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Logansport, October 4,1861. Dr. Graham N. Fitch was commis-tsioned colonel; Nelson G. Scott, lieutenant colonel; Thomas H. Bringhurst, major. Fulton county sent 88 men to the army as Company K, in thi^ regiment, with the following officers: B. A. Grover, captain; Robert M. Shields, first lieutenant; Jacob H, Letter, second lieutenant; John McClung, orderly sergeant. Having received clothing and arms, and having been mustered into the United States service, the regiment, on the 12th of December, proceeded to Indianapolis. On the 14th it left for Madison, where it arrived the next morning. Going on board steamboats it proceeded down the Ohio river to Louisville, Ky., where it arrived before dark. Going ashore it marched out to camp, and so began its active service. The regiment left Louisville on the 18th of December, and reached Bardstown after a few days7 march, being our first experience in that line we thought soldiering a pretty tough job. The first night out we got nothing to eat till ten o7clock. We remained in camp, near Bardstown, over Christmas.Mess No. 4, of Company K, of which the writer was a member, thought it would be just the thing to have a Christmas dinner, so we chipped in our few remaining quarters, bought chickens, soft bread, pie, cake, butter, etc., and just had a fine spread, the table garnished with side dishes of hard-tack, sow-belly and beans. Sergeant Moses, the head of our mess, thought the proper thing to do would be to invite our company and regimental officers to take dinner with us. Of course they came, and as guests ate at the first table. We stood back and lookejl on while the chicken “fixins,” and everything except the side dishes, disappeared under dress coats ornamented with gilt buttons and shoulder straps. We passed three more Christmas days in the service of Uncle Sam, but was never again guilty of doing such a fool thing. From Bardstown we moved to Camp Wickliffe, near Hodgensville, and went into camp on a chestnut ridge. Here we were placed in the division of General William Nelson. Were required to put in about ten hours of the twenty-four in squad, company and battalion drill. Measles broke out in the regiment, from effects of which, and pneumonia, our company lost six. men by death and twelve discharged for disability. The regiment left Camp Wickliffe on the 14th of February, marching down the Nolensville pike. We passed a log house, a short distance to the left of the road, which we were informed was the house in which Abe Lincoln was born. Arriving at the Ohio river we embarked on Steamboats, proceeding down the river to the mouth of the Tennessee. Fort Donelson having been captured, we went ondown to Cairo, 111., from whence the regiment was ordered up the- • •« * **, «•*-.. • 1Mississippi river to Commerce, Mo. Reporting to General John Pope, it formed part of the army organized for the opening of the Mississippi river, the first task being the capture of Island No. 10 and New Madrid. On the 1st of March the army moved on New Madrid, arriving before the town on the 3d. The. works were invested immediately, and after a ten days7 siege the enemy evacuated their fortification, leaving their heavy guns.General Palmer7s division, consisting of the 34th, 43d, 46th and 47th Indiana regiments, then moved down the river some twenty miles to Riddle7s Point, where a battery of 32-pound guns was planted after night 6y the 46th, rifle pits dug, and other ar-1 rangements made to cut off communication with Island No. 10, which, though above New Madrid, still was in possession of the*9 • . ^ 4 ^ ^ . ' ' » t , ’ ' * J . * * % • \ . 0 4 . 'enemy. Having completed our works at night, the next morning a thick black smoke was observed raising above the trees; up the river behind a point of timber. Boon a confederate gnnboatr cme I around-the point, fallowed by anotherf and another, until, ^ve
Newspaper Details
Rochester Republican
Rochester, Indiana, US
Thu, Jun 03, 1909
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Arthur M.
USA 12 Apr 2019
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