19th and encamped in Lafayette Park, where the men were armed with guns and furnished with tents. The regiment remained here till September 17th, when it embarked on transports and sailed for Padueah, Kentucky, arriving there on September 20th. While here the regiment took part in a number of maneuvers and finally marched against Fort Henry and Fort Donaldson. It arrived at a point six miles below Fort Henry on the 5th of February, 1862, and took part in that battle on the 6th, losing ten men in killed and wounded by an exploding shell on the gun boat Essex. The regiment remained here till about the sixth of March when it steamed to Crump's Landing where it remained till April 6th, at which time it was ordered forward to take part. in the battle of Shiloh. The regiment did not arrive in time to do any fighting the first dav, but it, was one of the first on the field the second day. It sustained a loss of fiftyfour killed and wounded. After the battle the regiment remained on the field several days. Then the regiment went to help in the siege of Corinth. From there the division, of which the Twenty-third was a part, went to Bolivar, Tennessee, and thence to Memphis. The Twentythird remained at Bolivar under the command of Colonel Sanderson till October, when it was put in motion under

General Grant, who began a campaign through Tennessee and Mississippi. Late in October the regiment moved to Holly Springs, and from there down the river toward Jackson, Mississippi. In the meanwhile General Murphy surrendered Holly Springs to the rebel leader, General VanDorn, who had cut off all their supplies and left the regiment in a starving condition. The regiment re-crossed the Tallahatchie River and went into camp where it lived on scanty provisions which it obtained by foraging. During those starving days a very amusing incident occurred. The story was told me by John W. Portlock, who was a member. It seems that Captain Babbitt, who loved cream in his coffee so much, had taken his cow along with him. One dark night the soldiers decided that they would butcher Captain Babbitt's cow. A committee did the work and divided up the meat, a small piece of which went to each soldier. The next day the cow was gone. The captain never said a word. After a few days a heutenant had taken a company of the Twenty-third out for trench digging. They had marched back and were just ready for the lieutenant to dismiss them when Captain Babbitt rode up and cried out: ''Lieutenant, do not dismiss those men until you have had time to search their haversacks to see if they have a pick or shovel stored therein.'' The lieutenant did not understand and said: ''Captain Babbitt, they can not put a hoe or a shovel in their haversacks.''

Mr. Portlock said that all the men dropped their heads and would not look their captain in the face. After a few seconds the captain's face brightened and he said: '' Boys,

I do not blame you. I know you were hungry. I would get you food if I could. May God bless you, men!'' The men never forgot Captain Babbitt.

Late in February the regiment embarked for Lake Providence in Louisiana where it remained till late in the month, until the rebels ran the regiment out by cutting the levees on the Mississippi River. Soon the regiment was moved to Milliken's bend where the army was being organized to move against Vicksburg. While here volunteers were called for to run the boats by the shore batteries to get food to the men below. The pean ag furnished seventy men for this occasion.

One of the most daring Union men from Crawford County was Nathan Collins. For many years he had been a river captain. General Grant sent for Collins on April 22, 1863, and had a long talk with him. Sitting on a log on the bank of the river near Young's Creek, Grant gave Collins final instructions and promised him a large amount of cotton that was on board of different transports if he made the trip successfully. Later, on the morning of the 22nd of April, the Harrison, which was Captain Collins' boat, steamed out from the landing and started on her perilous trip to New Carthage, below Vicksburg. She had gone but a short distance when the terrific fire from the Confederate batteries threatened to destroy the boat before it had proceeded to a point in the river opposite the city. Perceiving the situation Captain Collins ran his boat right into the bank under the guns of the rebel batteries. Many of the guns were placed so that they could not be trained on the boats near the shore so well as they could those out in the center of the river. Although the boat was consider- ably damaged, the pilot house being almost shot away and three spokes shot out of the wheel, Captain Collins landed without the loss of a man at New Carthage. For the above brave act Captain Collins never was rewarded, the cotton being destroyed.

April 27th the army took up the line of march around Vicksburg, crossing the Mississippi on the 29th at Hard Times Landing, and on May 1, 1863, fought the battle of Thompson's Hills. After a two hours' battle the ammunition gave out and the Twenty-third was ordered back, after losing thirty-four men.

On May 12 the famous battle of Raymond was fought. The regiment lost 131, one of whom was John Lake of Crawford County. A number of the boys were captured, among whom was John W. Portlock.

At the siege of Vicksburg the regiment operated against Fort Hill under which a mine was exploded. After blowing up the fort the enemies engaged our men in a desperate battle for many hours, during which many of the regiment's best men were killed. Finally, overwhelming numbers of the enemies came and the regiment was beaten back.

After the capture of Vicksburg the regiment remained there till August, 1863. Then it was ordered out to help in the campaign against Monroe, Louisiana, on the Wachita River. The regiment did garrison duty after the above campaign at Black River for some time until it was called to Helena, Arkansas. On the 12th of May, 1864, the regiment was given a furlough home. Later many of the men enlisted again. The old regiment was organized for three years' service.

From the return of the men till the close of the war the Twenty-third was in the thickest of the fray. It was im the Seventeenth Army Corps which served under Sherman on his grand campaign against Atlanta. After the capture of Atlanta the regiment helped chase Ilood till Sherman was ready to mareh against Savannah when the Twentythird joined in that famous march through Georgia. After the capture of Savannah and the surrender of Lee's army and Johnston's army, the regiment visited Washington, thence to Louisville, where it was mustered out of service on July 23, 1865.

The Twenty-eighth Regiment or the First Cavalry contained many of Crawford County's boys. Major Wilham V. Weathers and Robert Clendening served with distinetion all through the war. J. J. Patterson was assistant surgeon, Wm. B. Ellsworth, Wiliam W. Sloan (killed at Round Till, Arkansas, July 7, 1862), Wm. B. Tucker, W. W. Sloan and Chas. L. Lamb were officers in the regiment. The roll of the men contained these names: Charles Lamb, J. J. Patterson, Jesse Craig, James Fleming, William P. Tucker, James Hamlin, James Bennett, Wickliffe Gibbs, Wilson Key, Wm, Ellsworth, John C. 'Forbes, Samuel E. Williams, Nathan Collins, Isom Key, William Clendening, James W. Callahan, Thomas Miller (disabled January 8, 1863) , Lemuel T. Rogers (died on Mississippi December 20, 1864), William Goodin, M. H. Tucker (captured at Marks' Mill), Patterson Apple, Aaron Bailey, Robert A. Roll, Join L. Brown, Emery Behen, Daniel J. Brown Zachariah George Bunch, John Carroll, John CAitahvin,

Wash Colclusure (disabled August, 1863), John Courtney, John L. Crawford, James A. Curts, George Denbo, W. W. Dean, William Dooley, George Elliott, William Engleman (died at St. Louis January 21, 1863), Wash Fleming, A. J. Houghton, Wilham Houghton, Sam G. Jackson, Michael Ketzner, James 8. Kelso, Henry M. Land, Winfred Lamb, Joseph Land, Wm. J. Lee, David Markley (died at Duvall's Bluff, Arkansas, August 29, 1864), Henry Marris, Artemus Murphey, Wm. B. Monroe, Peter Neal, Alonzo Adle, Ananiaas Patrick (died at Pine Bluff, Arkansas, 15, 1864), John Pickard (captured at Marks' Mill), Henry Riddle, William Roberts, Fielding Robinson, B. F. Sharp (died at Helena, Arkansas, February 22, 1863), Sam Sherren, Harrison Sloan, Wilhuam Summers (killed in action March 18, 1864), 8. Leander Totten, George H. Tucker, Wm. Van Hoover (died at Duvall's Bluff, August 22, 1864), Sylvester VanWinkle, Wm. Waldon, James L. Weathers, H. E. Weathers, W. W. Weathers, Martin Wise, Benjamin White. The above list of names was obtained from Terrell's reports.

The Thirty-eighth Indiana Volunteers was a noted regiment. Crawford County furnished these brave men: William Sisson, Tapley Hughes, James C. Mills, James Pankey, George W. Roberson, Thomas Stratton, George Stewart, James Taylor, David F. Taylor, Isaac Taylor, Wm. E. Teawait, Edmund Toney, Nathan VanMeter, Elijah Weathers, Hardin P. Wood, Aaron Bowman, J. M. Bowman, Samuel Bowman (died at Chattanooga, March 27, 1864), Moses O. Goldman (died at Madison April 30,

Dee. 3, 1861), Jim Cunningham sent home March 7, 1863), Felix Hawkins, John T. Weathers (sent home March 17, 1863), James VanWinkle (died at London, Ky., June 15, 1862), Harrison Brown, Sullivan Lyons, Wm. J. Jackson, John R. Weathers. (The Terrell reports show that he deserted but this was a mistake made by the army officers) ; Brazilla Dotson, George Emery, Allen Emery (died at Cumberland Ford March 13, 1862), Wesley Mower, Levi Murray (died March 5, 1864), Ben Muirit, James Nove, Harrison Newkirk (died at Lebanon, Ky., Jan. 1, 1862), William Orwick (deserted Jan. 18, 1863), Joseph Pate, Philo Rease, Justice Rease (died in Harrison County Dec. 7, 1863), Hamilton Rainboldt (died at Cumberland Gap, Ky., Aug. 17, 1861), William Root, John Perkluser, Alph Romine, Robert Sloan, Andrew Speedy, Reuben Sandeheberl, Isaac Stroud (died at Carrolton, La., Aug. 16, 1863), Sam Temple (deserted Sept. 15, 1862), W. W. Tower, Henry Trobaugh, Eden Tutler (died at Jeffersonville, Ind., Dee. 14, 1861), David Vurben (killed at Vicksburg), James Vaugh (deserted Nov. 22, 1862), T. T. Wood.

The roll of the Fifty-third had these names: Henry McCown, William H. Bullock, Zachariah Barker, Lyman Hockman, John W. Collins, Elijah W. Knowland, Squire Mock.

The Fifty-ninth had these men in the regiment: Alec Botman, Francis Briscoe, John H. Freeman, Davis Fried (sent home wounded in 1862), Ebenezer Gott, John Key, Ephraim Overly, Henry Radcliff (died at Corinth, Miss.,

The Sixty-sixth Regiment had these men from Crawford County: Silas Sheckels, Bennett Cromwell (died at Colliersville, Tenn., Sept. 6, 1863), William H. Myers (died at Louisville Dec. 22, 1862), Sam Mullens (died in State - Prison at Jeffersonville Jan. 10, 1863), Joel Key, John Kemp, John Reasor (died at Corinth, Miss., Feb. 7, 1863), A. J. Wells, John Gaither, Thomas Epperson, John S. ° Levi (killed at Richmond, Ky., Aug. 30, 1862), Wilham Harris, Chris Taylor, Silas Sheckels (died at Pulaski, Tenn., March 9, 1864), EH. Fowler, George E. Wiseman, David Perkins, Daniel Haycock, George Sillings, Peter Nolan, Wiliam Albins, William Armstrong, George H. Austin, John Balldock (sent home wounded March 7, 1863), Michael Baysinger (sent home on account of old age Dec. 3, 1862), Robert Bolurnly (killed at Richmond, Ky., Aug. 30, 1862), Louis Bullington (died at Corinth, Miss., Feb. 22, 1863), Wash Bullock, Robert Bullock, John Burns, Daniel Carver, James Chanley, Resen Chanley, Sam Claycomb (died in Andersonville prison April 29, 1864, a very noted and cruel prison for soldiers in Georgia), William B. Clark, William Cornelison, Joseph Coleman, William Collingwood (killed at Richmond, Ky., Aug. 30, 1862), William A. Combs (died in Indianapolis Jan. 31, 1863), Jonathan Cunningham, George Cunningham (died at Atlanta Oct. 23, 1864), Tom Dooley, Oliver Dooley, James Dooley, Thomas Doyle (drowned in the Ohio river Oct. 15, 1862), Don O'Duffin, James M. Duffin, James H. Katon,

San Eaton (died at Alton, Ill, Oct. 12, 1863), John Randall, John Riddle (killed at Richmond Aug. 30, 1862), James M. Rogers, William II. Reberson, James Rodgers, James Russeil (killed at Richmond, Ky., Aug. 30, 1862), Wilham Seaton, William Seris, Isom Smith, Martin Smith, Reuben Stephenson (died at Columbus, Ohio, Feb. 18, 1865), John L. Temple, Lorenzo Thornbury (died from wounds at Resaca June 7, 1864), Glohson Wilson, William Wiseman, Ali Wiseman, Nathan Wright, James Armstrong, Henry Byerly (died at Pulaski, Tenn., April 13, 1864), Wm. Haycock, Thomas Haycock, James Holly (died at Indianapolis Jan. 3, 1863), Sam Longest (died at Indianapolis Nov. 27, 1862), Wm. Moore, James Eastes (died at Louisville Nov. 30, 1864), Charles Filker (died at Corinth, Miss., Jan. 22, 1863; John Freeman (died at Marietta, Georgia., Sept. 3, 1864), Levi Franklin, James Gibson (died at Corinth March 9, 1863), Johnson Gibson (died at New Albany Nov. 7, 1862), Gabriel Good, John W. Hammond, William Uarrison, Wiliam C. Hardin, Sam Jenkins, \Ienry M. Jenkins, Francis Jones (died at Indianapolis Jan. 31, 1863), Nicholas Jones, Isaac Jones, Miles Kemp, David Lambdin, Wm. Lane, Andrew Lake, Isaac Land, Theopolis Longest, Peter Miller, Fred Miller, Philander Newell.

The Seventy-fourth Indiana Volunteers contained these Crawford County: Joseph Neeley, Thomas Myers, Jesse Richards, Denison Pruitt, Elijah Bivans (killed at Richmond Aug. 30, 1862), Asa Blankenship, Elijah Clawson (died at Rome Nov. 10, 1862), John Cornelius, Albert Dryar, Sam Hubbard, James Hatton, Richard Hatton, Noel Johnson (killed at Richmond Aug. 30, 1862), Luther

The Seventy-seventh Indiana Volunteers or the Fourth Cavalry had one soldier from Crawford County, James N. Montgomery, who died August 24, 1864.

The EHighty-first Indiana Volunteers contained these men: Elijah T. Bell, Wiliam P. Bird (died at Murfreesboro May 10, 1863), Sam Bird, John Berkshire, Francis Eddleman, Adam Eddleman, Greenip Moore, James E. Spencer, Hiram Spencer (shot at Stone River Dec. 31, 1862), Simon Stroud, James Richie (killed at Nashville Dee. 15, 1864).

The Highty-second contained the name of Albert B. Mansfield who was one of Crawford County's noble young men. He enlisted at Camp Noble on the 14th day of August, 1862, and was mustered into the United States Army on August 29, 1862, at the age of 22. He was the son of Will Mansfield of Leavenworth, who was a Southern sympathizer. James Mansfield and Charles Mansfield had already volunteered. On this occasion old Mansfield came out when he saw that Albert had enlisted and made a speech in which he said that he had been for the South, but now he could not support the South when all his sons were fighting under the old flag.

in the army a few months he was killed at Stone River December 31, 1862. Miss Peabody remained true to her first love. The body was brought back to Leavenworth and buried in Cedar cemetery. On his headstone one may real: A. J. Mansfield, born Jan. 2, 1840. Died Jan. 1, 1863, of wounds received at Stone River - A sergeant in the United States Army, Company H, 81st Infantry.

The Highty-fifth contained Abner Beard, David Fisher, John Parks (deserted Feb. 2, 1863), James N. Parks (deserted Feb. 2, 1863), Isaac Montgomery (died at Chattanooga Jan. 17, 1863).

The 140th had these men: Thomas Ilayne, Ulysses P. Murphy, William Shields (died at Indianapolis Feb. 25, 1865), Harry Smith, Sam Smith. William Stevens, Ransom Sinclair (died at Indianapolis March 9, 1865), David Sinclair (died at Stevens Station, Va., June 2, 1865), John Stewart, Elijah Surgeon, Peter Snider, John W. Straughn, Ali Turner, James Winn, William Winn, William Wright, Johnson Wilson, Greenbury Wright (died at Cumberland, Maryland, June 2, 1865), James M. Weathers, William Wiseman, Abraham Wiseman (died at Indianapolis March 7, 1865), Nelson Wilburn, Harvey Wilburn, William H. Weathers, Jasper Wright, Joseph Bee, Joseph Legert.

The following article by Temple H. Dunn is submitted here: ''I am a Crawford County soldier. I enlisted at my home town Alton, and along with the rest of my company boarded the Gray Eagle at Alton, Sunday, November 3, 1861. The next morning before breakfast I was sworn into the United States service at Camp Noble, near Jeffersonville, when I was fifteen years, eighteen months and twenty-seven days old. From there we marched to assist other regiments before the frowning fortress of Cumberland Gap. To locate this great mountain gateway I climbed the northern one of the two great mountains between which the ''Gap'' hes and well up the southeastern slope I found a large granite pillar, around which I walked with my left hand on the stone. In this movement I was first on the soil of Kentucky and of Tennessee, and then of old Virginia, then of Kentucky again. 'That was a proud movement for a boy who in all his travel had just made two trips of nine miles each, one up the Ohio River and one down the river. Let me state here that no one was ever prouder of being accepted a soldier of the United States than I was at that time. Nor did I ever regret when hardships came. We approached too near the enemy's works at the Gap and drew the artillery fire from the batteries which got upon our nerves so that we made a double quick movement to the rear. The enemy was far out of range of our small guns and we were soon out of range of their large guns. If there was any laughing done it was inside of this stone fortification. Of course, we had many a laugh about it afterward. We took Cumberland with a rear movement, striking the enemy from the south through another gap. Later, when Bragg and Kirby Smith invaded Kentucky, from the south, they cut off our supplies and we had to abandon the Gap and march northward, striking the Ohio River about 150 miles above Cincinnati. General John Morgan had followed us across the mountain roads but he did not try to attack us. His services to the South were not in the battle line. We moved to Oak Hill, Ohio, where we were furnished with clothes and marched up the Kanawha River. Recalled we boarded steamers at Point Pleasant for Cincinnati and thence to Memphis, thence to Vicksburg. Sherman and Grant were planning an attack on Vicksburg. Sherman, by transports, went up the Lagos River twelve miles and attacked Walnut Bluff section of the Vicksburg fortifications and Grant by land intended to strike Vicksburg in the rear. The Confederates succeeded in cutting Grant's line of supplies which stopped his movement southward. Sher- man with two thousand men made his attack but was not able to bring over a fourth of his men into action on account of the ground, and his attempt to carry the enemy's works at the point of the bayonet was a disastrous failure. Sherman hardly sueceeded in getting his men on the transports and away. Had the Confederates known this in advance he might not have done so, It was our first great battle and we were not successful. We ascended the Arkansas River to Fort Hindman, also called Arkansas Post. Commodore Porter's fleet accompanied us. The fleet and army made the attack. The enemy answered with hundred and twenty-pounders which our fleets soon silenced. Then our men charged the works and carried ; we needed the inspiration of a great victory. We leveled the fort to the ground and then returned to the Mississippi. Among the prisoners taken was a fine Kentucky boy, John Riddle, whom I had known all my life. He lived in Kentucky, just in sight of Alton. He was sent to Camp Chase which was at Cincinnati, a camp for captured Confederates. While he was there, a cousin of mine, who had married his sister, went to the camp and pleaded with him to take the oath of allegiance and return to Kentucky. He dismissed the appeal with scorn and returned to the rebel army when exchanged, and was killed in battle. Dick Riddle, his father, was captured in the same battle. Then came Grant's campaign against Vicksburg and its fall. My regiment was through it all till the surrender, which was the greatest surrender made in America. Grant assembled his army at Milliken's Bend, above Vicksburg. Our corps, the Thirteenth, led the way southward along the bayous, building bridges and repair- ing roads which the enemy had destroyed on their retreat, and came to the river again at Carthage, twenty miles below Vicksburg. Gunboats and transports landed supplies for us at Grand Gulf which was heavily fortified. Commodore Porter's fleet tried to silence the enemy's guns. We witnessed the battle between the forts and the fleet. We were on the barges ready to steam on down as soon as the forts were silenced, but our fleet ran the blockade that night amid a tremendous fire from the fort. The next morning we descended the river to Brownsburg, where we landed and marched inland toward Fort Gibson until two _ o'clock that night, when a cannonade from the enemy announced that we were discovered. Our battery answered the attack. We lay down on our arms till daybreak came, when the battle was resumed between the batteries. The infantry was soon engaged, too. The battle lasted till late in the afternoon, when the enemy was routed. This is known in history as the battle of Fort Gibson. We made a charge in the afternoon, my regiment running over the batteries, which made us halt at two o'clock that morning. They were wrecked beyond description. Dead men, dead horses, splintered guns, cannons dismounted, all made a picture never to be forgotten. A rebel newspaper fell into my hands afterward which gave this battery 's casualties. The account was appalling. Farther on in our charge men from the famous Highth Missouri Confederates came throwing down their rifles furiously on the ground and swearing that he . . . so and so if it was not the first time they had to do it. They were beaten and surrendered as prisoners of war. Our commander, General Ostrehaus, was filled with joy. In broken English he shouted out:

'""Three cheers for the Forty-ninth! She is a bully regiment. Three cheers for all the Indiana soldiers!'' At the close of the war he returned to Germany and lived until recently. He was always a friend of America. Then followed the battles of Raymond, Jackson, Champion Tlills, Black River, all of which we won. General Pemberton now retreated to Vicksburg and Grant lay. siege to him. On the evening of the 19th we were upon them again. On the 22nd we charged them with our entire army but they beat us back. So our army settled down to a regular siege which lasted nearly seven weeks, when Pemberton surrendered, as mentioned above, with 31,600 prisoners and 60,000 stands of arms, on July 4, 1863. We were then transferred to the Army of the Gulf and sent to New Orleans. Thence westward to the Vermillion Bay region, thence back to New Orleans, thence by steamship across the Gulf of Mexico to Matagordo Bay, Texas. My regiment spent several weeks at Decrow's Point, a sandy strip of land between the Bay and the Gulf. Later we crossed the Bay and encamped in the town of Matagordo. TIlere I was detailed in charge of a small pleasure boat, a captured copper bottom sloop, to carry dispatches between Matagordo Bay and Decroy's Point. .A young sailor was an expert skipper and we made the fifteen-mile trip daily. It was a pleasant diversion from the regular duty. The point where LaSalle was killed is only a few miles from Decrow's Point.

While my regiment was at Cumberland Gap a party of us was sent out to drive the rebels away. My group stopped at a certain rail fence. I knew a blockhouse was on the other side of the field. Suddenly I saw two Tennessee soldiers leap the fence and enter the corn. Not to be outdone I leaped over the fence and went running after them. What a noise we made running through the corn. When T came out of the corn there stood the picket's house but the rebels had fled. I ran into the house and picked up two new guns and a cartridge box bearing the stamp, ''Made in England.'' This was the first capture made by the Forty-ninth during the war. My guns were taken from me, but they failed to see the box which I carried through most of the war.

When we were about fifty miles out of Louisville I cut my name on the gun-stock, the letters being probably one inch long. Comrades said to me: ''Will that not get you into trouble?'' I was alarmed; I never had thought about getting into trouble, so I was in constant fear for several weeks till one morning matters came to a crisis. A number of us were in the tent. I had not arisen yet when the Captain came and pushed the tent curtain aside and asked if Dunn was there. Being informed that I was, he said that the Colonel wanted to see me. I never was so scared in all my life. A comrade asked the Captain what he wanted with Dunn and he answered that it was about something concerning that gun I never knew how I dressed. When I arrived at the headquarters the Colonel was gone and I had to wait in anxiety until he returned ; then I walked up, saluted him and said: ''Captain Johnson asked me to report.'' The Colonel turned with a smile and said: ''So you are Dunn, are you? I have been informed that you are quite good at making letters. I have a very interesting piece of work which I want you to do. You will like it and it will give you a chance to get acquainted with all the men in the company and regiment. I want you and Ed Jordan of Company E to paint on each tent in the regiment the number of the mess of the company and the regiment. When that is done I want you to paint the number, company and regiment on each man's haversack.'' We liked the job. Nothing was said about the gun.

When my time of service was out on the eve of our departure we were given the choice of coming back by the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers or coming by water around to New York. Only a few chose to come by the rivers. We boarded the steamer at New Orleans, steamed out the mouth of the Mississippi, anchored off of Fort Morgan at the entrance of Mobile Bay, grounded at Key West, then we rounded the Peninsula of Florida and later entered New York harbor. We landed on the Jersey City side and entrained there. We rode many miles along the Brie Canal, thence to Cleveland, Columbus and Indianapolis. Here we were mustered out and, dressed in civilian clothes, I was soon at my home in Alton knocking on the door at two a. M., December, 1864. In the following February I was nineteen years old.

In connection with Dunn's experience one may relate an experience which happened while the Forty-ninth was at Cumberland Gap. The boys one day went up on the mountainside to hunt pawpaws. They crept up carefully till they reached the very top of the ridge. They could see the rebels about a mile away down on the other side of the mountain. They sat there and watched them for a while. Then they started down the side to their tents and camps. When they were about half way down the side the rebels suddenly fired upon them from the rear. Hardin McCullum of Fredonia was shot through the chest. The boys strapped him to an old rail and carried him down the side of the mountain. He died there and the boys buried him. They set up a rock with his name upon it. After the Union men had been run away from their camp the southern men held it awhile. When the Union men recaptured the Gap their well was filled up. They cleaned out the well and near the bottom they found the headstone of Hardin McCullum's grave. To me it seems strange that the southern men would even destroy markers and conceal the graves of the Union men.

No account of the history of Crawford County would be complete without an account of the sinister element left behind. True it is that Crawford County had 1,119 men enrolled and 868 went; Martin County had 1,008 men enrolled and 821 went; Greene County had 1,867 men enrolled and 1,432 went. Their relative per cents. are very close, but proportional to the number of people Crawford County sent more men. Boone township furnished all the men asked for, hence no draft went to Boone township.

The following account of the Knights of the Golden Circle is submitted here. Much study and hard work has been done to secure the information. No one can give the facts in the case any better than Governor Morton. He said that the country was honey-combed through and through by treason. The Knights of the Golden Circle started in 1855 by Charles C. Bricksley, a native of Boone County, Indiana, then living in the South. He espoused the cause of slavery with all his heart. The divisions were

The main purpose was to conquer Mexico and put a capital at Monterey, but before the men could get the matter under way the Civil War began and the Knights turned their attention to home affairs. Just why they were called Knights one can not tell, for they were not what one nowadays thinks a Knight should be. Neither was the Circle golden.

The Knights used their influence to separate the Democratie party in 1860. They thought that would be better for their plans. One letter from Madison, Indiana, to a Castle in Kentucky promised 1,000 members to fight for the South. Other letters promised the South aid in case of war. A letter written from Washington stated that 30,000 would never compromise with the Black Republicans and that probably all Indiana south of the National road would join in with the South. The order grew tremendously during 1862 and 1863. Castles were formed in barns, cellars, garrets and most anywhere. Orange and Washington Counties were favorable to the growth of the order. Doctor William A. Bowles, who lived at West Baden and French Lick, married a southern girl. He wrote to her in Louisiana, after the fall of Fort Sumter, and stated that he feared the Douglass wing would join the ''Black Republicans.'' If so, he says, our fate is sealed. Kentucky will go out but too late to help our cause very much; if Kentueky had gone out at first then southern Indiana would have joined the South.

persons are coming out for the Union and calling all others traitors who do not espouse the cause. God knows what I am to do. If I leave and join the South my property will be lost. Besides, my health is poor, as I am of little help in the field. I have already sent some who will do some good service.'' Later he became discouraged with Kentucky and wrote: ''Louisville is in a perfect turmoil. The abolition spirit is very strong here. I heard a battle had been fought at Fortress Monroe and 600 abolitionists have been killed and fifty southerners, but it is too good to be true. When the fighting begins I shall go south.'' But he did not go south but stayed to stir up trouble here at home.

They had pledged to resist the payment of Federal tax, prevent enlistment and encourage deserters and help them to escape from the army. This was plainly seen because the counties did not respond as freely as before.

Some members of the grand jury went to Camp Morton and tested the rebels on the secret signs - those that had been captured in the South and sent north as prisoners of war. The captured rebels recognized the signs which the grand jury gave them. :

By December, 1862, it was introduced into Camp Morton at Indianapolis. The man who disclosed the information disappeared suddenly and no one ever heard of him again.

It was reported that a general uprising was to occur, in which the Knights were to seize the state government and put Governor Morton out of the way and run things to suit themselves. One night Morton left the office late at night by the Market Street door. As he was descending the steps someone fired at him from an outhouse near-by. The ball whistled past his head. He went to the Bates House and aroused General Carrington. No mention was ever made of the act except to Sulgrave. No clew was ever found to the man guilty of the cowardly act.

Out over the state the Castles did their best to prevent enrollment. Old Judge Constable of Clark County, Illinois, caught several Indiana soldiers who were out hunting deserters. He threw them in jail but Governor Morton sent a body of men who surrounded the court house and set the men free and brought the old rebel-hearted judge to Indianapolis. But he was soon set free.

Early in August, 1864, one hundred and ten copies of the ritual of the Knights of the Golden Circle were captured in a room adjacent to the law office of Daniel Voorhees. When it became known, Voorhees demanded an apology from General Carrington and said that he had had no office in Terre Haute for over a year and did not know anything about the books and papers. General Carrington replied: ''The gentleman who found these papers told me that they were found in your office. The following are some of the things which lead me to think that it was your office. Your law books and furniture were still there in the office with these papers. You had declined the nomina- tion for Congress and the office was not for rent as late as 1864, in April. The rituals were issued in the fall of 1863. Your records were in the office, your speeches up to March of your entire congressional records. The letters of Senator Wall of New Jersey promising to furnish you 20,000 stands of Garfield rifies were in the room with these papers.

'The letters of Vallandigham from Windsor, C. W., assuring you that our people will fight and that all is ready, and fixing a point of the Lima road at which he would meet you, were in the office with these books.

''etters from Joseph Ristine, auditor of Indiana, wishing you success to the South and Democracy, were in the office where these papers were found.''

Voorhees replied on August 26, 1864: ''I was nearly one thousand miles away. Political enemy was in possession of my desk and drawers and all you had to do was to apply the burglar's art, prepare a false key and pick my locks, and you had access to my private correspondence, embracing a period of seven years. I have every reason to believe that you read it all. You took your time, a furtive thieving magpie, carefully scanning each word to see if you could find some expression which you could note."'

Carrington answered: ''Yet they were in the office where these papers were found. Grave offense. As well might a thief find fault that the stolen goods were found in his possession. The burglar might complain as well that the tools of his craft.''

The facts here stated have come to my mind in such a manner and in such a source as to leave no doubt in my mind of their responsibility. The ''Copperheads'' of Indiana have ordered and paid for 30,000 revolvers and fortytwo boxes of fixed ammunition to be distributed among them for the purpose of controlling the election of the President. August 5 they were put on Granite State and sent to J. J. Parsons via Merchant's Dispatch and marked Sunday school books. The balance is stored at No. - - St., New York, awaiting shipment and pay from the ''Copperheads'' of Indiana.

Governor Morton put the information in the hands of the Indianapolis police. They searched the station carefully but found nothing. On leaving the station they met a drayman coming back to the station. Ile was questioned about what he had hauled. He said that he had hauled several boxes of Sunday school books to the office of H. H. Dodd and Co. A detail of soldiers were sent to Dodd's office where four hundred navy revolvers and Ste rounds of shells were found in the boxes marked

The great uprising was to oceur in the late summer or fall of 1864. William A. Bowles and Dodd were the big men in Indiana, While Vallandigham was at the head of the entire government. "They were to seize the camp where the rebel prisoners were and liberate them and arm them,

William M. Harrison states that the sign of recognition was made by standing with the heel of the right foot to the hollow of the left. If a member saw you he stood the same way and extended his foot to meet the first one. The first one said: ''Nu,'' the second said, ''Oh,'' then the first said ''Lac,'' the second replied, ''S,'' the first said ""T,,'' the second replied, ''Give me Liberty,'' the first said, ''Or give me death.'' The distress sign was made by putting the left hand on the right breast and raising the right one directly in front to its full height, as one cried ''Calhoun'' three times, wait a minute, then ery three times again.

The flag was a white one surrounded with a red ribbon and with red ribbons hanging down. If hung out the K. G. C. would not harm your property. Anyhow, when Hines and Morgan came along, his property would not be damaged.

Doctor William Bowles and others had discovered a substance which they called ''Greek fire.' There were queer bombs made of such material which left for a while would explode. The Government boats at Louisville were destroyed by these bombs.

But the state government was kept in touch with all their moves. Morton's spies were busy day and night. One of the best was a man named Coffin. He was not suspected till 1864. Then a meeting was held in Doctor Kalfur's office in Louisville, at which it was egreed that Coffin must be put out of the way. Felix Stidger, who took the report of the meeting to Doctor Bowles said that he ought to kill

Coffin himself, for Bowles found him and took him to the Castle and gave him the obligation. Bowles said that he would put some one after Coffin. The whole joke in the matter was that Felix Stidger was a Morton spy himself and was telling Coffin what was happening all the time.

Henry M. Zumro was a good spy, but being suspected by the Knights, Morton planned to have him arrested and his house raided. On trial he was acquitted for lack of evidence. Of course, after this he was reinstated in the good graces of the Knights.

At one of the meetings Doctor William Bowles proposed a company of armed lancers and hooks to punch the horses of the Union soldiers and cut their bridles. Then the horses would become unmanagable.

Just how many Knights were in Crawford County one can not say. The Castles were held in school houses, barns and out in the woods. Matters became serious as the war went on. Old Bill Mansfield belonged at Leavenworth and had a big store there. He was a friend of the South. His boys, one by one, went into the Union Army. When his last son volunteered he could not stand it. He came out into the street, made a speech for the Union, and cried. One Castle was in Bill Williams' barn. The town of English had one Castle and one also up at Brownstown. Zion Hollow was near Brownstown. There was a great number over there. There was a noted Union man at English named ''Woods'' Cummins and one loyal man in Patoka named Ed Hall Golden. One night the Knights raided his home. His poor mother, who was sick in bed, was whipped by these ''gentlemanly'' Knights to make her tell where his money was. It has been reported that Hall

Golden was standing outside of the house with a gun drawn to fire in case they hurt his mother too much. The Knights became so bad that late in the fall of 1864 a company of men came out from Leavenworth, and assisted by soldiers, who were at home, from Marengo and other points, closed in on the Knights at English and Brownstown. There were a large number of them caught. A preacher was taken in the net. He ran down the side of the hill and was about to escape when Richard Pierson and one or two of the Fredonia boys caught him. They were brought back to English and guarded in a barn there till means of conducting them to Leavenworth could be obtained. The people of Leavenworth did not want the '"sorry crowd'' and they were sent to Indianapolis. Leaving the Knights, let us return to a discussion of Hines' raid. In the summer of 1863 General John Morgan sent Thomas W. Hines, of Bowling Green, Kentucky, with a company of horsemen from the army in Tennessee into Kentucky with orders to operate against the Union Army of the Cumberland and collect horses at various places through which Morgan intended to pass when he came north in his grand campaign. After much time and without much trouble Hines reached the bank of the Ohio River about eighteen miles up the river from Camelton. He looked with longing eyes on the smoky hills of old Perry County. Assisted by southern sympathizers, with two old barges, he crossed the river, which at that time was very low. Following the old Rome and Fredonia road, he moved northward with his soldiers, many of whom were spread out over the country, securing all the good horses they could find. He entered Crawford County near Alton and camped for the night near Jack Parr's Ford on Mill Creek, where he captured George Waddle and kept him over mght. That way Waddle did not have a chance to spread the alarm.

Breaking the camp the next morning, he rode toward Fredonia with his men. As they were crossing Little Blue River he ordered the men to throw Waddle's gun into that deep hole of water, just below the old State Ford. Waddle must have been very angry, but what could he do? The company arrived at Fredonia about eight o'clock that morning. Here they stopped and ate some breakfast at Esau McFall's hotel. The Fredonia Home Guards had left their guns in William H. Conrad's store. A few of the men came into the store, and seeing the guns went out and told Hines. After a brief consultation in the Street the whole group of them rode northward on the Marengo road. Just out of Fredonia they saw a beautiful horse owned by William H. Conrad. Several whistled at him but could not catch him. Mr. Miller, who lived then where Mr. Sacksteder lives now, lost one horse. Just over the Indian Hill or Ridge they stopped and talked to Jake Flock. His daughter came out and saw him giving them food. She was much displeased and asked her father why he was feeding the rebels. One man spoke up and said that they were the Home Guards. Then he recognized the three men who had been at her father's house a few days before and she had seen them making curious signs. At the old Peabody crossroads Hines stole one of Rensselaer Peabody's horses. Peabody followed him as far as Valeene where he got the horse back. Hines arrived at Marengo about one o'clock.

Captain Enoch Weathers, who lived at Marengo, had been given a commission as captain by a Governor before the Civil War, yet he was not in the Civil War. His house stood near the Paoli and Leavenworth roads. That afternoon Captain Weathers was asleep when the rebels rode up to the house. A few of them called out for food. James H. Weathers went out and saw the men. He woke up Mr. Weathers who went out and the men asked him what he had to give the soldiers to eat. Captain Weathers gave them what food was available. The men claimed that they were Home Guards and were out hunting deserters. 2

After the soldiers rode away James said to his father: ''Those men must be rebels.'' The father asked him why he thought so. And he said: ''Did you not see the C. 8. A. on their haversacks or breast-plates?'' Soon Martin Stewart and John Vanmeter came riding up the road. Vanmeter, who had been in the United States Army, confirmed what James had told his father. Stewart and Vanmeter were ordered to follow on after the men rapidly to Valeene, then to go directly to the New Albany and Paoli pike at Trotter's Crossing and then to Paoli. These men beat Captain Hines' men to Paoli in time to arouse the town and get a number of the men armed.

When Hines arrived at Valeene he demanded that the women cook them dinners, so tradition has it. If they did not get dinner he would burn the town. One can not say now whether Hines got much dinner or not, but the town was not burned. But he wasted considerable time there and allowed Stewart and Vanmeter, who sent Waynick from Valeene, to beat him to Paoli.

While he was in Marengo tradition has it that Dave Miller, who was a ''Butternut,'' went up to him and wanted to give him advice but he rejected the proposal. He told Miller that if Miller was a friend of the South that he ought to go south where they needed all their friends.

When Hines came to the top of that high hill south of Paoli and saw the crowd of excited citizens armed around the court house square he decided that he had better go around Paoli to the west. He rode east again and turned south about Fredericksburg.

Meanwhile, Captain Girdnor of the Home Guards at Marengo had ordered the anvil fired three times and the tocsin rung, which was a signal to call the Home Guards together.

By this time Hines had thrown off the mask and was making for the river. Near Fredericksburg he met a few men and a fight occurred in which one or two northern men were killed. Somewhere that day he captured Finley McNaughton who was at home on a furlough. Finley agreed to show him the way to the Ohio River. One does not know just what his aim was. It was impossible for him to get back to Flint Island now, for all Perry County was aroused. Word had reached Cannelton that one thousand guerillas had crossed the river and Hinton church had been burned.

Finley McNaughton tried to deceive him and waste his time by taking side roads. At Milltown Hines got a horse belonging to Solomon Funk. When midnight came Hines saw that he was being betrayed and he drew his revolver on Finley and told him that if he did not get him to the river he would shoot him. So McNaughton piloted him down the old Salem road to the Dug Way, near the Cedar Cemetery, at Leavenworth. Here, the writer was informed, some man came up out of Leavenworth and met Hines and told him that he had better not go down into the town, for they were waiting for him. So he turned east on the old Corydon road, crossed Big Blue River at Zebulum Leavenworth's ford and reached the Ohio River at the Upper Island, about three miles above Leavenworth. They were watering their horses and resting on the bank of the Ohio, when suddenly a band of Union soldiers came down on them from the north. Captain Jesse Esarey's men from Perry County were closing in on Hines from the west and Captain Weathers' Home Guards from the west were on the pursuit. "'Brack'' Carnes rushed straight south from Orange County toward Corydon and Captain Horatio Woodbury took the old Leavenworth and Paoli road and doublequicked to Leavenworth. Meanwhile, Leavenworth was not idle. A cannon was placed near where the bank now stands and the court house was filled with armed men to fire down on him.

Mr. Cook, who owned a tannery near the top of the hill, saw them pass. He seized his gun and tried to fire on them from his house but his wife held his arms and would not let him. Then he ran down the hill and told ''Wash'' Lyons that the rebels were making for the Upper Island. Then the men put their six-pound cannon on the Izetta, a small steamboat, and steamed up the river for the island.

plunged into the Ohio River and got over to the island successfully. Here the main part of the river is on the Kentucky side of the river. As soon as the men were on the island they jeered back at the Union men and rode around on the Kentucky side of the island, but then they saw that they were in a trap. The strip of water on the Kentucky side was much wider and deeper. When all was ready the rebels rode around the island at a gallop and fired on the Union men. Fortunately, no Union men were hurt, but one or more rebels were dropped at each attack. The timber on the island sheltered them. A towboat came down the river and Hines ordered it to stop and set them over. The pilot swung his boat in to shore and was about to land when Wash Lyons came up the river with the Izetta and a six-pound cannon on board. - He signaled to the pilot on the towboat to pull out. The pilot by this time recognized that something was wrong and suddenly steamed away. Hines ordered his men to fire, but no one was hurt although the boat was hit by many balls. Hines, seeing that the case was hopeless, ordered the men to swim over. He tied his pocketbook on his head and caught his horse by the tail and swam across to the Kentucky shore. The others all attempted to follow, but not being used to swimming, were struggling in the water. The horses were frightened, the men seared, and several were drowned. Now was Wash Lyons' chance. He fired the cannon into the bunch of men. The ball went skipping along on the water but whether anyone was hit no one can now tell. Most of the men got back to the shore and huddled together in a bunch while one or two raised a white rag and rode around asking for terms. When Wash Lyons arrived the surrender was made, but the southern men hid about everything that they could. All the guns were thrown into the river. One horse was hidden in the thick underbrush for about three days when George Balthis of Marengo found it, but Solomon Funk of Milltown claimed the horse.

Richard Pierson of Fredonia said that he fired on Lieutenant Haycraft several times but his bullets fell short of him. Hayeraft had five fair shots at Pierson but missed. However, one ball cut the hair on his head. Many years afterward Haycraft was a candidate for office, and wished Pierson to vote for him, but Pierson did not.

Near the end of the battle one southern man, seeing the cause was hopeless, spurred his horse forward and made a bold dash for freedom. He rode up the shore to the upper end of the island and then swam back to the Indiana side while the northern men were firing at him from every side and escaped into Scott township. Later he was caught and returned. Many strange stories are told about Hines. Some say that Daugherty set him over; others say that Thacker ferried him over, and still others say that heswam. The fact of the matter is that he escaped with his life, no matter how. . Several others crossed the river, too, and escaped.

The rebels were brought to Leavenworth and kept in the Methodist Episcopal church until they could be sent to New Albany. One poor man who had been shot through the hips was allowed to suffer several hours before the doctors in Leavenworth would dress the wounds.

and the men marched under it. The man who was shot through the hips hesitated and was compelled to move under old ''Glory.'? He swore and said that Morgan would be through here in about two weeks and he would give them the ''devil.'' He certainly did when he came along.

The dead rebels were buried at Leavenworth but later on were removed by their friends. One gentleman from Brandenburg came to William Allen's home and wanted him to help him over to the island to get the body of his brother. Allen would not go but the man dug up the corpse. He told Allen that his brother had a belt around his waist filled with gold money. By that he would recognize the body. When the body was found he put it in a big pine box and hauled it home for a more decent burial.

One man, who managed to swim over on a fence rail, went up to Mr. Allen's home and demanded his dinner. The Allens had dinner prepared, but being in plain view of the island, had watched it and the battle and neglected dinner. At first this big red-headed Irishman stood up and ate at the cupboard for fear the food at the table was not safe. Gabriel Allen, one of William Allen's sons, came into the house, and a fight ensued. It seems that the two grabbed the gun and were struggling up and down the hallway with it. The boy was holding his own well with the Irishman till they tripped each other and fell to the floor.. What the outcome would have been no one now could tell, but suddenly John Allen, another brother, about thirteen years old, hearing the noise, ran from the barn to the house. As he came into the room he saw the two fall. Quick as a flash he grabbed a big bootjack, raised it high in the air, and with all the power he had struck the man a blow on the head. That ended the fight. The man cried that he would surrender and for his poor old mother's sake be spared. His head was dressed and a good dinner given him. He gave up the two Colt revolvers. Mr. Allen in the meanwhile had been capturing another.man who had gotten away. That afternoon he took the men over to Leavenworth and put them with the rest.

Allen, who was a strong Union man, had many enemies. Later they raided his home and stole his revolvers.and horses. When matters became too serious he used to escape to Indiana and stay with Uncle John Lynch near Weathers, on Dry Run Creek.

As stated before, the good people of Crawford County bore the woes of the terrible struggle with fortitude. Crawford County had 8,226 inhabitants and furnished 868 men. Martin County had 8,975 people and furnished 821 men. Greene County had 16,041 people and furnished 1,432 men. The above shows that Crawford County led the state.

The county commissioners are to be commended for the good work they did. At their meeting in December, 1861, they ordered the township trustees to furnish the help for any family in distress if the man was in the service.

In 1864, March 8th, the board of county commissioners released White from paying poll tax. George White had been in the service and had been wounded at Stone River.

at Leavenworth to devise a means of keeping the draft out of the county. A bounty of $100 was offered to anyone who would enlist. Horatio Woodbury was to supervise the matter and report to the auditor when the man was received into the service. The county auditor was authorized to borrow $3,000 on January 7, 1865, out of which bounties were to be paid. On January 21, 1865, the bounty was raised to $300. A tax had been levied to pay the bounties.

Much confusion arose about the claims of soldiers for their bounty. The sheriff ordered the commissioners to meet on October 24, 1868, and consider the claims of various soldiers. The board agreed to make allowance to all who were not worth over $500, and $50 to each child under twelve years of age. The board of commissioners examined the claims of all the soldiers and agreed to give as follows:

Knights Of The Golden Circle

In October, 1864, General Jordan, of the ''Tegion,"' discovered a very dangerous conspiracy in Crawford and Orange Counties. He regarded the matter in Crawford Jounty a miserable failure. These counties were filled with many men who opposed the war. These had become members of a secret society known as the Knights of the tolden Circle. Not all members of the disgraceful. order were traitors. Many who joined it never knew for some time what the real purpose was. It seems that the main purpose was to hinder the war in any way it could. The chief methods were: (1) To encourage deserters and hide them when they did succeed in evadirig the Union officers ; (2) To prevent enlistments; (3) To resist the draft; (4) To give aid to Captain Hines and General Morgan when they were ready to make their spectacular raids.

No one knows how many men were members. There were secret signs, passwords and grips. The password in one degree was ''Nuohlae,'' which was Calhoun spelled backward. The members in Crawford County were encouraged by men from Kentucky. Sallie Flock, who lived in Jennings township, said that three men came to her father's house one morning. She told them that her father was out at the barn. When they went out to the barn she watched them carefully and saw them make curious signs with their hands at her father, who was making similar signs at them. After they left she asked her father why they were making such signs at each other. Then he told her that they were members of the Knights of the Golden Circle. About two weeks later, when Hines made his raid into Crawford County, the same men were in his company that were at her home before. But these Knights were confronted by the bravest men, the most daring soldiers, and faithful Union men who tried to defeat the Copperheads on every hand.

The Knights tried to resist the draft. They insulted the ladies at houses where their husbands were in the service. Besides these dastardly deeds they did not hesitate to rob and pilfer when occasion came their way.

During the summer of 1864 many of them were arrested and sent to Indianapolis. A raid was made on Hartford and Brownstown where many were captured. The company of soldiers who made the raid on Hartford went on to Brownstown with a little cannon. When they came in sight of the town a large crowd of men was seen in the town. The Union men fired their cannon up the creek into the hills. That was enough. When they arrived no men were to be seen except some who were working at various things. There were about ninety picked up at. Hartford. These were taken to Indianapolis where they were finally released after taking the oath of allegiance to the American flag.

At the general inquiry these men were examined by bringing the prisoners into a room one at a time. General Jordan and Captain Woodbury were present. Of the men taken by Captain Aydelotte, Junius Lanox, who lived in. _ Greenfield township, stated that he was a drafted man, that he went to Williamsburg in Orange County where he heard that the drafted men were going to resist the draft. George Coffman of Floyd County made a speech urging all the men to resist the draft. At another meeting, held on October 1, 1864, south of Williamsburg, John Allstott, of Crawford County, advised us to resist the draft. The guns taken from the Home Guards was done more for spite than anything else. He took a gun from Valentine Cook of the Valeene Home Guards. He was along when Patterson Apple was arrested or held up by the Knights and robbed of his revolver. Many drafted men were present at these meetings. These were strangers, many of whom might have been from Kentucky. Jacob Cook took the lead in disarming Valentine Cook and Heinener Leibolt helped in taking the revolver from Patterson Apple.

William Sanders of Sterling township was called next. He said that he saw something was wrong. His son James was in the crowd and he wanted to get him away. He overtook a crowd of the men near Belcher's in Sterling township. Before we got to E. H. Golden's there were about thirty in the crowd. He knew seven of them who were

Union - MeMickle, Bob Allen, John Allstott, James Sanders, Thomas Highfill, John McKabe, Ben Brown and Benton Newkirk. They told him that they were going to press Hall Golden's money and horses. He did not know what they got because he took no part in the robbery, but understood a horse and pistol were taken at another place. John Allstott told him that if he ever told on them his life was in danger. Just as he was leaving for home he -heard men say that several rich hauls were made. He stated further that he was at the store in Brownstown and . the postoffice on the next Thursday where much talk was made about seizing the guns of the Home Guard. He heard Ben Brown and Benton Newkirk ''hurrah'' for Jeff Davis. There were about fifty in all. The robbers used nicknames in the dark so that he did not know any but whom he saw in Golden's house.

Lorenzo D. Knight of Patoka township was next called. He stated that he was a member of the Knights of the Golden Circle and that the signs General Jordan gave were all right. When Morgan was last in Kentucky he said we were to help him and he would come over and help us. We were to seize horses and guns in our neighborhood to mount and ride away with him. They cursed Lincoln bitterly. Doctor Bowles was a general in the order. They intended to put Wood Cummins out of the way and hang Hall Golden if they could slip upon him. There was talk about robbing Bill Ray, whom they said had a large sum of money. He was with McMickle and Allstott when they went to rob Cummins on Friday morning. He heard that a majority of the men in his county were Knights. He heard Jesse McWilliams denounce the President. Kinsey

Livingston and Perry Knight asked me to join the K. G. C. He saw at the meeting when he went James Sanders, John Mason, Elisha Mason, Tim Mason, John Knight, William Sander, Larking Lankford, Henry Strand, Duval L. Brown, Jesse Cuzzort, Tim Belcher, Joel Newkirk and Jonathan Newkirk. Most of these men were at Kendall's store in Orange County on Saturday night, October 1st. He voted to resist the draft at the meeting at Zion's Hollow near Brownstown. That meeting was held on September 29th. He thought a majority of the men voted not to resist the draft then because they had failed to secure outside help which had been promised them. Frank Enlow said that he would not report if he was drafted. He was with them when they robbed Ed Hall Golden, but they did not get as much money as they expected. He thought the leaders got most of the money. Elias Corby of Orange County was with them at Golden's.

James E. Allen of Sterling township was called next. He heard Union McMickle say that he intended to use up James Sloan and kill Woods Cummings and Joseph Miller at the risk of his own life. They were opposed to the milk and water policy of Jim Lemons (county clerk) and Mart Tucker (county sheriff). They were assisted by men from Kentucky and three hundred were said to be in camp in Harrison County. The ballot boxes also were to be stuffed at election.

The above testimonies were taken from Terrell's reports, Volume I, pp. 291. Woods Cummings, Hall Golden and Mart Tucker were staunch Union men.

and General Morgan was compelled to run for his life, the Knights had no time to get together. General Carrington said that they knew each time a rebel army was approaching the Ohio River.

A history of Crawford County will be incomplete without an account of Morgan's raid and the part our boys played in that spectacular campaign.

About Monday, July 6, 1863, Morgan's advance guard arrived in the town of Brandenburg. They were sent ahead to watch for boats in which the army would cross to the Indiana side. Fortunately for them, they found Captain Ballard's fine steamer at the wharf. They captured the McCombs. Shortly after that the fine steamer Alice Dean came by. The men captured her by firing a shot across her bow. Other boats got away and came down the river whistling and spreading the news.

The Home Guards of Leavenworth left immediately with their six-pound cannon. They went up the river bank dragging the cannon along with the hope that they might capture Morgan.

On Wednesday morning they were opposite Brandenburg with their field piece planted, ready for action. The fog that morning hid the view of the Kentucky side. At times they could hear the noise in the town. The river here is about one thousand yards wide. About nine o'clock the fog lifted so that the Union men could see the wharf. To their great surprise the town was gray with people.

Leaning against the wharfboat Morgan's advance guard found Captain Hines who looked haggard, careworn and really was a ''sorry sight.'' He had escaped the Union Army at Blue River Island a few days before. He readily joined Morgan and became a daring soldier.

The Union men who had the small rifle cannon aimed the gun at the mass of rebels on the Kentucky side and fired. After several seconds they saw the fire and dust rise where the ball hit. The men sought protection in all directions. Men informed the writer that one could not count twenty-five before the court house square was vacant. Suddenly they saw six gray horses coming into action in a sweeping gallop. The driver wheeled around and fired at the Union men. The ball cut Jim Lemon's coat tail off as he was helping the men load the cannon. Our men fired again. The second shot from Morgan's men hit one wheel of the cannon. Our men fired again. This was too hot a fight for the few Home Guards. They left the cannon and ran into an old log cabin house on the bank. The third shot hit the gable ends, knocking out two logs, which caused the old house to fall. Our boys came out of the dirt and fallen roof running like mad men. Tom Ells- , worth said that it was a very amusing scene.

The southern men then came over and landed a large number of men on the Indiana side. They formed in battle line and advanced, firing upon our Home Guards, who were behind haystacks and trees. The Union gunboat Elk came down and a terrible battle ensued. The heavy parrots after an hour's firing drove the gunboat away.

Then the main army crossed. Captain Ballard of the steamer McCombs kept a tally of the men. He said that 4,800 men, 5,100 horses and two six-pound and two twelvepound cannon were set over. The wharfboat at Brandenburg was sunk and the steamer Alice Dean was burned. Her hull may yet be seen when the river is very low at Brandenburg. The Alice Dean was owned by northern men. By the intervention of Basil Duke and Bushrod Johnson, Captain Ballard's steamer, John F. McCombs, was spared. He steamed up the river and gave a report to the New Albany Ledger.

Morgan's men were across the river by that afternoon and were in full march toward Corydon. The Home Guards were pushed back. The first blood was spilled by the Union men when they fired the cannon across the river, wounding William Wilson, one of the quartermasters, who was down on the bank of the river.

As Morgan neared Corydon some one fired from a fence row and killed one of his soldiers. His men set fire to Reverend Peter Glenn's home. Glenn ran out to put out the fire. They ordered him away but he refused. Then they shot him dead and wounded his son. Mrs. Glenn begged that she might be allowed to get some clothes and a ham of meat out of the house, but her request was refused. They made her go out into the road and help pull the dead rebel out of the way. At Corydon the Home Guards defended the town until they were outflanked.

Many amusing stories were told about Morgan. He took a fine stallion from one man near Corydon. The owner told Morgan that he could take the horse but that he had one request to make of him first. That if he could not work or ride the stallion that Morgan would turn him loose. Morgan agreed to that. About two days later, when the man went out to feed, he found the horse at the gate with whip marks all over him.

A man who was named Lang became so frightened that he started to run from Corydon to the Wyandotte Cave where he could hide. He ran about three miles from Corydon before he dropped dead from heart failure. He was a native of Harrison County.

Our Home Guards followed Morgan all the way through until he was captured. On several occasions they captured his meat cooking and saw the dust of the retreating rebels.

John McCollister of Leavenworth was sent as a courier to New Albany. He rode eighty-five miles over rough roads in twenty-five hours. He stated that not many of the Leavenworth Home Guards were captured; that seventy-three were taken at Corydon from the Harrison County Guards.

Having been requested by Mr. H. H. Pleasant, the author of a forthcoming history of Crawford County, Indiana, to prepare and submit to him a personal sketch of my military services and experiences during the Civil War period, and since, I gladly comply, assuring those who may honor this contribution with a perusal, of the sincerity of my purpose to utter nothing herein but what I believe to be truly reliable statements of fact. I have always been proud of my native county, and of the fact that I had an opportunity to bear a humble part in thte patriotic military activities of its people.

"'T John Richard Weathers, was born in a log house on a farm near the village of Big Springs (now the town of Marengo), Crawford County, Indiana, on the 12th day of March, 1847. In early boyhood I had learned to play a few simple tunes on the fife, and when the War of the Great Rebellion was begun in 1861, and active recruiting operations were inaugurated, my services as a fifer, together with that of my younger brother, James Henry Weathers, as a snare-drummer, was in urgent demand, for musicians of that type were very scarce in that community. I was urged by those making up military companies to go with them as company fifer. But I was a minor, little more than fourteen years of age, and could not properly go without the consent of my parents.

''Having naturally a strong military inclination, inherited, doubtless, from my father, Enoch Weathers, who held a life commission as captain in the militia of Indiana, I literally begged permission to enter the service, and finally prevailed. My father took me, about November 17, 1861, on horseback to Camp Joe Holt, near Jeffersonville, Indiana, where I was left in care of the officers of Company F, Forty-ninth Indiana Infantry, with the distinct understanding, before witnesses, that I was to be kept in camp ten days, and then, in case I desired to remain, to be examined and mustered into the service as a musician. But before the ten days had expired, the United States mustering officer came, and, after a hasty perfunctory physical examination, as we stood in line, the whole regiment was mustered, by companies, into the military service of the United States, on November 23, 1861, for three iene unless sooner discharged.

The weather was damp and cold, and the slush-covered ground and the unheated tents presented a cheerless spectacle to all of us just out from the cozy comforts of home. But it was a war game we were entering and most of us boys felt that it would be 'great delight to march and fight as Yankee volunteers.' I had been in camp but a short time before I was prostrated by the measles. This caused my transference from camp in an army wagon drawn by four husky mules, to an improvised hospital in a small church building in the city of Jeffersonville, Indiana.

''T knew nothing of the dangers incident to measles (which is said to have caused more deaths in the contending armies than was effected by the deadly implements of warfare); and, knowing little of necessary military restraint and being anxious to rejoin my comrades who had gone into Kentucky and were then encamped near Bardstown, Kentucky, forty miles south of Louisville, I left the hospital before I was out of danger from relapse, without official permission, and went to camp. It was mid-winter and the weather was inclement, and I soon contracted a heavy cold which rapidly developed into pneumonia in a hospital, improvised from a girls' seminary in Bardstown. Here we had neither carpeting on the floor, nor cots nor pallets, but, wrapped in personal clothing and blankets, the sick lay in rows stretched on the bare floor with heads near the walls of the room. The only means of heating the room consisted of a small coal-grate fire at the rear end of the hall we occupied, but this gave no perceptible warmth to us on the floor.

''T had notified my father from Jeffersonville that I had the measles. He came to look after me, but failing to find me there, followed on to Bardstown. Here he made a vigorous effort to secure my discharge from the service, but this was denied by the regimental surgeon. My father went home, but soon returned, and after a lengthy conference at night with the surgeon, during which it developed that the surgeon had married a Miss Weathers, my father's cousin, whose home was in the White River section of Indiana, he obtained for me a furlough of thirty days. I was taken home at once, where, under the skillful care of my brother-in-law, Doctor Isaac H. Girdner, the work of rescue and repair was begun. My left lung was seriously involved. Certificates of my condition went forward at regular intervals to the regiment, and on the fifth of the following June I started back wearing a large plaster over my left lung, and reached my regiment at camp in Hast Tennessee, three miles south of Cumberland Gap, Kentucky.

''My regiment at that time was in an organization designated as the Seventh Division of the Army of the Ohio, under Brigadier General George W. Morgan, of Ohio. The Confederates had seized and fortified Cumberland Gap, which proved to be one of the most impregnable strongholds in the entire zone of the Civil War. General Morgan made an assault upon the Gap from the Kentucky side, but was repulsed. His little army of ten thousand infantry and artillery - having been organized and designed, at the specific behest of President Lincoln, to capture and hold Cumberland Gap, thought by Lincoln to be one of the important highways between the North and the South, General Morgan determined, if possible, to cross the mountain range west of the Gap and cut off the Confederates and starve them into surrender.

'But the Confederate commander at the Gap, General Stevenson, learning that Morgan was coming up Powell's Valley south of him, quickly evacuated the Gap and escaped a few hours before Morgan's force came up. Stevenson, finding that Morgan's army was smaller than his and perceiving that he had been outwitted and maneuvered out of his stronghold, now set his face toward the Gap, driving us from our camps up to the foothills of the Gap, under cover of our artillery in the fortifications. But this move on our part, did not deter the persistent Confederates, who continued their attacks, especially under cover of darkness, until we all went up and located ourselves in the stronghold so recently held by the enemy.

'Although safe from Confederate artillery and rifle shots, Morgan was not idle. Trees that obstructed artillery range were felled; old forts were strengthened and new ones built; a commissary and other buildings were rapidly constructed around us to guard against surprise; and collisions with the enemy at different points were of almost daily oceurrence. We had gotten possession of that noted gateway so much desired by our beloved Commander-inchief, President Lincoln, and we felt fully able to hold it, General Morgan expressing this thought when he is alleged to have said in a message to Washington: ''Furnish me with supplies and I'll hold the Gap against the whole Con-

288 HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY federate army.'' This expression, if actually made by our good commander, may have been somewhat extravagant. However, Cumberland Gap, fortified as we had it, was at least one of our American Gibraltars.

''But the fortunes of war are often fickle. The rapid advance of the Union arms through Tennessee so alarmed the Confederacy that the enemy set up a counter movement at once by sending a large Confederate army into Kentucky to capture, or at least threaten, Louisville and Cincinnati. This invasion of Kentucky cut our line of communication with Washington and the North in July, 1862. From that time until the middle of September we were on short allowance of food in spite of the limited foraging we were able to do. The enemy drew closer and closer on our front and rear until, as one historian [Headley] expresses it, we were practically surrounded by one hundred thousand Confederate soldiers.

'General Morgan ascertained through engineers and scouts sent out by him, that one way, leading through the rugged hills of eastern Kentucky, was not yet closed; and he, after a council of war with his brigade commanders, determined to try to reach the Ohio River, two hundred and fifty miles to the north. On the 17th of September the little army of hungry but hopeful soldiers moved down the mountain road out of Cumberland Gap. The great natural rock wall along the winding road leading up to the Gap from Tennessee, had been mined, and all the government buildings covered with turpentine; and on the night of the 17th of September, a small detachment of men, left to wreck things, fired the mines and buildings. My regiment, the Forty-ninth Indiana, the last to leave the

Gap, moved rapidly down the dark mountain road about ten o'clock at night. We had just reached the sandy road at the foot of the mountain, when the mines and buildings in the Gap were fired. A grander and more tragic event I have never seen nor heard. The mountains fairly shook with the awful explosions of the mines and the heavens and the solemn mountains were lit up with weird and lurid sketches of hateful war.

"By eight o'clock next morning we were fifteen miles away at Cumberland Ford on the Cumberland River. Here we halted for an hour's rest, a scanty breakfast, and a general lightening up by discarding part of our individual loads. Then we went on to Manchester, a few miles farther away, and spent a night and day in refitting and adjusting for the long perilous march that stretched away through the hill country that lay mockingly between us and our goal, the majestic Ohio.

'For sixteen days we continued the weary march, wading rivers and creeks; removing blockades of trees which had been felled across cuts in the road to delay the progress of our artillery, twenty-six pieces of which we had brought away from the Gap; fighting bush-whackers and guerrillas; subsisting almost wholly on the ripening corn, acorns, pawpaws, and an occasional saucy-looking goose, pig, or calf; and at times pausing long enough to hastily bury a dead comrade. But on October 3 we reached with great rejoicing the grand old Ohio, practically destitute of everything except our arms and ammunition. Personally, I had gotten rid of so much that, when our march ended, my entire possessions consisted of a blouse, a pair of badly worn trousers, a pair of wrecked shoes, an old slouch hat, a gum-blanket, haversack, an artilleryman's saber (which I had picked up and carried through), and my fife. I was not then fit to play an acceptable part in a drawing-room of that day, although I doubtless would have caused some astonishment, if not consternation.

'The reader, I feel, will permit a little digression just here, as our ragged regiments rest on the north bank of the River Beautiful, near the town of Sciotoville, Ohio, while I recount at least one incident of that hazardous retreat. We had been on our march but a few days when we reached the village of Proctor, Kentucky. At this place we expected to get some flour from a mill, but when within a mile of the village we saw a great smoke shooting up ahead of us, which proved to come from the burning mill. We halted near the village and shortly thereafter countermarched and then leaving the road marched a short distance along a hillside and took up a position just in the rear of the batteries. There we remained, resting in peace, for an hour or two. The sun was nearing the western horizon when, apparently realizing some mysterious disappointment, our batteries limbered up and wheeled again into the public highway, and we all resumed the march northward. ;

'"Some twenty years later I went to Little Rock, Arkansas, where I was employed in editorial work. I had been there but a short time when my employer observed that I had been what he called a ''Yankee'' soldier, and informed me that he had served the Confederacy. Pursuing this subject: he asked where I had served. Advising him that I was in Kentucky and Tennessee and for some time at Cumberland Gap, he quickly asked whether I was at the Gap under ''Yankee'' Morgan. Assuring him that I was, he then asked whether I came out with Morgan on his retreat northward. I told him that I did. He then stated that he was under the Confederate General, Humphrey Marshall, who was sent across Kentucky to cut off that retreat. I asked him whether they expected to meet us at Proctor, Kentucky. He said they did. I then told him that we formed a line of battle and waited for him a few hours, and then went on northward. Whereupon the ex-Confederate said that when they reached Proctor they learned that we had been gone northward about two hours, and that they, being exhausted from hard marching, stopped and bivouacked for the night. I then exclaimed: 'T am certainly glad of it!' And he, with a generous smile, responded: 'So were we!'

'This true incident illustrates how little those in the battle-line know of their environments and what to expect. For twenty years I was ignorant of the dreadful truth of what our battle-line at Proctor really meant.

"But to resume my story: After remaining near Sciotoville, Ohio, several days, during which time generous supplies of food reached us from Cincinnati, and a partial outfit of clothing, consisting of shirts, trousers, socks, shoes and hats, we were ordered into West Virginia, whither we went, marching up the Kanawha Valley from Point Pleasant. On the morning of the second day it began to rain, a cold wave struck us, and at noon snow began falling. We were again in a predicament. Without coats of any kind, drenched with rain and snow, and chilled to the bone, onward we trudged through the inhospitable slush. A while before night we stopped to bivouac; made fires, built rail pens and put straw into them, ate supper (each man cooking for himself) and then huddling together in the straw put in a miserable night trying to keep warm and get some sleep. Next morning we arose early and marched to a little village called Buffalo, and went into such houses there as we found not oceupied, which was true of the greater part of them.

'""There we remained until tents and the rest of our clothing (blouses and overcoats) reached us, and then we went on to a village called Coal's Mouth, where we remained two or three weeks watching the Virginia guerrilla chief, Colonel John Mosby. We then were ordered back to Point Pleasant, (now) West Virginia, where we embarked on an Ohio River transport for Vicksburg, Miss. Our steamer was dreadfully overcrowded, but on reaching Cincinnati, where we lay over for one day, our regiment was divided and each of the two battalions was given a boat (the boats as I recall it now, were the Sunnyside and the New York). This change made the voyage much more pleasant.

''On account of a low stage of water the boats were not allowed to run at night, but were anchored in the river some distance from the shore. This precaution was thought necessary to keep the soldiers from leaving the boat, for it was well known that the soldiers were anxious to visit their homes, which the steamers would soon pass. While anchored some distance above the Ohio Falls, a protest by the soldiers reached a mutinous stage and they threatened to raise the anchor, cut the tiller-ropes, and let the vessel drift over the falls. Major Thornton, in command of the vessel I was on, learned of the threat and promptly came down the stairway, pistol in hand, and addressing the men, commanded them to desist from their evil purpose, promising that on reaching New Albany he would telegraph Governor Morton concerning permission for them to make a short visit home. Our boat landed at New Albany and the Major went up town but soon returned with the statement that no delay could be permitted by the state.

'We steamed ahead till sundown, when the vessel was again anchored, but this time, as the soldiers ascertained, rather close to the Kentucky side. Some of the men, taking the risk, ran across the boat-deck and leaped off, striking the sand and disappearing in the dark. These venturesome comrades, waiting till daylight, found means of crossing to the Indiana side of the river, whence they went home for a short visit. I, being a mere boy and of a reticent nature, was ignored in all these matters.

"The next day we hove in sight of Leavenworth. The town front was lined with anxious, flag-waving, rejoicing friends, and a solitary little cannon was booming a welcome to the boys of the 'bloody Forty-ninth.' Our Captain had told us that, while it had been impossible to get official leave for a home visit, he was sure that if any went home for a few days, and then came on to the regiment, it would be all right. Our Major and most of our company officers were residents of Leavenworth. I stood on the bow of the boat looking in vain to see some recognizable face in the great crowd there. The officers and dozens of men left the boat and mingled with the crowd. I saw no one I knew, and, having a letter which I had written on the boat.

''T had not gone very far when three of my mess-mates - the Crane brothers - overtook me and called out: 'Come on, John!' I asked where they were going and they said: 'Up here.' I followed them, saying: 'I know you're going to get some beer,' for I knew that a small distillery was located near the 'big spring,' just back of Leavenworth. My comrades did not stop at the distillery, but starting up the hill road told me they were going home for a visit. While I had not meditated such a venture, I was not averse to such a visit. We kept together until we reached the forks of the road at the Mansfield place, where we paused for a few moments and agreed to meet again in ten days at Leavenworth, to follow up the regiment, and then we separated, they going toward Grantsburg, while I went northward to Marengo.

''This move was not premeditated on my part, yet I was glad to see my folks and be at home. But in a short time I was prostrated with malarial fever. This I had contracted from exposure on the boat, where I slept during those cold November nights anywhere on the fog-enveloped boat, from the hurricane-deck to a pallet of poles and camp-kettles in a barge beside the anchored steamer. My ten-day agreement with my comrades, the Crane boys, expired while I was confined in bed by serious illness. Certificates from my physician were forwarded promptly and regularly to my Captain, to which he responded, urging me to come on to the regiment as soon as possible, and saying that he would protect me from any possible trouble.

regiment in company with Columbus Taylor, a neighbor, who was returning to his regiment after a furlough. Taylor and I were taken to Paoli on horses, and from that point we went on to the residence of a comrade, Lindley, who, Taylor said, had transportation for soldiers returning to their commands. We found Lindley sick and were advised by him to return home and wait a week and then come again. We started back on a seventeen mile tramp through slush over a rough road. I had walked but a few miles when my physical strength gave way, and my left lung, which had been seriously affected by pneumonia, began to bleed. Taylor relieved me of my little load, telling me that I was in no condition to return to active duty with my regiment, and advised me to write to Laz Noble, then Adjutant General of Indiana, setting forth my condition and the circumstances under which I was absent from my regiment and asking for advice.