OOTFALLS 
 
 . WE
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 FOOTFALLS 
 
 OF 
 
 LOYALTY. 
 
 BY 
 
 MRS. MARY W. WESTCOTT, 
 
 SWANTON, NEB. 
 
 " He turned and left the spot, 
 
 Oh. do not deem him weak, 
 For dauntless was the soldier's heart, 
 
 Though tears were on his cheek. 
 Go to the foremost rank 
 
 In danger's dark career, 
 Be sure the hand most daring there 
 
 Has wiped away a tear." 
 
 LINCOLN 
 
 JOURNAL COMPANY, "TAT* PBIKTSB9. 
 1888.
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 This work has been compiled to save to history the 
 purest sentiments of loyalty ever uttered and to raise 
 something for the relief funds of the G. A. R., a large 
 share of the sale being devoted to such use. If our pur- 
 pose meets with approval we shall continue to collect war 
 letters and diaries with this end in view. 
 
 These letters came from the heart and must go to the 
 heart of him who fought on the same ground in the same 
 way, inspired by the same love for home and country, as 
 well as to those who hold them in patriotic reverence. 
 Libby's Bright Side shows what brave men did to forget 
 the misery that surrounded and crushed them, when to 
 have foresworn their defense of the old flag would have 
 given them the best that rebeldom afforded. And now 
 when the limbs crippled by prison gangrene or the more 
 merciful shell are ordered to " leave" to give place to the 
 old prison guard and flag traducer, and when the stars 
 and bars are waved over the ground once covered by the 
 " march to the sea," seems a most fitting time to bring 
 these loyal mementoes to the light. 
 
 MKS. MARY W. WESTCOTT. 
 
 Swanton, Nebraska. 
 
 587206
 
 LETTERS OF GOLD. 
 
 BY HAKEY BUENS, CO. H, 4TH PA. CAVALRY. 
 (Written especially for this work.) 
 
 A bundle of letters tied 'round with a string, 
 Some sad and some joyous what mem'ries they bring ! 
 Some well-worn with reading my eyes fill with tears 
 At words that to others so foolish appears. 
 
 Worn letters, old letters, sweet words of the past, 
 When our nation lay clouded, with hopes overcast; 
 Mid thunders of war, with its turmoil and pain, 
 Bringing answers and sweet loving words back again. 
 
 Only letters, old letters ah, me, how I sigh ! 
 
 As I read them they bring back the old days so nigh, 
 
 When we climbed o'er the mountain and swam through the flood, 
 
 And lived four long years in a lava of blood. 
 
 Yes, letters, old letters, we love them now well 
 For the mem'ries they bring and the stories they tell; 
 Home twenty years after what pleasure they yield, 
 For they tell of our marches, the camp, and the field. 
 
 Old letters, fond letters, bedewed once with tears, 
 The older they grow the more precious appears; 
 For they came from the field and the foul prison den, 
 And the loved homes of true and courageous men. 
 
 From the daughters and sons, from the mothers and sires, 
 Whose words built and lighted up liberty's fires; 
 What hopes were awaked by those grand words of cheer 
 To the loved ones at home and the brave vol unteer.
 
 VL 
 
 letters written by men in the vigor of life, 
 Written by sister, son, father, and wife, 
 Written by patriots loyal and free, 
 Who stood by the Union and loved liberty. 
 
 Last words of those heroes who never returned, 
 Those sacrificed lives whom the nation has mourned, 
 Whose bones were left whitened on fair freedom's shore, 
 Their letters we'll treasure and prize evermore. 
 
 Old letters, fond letters, tho' ages march on, 
 
 Tell their story of trials and victories won, 
 
 Tho' the hearts of the writers lie listless in death, 
 
 To a pulsating world they are freedom's fond breath. 
 
 Old letters, old letters, bright garlands of gloom, 
 Full of hope, full of peace, tho' they speak from the tomb, 
 Storied words that will live to be told and retold, 
 Our footfalls of loyalty Letters of Gold ! 
 Pittsburg, July 1886.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 AUSTIN J. LAKIN, 
 
 7xH ILL. INFT. AND Co. B., 2o ILL. CAV. 
 
 TO HIS FRIENDS. 
 
 CAMP DEFIANCE, \ 
 
 CAIRO, ILL., June 14, 1861. j 
 
 DEAR BROTHER AND SISTER This beautiful day finds 
 me seated in ray little tent to write you a letter, and I will 
 try to give you an idea of ray situation at present. I en- 
 listed in the service of the Union army the 22d of April, 
 and started the same evening for Springfield, stopped in 
 Camp Yates about a week, then took the train for Alton, 
 stopped there a month, and took passage on steamboat for 
 Cairo, and this day finds me one among 8,000 brave men. 
 It is a fine sight to see seven or eight thousand soldiers 
 on the field mustering. There are more than one hun- 
 dred men at work here building batteries. There are six 
 cannon planted here that throw 36 pound balls, and lots of 
 smaller ones throwing from 6 to 24 pound balls. 
 
 The talk is that we will start for Memphis, Tenn., soon; 
 vessels are standing ready to start at any hour, five or six 
 of the best boats that run on the river. They belong to 
 2
 
 2 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 the government. The "City of Alton" started out yester- 
 day, came back iii the evening with a secession flag. The 
 boys saw it in Columbus, Ky., as they were going up the 
 river; they landed, went over and cut the flag down and 
 brought it home with them ; not a man raised a hand to 
 gave the banner of rebeldom. 
 
 We sleep in our tents on a little hay, a blanket and oil 
 cloth cloak to every man. 
 
 I hope I will be the lucky boy to get back home to see 
 my relatives and little wife she is the flower of the West. 
 
 PITTSBURG LANDING, TENN., 
 April 28, 1862. 
 
 I yet have a place among the living. While others around 
 me fall I am spared. Since I last saw you I have wit- 
 nessed the battle-field at Fort Donaldson and the battle at 
 this place, where many of my acquaintances fell; some of 
 them that were with me in the three months service. Many 
 a brave man fell here, leaving wife and children to mourn 
 the loss of husband and father. Thousands of promising 
 young men went down pierced to the heart with the rude 
 rifle ball, others with their heads shot off by the cannon, 
 some literally torn to pieces with cannon ball and shell. 
 There are different reports of the killed and wounded, but 
 from what I have seen and heard, our loss is from 10,000 
 to 12,000 killed and wounded, and 3,000 or 4,000 taken 
 prisoners. The Secesh lost more than we did, at least
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 3 
 
 there were more of their dead left on the field. We did 
 not get as many prisoners as they did. Some say they lost 
 20,000. I am satisfied they got the worst of it, if they did 
 make the attack. 
 
 A great many of our boys are sick. The small pox 
 has broken out in our camp; one of the boys in our com- 
 pany has it. 
 
 Martha, I never regretted that I enlisted in the war. 
 I am happy to think I am able to take part in so glorious 
 a work, to risk my life under the same beautiful stars and 
 stripes that our fathers bled under in the great revolution. 
 I love people who love our government and our beautiful 
 flag. We expect to move soon to Savannah and storm 
 the enemy's works there. We hear to-day that our troops 
 are in possession of New Orleans; hardly believe it, but 
 hope it is so. 
 
 May 17, 1862. 
 
 We are in camp three miles from the strong rebel force 
 at Corinth, Miss. It is supposed that there never has 
 been so strong a force gathered together as there is at 
 Corinth. We started on this trip the 2d of this month 
 from Pittsburg Landing (Shiloh). We can hear the rebel 
 drums. Our pickets are skirmishing every day. A small 
 stream runs near our picket line, and the rebels thought we 
 were using too much liberty coming there to water. We 
 got up a little fight over it, and it was not long before the
 
 4 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 artillery came to our aid, and when she belched forth hir 
 shell and shot they left the stream. We took forty-nine 
 prisoners. They are fighting now on our right. I can 
 hear the cannon conversing. I am looking every moment 
 to be called out in line. You have probably heard the 
 particulars of the Pittsburg Landing fight; that was an 
 awful battle, but this may be worse. There is hardly 
 a day but we take some prisoners. They say the troops 
 at Corinth have to live on half rations, as our army has 
 cut off all their means of transportation excepting the 
 railroad to Memphis and New Orleans. Our boys are in 
 good spirits, our work moves slowly on, but victory seems 
 to crown our labors. 
 
 MEMPHIS, TENN., \ 
 Sunday, June 28, 1863. / 
 
 We received orders the morning of the 18th to prepare 
 for a three days' scout. We started before daylight. Our 
 party consisted of a detail from the 5th Ohio, 1st Mo., 
 and 2d 111. Cavalry, numbering in all 310 men. We 
 struck Coldwater on the evening of the 18th, thirty miles 
 from Memphis, went down it three miles and camped for 
 the night. About midnight the rebels fired on our picket 
 line, and they skirmished till midnight. We had scarcely 
 started in the morning when the rebels opened fire on 
 us at the upper end of the long lane. Grape and canister 
 showered into our ranks, but did no harm. We dis-
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 5 
 
 mounted, opened the large meadow fence and formed in 
 line of battle. The rebs poured their lead into our ranks, 
 killing and wounding three of our boys before we had 
 fired a gun. A general engagement took place, lasting 
 an hour, lead coming from every direction. We were 
 surrounded by a large force, and were liable to fall into 
 their hands prisoners, the thought of which we could not 
 bear. Our officers ordered us to retreat. We put spurs 
 to our horses, aiming to make our escape by way of the 
 road, but found it well guarded. We gave them a few 
 volleys from our carbines, turned our horses in a southern 
 direction, put spurs to them again and retreated into the 
 woods. Here also were rebels; charging into them, on 
 we went, they following for about eight miles; reached 
 camp late the same evening; nearly one-third of our party 
 was missing, killed, wounded, and prisoners. Major Henry, 
 of the 5th Ohio, who commanded us, was taken by the 
 rebels; this was not a very profitable scout for us. Four 
 of our badly wounded men were paroled and sent to camp. 
 We sent back a flag of truce asking permission to bury 
 our dead, and received answer that they were buried. 
 
 MEMPHIS, TENN., 1 
 July .27, 1863. / 
 
 A. never writes to me any more. He got mad because 
 I told him that men who sympathized with rebels were 
 no better than rebels, and rather accused him of being of
 
 6 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 that stripe. I am sorry to say such of a relative, but he 
 wrote me a long letter about negro equality, intimating 
 that I was fighting for negro freedom, and negro equality, 
 and said that he would as soon agree to the laws of the 
 Southern Confederacy as to the laws of abolition govern- 
 ment. He appears to be very fearful of the negroes. We 
 fought the rebels, guarded their property, allowed the black 
 man to build breastworks for us to climb, allowed them 
 to support the rebel army by raising grain for its sub- 
 sistence. We fought them two years at this rate, giving 
 them ample time to consider. We promised to forget and 
 forgive all insults to our flag if they would only return 
 to the old constitution, but what did they say? "We will 
 rule or we will ruin." Our congress has seen fit to pass 
 the conscription act and the emancipation act. Now the 
 accursed institutions of slavery are crumbling, and are 
 bound to fall. 
 
 " Conquer we must, for our cause it is just, 
 Let this be our motto, in God be our trust," 
 
 and the true American flag shall wave over every city, 
 North and South. 
 
 HEAD-QUARTERS Co. B, 2o. ILL. CAV. ^ 
 IN CAMP NEAR MEMPHIS, TENN., V 
 
 July 12, 1863. ) 
 Mrs. Martha Chamberlain: 
 
 MY DEAR SISTER On the evening of July 6 we re- 
 ceived the news confirming the capture of Vicksburg.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 7 
 
 This glorious report caused some excitement among our 
 boys. We illuminated our camp with lights, built bon- 
 fires, shot squibs, etc. A lot of us were busy preparing 
 squibs, when our little stock of powder took fire and scat- 
 tered us. Some three or four of us were badly burnt. 
 The flash threw the blaze into my face, which made it 
 one solid blister, but is about well now. The other boys 
 that were burnt went to the hospital, but I thought myself 
 just as well off in camp. We have black cooks now. Tommy 
 is our faithful, good-hearted cook. He has been with 
 us six months and we expect to keep him till the war 
 ends. You may think the war about over, but I 
 think it will last one year yet. People who never 
 served in the army are too apt to think that the downfall of 
 a city or the capture of a few thousand prisoners will crush 
 the rebellion. It is badly crippled; the Mississippi will 
 soon be open to the Gulf, then our beautiful flag will 
 sweep down the length of the mighty stream unharmed. 
 The rebels may tear up our railroads and interfere with 
 our communication by land, but we can hold the river in 
 spite of all they can do. I think we could not ask for 
 finer prospects of putting down the rebellion than we have 
 at present, but it will take time to accomplish the work. 
 
 I understand that our army took 32,000 men at Vicks- 
 burg, many horses, and over 300 cannon and more than 
 100,000 stands of small arms. What a victory this was !
 
 8 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 FORT PILLOW, TEXN., \ 
 
 M 
 
 Aug. 8, 1863. 
 
 MY DEAR SISTER MARTHA While reading your noble 
 letter 1 could not refrain from shedding tears. I pity 
 you and your little children. We should not mourn nor 
 lament for those who have passed through the shadow of 
 death, but our hearts should say, " The Lord giveth, and 
 the Lord taketh away." Oh, sister, would to God this 
 war might cease, so the daily increasing list of widows 
 might cease with it. 
 
 TO THE SAME. 
 
 FORT PILLOW, 1 
 Nov. 26, 1863. / 
 
 We started out on a scout Tuesday evening, and have 
 just returned, rode day and night. Our scout of last Sat- 
 urday and Sunday proved a profitable one. Our attack 
 on the rebels Sunday morning caused a general stampede 
 among them. They lost over 50 conscripts, and now re- 
 port us to have attacked them with 1,400 men. Our party 
 only numbered 84; officers and men of our Co., 44, and 
 mounted infantry, 40. It would be useless for me to un- 
 dertake to give you a sketch of all I saw on that trip, 
 though I might tell you of the handsome Union lady, or 
 of the abuse of the pretty little rebel. As we pass along 
 the roads we can see people of different opinions. One 
 as pretty as I ever saw came to the door of a handsome
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 9 
 
 dwelling yesterday, and shouted "God bless the Yankee 
 soldier. Oh, if you had only been here last night, 
 father would not have been abused so, just because he is a 
 Union man. I told them the Union soldiers would run 
 them out of the country in less than three days, and that 
 they were cowards, and only pitched their spite at unarmed 
 men." 
 
 You always give me very good advice, sister, and appear 
 to be somewhat interested in my present and future wel- 
 fare. I am as little concerned about death as I ever was. 
 I do not fear the rebel lead, miserable would I be if I did. 
 A coward must be a very uncomfortable person. I would 
 rather die a brave man than to live a life debased by cow- 
 ardice. 
 
 FORT PILLOW, 1 
 Dec. 20, 1863. f 
 
 As I have nothing of interest to write I will have to give 
 you another sketch of a scout we made a few days ago. It 
 had been raining for seven or eight days in succession, and 
 as we never have better luck than in the rain or at night, 
 we concluded to try the depth of the mud, and the moisture 
 of the falling rain for 50 or 60 miles from camp. We 
 started early in the morning, and riding at a good gait 
 noon found us twenty-eight miles from the Fort. Entering 
 the little city of Ripley, eight of us being thrown out as 
 advance guard nearly one mile ahead of the company, we
 
 10 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 spied the rebel picket in the suburbs of the town. They 
 permitted us to advance within one hundred yards of 
 them before they gave the alarm. They leveled their guns 
 and snapped them, but not a gun fired. They wheeled 
 their horses and used their spurs. Six of us charged after 
 them into the city. The whole town was at dinner. They 
 had a few conscripts in the court-house under guard. 
 They (the guards) snapped their old muskets at us. Our 
 carbines failed to fire, so we threw them and drew our re- 
 volvers, and gave the guards a few whistling balls near 
 their heads. They threw up their "bread hooks" and 
 shouted u We'uns surrender to you'ns all." I had just 
 passed the court-house when I saw one of them making 
 tracks a few rods distant. I halted him, but he wouldn't 
 halt, I fired three loads from my revolver, leveled in his 
 direction. The second one struck his horse in the neck, 
 the third cut so close to his own pate that he decided to 
 retrace his steps and surrender. Six of us routed 160 of 
 the rebels, capturing over twenty of them, as many of them 
 left us their horses. A few were released, as they proved 
 to be conscripts ; fourteen went north to the military prison. 
 The rebels were flying, as our company came in on the 
 jump. We gave pursuit but could not overtake them, as 
 they had scattered through the woods in all directions, 
 and I doubt if they have got together yet. There was 
 a major among them ; we captured all of his papers and 
 pay-rolls. I have seen a great deal of fighting in battle
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. II 
 
 and skirmishing, but this I cannot call a fight, as they did 
 not stop to look back or offer the least resistance after 
 we got them started. Conscripts will not fight, neither 
 will their officers. You may think me boasting in saying 
 that Co. B, 2d 111. Cav. can pick fifty men in its ranks 
 that can whip 400 conscript rebels in a fair fight. They 
 fear the Kansas Jayhawkers and 2d 111. Cav. I am glad 
 that I belong to this noble regiment. I do not boast of 
 my own bravery, but of that of my comrades. 
 
 FORT PILLOW, ) 
 Jan. 6, 1864. / 
 
 SISTER MARTHA We are quite comfortably quartered 
 here, and I often sit with my comrades around a camp- 
 fire conversing of our present comforts and past hard- 
 ships. While we are thus situated thousands of our 
 fellow-soldiers are suffering. The satisfaction of a com- 
 fortable home often brightens our imagination. Some- 
 times I think of settling down at home again, other time& 
 I think of nothing but roving. The beautiful sceneries 
 of the western prairies and the tall mountains excite my 
 rambling spirit. Your kind letter contained much good 
 advice. The soldier thinks but little of death or judg- 
 ment. His comrades may fall upon his right and left, but 
 while he stands under the starry banner his only thought 
 is, " My country calls me to defend those beautiful stars 
 and stripes, and proudly would I die rather than disgrace-
 
 12 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 fully forsake them." I have seen our western heroes fall, 
 and I believe death was met with a smile, they appeared to 
 give 'life so freely. I have often thought I would as soon 
 fall on the battle-field as to die a natural death. O, cruel 
 war ! the thousands of brave men thou hast swept from 
 earth to the silent grave. Sleep, you brave men of Amer- 
 ica, you have paid your last debt to 'your country's cause. 
 Your devoted brother. 
 
 In the cemetery at Memphis, Tenn., nightly beteared 
 with the vapors of the darkly-flowing Mississippi, he sleeps 
 with fallen comrades, the last earthly sleep of a loyal 
 soldier. Little need of the guard on the " Picket line of 
 eternity " asking as their spirits advance for admittance, 
 " What deed hast thou sent before thee?"
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 13 
 
 ROBERT P. BLACK, 
 Co. E, 103D PA. VOL. 
 
 TO HIS PARENTS. 
 
 SUFFOLK, VA., October, 1862. 
 
 Suffolk is situated on the south-west bank of the Eliza- 
 beth river. The town is built mostly of brick, foundations 
 and chimneys of the same material. I have seen no 
 stone-work of any kind about here. The streets are rather 
 narrow, crooked, and irregular. The sidewalks are paved 
 with brick, and tiling, and well shaded with mulberry, 
 fig, and other trees. The town is about the size of Butler, 
 Pa., though not half so neat. The country, as far as I 
 have seen it, is flat in some places, rolling in others, and 
 abounds in swamps. The soil is sandy, no rock, not even 
 in the streams. The water flows sluggish, blackish in 
 color; no clear streams to be found. The tide water is an 
 ocean green, the other 1 dark. 
 
 The timber is mostly pine, some oak, and a good many 
 persimmon groves. There is a tree called the chinkapee 
 that bears a nut resembling the chestnut, only near the size 
 of very small hazelnuts. 
 
 The inhabitants are mostly of a class we would call poor. 
 They generally have pretty good houses, though I have seen 
 them I suppose the poorer classes in huts not fit for
 
 14 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 cow stables. The more wealthy live better, and appear 
 comfortable, but no barns are to be seen, not even on the 
 largest plantations. I do not think they need barns much 
 for anything, unless it is for corn fodder, which they pre- 
 pare in a very laborious way. They go through the fields 
 and strip the blades off the stalk by hand, and lay them 
 in bunches to cure. When cured they tie them in bundles 
 and stack in some shed. Mills are very scarce. Sweet 
 potatoes are plenty; Irish potatoes scarce; very little 
 wheat; no rye, barley, or buckwheat; poor horses and 
 cows, few or no sheep, some hogs. Chickens, geese, and 
 turkeys were pretty plenty when we came ; are scarce 
 now, though. Farming utensils are of a very poor, in- 
 ferior kind. The old plow with the shallow share and 
 cutter is about the only kind in use. There are some 
 very good cultivators, all stamped New York, Philadel- 
 phia, or some other northern manufactory. The hoes 
 are six and eight inches square, varying from one-fourth 
 to one-half inch in thickness ; the blades will weigh from 
 three to seven and eight pounds. Very few scythes, no 
 grain cradles, but sickles are plenty. The only apparent 
 land transportation is carts and a kind of a rickety light 
 wagon drawn by a poor horse, mule, or oftener, a steer or 
 cow. I have seen more drawn by little cows than by 
 either horses or mules. The farmers are dressed in white 
 linsey, almost from head to foot. Think I have given 
 you a pretty good description of this place.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 15 
 
 NEWBOURN, N. C., Jan. 4, 1863. 
 
 I had my hand lanced twice; am thankful it was no 
 worse, for I might have lost my hand or arm had it not 
 been well tended. I had a nurse that took as good care 
 of me as though I might have been her own son. She 
 is a Sister of Mercy, or in other words, a Catholic nun. 
 She came over from England to take care of the wounded 
 Union soldiers, and a faithful, excellent nurse she has 
 been and still continues to be. The boys in the room 
 where I have been are as kind and attentive to me as if 
 we had all been brothers. I never heard a cross or angry 
 word in their midst. 
 
 Stanley Central Hospital. 
 
 January 14, 1863. 
 
 As a young lady once said to me, " my chat stuff, I am 
 afraid, will run out." But speaking of the "softer sex," 
 I must not omit the Sisters of Mercy, or Charity, as they 
 are sometimes called. They have an odd way of dressing. 
 They wear black slippers, black I don't what to call it, 
 but it is an all wool dress, with great big over-sleeves of 
 the same material. I don't know what their bonnets are 
 like, as I cannot and never did see them. They wear 
 long black veils that come down almost to their feet, a 
 cape collar that comes down to the points of their shoulders. 
 There is a collar that fits close around the neck ; then a 
 .strip up each side of their heads, covering the ears and
 
 16 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 temples ; then over the head, covering a part of the fore- 
 head. Their capes, collars, and other fixtures about the 
 head are of fine white muslin, and starched as stiff as ever 
 I saw a shirt bosom. They wear a belt or girdle ; to this 
 is suspended a string of beads from the size of a pea 
 to a robin's egg ; also have a cross suspended by a black 
 chain set with silver, and another suspended from their 
 neck, with an image of the Savior on the cross, of pure gold. 
 Then they wear a little silver medal about the size of a 
 sijver dollar. One side of this bears the image of the 
 Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus in her arms; below, 
 the initials B. V. On the other side, the figure of the 
 Savior on the cross, with the soldiers piercing his side; 
 below, the initials I. H. S., which mean, " I have suf- 
 fered." All this is worn by them all the time, even when 
 at work, for they all work, excepting one of them, at 
 cooking, washing, and T. saw one of them dressing wounds 
 this morning, and oh, how soft and tender she handled 
 them, talking all the time to keep their minds from their 
 real or seeming trouble. Really, it looked as though an 
 angel had come down from the realm of bliss to minister 
 to the wants of the poor, suffering soldier, and their looks 
 told, too, how they appreciated the kindness thus bestowed 
 on them. Heaven bless the sisters in their good work of 
 charity to their suffering fellow-creatures, for if ever the 
 blessings of a nation or a Christian community fell on any 
 one, they should have it.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 17 
 
 IN CAMP AT 
 NEWBOURN, N. C., March 1, '63. 
 
 Col. T. F. Lehman is to be promoted to Brigadier Gen- 
 eral. He will supersede General Hunt of the 85th N. 
 Y., who was appointed and has been acting since the bat- 
 tle of Kingstown. Some promotions of late in Co. E; E. 
 G. G retry to captain, Bryson to 1st lieutenant, and Peter 
 Wisenstine to 2d lieutenant. C. H. McClung is orderly 
 sergeant ; the corporals are all mad, and have handed in 
 their resignations ; do not know how they will fix it up. 
 S. B. McCandless is on picket to-day at the R. R. bridge- 
 This is the easiest guarding to be done here, as there is 
 only one beat to stand for each sentinel, and that lasts 
 four hours. On every other kind of guard each sentinel 
 stands four beats of two hours each, in all eight hours. 
 Then he must walk his beat all the time in daylight, with his 
 gun at a "support arms" or "right shoulder shift," and 
 bayonet fixed ; must not let any one go over the prescribed 
 limits; salute all officers according to their rank, a "carry 
 or shoulder" for line officers, and a "present" to field 
 officers or the officers of the day in camp. At sundown or 
 retreat the sentry gun is fired, all saluting ceases, and at 
 taps challenging commences, and continues until daylight. 
 Every one, no matter who he may be, is challenged by 
 the sentry and made to come up and give the countersign 
 over the point of the bayonet, or the corporal of the guard 
 is called and he is taken to the guard-house. If he has the 
 3
 
 18 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 countersign he is allowed to pass on. The sentinels have 
 the whole control of everything and every one after night; 
 can carry their guns as they please, or, if on a stationary 
 post, can stick the gun up or lay it down, and sit down, 
 provided the gun is within reach. Then, should anything 
 occur, they are ready immediately to defend their post or 
 person and give the alarm. Camp guarding is the most 
 tiresome and monotonous; picket the most dangerous, but 
 the pickets here are not exposed to any danger, as there 
 are two outer lines, one three miles and the other twelve 
 miles out. The 85th Pa. Vols. is doing outpost duty ; the 
 45th Mass, central-post duty. . The 44th Mass, is en- 
 camped by us. They are a well-drilled, cleanly regiment, 
 but are no soldiers, for they are all cowards, and denounced 
 as such by their own state. They were out on two recon- 
 noitres, and both times refused to go into action. The last 
 time the 9th New Jerseys charged bayonets on them to 
 drive them in, but they broke and took to the woods. 
 
 PLYMOUTH, N. C., July 5, '63. 
 
 I should like to know how the 4th was celebrated at 
 home. Our Post had no celebration, dinner, or anything 
 of that kind, but according to an order we were paraded 
 on the parade ground, and the Declaration of Independence 
 was read to us by Lieut. Kelley, of Co. H, acting adjutant, 
 after which a committee was appointed to draw up reso- 
 lutions for publication, our views and opinions of the war.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 19 
 
 Col. Maxwell, Capt. Alexander, Co. A, First Lieut. O. R. 
 McNary, quartermaster of the 103d, Second Lieut. John 
 Cochran, Co. C, Sergeant J. Krugg, Co. K, Corporal 
 Stokes, Co. D, and Gibson, of Co. B, were sent to draw 
 up and report. In the meantime Major Gibson treated 
 us to a short speech. The resolutions were then read and 
 unanimously adopted. 
 
 The regiments were then dismissed to their quarters to 
 put away their equipments and have a good time generally. 
 All work, drill, etc., suspended. Had no demonstration 
 beyond the firing of a salute at noon by the artillery sta- 
 tioned here, which was answered by the gunboats hand- 
 somely. 
 
 The officers got up a dinner expressly for themselves, 
 and of course ate it themselves, but for my part they 
 were welcome to it. We have news that Vicksburg has 
 surrendered, if so, the rebellion is completely severed. 
 
 PLYMOUTH, N. C., July 31, '63. 
 
 Mud ! rain ! heat ! long, hard, tiresome marches, and a 
 prospect of measuring our strength with double our num- 
 ber of the enemy. Such has been the order of the day for 
 several days past. Last Sunday (the 26th) at 9 A.M. we 
 were ordered to be ready to march at fifteen minutes of 
 eleven, with three days' rations and forty rounds of ammu- 
 nition. At the time we fell in and formed the brigade, 
 moved out on the Aquia road, Col. Lehman commanded;
 
 20 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 marched till sundown; stopped at Williamtown, fifteen 
 miles march ; some of our men gave out. 
 
 We started next morning at ten, marched nine miles to 
 get four; burned the saw mill known as Foster's mill; the 
 rain began falling in torrents at dark, but on we went, 
 and at 11 o'clock, tired, sleepy, sore, exhausted, wet, and 
 muddy we halted at Jonesville for the night; only about 
 fifty of the regiment were up ; I lay down on the ground 
 with my haversack for a pillow ; under the soothing influ- 
 ence of a heavy shower of rain I fell asleep and slept till 
 daylight. At ten A.M. we started again for Plymouth; I 
 took it barefoot, half the regiment ditto; sometimes the 
 water on the road was waist deep. We got home at four 
 P.M., had marched just fifty miles. 
 
 PLYMOUTH, N. C., Sept. 28, 1863. 
 The persimmons are getting ripe, so we can have some 
 wild fruit to eat. I suppose yon never saw a persimmon. 
 They are in size from a ground cherry to a hen's egg. 
 When green they are of a bright green color, and one drop 
 of the juice would pucker your mouth worse than a peck 
 of choke cherries. When ripe they turn near the color of 
 lean, dead flesh, and taste like a well-preserved tomato, 
 if anything, sweeter. The best kind of them have two 
 seeds, the others have from four to six. The seeds resem- 
 ble a half-ripe melon seed. They are in the flesh of the 
 fruit, which in color resembles currant jelly. The rind
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 21 
 
 is as thin as a tomato, and very tough. Altogether they 
 are a nice fruit and very palatable. 
 
 While I think of it I will tell you how a party termi- 
 nated a short distance from here not long ago. One of 
 the 17th N. C. was discharged and came home. Four 
 of his comrades came with him, their regiment lying only 
 twenty miles from here. The girls, as a matter of course, 
 got up a party for them and all hands anticipated a good 
 time. While the preparations were going on an old citi- 
 zen, who knew all the parties and the circumstances, 
 came to our picket line and gave information leading to 
 their capture, and offered his services as a guide. Twenty 
 or thirty men were sent out to the place, old cit. showing 
 them how to get there as quietly as possible. The house 
 was quietly surrounded. The inmates were having a good 
 time generally. 
 
 Our fellows kept quiet and let them have the best of 
 their fun. They had danced until they were tired, when 
 a knock was heard at the door. "Who's there?" Open- 
 ing the door one of the Union soldiers said: "These 
 young men are my prisoners." " What will we do, what 
 will we do?" asked a young reb. "Jump out of the 
 window," said a girl. Just then a dozen bayonets were 
 seen gleaming through in the light outside of the window. 
 " Look there," said young reb, pointing to them. "Run, 
 run," said the girl, "run for your life." He turned around 
 with a look of horror on hisfface. "Ah, I know a d nd
 
 22 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 sight better, we had better surrender at once." They began 
 to deny knowing anything of the rebel service, or that 
 they were ever soldiers. Then Mr. Citizen, the guide, 
 came in. There was no more denying, they all hushed 
 up instantly. Next morning found them safe in Plymouth 
 jail instead of bidding tender adieus to their sweethearts 
 and lady-loves, and I doubt not a wiser set of boys.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 23 
 
 JOSEPH M. STETSON. 
 Co. K, 57th KEG. ILL. VOL. 
 
 CAMP ROBINETT, 1 
 
 CORINTH, Miss., Feb. 15th, 1863. / 
 
 DEAR SISTER EMMA Your long and complimentary 
 letter of the 7th inst. was received with pleasure last night, 
 and I read with deep interest your fears in regard to our 
 nation's peril. I am glad that the resolutions we passed 
 upon at Corinth are read and talked of by our brothers 
 at home. I hope it may have some effect on the " copper- 
 heads" that are disgracing our country that the loyal boys 
 are fighting for. I still have faith in our governor. I 
 believe he will ask of us nothing but what is right and 
 just for the preservation of our Union, and believe he 
 will do all in his power for the comfort and welfare of those 
 he has called upon to fight his country's foes. I have been 
 reading his proclamation to-day, what he proposes for the 
 benefit of Illinois soldiers who are sick and wounded in 
 hospitals. If the people work with him Illinois soldiers 
 will be cared for. He has always looked for his soldiers 
 after they have been engaged in battle. His presence we 
 remember after the bloody battles of Shiloh, Corinth, and 
 elsewhere. " Dick Yates don't feel above speaking to a 
 private soldier," I have heard thousands of times, and I
 
 24 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 know that he has the good-will and respect of all II^M! 
 boys at the front. 
 
 I little thought ray last letter would be so long reac'liing 
 you, and for fear this might be an age on the road, I Lave 
 bought some thick paper that I guess will stand the jaunt. 
 Hope I will have another as pleasant a dream as I had 
 last night after reading your letter. What do you sup- 
 pose it was ? I dreamed that I was at home talking with 
 sister Em, and reading over old novels, just as we used 
 to, and so many other things that I can't remember them. 
 I only wish they had been true. Taps have sounded, so 
 good night and happy dreams. 
 
 THE SAME. 
 
 CAMP ROBINETT, \ 
 
 CORINTH, Miss., July 5, 1863. / 
 
 One year ago I thought by another Fourth this wicked, 
 unholy rebellion would be crushed, but still we are engaged 
 in warfare ; but our cause, we think, is just, and that we 
 are fighting for life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness, and, 
 if my health is spared, I feel that if it is necessary for me 
 to serve longer than my time, I will stay until the last 
 rebel is conquered. Last night we (our squad) ate that 
 large raisin cake for supper. I cut it into twelve pieces, 
 so each one could have a taste, and all pronounced it 
 delicious. The sponge cake was also excellent, and kept
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 25 
 
 very moist, I stewed some of the dried apples for dinner. 
 The shirt fits exact; the boys are quite inquisitive about 
 it. I can hardly pass through the regiment without hear- 
 ing some one say, " Hello, Joe, where did you get that 
 hickory shirt ? " Such shirts are scarce in the army. I 
 know of but two excepting my own. You wished to 
 know what had become of our chaplain. For the past two 
 or three months he has been at home sick, and is excusa- 
 ble, but he hardly ever preaches when he is here. He kept 
 a sutler's shop in town until he was ordered back to his regi- 
 ment. So you see we can't depend on him for much ser- 
 vice. 
 
 TO THE SAME. 
 
 CORINTH, Miss., July 26, 1863. 
 
 I am just relieved from picket duty ; was stationed in a 
 blackberry patch, and had a good time eating berries yes- 
 terday. I witnessed rather a solemn scene Thursday 
 morning a deserter and spy shot dead. A. J. Johnson, 
 1st Ala. Cavalry, U. S. A., deserted his picket post, taking 
 with him two horses and equipments, and turning the same 
 over to the rebels, and joining them also. Our cavalry 
 took him prisoner in Tennessee on the last expedition, cap- 
 turing the horses, too. He was tried and sentenced to be 
 shot, by order of the president, and last Thursday the 
 whole division was formed in a three-sided square; the 
 Chaplain then led the prisoner on the ground, where a
 
 26 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 sort of procession was formed, the band leading ; four men 
 with a black coffin followed next, the Chaplain and pris- 
 oner behind. They were marched in this form around 
 the whole line, the prisoner being led by the Chaplain, 
 who looked very serious and as pale as death. I tell you, 
 Em, it is a solemn scene to see a man following his own 
 coffin, and keeping time to the muffled drums. After 
 marching around the line he was led to the center, blind- 
 folded, and seated on his coffin. He was then given time 
 to say what he wished (a few words which I could not 
 understand) ; the Chaplain then prayed for him. Twelve 
 men of the 1st Ala. Cavalry were ordered to form a line 
 eight paces from the prisoner, with guns, six being loaded 
 with bullets and six with blank cartridges. The com- 
 mand, ready, aim, fire, was then given by an officer, and 
 the prisoner fell dead instantly, without a struggle, six 
 balls passing through his person, two through his head, 
 the others through his breast. 
 
 POST HOSPITAL, ROME, GA., 1 
 July 21, 1864. / 
 
 I have finished copying the prescriptions, and got my 
 work pretty well done up. Well, I suppose you would 
 like to know how I spent the 4th of July. I was busy 
 in the hospital most of the day ; walked up town in the 
 afternoon to see what was going on ; found ambulances 
 and soldiers passing to and fro as usual. It reminded me
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY, 27 
 
 of our glorious victory at Vicksburg, 4th of July, 1863, 
 and how much our army has accomplished in the last year, 
 and of the struggle that is still going on that we may cele- 
 brate that day free and independent, under the same flag 
 our forefathers bequeathed to us, and every loyal man 
 ought to feel a pride in sustaining it. I often think the 
 North should be more determined, and send every man 
 into the field that is able to bear arms, then we should 
 very soon see the end of this wicked and traitorous rebel- 
 lion. The South has sent every man into the field that is 
 able to go, old and young. Those copperheads in Illinois 
 that won't volunteer ought to be drafted but I am de- 
 livering quite a speech to one who does not need it. You ! 
 may send this part to some " vile copperhead." I cannot 
 help feeling provoked to see loyal men fighting rebels, and 
 then have to contend with traitors in the rear. If our 
 Illinois soldiers had the privilege of voting, I know they 
 would have Yates in the governor's chair. He is the 
 soldier's friend, and a lover of his country. As I have not 
 the privilege of voting, you must vote and electioneer for 
 me. 
 
 FT. BROWN, SAVANNAH, GA., \ 
 January 7, 1865. J 
 
 Sherman's army is now preparing for another forward 
 movement. The most of the 17th A. C. have gone on 
 transports. I don't know where, but I presume to Ft.
 
 28 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 Beaufort or Port Royal. The report in this evening's 
 paper is, that Gov. Brown has dismissed the Georgia State 
 Militia, and claims protection under the old flag. The 
 stars and stripes wave over the most of Georgia soil. Gen. 
 Hood has lost the most of his army. Communications to 
 Lee's army from the south and south-west are nearly all 
 destroyed. We are confident that our army can easily 
 take Charleston and Wilmington. I would like to know 
 what there is then left of secessiondom ? -a vast territory, 
 with its railroads and means of transportation destroyed, 
 and the country devastated. They will be compelled to 
 submit to United States rule. It is true, General Lee has 
 a large army in Virginia, but that state cannot sustain 
 more than its own inhabitants; and one thing certain, 
 when Charleston falls they cannot receive supplies from 
 the south-west. The 15th A. C. had a grand review to- 
 day. 
 
 GOLDSBORO, April 9, 1865, 1 
 Sunday afternoon. J 
 
 DEAR SISTER To-morrow we again start on a cam- 
 paign. The troops are in the best of spirits, and rejoicing 
 over the capture of Richmond and the rout of Lee's scat- 
 tered and demoralized army. I see by New York papers 
 of the 5th that Grant is following him. Oh ! it is glorious 
 news for our nation. It surely looks as though the end 
 was near at hand. Sherman, I suppose, will move for
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 29 
 
 Joe Johnston ; and when Sherman starts out we think 
 of nothing but success, for, you know, his army has never 
 been defeated. I believe this will be our last campaign. 
 Would we not have a joyful time if I should get home 
 by the 4th of July, and celebrate that day as a free and 
 united people ? I have frequently heard it remarked as 
 Sherman's saying, that " in less than two months he would 
 discharge one of the best armies the sun ever shone upon." 
 We all feel proud to belong to Sherman's army. He has 
 led us through so many glorious campaigns, and marked 
 our roads safely over rivers, swamps, and creeks, through 
 the heart of the Confederacy, reaping victories and de- 
 molishing the C. S. A. We hope soon the " last swath will 
 
 be cut." I fear it will be some time before I receive 
 
 % 
 
 any more of your good long letters, as Gen. Sherman has 
 ordered all mail for his army to be stopped at Ft. Monroe. 
 We will probably get no more letters from home until 
 this campaign is over.
 
 30 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 WILLIAM H. ROGERS, 
 
 Oo. G, 55th O. V. I. 
 
 TO HIS MOTHER. 
 
 STAFFORD, VA., \ 
 Jan. 10, 1863. f 
 
 DEAR MOTHER This is an awful dull place they have 
 got us into this time. Not much to do but drill, inspection, 
 and guard. No marching, papers scarce, little news. I 
 have applied for a furlough, am to be examined this P.M.; 
 have little hopes of succeeding or I would not be writing 
 this. I have the assistance of the Co. officers, the Col., 
 . and assistant surgeon, and if they can't carry me through 
 I can't go. 
 
 "SECOND DISPATCH," TWO DAYS LATER. 
 I stopped writing Saturday to go over to the medical 
 director's to be examined. I cannot get a furlough. The 
 surgeon said I was too good looking; that my face con- 
 demned me. I was too healthy. Think I should have 
 enjoyed a month home very much. I left but one thing 
 untried and that was to "play off." I had not the cheek 
 to do that; your letter did me much good. Besides the 
 pleasure always afforded by receiving news from home, I 
 know that you are not wanting for anything and are always 
 in good spirits. We think it our right to grumble at 
 .anything and everything, a right our forefathers fought
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 31 
 
 for, and which is guaranteed to us by the "Declaration 
 of Independence" and "Army Regulations," and as soldiers 
 in this glorious cause we claim our prerogatives in this 
 case. I don't know as the papers tell it, but we know 
 our Reg. is A No. 1 in drill, cleanliness, and discipline, 
 and ready for a fight, but remember we are not spoiling for 
 a fight. I am very sorry that E.'s people have put them- 
 selves to so much trouble as to attend to my affairs, or 
 perhaps according to their statement it would be more 
 proper to say "our affairs." I think in the future we 
 can save them the trouble. Please tell them if they feel 
 anxious, that I need no assistance. I am not afraid of 
 any one that " won't go to war." A young man that stays 
 at home when needed by his country as much as it needs 
 him now is of no force. He may have "fine points," 
 and be a model young man and all that, but we can't see 
 it in that light. He has not the first principle of true man- 
 hood. One who is false to his country will be false to his 
 God and to mankind. 
 
 I must send a soldier's letter (unstamped) again. I 
 have borrowed so many stamps from the boys I had to 
 pay them back first. 
 
 CAMP NEAR BELL PLAIN LANDING, \ 
 Feb. 1, 1862. / 
 
 When Burnside made his second attempt to cross the 
 river we were sent here to occupy the place of troops
 
 32 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 that were to advance, this corps being in the rear. Left 
 Stafford on the 20th of Jan. We have been busy build- 
 ing quarters since we have been here; had two days of 
 very bad weather, one in particular I think I shall re- 
 member as long as I live working all day in a heavy snow 
 storm, and a miserable muddy hole to sleep in at night. 
 Only a bit of a toothache the next day reminded me that 
 I had not escaped entirely unscathed. I don't think the 
 army of the Potomac will do anything of importance for 
 the next two or three months. 
 
 Our chaplain is preaching near by, but I must write. 
 I don't like him much, he thinks the shoulder straps make 
 lots of difference. 
 
 BROOKS STATION, YA., May 11, 1863. 
 
 AFTER THE BATTLE OF CHANCELLORSVILLE. 
 
 I received your letter of the 5th on the 9th, and right 
 glad was I to hear from you again. On the same day 
 (the 5th) I wrote to you we were behind breastworks 
 waiting for the enemy, and expected every minute to 
 hear the sentinels fire. We had passed through one 
 terrible trial, and we felt considerably broken in spirit. 
 I felt worse than I did after the Bull Kun fight. But 
 the next day after our battle here we repulsed the enemy 
 with terrible slaughter to them. Still our corps is resting 
 under a disgrace. We felt confident of victory. " Man
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 33 
 
 proposes, but God disposes," and he or some one else 
 blinded our general's eyes so they could not see what was 
 going on; a blind man might have seen it, it was so pal- 
 pable. 
 
 I have just finished a plate of bean soup minus the plate. 
 
 I do not know what we are going to do ; many rumors 
 are afloat in camp, among them is one that Gen. Siegel is 
 in Washington trying to get command of the llth Corps. 
 This is grasped at and readily believed. 
 
 Col. Lee has resigned ; he leaves us to-morrow. I had 
 a talk with him this morning. Said I wanted him to clear 
 this thing up in the minds of the people and let them 
 know that the 55th O. V. I. is not a band of cowards to 
 run at the first fire and leave our flag to be disgraced. He 
 said the people should see how the matter stood if it was 
 in his power. 
 
 Our Lieut. Col. offered his resignation, and about twenty 
 line officers had theirs written to send in if the Lt. Col.'s 
 should be accepted, but the news got to head-quarters, and 
 the Gen. shut down on the plan. Suppose I had better 
 stop writing and brush up a little as we are going to have 
 corps drill in half an hour. 
 
 LOOK OUT VALLEY, TENN., > 
 Nov. 20, 1863. J 
 
 We have made one change since I wrote you last, and 
 that was only a few rods to get behind a hill out of the 
 4
 
 34 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 sight of the enemy on Look Out Mt. We are having 
 plenty to do now. They detail the pickets, then take all 
 the rest for " fatigue duty." We are building forts and 
 corduroys. 
 
 I don't believe the people know what the llth and 12th 
 Corps have done in here for the cause. We saved East 
 Tenn. by opening the river nearly to Chattanooga. Our 
 officers were talking of evacuating the city, and East Tenn. 
 must have been evacuated as a matter of course if the main 
 army fell back. The rebel papers say of this movement 
 of Hooker's: " Never was there a campaign better planned 
 or more brilliantly executed than this." They acknowl- 
 edge that we are able to hold our position against great 
 odds. 
 
 The rumors of Sherman's whereabouts are numerous. 
 Some say he is passing up the other side of the river to 
 flank the enemy on the right, others that he is already on 
 the left trying to get into the back door of their kitchen. 
 
 CAMP FOSTER, TENN., July 30, 1864. 
 This is Saturday night. I have just got through with 
 the labors of the day, and scrubbed up for inspection, 
 which comes every Sunday morning, but to-morrow being 
 the last day of the month, we are to have more than usual. 
 For my part I had rather be at home and go to Sunday- 
 school or church than to attend the inspection, but it must 
 be done and I will have to take Co. G out, as our Capt. 
 is on duty.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 35 
 
 No excitement here except the news of heavy firing 
 near Atlanta. 
 
 I reckon myself pretty fortunate in getting the order to 
 report when I did. I see the old Regt. had its share in 
 the battle. Have seen no casualty list, and would like 
 to hear direct from there as to how the boys fared in the 
 fight. 
 
 The body of Gen. McPherson passed through the city 
 last Sunday. I was on duty in town, but was released 
 before the procession passed through. Another brave and 
 good soldier has given all he can for the cause of liberty. 
 It seems that this is not enough, many others must pay the 
 same. It is dearly bought, but priceless in value. 
 
 CAMP FOSTER, Sept. 16, 1864. 
 
 We have just had a bit of excitement in camp. Some 
 of the new recruits were talking of running the lines to- 
 night, and were overheard by the guard, who reported the 
 fact to me. I gave strict orders to stop every man. Some 
 of the men were playing and running about, making a 
 great deal of noise, and ran too close to the sentinel, who 
 ordered him to halt, but he did not stop, then he was fired 
 on. Fortunately for the man the sentinel was a poor shot 
 nobody hurt. I expected a row, but it did not come. 
 
 I have not read Gov. Seymour's speech. There is so 
 much of such treason talked I do not care to notice it. I 
 get so angry every time I read anything of that kind
 
 36 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 that I almost shun it. If McClellan is elected I shall 
 make every honorable effort to get out of the service. 
 
 When this government becomes so corrupt and the peo- 
 ple so debased as to elect such a man to preside over their 
 destinies, I shall abandon them to their fate and seek in 
 other countries the peace we shall never know here. Peace 
 on the McClellan basis means submission and humiliation 
 to rebels in arms, to autocrats of the South. It means 
 separation infinitely small or eternal war. You know with- 
 out my telling you that I would not support Me. 
 
 NASHVILLE, TENN., Dec. 11, 1864. 
 
 Micawber like, I have been " waiting for something to 
 turn up." We are situated on a high bluff overlooking 
 the city and the Cumberland river. We also have a fine 
 view of the left line of our battle. I have seen them 
 make two reconnoisances since we have been here. It 
 seems strange to me to lay back and look on without hav- 
 ing a hand in the matter. 
 
 Very cold weather at present, wood scarce. Gen. Thomas 
 has issued an order to take wood wherever it can be found. 
 There was a hard fight at Franklin two weeks ago. The 
 rebels came up in column, charged and re-charged, but to 
 no effect. They left the ground strewn with dead and 
 dying. Two rebel corps went back badly demoralized on 
 account of their heavy loss. I hoped Hood would try the 
 same thing at this point, but he seems to have grown cau- 
 tious.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 37 
 
 CAMP FOSTER, Jan. 10, 1865. 
 
 We are pretty well fixed up again; have a log cabin 
 12x14, one door, window, and fire-place. We have a 
 home-made " French " bedstead, an arm chest for a sofa, 
 a cedar bough wash-stand, an office table and desk, ammu- 
 nition boxes for chairs. Although we have no Brussels 
 carpet we have something as soft mud. 
 
 I don't see how there can be more than two parties in 
 this war. I cannot conceive of a man, an American, who is 
 neutral. I should say of a person who called himself 
 neutral, that he either had no soul or was a liar. Now 
 if it is a fact that there are two parties, and I can see 
 no possible chance for a third, a man that cannot support 
 the war for the Union must be a rebel in soul if not in 
 body. War democrats, copperheads, and rebels are all of 
 the same family. I can see no difference except in name. 
 Mr. K. got my opinion of men of that kind if he read 
 my last letter to Uncle O., for I had occasion to speak of 
 them, and I did not "touch lightly." Am glad I was 
 not at home when he was there for I could neither have 
 heard him talk or talked with him without saying some- 
 thing personal and offensive. War democrats! A man 
 is either a Union man or he is not. 
 
 I had an application for leave of absence written when 
 my attention was called to the following: "Officers on 
 leave of absence will not be paid." Thought I would 
 wait, as I have nearly six months' pay due.
 
 38 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 MONTGOMERY WISEMAN, 
 4TH KY. VOL. I. 
 
 TO HIS SISTER FANNY. 
 
 LEBANON, KY., Dec. 16, 1861. 
 
 We have drawn our new clothes, and they are the nicest 
 you ever saw. We have two suits, and are not allowed to 
 wear one suit off parade. No man is allowed to go dirty 
 or slouchy. We have to brush our clothes and black our 
 boots before going on parade. There are 2,000 regular 
 troops joining our camp, and they are all uniformed like 
 officers, feathered hats and epaulets, but we have as close 
 regulations as they do. Fanny, I wish you were here to 
 see the sights. The whole country is one perfect encamp- 
 ment, and to see them all in battalion drill is a scene you 
 would never forget. At reveille, or tattoo, the noise, of 
 the bands are deafening, and trains coming in with 2,000 
 or 3,000 troops on board is a nice picture. 
 
 This is the best place we have camped at yet. Can get 
 anything and everything we need. Lebanon is a very 
 large town. We don't know how long we will stay here, 
 it is thought we will leave in a few days for Tennessee. 
 
 CASTILLIAN SPRINGS, Dec. 8, 1862. 
 You do not know, dear sister, the weight of anxiety 
 your letter has removed from my mind. I was away
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 39 
 
 south when the rebels first invaded our state. Could I 
 have had the chance I should have gone home. I bought 
 a rifle on purpose for the bushwhackers, but when we had 
 driven the rebels out of the state, I would have died be- 
 fore having the stigma of desertion attached to my name, 
 as some of our boys have. 
 
 We have met with a sad defeat. Yesterday a portion 
 of Col. Owen's brigade, consisting of 1,800 men, stationed 
 at Hartsville, on the Cumberland river, was surrounded 
 and surprised and taken prisoners by the rebels, consisting 
 of Roger Hanson's infantry and Morgan's cavalry, all Ken- 
 tuckians. They found our pickets asleep and were in the 
 camp just at break of day, before our men knew they were 
 about. Our men fought them bravely for over an hour, 
 but were new troops and could not form a line, so they had 
 to surrender to superior numbers. 
 
 As soon as the firing was heard Gen. Miller was dis- 
 patched from this place with his brigade to Hartsville, 
 eight miles, double quick. He got there soon after the 
 surrender, and had he pushed on could have taken the 
 whole rebel force before they crossed the river. He 
 stopped and threw shells at them until they had crossed 
 over with all their prisoners. We were on picket, and 
 were called in about 10 o'clock, and sent to Hartsville, 
 got there too late, and came back the same night. Have 
 heard cannonading all day in the direction of Murfrees- 
 boro, and have been kept under arms. In the morning we
 
 40 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 start for Hartsville and cross the Cumberland, not to stop 
 until we find an enemy. So says Col. Fry. He and the 
 4th Kentucky and 2d brigade are the terror of the rebels. 
 They have fled from him, and if we ever catch them look 
 out for another Mill Spring. 
 
 Our regiment don't walk on a march, we run, and a 
 horse has to trot to keep up with us. There is not a better 
 regiment in the service. 
 
 NASHVILLE, Jan. 17, 1863. 
 
 We are camped four and a half miles from Nashville. 
 The talk is that we will go on to the front of Rosecrans' 
 army, in which case we will probably get a hitch at old 
 Bragg again at Tallahoma or Chattanooga. 
 
 Our Morgan chase into Kentucky kept us out of the 
 Murfreesboro fight. The 8th Kentucky caught it pretty 
 severely, though. Our old comrades, the 3d Kentucky, 
 of Camp Dick memory, were cut up very badly. 
 
 It is thought since the waters are up there will be a 
 general forward movement all over the West. If there 
 come floods enough to raise our gunboats over the muscles 
 shoals in Tennessee river the jig is up with the rebs, as 
 Chattanooga is then ours, and we can send as many troops 
 as we please into the rear of the rebels, and our boats can 
 run up into East Tennessee. 
 
 We left Gallitan on the cars for Nashville, and that 
 night guerilla Wheeler dashed in below Nashville with
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 41 
 
 his cavalry and burned three steamboats, one of them 
 full of wounded soldiers. The next morning we started 
 in pursuit and chased them twenty miles in the rain and 
 sleet and caught them, as a matter of course, with them 
 twelve hours the start of us, they mounted and we afoot. 
 We camped that night at the house of a rich old bush- 
 whacker, took all of his buildings to sleep inj burned his 
 fences, and took his feed. A brigade of East Tennesseeans 
 took his meat and everything they could find. The East 
 Tennesseeans clean the rebels out where they go. 
 
 LA VERGXE, TENN., Feb. 13th, 1863. 
 
 We are busily engaged in building a fort, and it is going 
 to be one of the neatest things I ever saw, and I believe 
 when we get it finished it will put Bragg and his whole 
 army at their wits' end to take it. 
 
 The leaven of Kentucky treason is at work here. Our 
 regiment did very well until stirred up by home traitors, 
 and now it is almost dangerous to proclaim loyalty to the 
 government. Our camp is like a den of wild beasts, but 
 I believe our officers are loyal. I don't think justice can 
 be done to Kentucky unless she secedes and is scourged as 
 her sister Tennessee has been, which I consider the test 
 state of the two. Kentucky is in an uproar and threatens 
 to secede. If she calls in her troops, as she threatens to, 
 I may get to see you all again, for as certain as this regi-
 
 42 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 ment is ordered in, and it obeys, the state cannot command 
 my service, for I shall set myself free. 
 
 Large bodies of troops are pouring into Nashville every 
 day, and moving off on the Columbia road. Something 
 of importance will take place in Tennessee now. 
 
 LA VERGNE, TENN., May 3, 1863. 
 
 Gen. Steadman, at present commanding our brigade, 
 took us out two days ago on an expedition beyond Stone 
 river. We went with our wagons to the guerilla head- 
 quarters, and for every man concerned in the burning of 
 trains or robbing of sutler wagons we hauled off all his 
 corn, grain, and forage, leaving them nothing to subsist on. 
 This seems hard, but think how they burned up our 
 wounded in the cars and on the boats, and they murder 
 every soldier they capture. I have respect for a confed- 
 erate soldier who puts on a uniform and shows his hand, 
 but for a sneaking bushwhacker, they deserve no mercy. 
 
 Gen. Steadman told them if they did not come in and 
 take the oath he would burn every house within ten miles 
 of Stone river. One of the houses we found full of sutler 
 goods. 
 
 We have turned over our tents and drawn spreads, com- 
 monly called dog tents, and I pity the dog that could not 
 afford better lodgings. Spread a table cloth over a pole 
 about waist high and you have a good sample of a dog 
 tent. It is too thin to give shade or turn rain, and won't
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 43 
 
 stop southern dew. We have made cedar bough houses 
 over the "doggies," and the camp presents the nicest ap- 
 pearance. 
 
 I have no expectation of eating peaches at home this 
 summer, for the western army has come to the conclusion 
 that if old Richmond is ever taken, we will have to do 
 it. "All is quiet on the Potomac," is a by-word in our 
 department. It is thought Lee is throwing the Virginia 
 army into Tennessee, and we will have to fight the com- 
 bined southern forces. 
 
 WINCHESTER, TENN., Aug. 3, 1863. 
 
 Don't know when we will leave this place. When we 
 do it will be for Alabama or Georgia. Our cavalry is con- 
 stantly bringing in rebel prisoners. The negroes are formed 
 into the 1st and 2d Alabama regiments. 
 
 It would make you laugh to see the negro officers drill- 
 ing their men. "Dress up in ranks dar, Bill." "Sam, 
 doesn't yo knos better dan dat?" "Right face dar, Joe 
 and Sam," but they learn about as fast as any people in* 
 the world.
 
 44 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 LIEUTENANT P. M. BURR, 
 Co. B, 52d Pa. Vol. 
 
 TO HIS SISTERS. 
 
 YORKTOWN, VA., Dec. 18, 1862. 
 
 We have just returned from a foraging expedition to 
 Galveston Court House ; were gone four days; took $40,000 
 worth of property. We left there about sundown ; in two 
 hours after five or six thousand rebels came into the place, 
 but we were out of their reach, otherwise we would have 
 been badly whipped, as we only had from twelve to fifteen 
 hundred men. We have just received the particulars of 
 Gen. Burnside's defeat. I think by all accounts it is the 
 worst defeat of the war. We are daily expecting an attack 
 from Gen. Wise. 
 
 The drums are beating and I must go and call the roll. 
 
 ST. HELENA ISLAND, S. C., ) 
 Sunday, March 15, 1863. j 
 
 I thought when I last wrote that before this time we 
 would be knocking at the gates of Charleston for admit- 
 tance. Something has delayed us. Such an expedition 
 takes a large amount of time and expense to fit it out. 
 We have not over ] 7,000 men here to attack the place 
 with, while we think the enemy has from 20,000 to 30,000 
 and are strongly entrenched. I hope they will get things
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 45 
 
 ready pretty soon as I am tired of lying on this island. It 
 may not be the one that Napoleon was banished to, still 
 the name sounds bad. 
 
 STEPHENS' BATTERY, July 2, '63. 
 We are now camped 1| miles from town in a very nice 
 pine grove. I like the change. We practice firing with 
 64 pound shells; think this about all we will do, for I 
 have no idea the rebels will ever come near us here. They 
 are all the time pounding away at Charleston ; I would 
 like to be there ; am afraid we can't go. 
 
 HILTON HEAD, June 6, 1864. 
 
 We have had new potatoes, string beans, and peas for 
 three weeks; rather more than you can say. 
 
 I intend to stay in the service as long as I think we 
 are needed as bad as we are now. I do not believe in 
 giving up the ship after so much has been sacrificed. Wish 
 we could get where there would be something going on, 
 so we could get some news to write about, but I see no 
 prospect of getting away from here at present. 
 
 MORRIS ISLAND, S. C., Dec. 9, '64. 
 We are exchanging prisoners here now. It is impossi- 
 ble to describe the situation of our poor fellows. Some of 
 them are nearly starved to death and others are entirely 
 destitute of clothing; very many have died on board the
 
 46 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 boats; some four or five hundred were brought in that had 
 not tasted food for two days. No nation can prosper that 
 treats its prisoners so shamefully. They may claim they 
 have nothing for them to eat ; then let them be liberated 
 and sent back to us. The rebel prisoners get nearly the 
 same rations as we do. 
 
 MORRIS ISLAND, S. C., Aug. 9, '64. 
 The officers that have been under fire at Charleston were 
 exchanged and came to Hilton Head when I was there a 
 few days ago. I saw Col. Dana, of the 143d Reg. ; Col. 
 Hoyt did not like to wait to be exchanged, so jumped off 
 the cars while on the way from Macon to Charleston. He 
 was gone three days before the rebs found him. Seventy- 
 five jumped off and only three of them got through our 
 lines. They say the darkies did all they could for them. 
 The rebs have made it rather unpleasant for us for a week 
 past. You can imagine how it would seem to be waked 
 up in the night by the bursting of a 200 pound shell and 
 hear the pieces tearing through the tents. Last night we 
 marched down the beach to get out of range. To-day we 
 are digging ditches to lay in nights. Our camp seems to 
 be the present object of attraction. We could move out of 
 range but it would please them too well. A steamer tried 
 to run the blockade last night; got grounded on Sullivan 
 Island ; this morning they had the satisfaction of seeing 
 her knocked to pieces and set on fire by our guns. We
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 47 
 
 have just heard that Petersburg has been blown up by Gen. 
 Grant, and one S. C. Regt. blown out of the world in 
 an instant. Both sides are getting more desperate every 
 day, and as that feeling increases, so will the cruelties of 
 war. Thirty thousand of our poor fellows are prisoners 
 and kept in an open field back of Charleston without any 
 shelter, and are dying off at the rate of 100 per day. 
 
 MOUNT PLEASANT, S. C., March 8, 1865. 
 There has been quite a change in military affairs in this 
 department. Of course you have heard of the evacuation 
 of Charleston and all of the surrounding defenses on the 
 night of the 17th. We had been expecting some such 
 movement on the part of the enemy for some time; were 
 watching them very closely in order to be the first to 
 occupy their works. On the morning of the 18th, Major 
 Hennessey and myself started with one boat and were 
 the first to raise the flag on Fort Sumpter, Ripley Castle, 
 Pinkney, and the old Post-office, the Citadel and Arsenal. 
 We were at the lower end of the city while a brigade of 
 rebels were at the railroad depot, and their cavalry patrol- 
 ling the streets within 300 yards of us. We were there 
 an hour before any troops came. If they could have got 
 there as soon as we did we could have taken several prison- 
 ers and saved hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of 
 property. They were setting fire to the U. S. arsenal when 
 fifty of our regiment arrived on the double quick. If they
 
 48 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 had succeeded the best part of the city would have been 
 destroyed, as there was a large amount of powder and shell 
 stored there. Gen. Potter followed them about fifty 
 miles; we were called back when forty miles from the 
 city, and are now stationed here two miles from Charles- 
 ton, in- a very pleasant little village. Quite a number of 
 families are living here and some pretty nice looking young 
 ladies. Some of them begin to think a Yankee is not so 
 bad as they are reported to be. If we are allowed to stay 
 here time will pass more agreeably than it did on Morris 
 Island. The 52d had a pretty lively skirmish with the 
 rebel cavalry and killed two of them with no loss on our 
 side. 
 
 The above letter is verified by newspaper reports of the 
 evacuation of Charleston, reported at that time.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 49 
 
 LETTERS TO MRS. RUTH T. W. PIERCE. 
 
 While Mrs. Pierce was visiting in Logan Co., Ohio, some 
 one wrote an article to a home paper there describing the 
 homesick soldier when he did not receive letters from his 
 friends. On the impulse of the moment Mrs. Pierce ad- 
 dressed a letter to the initials signed to the published 
 article, saying, "When you get this call all the boys to- 
 gether who have received no letters by this mail, read it 
 to them, and tell them it is from their sister," and through 
 Lieut. Kline she corresponded with Cos. Q, G, E, O, and I 
 until the close of the war. But two copies of the precious 
 souvenirs of her impulsive patriotism, so richly tinged with 
 romance, yet welded still deeper into the reality of the 
 homesick soldiers' appreciation, survive the ravages of 
 twenty years, which we very much regret. 
 
 BERWICK CITY, LA., March 6, 1864. 
 MRS. PIERCE Yours of the 15th of last month has 
 been received and welcomed. I was much surprised, as 
 well as pleased to see the effect my poor contribution to 
 the Republican had. I did not in the least expect it to 
 have effect upon any but my immediate friends and ac- 
 quaintances that would benefit us here. You cannot 
 imagine the manner in which your kind letter was received 
 5
 
 50 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 by the boys for whom it was intended. It was read ami 
 re-read, not only by those who received no letters, but by all. 
 
 It was accompanied by a copy of the Republican that 
 contained the production signed "G. W. KV The paper 
 was read first, then your letter. The boys will not soon 
 forget it. They comprehended at once its meaning, and 
 the object the writer seemed to have in view. I hope my 
 letter in the Republican will have the effect to move many 
 more to their duty, for my picture of the disappointed 
 soldier was but a mere shadow, or the mere outline of the 
 shadow of the picture of a soldier that is disappointed a 
 few times when mail is distributed. I have some poor fel- 
 lows in my company that wait and watch for months for 
 letters from their dearest friends before they get them. I 
 think it is indeed cruel that our friends should become 
 so much involved in pleasure and enjoyment as to forget 
 the means by which their pleasure is secured to them. We 
 stand as a mighty wall between them and danger. I some- 
 times think they are very ungrateful to us, if not ungrate- 
 ful, very neglectful. 
 
 The pen is said to be mightier than the sword, and I 
 begin to realize it, for really I think your pen has done 
 more on one sheet of paper towards crushing this rebel- 
 lion, than the sword I have carried for more than two 
 years and a half. I don't want to bring reproach upon 
 my own sword, neither do I wish it ever to be disgraced, 
 but it never has as yet touched an enemy, and I don't
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 51 
 
 know that it ever had the tendency to revive and enliven 
 Co. I as much as your letter has, in the eighteen months I 
 have carried it in the Company. 
 
 I agree with you exactly in the direction of honors, as to 
 officers and privates. I think more of, and honor the low- 
 est private in the rear ranks much more than a great many 
 officers with whom I have become acquainted in the service 
 of Uncle Sam. 
 
 I am slightly acquainted about Pickereltown, but to do 
 my best I cannot bring to remembrance Hettie and Mollie 
 and Abbie and Julia. The soldiers you wrote of being at 
 the literary society I am do doubt acquainted with, for I 
 used to live in Harmon's settlement, and possibly those 
 boys were schoolmates of mine. Think I could have en- 
 joyed a roam in the sugar camp, but aoout the time you 
 and Hettie and Julia and Abbie were engaged gathering 
 sugar water, I was enjoying what Texans call a " North- 
 erner," of which you have no doubt heard, especially if 
 any of your correspondents have had the pleasure or rather 
 the task of visiting Texas as soldiers. You seemed in- 
 clined to think that we, in our Dixie home (sometimes 
 called the Sunny South), do not suffer with cold. I will 
 tell you candidly I suffered more during one of those 
 " Northerners " in Texas than I ever did with cold in 
 Ohio. We are not well prepared in this climate to bear 
 cold as in the North. The blood does not seem to be in 
 the right temperature to withstand it. It required more
 
 52 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 clothing last New Year's day to keep me comfortable here 
 than it ever did at home in the coldest time, but such 
 weather does not generally last more than a few days. I 
 will now ask you to begin here and read back, if you 
 please; however, there is no compulsion about it. [Re- 
 mainder of letter written between lines.] "We are enjoying 
 fine weather here now ; plowing has been going on for some 
 time. As we came along the Mississippi river from its 
 delta to New Orleans, day before yesterday, I was pleased 
 to see so much agriculture in progress. We could see as 
 many as twenty plows on one plantation. Crops will be 
 growing here long before anything is planted in Ohio. 
 
 You wondered if we all had to stand guard. We do. 
 That is a duty all soldiers must perform. Disagreeable as 
 it is, it is not so bad as the harmless manual which you 
 remembered that the children were playing at. Then 
 going through in reality what the children playfully term 
 ' ; Bang," is a terrible exercise when done in real life, and 
 performed in earnest it is not soon forgotten. You also 
 expressed a wish to know what we thought of copperheads. 
 I will tell you, we have no sympathy for a real copperhead. 
 We do not fear the rattlesnake of South Carolina or hate 
 it half so much. We countenance no sympathy for our 
 enemies. 
 
 We are now upon the eve of some great move, but what 
 it is, we as common soldiers do not know. A soldier 
 might be termed an automaton, for he moves at the will
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 53 
 
 of some other mind. "When it says to him, " Come," he 
 comes, and when he is told to "go," he goes, just as if 
 worked by wires. This is the only way an army can be 
 made effective. It requires discipline, rigid discipline to 
 make troops what they should be. Some parts of the 
 army are much more restricted by discipline than others. 
 Eastern officers are the strictest disciplinarians, and we 
 Western troops sometimes feel their restrictions when we 
 come in contact with them. A few days ago one of our 
 lieutenants was arrested for playing base ball with private 
 soldiers, a thing not allowed among eastern troops, and 
 not noticed by us. 
 
 "Well, now here is Capt. Chander and Sergt. Black, and 
 they have almost thrown me out of balance, and here comes 
 Sergt. Humpheries, I suppose to assist them. I will have 
 to let my pen think and write both, and you will have to 
 make allowances. Their topic now is letter writing. The 
 Captain is just telling of a splendid letter he once received 
 from a lady, and from his description of it, I am not 
 much flattered with this, and I fear if I do not leave it 
 soon I will be induced to destroy it. 
 
 The boys of Co. I join me in sending you our sincere 
 respects, and say that we will be happy to hear from you 
 again. I fear you will have some trouble in following 
 this letter, but it is entirely out of order for a soldier to 
 make apologies. This leaves us enjoying a reasonable 
 degree of health, and hoping it will find you and Mollie
 
 54 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 and Hettie and Abbie and Sue and Julia and the children 
 the same. 
 
 I am respectfully, 
 
 LIEUT. G. W. KLINE, 
 Co. I, 96th 0. V. I. 
 
 CAMP PAEOLE, \ 
 ANNAPOLIS, MD., Aug. 20, 1863. / 
 
 DEAR MADAM I have been so reticent of late, that I 
 fear you will "conclude that your " Potomac correspondent" 
 is not a paying institution. 
 
 The whole twenty-six of us that were captured at Chan- 
 cellorsville, " frenched " it home from here and made a 
 stay of from one to three months. Most of the people 
 extended to us a hearty welcome, and we were especially 
 entertained at numerous parties, dinners, suppers, and 
 balls. At a supper given us the table was decorated with 
 Union and rebel flags. At our request the rebel flags were 
 removed, and some one took down the Union flags with 
 the boast that they should not be put up again. We had 
 four times our number to contend with, but we determined 
 to put them up, and your humble correspondent acquired 
 some notoriety by placing the flags in their butternut cakes, 
 and defending them. " The boys" had several encounters 
 with the butternuts at Eaton, in which they were successful, 
 with but one exception. In that case the butternuts 
 brought on the row, stabbed two of my comrades, one of
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 55 
 
 whom died, and two citizens, one of whom died. We 
 buried them both in the cemetery at Eaton, our comrade 
 with the honors of war one procession and one sermon 
 answered for both, and they were lowered into their graves 
 at the same moment. It was the most solemn scene I have 
 ever witnessed. The citizen was a deserter from the rebel 
 army and had been married only three weeks. We also 
 buried our captain, who fell at Gettysburg, while at home. 
 The above mentioned murderer was bailed out by his 
 friends for $800, although imprisoned on three indict- 
 ments, two of them for murder in the first degree. What 
 made it still more aggravating we were engaged in bury- 
 ing our captain when he was released. New writs were 
 issued for his arrest, but he escaped. 
 
 Having had a -fine visit at home, and thinking it time 
 for an exchange we appointed the 10th to start back. All 
 the boys reported themselves present, and among the cheers 
 and blessings -of several hundred, who had assembled at 
 the depot to see us off, we took a second and probably a 
 last farewell of our native country. Gen. McLean, of 
 Cincinnati, gave us transportation to Baltimore ; there the 
 provost marshal gave us transport to this place. 
 
 D. B. MORROW. 
 
 ST. AUGUSTINE, FLA., June 2, 1864. 
 DEAR FRIEND We have been furnished horses, and 
 became mounted infantry, and as we are the only mounted
 
 56 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 men here we are kept very busy, too much so for corre- 
 spondence or anything else not immediately connected 
 with our duties. For more than a month we were almost 
 daily in the saddle, and part of the time nightly. We 
 drew our horses the 16th of April, started on our first ex- 
 pedition the 25th, and did not return until the 15th of 
 May. We went to Lake Harney, crossed the river and 
 gathered cattle along the south shore of Harney, on the 
 grand prairie. A detachment at the same time went to 
 Sand Point on Indian river, and another to Smyrna, on the 
 coast ; these had for their object the capture of cotton and 
 contraband goods of war, and to rid the country of any 
 rebels that might be among the inhabitants. This ex- 
 pedition captured and destroyed 400 bales of the southern 
 king, a large quantity of turpentine and- naval stores, lib- 
 erated fifty slaves of all ages, sex, and colors, and drove 
 to Jacksonville 1 ,600 cattle ; also captured about a dozen 
 prisoners, and brought in twice as many of Captain Bush's 
 company. These were refugees from rebel ranks and 
 rule, and came into our camps by the wayside for protec- 
 tion. They were employed by us as guides, necessarily, 
 as the country is very sparsely populated, often forty to 
 sixty miles between settlements, and only a hunter's trail 
 leading through the woods and swamps to them. The 
 country is remarkably level; timbered by a scattered 
 growth of pitch pine; little lakelets are abundant. The 
 country produces a fine growth of wild grass. The peo-
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 57 
 
 pie's wealth is iu their cattle, one man often owning 5,000, 
 which they brand and turn out to graze and seek no more 
 until they are wanted for the shambles. The natives live 
 in little pole cabins, thatched with palmetto leaves or cov- 
 ered with clapboards. They produce cotton, and manu- 
 facture their own apparel ; make their own sugar and 
 molasses ; raise sweet potatoes, which they substitute for 
 bread; or use corn, which they grind on little hand-mills, 
 and altogether live in a very independent, primitive, patri- 
 archial manner. Along the river in the little towns there 
 are some very aristocratic establishments. 
 
 After our first expedition Cos. C and E went out 
 to establish a post at Enterprise. We went to Wilaka 
 to take the mail to a Co. of the 17th Conn, stationed there. 
 On our arrival we found that Capt. Dickerson had cross- 
 ed the river that morning and captured Capt. Hobby and 
 company and their surgeon, 26 men in all. Our Capt. 
 went back on the road eight miles and sent five men to 
 another post up the river to ascertain if they were captured, 
 and if not one would return with the information and 
 would reinforce; instead of doing this he sent another mes- 
 senger with orders for them to evacuate. This courier lost 
 his way and returned to camp without delivering his mes- 
 sage, so the post of 15 men and a part of our company was 
 taken. We did not interfere, and knew the rebels' intentions. 
 The captain is strongly censured by all acquainted with the 
 circumstances. He reminds me of Napoleon's remark con-
 
 58 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 cerning Marshal Ney, "It is better to have an army of 
 deer commanded by a lion, than an army of lions com- 
 manded by a deer." 
 
 We are now scouting the country from here to Valutia, 
 60 miles distant. Our brave captain is in the hospital, 
 where the boys all hope he will stay. A schoolmate and 
 particular friend of mine whom no one faults, is in com- 
 mand of our company. I hope this cruel war will be 
 ended the present year, if not, I would like to see those at 
 home liable to military duty " lend a hand." If my aid is 
 still needed to preserve the nation, I will throw all other 
 considerations aside and fight on. We hear glorious news 
 from the North, but are slow to believe, because we like to 
 spare ourselves the pain of disappointed hopes. 
 
 I am slow to discard so interesting a correspondent with 
 principles and motives so pure as yours. I am particularly 
 fond of correspondence, especially with intelligent ladies. 
 I think with equal opportunities they write a better letter 
 than a gentleman. Before being mounted I had much time 
 to devote to the best literature obtainable, now I am con- 
 tent with the newspapers. 
 
 Very Truly, 
 
 D. B. MOBROW.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 59* 
 
 CONVALESCENT CAMP NEAR NASHVILLE, \ 
 
 Dec. 23, 1864. / 
 
 MY VERY DEAR, LONG-LOST COUSIN : 
 
 I was in the city yesterday overhauling our company's 
 desk, and found among other things a letter, which I saw 
 at a glance belonged to Hi. I put it in my pocket, not 
 even stopping to look who it was from, and so when I came 
 to camp I read it, and don't you think I was glad ? Nearly 
 as much so as if it had been addressed to me. You in- 
 quired for me and I determined you should know if only 
 by a word or two. What good letters I used to get from 
 you, and oh, my sad and lonely heart yearns for letters to- 
 night. I have had none for some time, nor will I get any 
 until I join my command. I will tell you why I am sad. 
 You know by the papers, no doubt, that we have had a 
 fight here. On the 16th inst. the 10th Minnesota and 
 some other regiments made one of the most desperate 
 charges ever made by mortals, up a very steep hill in the face 
 of the enemy's work with a direct fire from the front, and 
 an enfilading fire pouring into their ranks all the time. In 
 that dreadful charge my much loved captain fell, mortally 
 wounded, our first lieutenant badly wounded, my best 
 brother-in-law, Hiram, the first sergeant of our company r 
 had his arm all shattered to pieces, and now it is off, poor 
 Hi. Quite a number of our best men were wounded, and 
 four privates in our company killed on the field. The 
 captain lived till next day, and then, poor man, his dis-
 
 60 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 charge came. He was aware of the fact and ready ; told 
 the boys it was an honorable death to die. How we all 
 loved that man, not an enemy in the company or regiment, 
 or in the world, except in the Southern Confederacy. Our 
 Lieut. Col. commanding, and major, were also wounded. 
 I fear the major will die. Capt* White (my captain) was 
 the pet of the regiment, and next to him I love the major. 
 I have been for the last two or three days straightening up 
 the captain's aifairs, sending his clothing and sword to his 
 friends. I just got through to-night; came home after 8 
 o'clock to my cold, lonely, dreary tent; got my supper and 
 then sat down to write. May start to-morrow to join my 
 company. I feel unusually lonesome to-night. Don't feel 
 like going back to the company now, but I must. Your 
 letter stirred up within me a remembrance of some of the 
 happy days of other years, when I, your married cousin, 
 played the beau, much to the annoyance of a would-be fa- 
 vorite of yours 1 have forgotten his name. 
 Yours as of old, 
 
 J. A. CANFIELD. 
 Co. F. 10th Minn. Infnt. 
 
 CAMP NEAR MOBILE, ALA., 1 
 June 9, 1865. J 
 
 KIND FRIEND Before this reaches you I hope you 
 will have confirmed information of .the 96th Ohio 
 being on the way home. It is possible, but hardly
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 61 
 
 probable, if I am to judge from the efforts our superiors 
 are making to reach that end. It appears that our general 
 commanding the corps, Gen. Granger, thinks the muster- 
 out of any of his corps at this time would operate to the 
 prejudice of the service. It is believed by some that the 
 muster-out of his troops now would have a great tendency 
 to change the form and color of the insignia of rank on his 
 shoulder straps from a silver star to a gold leaf, as he is 
 major in the regular army, and this doubtless is the last 
 command he will have during the present war as large as 
 a corps. I do not wish to convey the idea that Gen. 
 Granger is not a good commander, we all think him an 
 able and good officer. Yet, I believe under the present 
 circumstances I would think more of him if he would order 
 us home now. He has not all the power necessary and I 
 will not complain. I have never enjoyed the benefit of a 
 leave of absence, and as the time approaches and the better 
 the prospect, the more anxious I become. 
 
 Preparations are being made to transfer the recruits in the 
 regiment to some other, which might be considered a sign 
 of something. We judge altogether by signs. We find 
 out nothing of the future in a military life. The past and 
 present tense is all we know as soldiers. The weather is 
 getting so warm here as to be almost oppressive to Yankees. 
 
 LT. G. W. KLINE.
 
 62 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 KENDALLVILLE, IND., ) 
 . Sept. 18, 1863. j 
 
 I received to-day a letter from Charlie, saying that the 
 company was as well as could be expected and that the 
 boys say if their captain was back with them they would 
 not be quite so lonesome as they are now. The position I 
 occupy with my boys of Co. E. is one that makes my heart 
 glad, and I never look back to the hour when I parted 
 with them but it makes my heart ache. You tell me 
 Charlie writes you that he misses his captain. Who could 
 doubt it? We have in the year past walked 2,000 miles 
 together, slept together, ate together, spent hours together 
 on the advance picket line, hours together foraging, for 
 wherever I went Charlie went with me. When I sat at 
 my table writing to my friends at home, he sat at the other 
 side writing to his wife. Do you think it strange that he 
 writes to me, "Captain, I am lost without you?" When 
 I was ordered to go on any dangerous mission, Charlie 
 never had to be asked to go with me, he was always ready, 
 and when we had but one cracker between us, we divided 
 it and ate it with a smile a thing we have done 
 many a time. On our long, hard, and weary marches his 
 good health and strong arm have made many a hard bed 
 soft for me. 
 
 W. M. BARNY, 
 Capt. Co. E. 100th Ind. V. I.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 63 
 
 CHARLES C. PIERCE. 
 Co. E. 100th IND. Y. I. 
 
 TO HIS WIFE, R. T. W. PIERCE. 
 
 HOLLY SPRINGS, Miss., Jan. 3, 1863. 
 
 We are still at this place, which before this unholy war 
 was of considerable importance and of much beauty, con- 
 taining 6,000 inhabitants and surrounded by one of the 
 best and loveliest farming districts in the South. There is 
 hardly a vestige remaining of what it once was. The best 
 part of the town is now in ashes. The depot and all the 
 public buildings were burned last Saturday by a band of 
 guerillas, and about 1,200 of our troops paroled. I hear 
 that General Grant court-martialed the officers and dis- 
 missed them from the service, as it seems they allowed 
 themselves to be surprised. B., of the 12th Ind., fell be- 
 hind his regiment, was picked up and paroled, and is now 
 at home preaching. He is a regular "play off." 
 
 How did I spend New Year's? Foraging in company 
 with four men. We went six miles and "relieved" an old 
 rebel of corn, hogs, sweet potatoes, etc. started at 6 
 o'clock and got back at 1, then attended dress parade. 
 
 CAMP IN HICKORY VALLEY, TENN., \ 
 Jan. llth, 1863. / 
 
 I am still knocking about in this "old shell," hearty and 
 in good spirits. Fact is, I don't get any other way, and
 
 64 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 shall try not to as long as it can do no good, for I believe 
 some of our best boys have filled untimely graves from 
 failing to act rationally in this matter; good, brave boys 
 as ever shouldered a musket. Inaction gives a chance for 
 loneliness and then homesickness, and oftentimes letters 
 from home are of such a tone as to increase it, and then 
 they are "done for." He should avoid idleness when his 
 duties are done (which is the first thing a soldier must 
 think of), then go in for rational enjoyment and exercise. 
 Better play ball and pitch horse shoes than sit down alone 
 to think about home and friends until his heart is ready to 
 break. 
 
 You wished me to keep a diary, now let's see how it 
 would work: 
 
 Jan. 1st. Foraging for corn and pork from Holly Springs 
 west. 2d. Lying in camp with only the usual routine of 
 duty, various rumors from abroad and quite favorable, 
 trains in with supplies. 3d. Battalion drill. 4th. Called 
 out for picket, we supposed, about 11 o'clock, but found 
 it was for forage. 40 of Co. E, 40 of Co. K, all of Co. F 
 6th Iowa, 40 Co. E 12th Ind., went about six miles and 
 loaded 83 teams with corn, and hardly made a hole in the 
 pile one man had on a farm of 1,200 acres. Got back at 
 dark. 5th. Logan's division passed here; Lieut. Collier 
 came back to camp not well, but improving slowly; have 
 marching orders for six o'clock in the morning. 6th. 
 Marched thirteen miles to a little town called Salem. 7th.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 65 
 
 Moved at 7:30. Marched through the finest country I 
 have seen in Dixie; camped near noon at Spring Hill. 
 Capt. Barney burnt off the grass where he wanted his tent, 
 and the fire got away, which made lots of fun. After din- 
 ner some one went out to the grove and shot a hog, and it 
 was dressed and brought in without the " butcher " being 
 caught. Afterwards the same man was sent with a squad 
 to arrest a soldier for shooting hogs, with orders to deliver 
 him to McDowell ; he told the men he could arrest that 
 man and they could go back. Then he concluded he 
 didn't enlist to guard rebel property, and went back to 
 camp himself. I don't know whether the soldier went to 
 McDowell or not, guess not. 8th. Expected to stay here 
 several days, and fixed our camp in good style, but at 
 12:30 at night got marching orders for 7:30 in the morn- 
 ing. 9th. Moved before it was fairly light. Division 
 parts. Denver takes one arm and goes to La Grange, and 
 McDowell the other to Grand Junction, where we met the 
 Q. M. and sutler, and got our tents; they had left us at 
 College Hill. At night the rain was the hardest I ever 
 experienced. 10th. Forenoon spent in fixing up camp. 
 At noon got orders that three companies must report for 
 guard duty for five days. Cos. E, H, and K are de- 
 tailed for the same, and fall in line at double-quick and 
 are off for Hickory Valley, fully eight miles distant. I am 
 left with Mose Whitcomb, Dan Drake, and John Miller to 
 draw the rations for five days and guard the wagons. We 
 6
 
 66 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 get to camp about 9, very tired, spread our tents and go to 
 sleep, llth. Sunday, inspection of arms and fixing camps. 
 Got eleven letters from my wife to-day, bless her I What 
 a Sunday I will have reading about my babies, and the 
 strong, earnest words of courage and patriotism ; no dis- 
 couraging from her! 12th. Went foraging; got hams, 
 pickles, and vinegar. Harry Nelson went along, but the 
 tramp was too much for him. 
 
 Now here are twelve days' record, and you see they are 
 filled up with hard work, expectations, and disappoint 
 ments, but here is another call and I must close. 
 
 HICKORY VALLEY, TENN., Feb. 3d, 1863. 
 
 I have been doing more than my share of duty lately to 
 favor some that are not so strong as myself. There are a 
 good many sick, with bad colds mostly. 
 
 Suppose I tell you how our tent is occupied : The Capt. 
 is out, and Lieut. Jones and Geo. Himes (one of Palm- 
 eter's printers) are playing checkers. Nelson is on the 
 bed asleep, but the Capt. has just come in and piled every- 
 thing movable upon him, especially the wood, and now he 
 is tickling his nose with a feather to wake him up, and 
 then it will be lively around here. 
 
 I was detailed Sunday night as sergeant of the out-post, 
 two miles distant. I reported for orders and was politely 
 informed that I knew my duty and to use my best judg- 
 ment in case of an attack. So off I posted with three men;
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 67 
 
 found our post all right. There was a very pretty, faint 
 moonlight. We made ourselves as comfortable as possible, 
 which was nothing to brag of, lying out the 1st of Jan- 
 uary without fire. We were just fairly quiet, when, whiz! 
 a ball flew past us, and though there was no enemy in 
 sight we knew there was one not far off, but they had 
 warned us, perhaps unintentionally, and all we could do 
 was to watch developments. Two of the boys after a 
 while fell asleep. About 11 o'clock I thought I heard 
 something like a fence fall, and warned the men; just then 
 the moon came from behind a cloud and I saw thirty rods 
 off two rebs step out from a fence, fall into line, and 
 shoulder arms, then two more, and so on until fifty had 
 joined them. Then I thought it time for us to retreat, 
 and as there was nothing for us to do but retreat, we had 
 to show our skill in that direction. We were protected by 
 the R. R. and a cross fence. They were very quiet, evi- 
 dently intending to "gobble" us, and then to camp. 
 When they got where we " were" we were somewhere else; 
 two of us were but fifty rods off watching them while the 
 others went to camp to give warning. A spy had been in 
 camp, but they didn't catch " live Yanks" that time. 
 
 COLLIERSVILLE, TENN., Apr. 8, 1863. 
 
 Well, we had the unexpected pleasure of a visit from 
 the Hon. Wm. Mitchell this morning. He was received 
 with three rousing cheers. He had many words of en-
 
 68 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 couragement, and a shake of the hand for everyone, then 
 he mounted a box and made a speech, which, though it 
 was nothing new, was highly appreciated, for I tell you it 
 was like a cool breeze in a hot day to see a familiar face 
 just from home. He was escorting three ladies from 
 Goshen, Ind., to Memphis, for nurses. 
 
 I don't want to discourage you, but this war will not 
 end this summer, and in the course of the next eight 
 months there will be more fighting done, and with more 
 determination on both sides than ever before. The ex- 
 pected sympathy of northern rebels for the confederacy is 
 so slight, and promises so little help that it does not en- 
 courage the South. Fact is they dare not league them- 
 selves with the South, and are too low and mean to be 
 Union men, and too big cowards to openly join the rebels, 
 so they busy themselves stabbing our soldiers in the back 
 while we are fighting for our country. They meet disap- 
 pointment from foreign powers where they expected recog- 
 nition. True, they sell them arms, but at ruinous prices, 
 and buy southern cotton for a song. 
 
 We generally get out in line every two or three nights 
 for practice, I guess. Companies D and K were out last 
 night some three miles above here expecting rebels to cross 
 the road, but they failed to connect. 
 
 You would be amused at the different dispositions mani- 
 fested here in regard to " fixing up camp." We are splen- 
 didly accommodated now.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 69 
 
 CAMP SHERMAN, Miss., Aug. 25, 1863. 
 
 I am enjoying the best of health, while death stares us 
 all in the face. There are from two to five buried every 
 day in our division burying ground. Our own little band 
 lost two good boys the other day; Daniel Parker of heart 
 disease. I was talking with him the minute of his death. 
 The other was a fine young fellow named John Ingle, who 
 died of congestive fever. A number of others are quite 
 sick. You are worrying about the sickness here. Well, 
 our army has been very much exposed. We left a very 
 healthy place in Tennessee and came here in the hot, sick- 
 ly season, an$ it proves to be one of the most unhealthy 
 of places, with water that is poison to some, though it 
 looks good. Besides this we have been doing some very 
 hard marching, and lying out in all kinds of weather, with 
 no extra clothing, many without even a coat, and very 
 poor fare part of the time. It is no wonder some die, but 
 I find the most of these spent the winter at home, and 
 others have not the requisite amount of pluck to say: "I 
 will stand up to the rack." This is the kind of man that 
 makes the useful soldiers-one who says : " I am enlisted 
 for the war and I mean to do all the duty that falls to my 
 lot, and a little more if I can." 
 
 I think for beautiful vales, shady groves, and pleasant 
 slopes some parts of Mississippi excels all other places I 
 have been.
 
 70 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 COLLIERSVILLE, TENN., Apr. 18, 1863. 
 
 The morning of the 13th inst. I was detailed in charge 
 of twenty-four men of Co. E, and ordered to report at 
 Memphis. Our force comprised 100 men; twenty-four 
 from Co. H, in charge of Lieut. Shanks; twenty-four 
 from Co. K, under Lieut. Wise, and twenty-four from the 
 90th 111., in charge of Capt. Holdman, and all under com- 
 mand of Capt. Gillespie, of Co. B, 100th Ind. We went 
 down on the cars were there three days. We got fifteen 
 six-mule teams, with harness and wagons complete, and 
 two ambulances loaded with sutler stores. We started at 
 10 A.M. and got here just at dusk thirty miles. To-day 
 we moved camp to better ground and I am very tired. The 
 country between here and Memphis must have been a 
 paradise before the war. It is mostly level and improved 
 with large fields, which gives it the appearance of a prairie 
 country. The beautiful groves of timber are cleared of 
 underbrush and logs, which makes it look nice and clean. 
 The residences are mansions or castles. They remind me 
 of French novels I have read. 
 
 One house in particular must have cost $100,000, and 
 the furniture corresponds. The plantation has 6,000 acres 
 improved. The owner's name is Judge White, and there 
 are others just as fine, all the earnings of slavery. One 
 splendid residence close to the road was used as a pest- 
 house. Of course it will have to be burned.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 71 
 
 MARIETTA, GA., Aug. 10, 1864. 
 
 Cars now run to the front. Our duties are very confin- 
 ing and keep us busy, but not hard to perform, as we have 
 no rations to handle, only for those who are stationed here. 
 Hard fighting in front every day. It is rumored that 
 Hill and Longstreet have reinforced Johnson. This can- 
 not be true, for how could they leave Richmond with 
 Grant thundering at the gates of that doomed city ? We 
 are progressing slowly, but surely. Sherman seems to 
 have full confidence that his army will conquer, but it is 
 no child's play, I can tell you. We have lost a great 
 many good men and a great many more will have to fall. 
 
 We now belong to the 2d brigade, 4th division, 1 5th A. C. 
 Col. Wolcott, of the 46th Ohio, is our brigadier commander. 
 We will join him in a day or two, and may have to pay 
 for our rest in hard work. All I ask for is good health. 
 Privations and fatigue I expect, and if my country de- 
 mands it, my life or my limbs, it can have them, but for 
 the sake of my family I hope not. 
 
 Sherman is planting some heavy siege guns, so you see 
 Atlanta has not yet surrendered. Some think the hard 
 fighting is done. I shall believe it when the last armed 
 rebel is dead, or lays down his arms. Our boys all seem 
 anxious for another peep at the Johnnies. And so you 
 wouldn't shake hands with George S. your old class 
 leader, too or with "Blarney" and others? How could 
 they expect you to with your husband and brothers fight-
 
 72 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 ing to preserve for them a country and they stabbing us 
 in the back? It raised a shout in our tent, for do you 
 know the boys watch for your letters, though they have 
 never seen you. 
 
 A Tennessee regiment is quartered in front of us this 
 morning (the 1 2th inst.) They have served their country 
 three years and are going home, taking their arms to fight 
 bushwhackers with. 
 
 MARIETTA, GA., July 15, '64. 
 
 We are camped one-half mile west of town. Col. 
 Heatt has his head-quarters in the mansion of Ex-Gov. 
 Brown. We are camped in his grounds, which comprises 
 twenty acres in the city corporation. He seems to have 
 been a southern nabob. There is an abundance of flowers 
 and shade and the nicest grape arbor I ever saw, and oh ! 
 the figs ; just come and hold your apron while I shake 'em 
 down. 
 
 I now hear the boom of artillery on our left. Doubtless 
 our forces in that quarter have attacked Mr. Reb in his 
 stronghold at some mountain to the east and. south of At- 
 lanta. Oar approach is from the north-west. They say 
 the ball has actually opened, our forces having all crossed 
 the river in spite of the rebels' boast of their strong posi- 
 tion. We have a fellow that will find some way to make 
 it too hot a climate for them, if by no other way than 
 coming round and hitting them on the end, that is, flank- 
 ing them.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 73 
 
 Who ever heard of an army being followed right up 
 with a railroad, so their provisions and munitions were 
 at hand. The rebs burned the bridge at the river, which 
 was useless, as " Sherman has one on the train ready to put 
 across," so the Jehnnies say. A story goes that a rebel of- 
 ficer with a squad of men went to destroy the railroad. 
 As they were about to blow out a "fill" a soldier pro- 
 tested on the ground that Sherman would have one ready 
 made on the cars, and all they could do wouldn't stop him 
 a moment. So the " fill " was not disturbed. 
 
 Col. Heatt, of the 100th Ind., has command of the 
 fortifications here, and is putting them in good repairs, so 
 if Morgan or Forrest should call on us we can give them 
 good accommodations. We like to treat our callers with 
 the best the nature of their visit demands ; to our enemies, 
 a liberal supply of hot lead. 
 
 IN THE FIELD BEFORE ATLANTA, "I 
 August 20th, 1864. / 
 
 I should have replied to your letter of the day before 
 while in the ditches yesterday, but being up all night, and 
 under heavy fire all day poorly fits one for writing. We 
 go on skirmish by regiment. We skirmish two days 
 half the regiment at a time, as the 100th Ind. is twice as 
 large as the 6th Iowa or 103d 111. Our half on duty last 
 night without losing a man. The 103d 111. lost two the 
 day before, and the other half of our regiment lost one
 
 74 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 this morning from Capt. Fast's company. His name was 
 David Soles, married a short time before joining the army. 
 We are expecting marching orders, as "Old Billy" is 
 changing the base of the army, but the opinion is current 
 here that the 15th corps will only swing around ; reported 
 that the corps to our left are moving to the right, the 4th 
 to the extreme left, 20th next, 17th and 16th, etc., and 
 that we are going to occupy the left and thus give the 
 enemy the country made desolate by our armies, and 
 throw a heavy force on the right and cut oif their supplies. 
 Gen. Sherman and staff rode along our lines yesterday. 
 He looks care-worn and as if he had seen hard service. 
 His staff consisted of one corporal riding about two rods 
 in his rear, and looking as if he had seen hard work, too.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 75 
 
 STEPHEN M. AIKEN. 
 Co. K. 10th IND. V. I. 
 
 TO HIS WIFE. 
 
 MILL SPRING, KY. Jan. 27, 1862. 1 
 ZOLLICOFFER'S ENTRENCHMENTS, NOW OURS. / 
 
 We have met them and they are ours. Last Saturday 
 night Cos. K and Q were ordered out on picket, our 
 company in advance were thrown out two miles from camp. 
 Nothing happened till daybreak, when Wolford's cavalry, 
 the advanced pickets, commenced firing. We instantly 
 rallied together, Wolford's men fell back to us saying there 
 were only 200 of them coming, thought we could whip 
 them easily. The cavalry went back to camp for the regi- 
 ment, we soon found it was too hot for us. James E. 
 Doster was wounded in the foot. I did not know that the 
 company had fallen back, so with three or four others kept 
 on firing till we were almost surrounded, and if I ever did 
 run it was then. George Shortel pulled off his boots to- 
 run, the bullets whistled thick but did not hit us. We got 
 back to where Co. G was stationed, and were instantly 
 formed in line of battle. Our regiment came up and we 
 all pitched into the enemy. We fought more than an hour, 
 then our general ordered us to fall back, as they had almost 
 surrounded us. We were fighting some 8,000 or 10,000 
 men. As we fell back the 4th Ky. came up, and we again
 
 76 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 formed in line of battle, fought an hour longer and were 
 reinforced by the 9th Ohio and 2d Minn. The battle 
 was then at its greatest fury. Gen. Zollicoffer rode up 
 to Col. Fry of the 4th Ky., and said: "Colonel, you are 
 mine and your men are mine," and instantly fired at him, 
 but missed. Col. Fry raised his revolver, taking deliber- 
 ate aim shot his antagonist through the heart, and this was 
 the end of the bold rebel Zollicoffer. The rebels fell back 
 at the fall of their general, fighting desperately. We cut 
 the Mississippi and Alabama regiments to pieces. In the heat 
 of battle we run out of cartridges and had to go after some, 
 this gave the enemy an advantage, as they supposed, but it 
 was a gain to us, as it brought them out of the woods 
 where we could see them, and they began falling back at 
 every discharge of our rifles. Col. Fry says it was a harder 
 fought battle than Buena Vista, for we fought greater odds 
 and contended the ground inch by inch. Co. K of the 
 lOrh Ind. had only seven wounded, one fatally. Lieut. 
 McAdams of Co. C. was shot dead on the field. The 4th 
 Ky. lost a great many men, as did the 9th O., and 2d 
 Minn. The rebel killed and wounded is somewhere about 
 600. We took 200 prisoners and 2,000 horses, 13 cannon, 
 and several thousand small arms, tents, sabers, and the 
 strongest kind of fortifications. We followed them as 
 they retreated. They went into their fortifications and as 
 it was getting dark we halted till morning, sleeping on our 
 arms. Early the next morning some of us went up on a
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 77 
 
 hill, we could see all bustle and confusion in the rebel 
 camp, and a steamboat plying across the river loaded with 
 men. We knew they were retreating. Our gunners got 
 their cannon to work and commenced shelling them. The 
 steamer was instantly fired by a bomb bursting in it. We 
 could see the nlen running on the other side of the river, 
 were ordered forward and started on the double-quick for 
 the fort, but were too late to take anything but a few 
 prisoners. They left everything, even to their little trin- 
 kets. We reached the river but could go no further as 
 the steamboat was burned and no other way of crossing. 
 The secesh were fortified on both sides of the river and 
 they left everything on the other side, guns, bunks, and 
 their victuals on the fires cooking. They more than left in 
 a hurry. We have taken about $15,000 worth of prop- 
 erty. 
 
 Feb. 28, 1862. 1 
 SAILING DOWN THE OHIO NEAR CANTON, IND. J 
 
 Yesterday we passed through Louisville from Brads- 
 town, camped two miles outside the city, and yesterday we 
 passed through Louisville and were presented with a splen- 
 did flag at the Gait House, with the words "Mill Spring," 
 engraved on it in letters of gold. The other three regi- 
 ments were also presented with a splendid flag similar to 
 ours the 9th Ohio, 2d Minn., and 4th Ky. They were 
 the regiments that came to our assistance at Mill Spring.
 
 78 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 The people all gave us a hearty welcome as we passed 
 through, and many a welcome given the gallant 10th and a 
 hearty "God speed you," by the fair ladies of Louisville. 
 At Bradstown the ladies met us on the street and tried to 
 persuade the general to let us remain a day or two in the 
 city, but it was a forced march and we could not stop long. 
 They treated us to the eatables and drinkables, and had 
 victuals put up in papers for us to eat on the march. We 
 went on board the steamer at the foot of 8th street at 10 
 o'clock yesterday, did not leave till dark. 
 
 Our four months are now up, and we have not been paid 
 anything. They say we will draw new uniforms, new 
 tents, cooking utensils, and pay, when we arrive at our 
 destination. We do not know where we are going. We 
 are expecting a fight when we get down the river, we will 
 do or die. 
 
 " Sons of America, list ye to the cry, 
 The loud fearful warnings that ring to the sky, 
 Shall foul blackened falsehood unanswered be borne, 
 Americans be branded with insult and scorn ? 
 Strike, strike, for the Union, the freedom we crave; 
 Bury secession in a deeply dug grave, 
 We'll fight as our fathers, on land and on sea, 
 And die as they died, for our country so free." 
 
 This is my sentiment as we float down the river. Blow 
 after blow will make the Union cause triumphant, and we 
 will return home covered with its laurels.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 79 
 
 BATTLE-FIELD PITTSBUEG LANDING, TENN., 1 
 
 Mar. 8, 1862. / 
 
 Since I last wrote events have transpired that will as- 
 tonish the world. Another battle has been fought, one of 
 the hardest ever fought on this continent. Horses and men, 
 strew the ground for miles. There is no less than 10,000 
 killed and wounded on our side. We have taken a great 
 many prisoners and have had a great many taken from us. 
 They have taken Gen. Prentiss prisoner, one of our best gen- 
 erals. I went over the battle-field yesterday and it was a 
 sight that would make a man's blood run cold if he was not 
 used to it. The battle-field covers several miles of ground, 
 and our men and the rebels lay in heaps over every part of 
 it. I counted 30 horses and as many men slain in one heap, 
 a cleared place. We were in the reserve division and did 
 not come up till it was too late to engage in it. We did 
 some hard marching to get there, marching in mud knee 
 deep night and day for four days, and was then just a little 
 too late. Two rebel generals were killed, Gen. Bragg and 
 S. A. Johnson so the rebel prisoners say. The first day 
 was Sunday. The enemy attacked Grant's forces that were 
 encamped, early Sunday morning coming into camp by 
 surprise ; the boys were in their bunks asleep. In this way 
 they managed to take one or two Iowa regiments prisoners. 
 The battle Sunday rather went against us, and if Buel and 
 his forces had not come in at night our army at this place 
 would have been forced to surrender, to the amount of
 
 80 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 60,000 troops. The battle lasted over Monday, and ended 
 by the rebels retreating on Tuesday. Prisoners are con- 
 stantly being taken. Marks of the contending armies will 
 be visible here for years to come. A good many men will 
 Hot be buried, as the battle-field covers such a scope of 
 ground. They took 12 cannon from us on Sunday, we re- 
 took them Monday with 40 others belonging to the rebels. 
 
 PERRYVILLE, KY., Oct. 11, 1862. 1 
 CAMP ON THE BATTLE-FIELD. / 
 
 Again we have been in battle and come out victorious. 
 You have heard before this of the defeat of Bragg and 
 Smith at the battle of Perry ville. The loss was very heavy 
 on both sides, but the rebel loss was ten to one heavier than 
 ours. Our forces under Buel were skirmishing continually 
 from Bradstown to Perry ville, where the rebel general 
 stopped to give us battle. Our regiment and the 2d Mo. 
 were sent in advance, weut a mile and the enemy met us. 
 The battle soon commenced in earnest, after we had fought 
 an hour or two we were recalled, and a brigade sent out in 
 our place. We were then put to support Loomis's battery 
 on a hill in full view of both armies. Brigade after brig- 
 ade came in action. Some of the regiments would be al- 
 most annihilated. The bombs bursting in air, the shrieks 
 of the wounded, the cheering of the men, the notes of the 
 bugle, the roar of the cannon and the clang of musketry 
 made the scene thrilling and terrific. While we were
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 81 
 
 standing, almost spectators, the 2d Mo. by our side lost 
 their colonel, several officers, and 200 men. We came off 
 lucky, only lost four men killed and seven wounded; lost 
 none in our company or Co. C. Seems that a ruling 
 Providence protects the Clinton boys. We are after Bragg 
 who is retreating. I have to write in a hurry as we are 
 still burying our dead. 
 
 LEBANON, KY., Dec. 27. 1 
 CAMP BEN SPAULDING. / 
 
 I tried my best the other day to get a furlough, but did 
 not succeed. The colonel says it is against Gen. Buel's or- 
 ders, for the reason that' a grand move is to be made and 
 no furloughs will be given. 
 
 There is some talk of England fighting us. I am not 
 sorry, if she is bound to fight us. She might as well do it 
 now as at any other time while we have our hands in. 
 I see by the papers that she has given our country five 
 days to decide whether we will give up Slidell and Mason. 
 If the administration does give them up, I hope the peo- 
 ple will arise and hurl it from power and elect another. 
 If England wants Slidell and Mason, execute them first and 
 give her their bodies. She has always sought every op- 
 portunity that lay in her power of insulting this govern- 
 ment, and now if she wants to fight, let her come, we are 
 ready and willing to whip her.
 
 82 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 A. J. CEOPSEY, 
 
 LIEUT. COL. 129rn ILL. VOL. 
 
 TO HIS WIFE. 
 
 LOUISVILLE, KY., Oct. 1, 1862. 
 
 We had an alarm last Sunday ; we could hear the guns, 
 and some said they were shells. Then there was a great 
 hurrah to get into .line; a few were taken suddenly sick, 
 but nearly all were delighted at the prospect of a fight, 
 anything better than lying idle. I suppose the alarm was 
 caused by the firing of some of our own guns. There is a 
 rumor this morning that pickets were driven in last night, 
 and since an early hour troops in large bodies with cannon 
 and baggage trains have been filing past our camp towards 
 the country. Some say they are going out to fight, but 
 there is precious little danger of that until we have a 
 change of generals. With all the bloody battles that have 
 been fought ten die in hospital to one on the field. The 
 death of our commander, Nelson, caused quite a sensation 
 here. 
 
 We get into line early every morning and stand till 
 daylight to prevent a surprise, but if the best information 
 I can get be true there is just now about as much danger in 
 Fairbury, 111., as there is in Louisville.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 83 
 
 STANFORD, KENTUCKY, Oct. 15, 1862. 
 We are now 100 miles south-west of Louisville, at the 
 tail end of Buel's army, which is after the rebel Bragg, 
 As I wrote you before, the rebels can outrun our folks, 
 and we are here in such force that they have no inclina- 
 tion to fight the main army. They pitched into one divis- 
 ion the other day and got so roughly handled that they 
 will let us alone for the present, still there is prospect 
 enough to keep up an excitement. We have orders to- 
 night to be ready to march at 3 o'clock in the morning. 
 We shall probably go on to Cumberland Gap and then 
 perhaps march back again, for I expect by that time the 
 rebels will be in our rear. 
 
 BOWLING GREEN, KY., Nov. 22, 1862. 
 No officer can get permission at this time to leave here. 
 Col. Smith has been trying to get leave to visit Illinois, 
 and failed, though he was so sick he would be unfit for duty 
 for a month. So you see what chance a well man has, 
 and if we should go home without a permit we would be 
 sent for as deserters and locked in irons. In the army 
 everything goes by rank and orders. If a man outranks 
 you though he may be a fool or a knave, or both, you 
 must treat him with respect, and when you get orders 
 from proper authorities, no matter how injudicious or bad 
 or cruel, as a soldier you must obey or take the conse- 
 quences.
 
 84 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 We tried a man the other day for desertion and theft 
 who had simply gone home to see his family and taken a 
 government horse and arms with him, and he is now in 
 jail awaiting his sentence for the terrible offense of going 
 to see his family for one day, or desertion. This to some 
 would seem like tyranny, and of course it is; most mili- 
 tary laws are despotic. There are 3,000 lying sick in this 
 hospital in every stage of disease, eight to ten dying daily. 
 Some officers are forming bad habits, getting drunk and 
 the like; I have no taste for this. Some are hearing from 
 home that their wives are sick or their children dying. 
 Some soldiers laugh over their troubles and joke about 
 them, others complain and make long faces. The first are 
 the best Christians; let us imitate them if possible, as our 
 troubles are for the most part but petty annoyances any- 
 how. 
 
 BUCKS LODGE, TENN., Dec. 28, 1862. 
 The secesh have taken possession of the mail route 
 somewhere up towards "America," and they may in the 
 hurry of camp life forget to forward you my last letter. 
 If they get this I will continue to write once or twice a week 
 until our " beloved brethren " let up on the railroad embargo. 
 It is rumored that the secesh have made an inroad into 
 Kentucky through the mountains. If this is true we may 
 have to take the back track towards Frankfort or Louis- 
 ville. We have not the least idea one day where we will
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 85 
 
 be the next, but this does not trouble us as much as at first, 
 for after a little experience we can pitch our tents and 
 have everything in good running order in an hour and a 
 half, and one accustomed, like your " worser " half, to take 
 the world as it goes, without grumbling, soon learns to put 
 up with the inconveniencies. I must stop here long 
 enough to go to church. The chaplain of another regi- 
 ment is preaching a few rods in front of our " rag house," 
 or in a more dignified phrase, "our head-quarters." They 
 often have meetings in camp, prayer-meetings evenings 
 and preaching on Sundays, when we are not marching or 
 happen to have urgent business, which is often the case. 
 There is so much noise, confusion, and disturbances of 
 various kinds that it makes the camp a hard place to hold 
 religious exercises, still it does me good to hear the good 
 old Methodist hymns that are not only suited to the emo- 
 tions of a grateful heart, but remind me of the pleasant 
 times in the past enjoyed in our own little village church. 
 
 BUCKS LODGE, TENN., March 24, 1863. 
 Col. Smith is quite sick again. Our regiment has mounted 
 a few men and they are making quite a stir about the 
 country here, bringing in rebels, horses, mules, slaves, 
 and contraband goods. The other day a passenger train 
 was taken by guerillas six miles above this place. They 
 put logs on the track, threw off the engine and two ex- 
 press cars, and fired into the train. Some of our boys
 
 86 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 got there in about fifteen minutes (they were camped two 
 miles from the wreck), and the chivalry ran without firing 
 a gun. These are the human beings that are praised by 
 all copperheads as brave and chivalrous. Our boys 
 wounded five of them, captured four men and four horses, 
 and killed one horse. The more I see of these people, de- 
 based by the ruinous system of slavery, the more I hate 
 the system. How any man who has any sense of decency 
 can support it surpasses my comprehension. It most cer- 
 tainly is the "sum of all villainies." A just God must and 
 will smite any nation that sustains such an infernal institu- 
 tion. It is a violation of every principle of justice, love, 
 and mercy. Most of the people here are badly deceived. 
 Ignorant, designing traitor leaders feed them with false- 
 hoods about Lincoln and the Yankees. Not more than one- 
 quarter of them in this country can write their own names. 
 
 HIGHLAND STATION, TENN., May 9, 1863. 
 We have been in a state of fearful apprehension about 
 the result of the battle on the Rappahannock. It seems 
 from last evening's news that our army is driven back on 
 the river with fearful loss. We hope for the best. 
 As to the trees, I took great pleasure in planting, taking 
 care and seeing them grow, thinking that in the future we 
 might live in their midst, eat their fruits, and enjoy their 
 shade; trees always seem to me to be a kind of friends, 
 and honest ones, always repaying those who love and care
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 87 
 
 for them, with fruit to eat, shade to protect from the burn- 
 ing rays of the summer sun, and shelter from the winds of 
 winter. No hypocrisy, no cheating, no discount, but pay- 
 ing for just what they receive, and I always did love their 
 beauty. They seem to be living witnesses of God's love 
 to us, are much like the human family, first a little shrub 
 that the foot of a child could crush and kill, next the 
 rapid growth, then the bloom and beauty of youth so sen- 
 sitive to kindly care or grievous wrong, becoming beautiful 
 and useful or ugly and worthless. Then comes the tree 
 in its prime, like man in the full vigor of middle age with 
 all of his powers fully developed. Then comes the season 
 of old age and decay. They tremble in weakness and de- 
 bility and finally lay themselves down, like an old man, 
 in death. 
 
 GALLATINE, Aug. 16, 1863. 
 
 Many still come in to take the oath, soldiers and citi- 
 zens. Some days the court-house is crowded with them, 
 and this is the case all over the South, that is of course the 
 part of it in possession of the Union army. This shows 
 they are losing all hopes, that in their opinion the rebel- 
 lion has failed and that for protection they must get under 
 the flag of Uncle Sam. It weakens the rebels as much 
 as a defeat on the field of battle, for most that take the oath 
 will to some extent support the Union cause, or at the 
 worst, will no longer aid the rebellion. So you see I think
 
 88 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 the golden days of peace are rapidly approaching, and our 
 land shall no longer be filled with the horrors of war. 
 
 NASHVILLE, Oct. 11, 1863. 
 
 Last Wednesday evening at 8 o'clock we were ordered 
 to proceed to the cars at once, prepared with 100 rounds 
 of ammunition and three days' rations, to go to Franklin, 
 twenty miles distant, and to Columbia, forty-five miles, five 
 companies to each place. We had to send down town for 
 rations, and to the penitentiary for one company on guard 
 there, and it was 11 P.M. when we got to the cars, and 
 another hour before we got under way. Started very 
 slowly and finally stopped altogether, before going two 
 miles, having found out we had too much load for the 
 little engine, and we had to send back for another one. 
 Got under way again at 3 A.M. Col. Harrison, who was 
 acting commander, ordered me to take command until we 
 reached Franklin, which I did. "We found this place to 
 be a very pleasant little city of 2,000 inhabitants; no rebels 
 came to take it, so the second day we were ordered to re- 
 turn to our old camp at Nashville, and here we are after 
 our short and bloodless campaign. 
 
 To-day I went down to listen to the ministrations of 
 Mr. Baldwin, the secesh D.D. He seemed more secesh 
 and less religious than before. He had received notice 
 that his church was to be used as a hospital for wounded 
 Union soldiers, and it probably disturbed the equanimity
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 89 
 
 of his Christian temper. The pulpit of the M. E. Church 
 South has been filled with the blindest and rankest of 
 traitors for long years. He gave notice at the commence- 
 ment of the service, and some of his congregation cast 
 glances, not very loving ones, at the soldier brethren 
 present.
 
 90 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 WM. B. ROBB, 
 Co. A, 26TH Mo. 
 
 NEAE MEMPHIS, TENN., Feb. 16, 1863. 
 
 Camp is always full of flying rumors, sensational news, 
 and "latest dispatches." The intelligent soldier who cares 
 for the interest of the nation and the progress of the war 
 wishes to have a summary or detailed account of the pro- 
 ceedings of congress, the decisions of the last cabinet meet- 
 ing, and the proceedings of the various state assemblies and 
 conventions of the nation. The volunteer is highly inter- 
 ested in these movements, and it does not detract from his 
 duty as a soldier to read and discuss these important mat- 
 ters that affect him as well as his neighbor at home. News 
 for some months has not been equal to quarter rations. 
 The dailies are brief, sensational, and very unsatisfactory 
 to one who has been wont to have his weekly newspaper. 
 If soldiers are allowed news at all, they should have a full 
 ration, and not, as has been the case, just enough to excite 
 and not satisfy them of what is being done. A weekly 
 summary is enough for the common soldier. 
 
 The secesh organs have been doing a deal of mischief by 
 their foul statements in creating a most mutinous spirit 
 among the soldiers, leading them to insubordination and 
 desertion. Month after month these infernal sheets have 
 been circulated through our camps, disseminating treason-
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 91 
 
 able doctrines, with which their columns are filled. Every 
 patriot must have rejoiced at the suppression of the Chicago- 
 Times and Philadelphia Journal. The latter paper I never 
 saw in our camp, but one such sheet as the Times was too- 
 much. The soldiers who bought and read it had a per- 
 fect contempt for the miserable tool of an editor who pre- 
 sided over that faithful sheet to Jeff Davis and his nest of 
 pirates. The Cincinnati Enquirer was another dirty tool 
 for the rebel sympathizers and traitors of the North. 
 
 Not long ago our pickets took in some prisoners, and 
 while escorting them to head-quarters asked them on what 
 they based their hopes of success. One of them replied: 
 "Why, according to your own papers the North will soon 
 be divided and you cannot raise any more men, then we 
 will be recognized and gain our independence." He was- 
 asked in what papers he found these statements. He an- 
 swered, "Chicago Times, Cincinnati Enquirer, and the St. 
 Louis Republican" It is needless to add he was corrected 
 and informed that these papers were not representatives of 
 public opinion. 
 
 The incessant rains prevent any movements at present 
 by land. We have pontoons placed around our camp and 
 can have dress parade, and go to the sutlers. 
 
 VICKSBURG, Miss., Aug. 1, 1863. 
 FRIEND KITCHELL The 3d brigade, 7th division, 17th 
 Army Corps, played their part in the memorable siege of this
 
 92 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 city until the 23d of June, when the approach of Johnson 
 made it necessary to pay attention to his movements in our 
 rear. A brigade from each division was withdrawn from the 
 entrenchments and sent out to Black river. The 3d brigade, 
 composed of the 26th Mo., 5th Iowa, 93d 111., and 10th 
 Iowa, under command of Gen. Mathias, made a rapid march 
 of twenty-five miles in nearly as many hours. We arrived 
 in the vicinity of a cavalry skirmish and halted, waiting for 
 further demonstrations from the enemy. We waited for 
 several days but no further show of fight, the enemy hav- 
 ing fallen back. We changed our position and began to 
 fortify, expecting some fine morning Johnson would be 
 upon us like a million of wildcats, and " raise the siege of 
 Vicksburg." Our forts were built and rifle pits dug ready 
 for a furious battle, when lo ! terms of capitulation were 
 made for the surrender of Vicksburg. It was surprising 
 to some, while others " expected it." On the 4th of July 
 at noon, an order announcing the surrender of the city and 
 garrison was read to the troops, who received it with 
 deafening cheers and huzzas for Gen. Grant. Everybody 
 felt relieved. Immediately after the capture of Vicksburg 
 Grant sent out heavy columns after Johnston, who it seems 
 got wind of the surrender and fell back to Jackson to make 
 a stand against our forces, but he made a hasty retreat be- 
 yond Pearl river to the other side of Dixie. On the 15th 
 of July our brigade marched to Jackson, but had not more 
 than chosen our camp ground when we were ordered to
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 93 
 
 march back at once without even supper, loading our guns, 
 for some cavalry were reported skulking in our way. We 
 arrived at Clinton by 11 o'clock P.M. and lay down to 
 rest on a grassy knoll near the town. At 3 A.M. the 
 alarm was given, camp aroused, line of battle formed, and 
 the enemy awaited; half an hour passed by and we lay 
 down once more to mend our broken sleep. By early 
 dawn the men were roused up to get breakfast as soon as 
 possible, but before it was half ready the order to " fall in 
 quick" was given and obeyed. The regiment was deployed 
 about town and skirmishers sent out. The citizens were 
 all up, and the deepest anxiety marked their unusual long 
 faces. Some tried to get out of town but were promptly 
 prevented. The firing of the skirmishers began and could 
 be seen only a half mile from town. The secesh women 
 became very much alarmed and hoped we would not fight 
 in town, two old maids came to us frantic with terror and 
 begged for protection. We told them we would hold the 
 town, and if anybody was hurt it would be the fault of 
 their rebel friends for attacking us there. The firing went 
 on, while the boys tried to finish their breakfast. Two or 
 three hours thus passed away and the enemy disappeared. 
 Of the condition of Vicksburg at the time of its sur- 
 render not much can be said of its sanitary arrangements. 
 The stench of decayed animals killed by our shells, and 
 the natural filthy condition of the rebels in camp (I have 
 seen a good many of their camps, and never a one but was
 
 94 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 pregnant with filth and stench), made it almost intolerable 
 to live there after the surrender. 
 
 Our men are busy cleaning out the streets, alleys, houses, 
 etc., that are in a horrible state of foulness. The rebels 
 seem to be strangers to cleanliness. The activity of our 
 artillery in shelling the city may have had something to do 
 with it. The ravines are filled with skeletons of horses, 
 cows, and mules killed by our shells. The town is not 
 damaged much, but many buildings show the marks of 
 shot. It is quite a curiosity to go around the city and 
 environs and see the numerous holes in which the rebels 
 lived during the siege, and it is astonishing how our 
 transports ran the blockade last spring in the face of such 
 guns as were planted to command the river. 
 
 One of the rebs. said : " We did not surrender to Gen. 
 Grant, but to Gen. Starvation." Another declared we 
 "had gained d d little in Vicksburg and its garrison." 
 They are down on Gen. Pemberton, and call him bad 
 names. Most of the men are tired of fighting. The 
 Missourians were severe on the treatment they received 
 in Mississippi. They will fight no more for the C. S. A. 
 
 A rebel captain asked some wenches if they would not 
 rather be with their masters. " No, sah ;" was the quick 
 reply. "How do you like the Yankees?" he asked. 
 " Fus' rate, da are perfec' ge'm'ns by de side ob yo' secesh. 
 We gits plenty to eat an' wear, an' pay besides." The 
 rebels rode off amid the titter of the bystanders. I saw
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 95 
 
 some soldiers of "African descent" the other day in town. 
 They looked well and were "pressing" all "gentlemen of 
 color" into the ranks at the point of the bayonet. If he 
 tries to get away they sing out : " Halt dar, can't come dat 
 ar game ober us." 
 
 The paroled men marched out in front of us on the 
 march to Jackson, which gave opportunity of contrasting 
 the troops of the two armies. The rebels were dejected, 
 care-worn, and spiritless. The pale, sunken cheeks, the 
 coarse, home-spun and " nigger jeans," which beggars de- 
 scription, covered with grease and dirt, was certainly a 
 sight to exhibit the reality of despair! Our boys well 
 shod and dressed in blue, with elastic step, sparkling eyes, 
 and ruddy faces, marched with glittering steel, and wore 
 an invincible air of never-to-be-conquered heroes, whose 
 fame dates from many a battle field. The rebels not only 
 saw the contrast, but felt the difference between C. 8. A. 
 and U. S. A.. 
 
 HUNTSVILLE, ALA., March, 1864. 
 If there is any poor, deluded, God-forsaken set of men 
 for whom the Union soldiers have a more supreme con- 
 tempt than the rebel hordes we have been battling so long, 
 it is the detestable, whining, self-condemned "peace" 
 croakers of the North, who are too cowardly to fight for 
 principle, honor, or their country. They will rather fol- 
 low the fag end of " Democracy " joined to the dirty linen
 
 96 FOOTFALLS OP LOYALTY. 
 
 of secession, and cry peace, compromise, and Southern rights, 
 till they all go bodily to the devil with his infernal crew. 
 We don't like to use harsh language even to our " erring 
 Southern brethera," but if nothing else will waken them 
 to a sense of true honor and manhood, why, let it rain fire 
 from heaven and scorch out the virus of treason from our 
 land. Fire is a great purifier, both moral and physical. 
 We find bullets better than ballots to decide the great dis- 
 pute between Union and dis-Union. There never was a 
 set of men more in earnest than those engaged in this war 
 for sustaining the constitution. The copperheads will not 
 be forgotten by us. I suppose they will not resist any 
 draft by force of arms, but they will induce men to leave 
 the country, and will influence the election to embarrass 
 the operations of government. Their actions are closely 
 watched by the soldiers ; and noted for future reference.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 97 
 
 FEOM THE ALEDO (ILL.) EECOED. 
 
 CAMP AT LOUDEN, EAST TENN., "I 
 March 1st, 1864. J 
 
 The 27th 111. V. I. received honorable mention for the 
 part we took in that greatest of all battles the world has 
 ever witnessed, the storming of Mission Ridge, by corres- 
 pondents who viewed the scene at "a distance which lent 
 enchantment to the view." None can know the terrible 
 grandeur of the scene except those who took a part in the 
 terrible conflict. We were ordered in line of battle and 
 under fire on the 23d of November, but after driving 
 back the rebel pickets a short distance and entrenching 
 ourselves we lay quiet spectators of the battle of Lookout 
 Mountain on the 24th. On the afternoon of the ever 
 memorable 25th of November the programme was changed. 
 Our line was slowly advanced a half mile nearer the moun- 
 tain ridge that encircled us. We could plainly see the 
 heads and glistening bayonets of the men in the long lines 
 of works at the foot, on the sides and crest of the ridge. 
 A short halt was ordered, and an occasional shell from 
 the enemy's batteries prompted us to lay closely to the 
 ground. At length the signal gun Fort Wood boomed 
 forth the intelligence that all was ready. "Forward!" 
 was the cry along the line, whose length was computed in 
 miles of living men. Double quick, with fixed bayonets, 
 8
 
 98 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 down a hill at first and across an open field, directing our 
 march towards some buildings at the top of Mission Ridge, 
 which had long been pointed out to us by deserters as 
 Bragg's head-quarters. Boom ! sounded our own artillery, 
 which was now unmasked in our rear, while terrible was 
 the thunder which opened in our front, sending screaming, 
 bursting shells among us, but we stopped not to listen. 
 Two miles in such a storm was a long march, but we 
 stopped not to consider. At length we were in musket 
 range of the first rifle pits, but we halted not as the minies 
 came rippling past our ears, but rather quickened our 
 speed as we crossed the open meadows and approached 
 their works. One or two terrified rebels showed their 
 gray backs and began scrambling up the hill, followed by 
 a few more, and then arose a shout and cheer from our 
 line of panting men, such as we never heard before. A 
 volley from our muskets cleared the first ditch of half the 
 rebels it contained, while the remaining half lay down in 
 the bottom of the ditches, and we 'jumped in on top of 
 them. We waited but a moment to load our pieces and 
 catch our breath, when "forward!" was again the order. 
 Up the hill and take the next line of works. All this 
 time the roar of battle was that of Belmont, Stone River, 
 and Chicamauga all combined, while grape, canister shot, 
 and shell were hailing down on us as I never saw it be- 
 fore. The next works were taken, then a part of a brigade 
 to our left gave way and left us exposed to a flanking fire.
 
 FOOTFALLS OP LOYALTY. 99 
 
 It was here that our company suffered the most. "We had 
 just reached the third line of the works when Lieut. Love 
 of our company was killed. He was a brave man. His 
 last words were: "Boys, all rise together and follow me." 
 As he raised to leap the ditch a ball passed through his 
 neck and he fell back lifeless upon me. Within a few 
 yards of this place Corporal Weber was killed, and Private 
 Mosby received a mortal wound. Sergt. Beach, Corporal 
 Schalich, and Privates Reasoner and Beach were wounded, 
 and Private Lally received a wound, which has since 
 proved fatal all brave men. 
 
 We reached the top of the ridge in just one hour from 
 the time of starting. The charge was finished not by 
 closed, neatly-dressed ranks, which looked so well in Har- 
 per's Illustrated, which are seldom seen in reality on the 
 battle field but by those who had the stoutest hearts, the 
 best lungs and legs taking the lead and concealing them- 
 selves behind every stump or stone that offered any pro- 
 tection until the crest was reached, and the rebel army 
 completely routed. The rebels continued to work their 
 artillery until we were within a few yards of the cannons' 
 mouth. They charged the guns heavily with grape and 
 canister, depressing the muzzles so as to strike the ground 
 a few feet distant and then rebounding to light among us. 
 It is hard to tell what regimental colors first reached the 
 upper works, but we know that ours were not far behind 
 any of them.
 
 100 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 No one who has not met his country's foes in mortal 
 combat can imagine our feelings at seeing the guns, yet 
 hot from dealing deadly fire on us, turned on a badly 
 routed enemy. 
 
 After a moonlight fight we followed the rebels to Chica- 
 mauga creek, six miles from Chattanooga, and picketed 
 the ground till the evening of the 26th, when we returned 
 to Chattanooga. 
 
 S. B. ATWATER, 
 Ord. Sergt. Co. G, 27th Itt. Vol. Inft.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 101 
 
 NATHANIEL FEOST, 
 Co. K, 4TH MINN. VOLS. 
 
 TO HIS FEIENDS. 
 
 CAMP CLEAR CKEEK, July 19, '62. 
 
 Your letter finds me rather limp. I have the jaundice 
 or some other yellow complaint. I have followed the doc- 
 tor's prescription as well as possible, but the drugs are a 
 little stronger than I can stand. I take boneset tea, and 
 think that is better than all the drugs. The army here is 
 not doing much but burying soldiers. In this God-for- 
 saken country they are dying off pretty fast, the climate, 
 drugs, and doctors killing about three to one killed by the 
 enemy. 
 
 I must confess that I am ashamed of Gen. Halleck's ac- 
 tion here at Corinth. I think if he had not been here 
 Beauregard would not have marched his army to Rich- 
 mond. Gen. Pope sent word to Halleck that he had 
 made all necessary arrangements and was ready to open the 
 ball, and would lead the attack with his division. Other 
 generals also notified him that they were ready, but he told 
 them to hold on, make all their moves very cautiously, and 
 not bring on a general engagement. This happened a week 
 before the evacuation. All this great army awaiting Hal- 
 leck's orders, while the rebels skedaddled. I begin to 
 think his sympathies are not entirely with the national 
 government.
 
 102 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 CAMP NEAR JACINTO Miss., 1 
 
 Sept. 11, '62. 
 
 We are one and one-half miles from Jacinto, a little 
 town pretty much deserted by its inhabitants. We expect 
 every day to go to Corinth. The rebel Gen. Price is 
 said to be within twenty-five miles of us with 30,000 or 
 40,000 men. 
 
 Our lines are so extended that we could not get more 
 than three or four regiments together at one point if we 
 were attacked. We have three and four companies on 
 guard all the time to provide against surprise. Our brig- 
 ade is in front, and our place is to act as rear guard. 
 Corinth is our concentrating point, there we can stand the 
 rebels a pretty good fight. Beauregard's fortifications may 
 be of some use to us yet. 
 
 I am sorry that Merrick fell into the hands of the 
 rebels. I am of the opinion that if they take me they, 
 will have to board me awhile before they get me to take 
 an oath not to fight them any more. 
 
 YICKSBURG, Miss., Sept. 2, 1863. 
 Our regiment reports but 100 men for duty. You 
 wished to know how Vicksburg looks. I know of but 
 one way for you to find out come and see as it is not an 
 easy place to describe. It is situated on very rough ground. 
 The town is laid out as regularly as the ground will per- 
 mit, and is large enough to hold 4,000 or 5,000 people.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 103 
 
 The inhabitants are mostly Irish, with a sprinkling of 
 Dutch and Jews. They are secessionists to the backbone. 
 There are a few of the old native slaveholders here. They 
 are generally very tall men, each with a nose long enough 
 for a plow beam (more or less). All come to Uncle Sam's 
 commissary department to get something to eat. Some of 
 them express their doubts of the confederacy's ability to 
 sustain itself much longer. There is a rumor going the 
 rounds of the papers that the rebel Gen. John C. Pember- 
 ton was shot and killed by one of his own men. I am 
 rather inclined to believe the report, for I heard more than 
 one of them say they would shoot him if they ever got a 
 chance. They said he would never have the privilege of 
 surrendering another city.
 
 104 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 J. A. ANNESS. 
 
 Co. K. 18TH IND. V. I. 
 
 TO HIS MOTHER. 
 
 "BREVITIES." 
 
 CAMP JESSIE, NEAR ST. Louis, Mo., "I 
 Aug. 19, 1861. / 
 
 I am to-day in camp near a large peach orchard, and in 
 a few hours we will go over and take a few of the peaches 
 in. Our camp is named after the wife of Gen. J. C. Fre- 
 mont, whose given name is Jessie. We go farther west to 
 Jefferson City, Mo., and there we may have a fight with 
 Jackson, the rebel governor of this state. 
 
 My love to brother, sister, and mother, also. 
 
 St. Louis is quite a city. 
 
 CAMP NEAR GEORGETOWN, Mo., 
 Sept. 30, 1861. 
 
 I was 18 years old on the 28th of this month, and marched 
 all day from Boonville, Mo. I am off in a few hours for 
 a scout 
 
 IN HOSPITAL AT ORTERVILLE, Mo., 1 
 Oct. 10, 1861. J 
 
 I am sick with measles. We are to be moved to St. 
 Louis in a day or two. Can't write much now, will write 
 when we get to the city.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 105 
 
 FOURTH ST. HOSPITAL, ST. Louis, 
 Oct. 17, '61. 
 
 I am now feeling better. I received a letter from you 
 a few days ago; was glad to hear from home. I will take 
 your advice and be a good soldier and shun all bad habits. 
 
 NEAR ORTERVILLE, Mo., ) 
 IN CAMP, Nov. 30, '61. J 
 
 I am back from the hospital but am getting sick again ; 
 my head aches and I can't write now. 
 
 Dec. 8, '61. 
 
 I am out on the prairie in a tent all alone. Have got 
 the small-pox. Dr. Bigney came out to see me to-day and 
 told me not to write home, but I thought I might go to 
 the happy hunting grounds, so concluded to disobey orders. 
 An old nigger who passed by told me to tie the letter to a 
 piece of wood and throw it over the fence and he would 
 take it to the post-office. 
 
 Dec. 20. 
 
 Came to camp this morning and found my favorite com- 
 rade, Albert Luther, gone to the woods in a tent with small- 
 pox. I shall go and take care of him. 
 
 SMALL-POX HOSPITAL, Two MILES SOUTH "I 
 OF ORTERVILLE, Dec. 22, '61. j 
 
 I came here last night with Albert Luther. He is now 
 oast seeing, and looks fearful bad ; says he knows he will
 
 106 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 die. I tell him he will live to be old if he does not die 
 sometime. I will send this when I get a chance. 
 
 GRAND GULF, Miss., May 13, 1863. 
 I was wounded on the 1st day of this month, at Port 
 Gibson, Miss., in my right leg, with minie ball, which 
 broke the long bone below the knee. I am mad to think 
 I must lie on my back when there is so much to do. An 
 old negro is waiting on me and I pay him one dollar a day 
 out of my own pocket. 
 
 MARINE HOSPITAL, EVANSVILLE, IND., 1 
 June 11, 1863. / 
 
 I got here to-day. Will get home as soon as I can stand 
 it to travel on the cars with my leg. We came by water 
 from Grand Gulf all but crossing from below Vicksburg 
 up to Young's Point. 
 
 IN TEXAS, Feb. 2, 1864. 
 
 Got here 30th Jan., and re-enlisted for three years more. 
 Will be home on veteran furlough sometime this spring. 
 
 WASHINGTON, D. C., July 20, '64. 
 We go to Bermuda Hundred or Deep Bottom, "Va. 
 Start to-night. 
 
 BERMUDA HUNDRED, VA., Aug. 2, '64. 
 We are now fighting day and night. No time to write.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 107 
 
 WASHINGTON, D. C., Aug. 13, '64. 
 We returned from Va. by the way of James river and 
 Chesapeake Bay. We start to-morrow for the Shenandoah 
 Valley. 
 
 CEDAR CREEK, VA., Oct. 21, '64. 
 We have had some hard fought battles since we came to 
 to th is valley, over two months ago. Fought at Winchester, 
 Sept. 19; at Fisher's Hill the 20th and 21st of Sept., and 
 have been up the valley as far as Mount Crawford, and it 
 is fight, fight. We had a fearful battle at Cedar Creek two 
 days ago.
 
 108 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 FUGITIVE LETTERS TO COMRADES, HOME, 
 AND FRIENDS. 
 
 FRED NEHRING, 
 
 
 
 2o LIEUT. Co. A, SD Mo. 
 
 ST. Louis ARSENAL, April 25, 1861. 
 Louis Wollschlager: 
 
 MY DEAR FRIEND Here I am under arms; times 
 are dreadful. The city is divided between Union men 
 and rebels; both flags the stars and stripes and the 
 stars and bars are waving over St. Louis. I am cer- 
 tain we will have to fight here, for the rebels are trying 
 their very best to push Missouri out of the Union into 
 the Southern Confederacy ; however, we are up to their 
 tricks. Capt. Lyons (afterwards general) has kept this 
 place with four companies of regulars, until these newly 
 organized regiments joined him. 
 
 The minute men, a secret rebel organization, cannot take 
 this place again. It was said they were going to attack us 
 last night, 1,500 strong, thus we were kept under arms all 
 night; no one troubled us. Having now 2,300 fighting 
 men in here, we are competent to repulse any rebel force 
 that might approach the walls from any direction, either 
 east, west, south, or north. The ground of the arsenal 
 covers about three acres, being walled in by sandstone
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 100 
 
 walls eight feet high and three feet thick, only two gates 
 leading into it, one being north, on 4th street, the other 
 south, near the river. There are nearly 20,000 rifles and 
 rifled muskets stacked away in these government buildings 
 (these arms are of the latest pattern), about 30 cannon, 12 
 of which are field pieces, and a few howitzers, the balance 
 being Mexican guns of small caliber, trophies of the last 
 war, fit only to defend fortifications with. 
 
 I belong to Eifle Co. A, 3d Regt, Mo. Y. I. ; you had 
 better come and join us, being just the kind of weapons 
 you like, and as a good shot and passionate hunter, you 
 may have a chance to do good service for the Union. 
 
 The question nowadays is either pro or con no one 
 can be neutral. I hope to God this war may not last so 
 long, notwithstanding the government is calling for three 
 years volunteers; this looks mighty blue. Think I will 
 serve my term of three months first, and re-enlist after- 
 wards. If you want to enlist go to head-quarters in Rue- 
 dis Garden; the recruiting officer will give you a pass,, 
 which you will have to show at the gate to get in. Don't 
 forget to buckle your revolver around your waist, for it i& 
 not safe to walk the streets. These scoundrels of police- 
 men are arresting any one who carries concealed weapons. 
 However, as long as you " show up," they will let you 
 alone, and the roughs won't tackle you. Did you hear of 
 the trick that Lyons played on the rebs? Every night he 
 marched out his handful of regulars secretly to Jefferson
 
 110 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 Barracks, and in the morning he marched them back again 
 to the arsenal to the music of fife and drums. The rebels 
 thought he was receiving re-inforcements every day. I 
 wish with all my heart the Union had more officers like 
 him. We would soon bring these proud Southerners to 
 terms. Your Friend. 
 
 CAMP PROCLAMATION, NEAR WOODVILLE, ALA., \ 
 
 January 24, 1864. J 
 
 MY DEAR Louis In order that you may not forget 
 me, I am sending you these few lines concerning our ex- 
 periences and hardships. We left luka, Tenn., Oct. 18, 
 1863, to catch some rebels, about 3,000 or 4,000 strong ; 
 their intention was to fortify themselves in Tuscumbia. 
 We had good success, although we could not annihilate 
 them entirely. We gave them a lively battle and scattered 
 them in every direction. Another lot tried to flank us 
 four miles distant, but was discovered in time, and we gave 
 them such a hot reception they ran off. From there we 
 went to Chattanooga ; arrived the day before the battle. I 
 was promoted to 2d Lieut, at Chickasaw, Ala. I had a 
 chance to see the storming of Lookout Mountain. I never 
 shall forget these scenes, and will tell you all the particulars 
 as soon as we meet again ; a lively conversation is better 
 than the scratching of a pen. The re-enlistment of our 
 regiment went off quietly, so it did with the 12th and 17th 
 Mo. I heard that all the men of the 76th 111. re-enlisted.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. Ill 
 
 Several of our officers are going to St. Louis to bring con- 
 scripts to fill the ranks of the veterans, but I believe these 
 are only rumors. I think the war will come to an end 
 this fall, for the rebel troops are completly demoralized. 
 However, night before last they captured the pickets of 
 our 2d brigade, and last night they ran off the mules of our 
 division that were in a pasture four miles from here. 
 Many greetings are sent you from the whole company.
 
 112 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 LEVI E. POND, 
 CAPT. Co. E, TTH WK. Y. L 
 
 CAMP RANDALL, 1 
 
 MADISON, Wis., Aug 18, 1861. / 
 
 DEAR PARENTS AND SISTER MARIA To-day we have 
 renewed the pledge of our services, our honor, and our 
 lives, to our country, by swearing into the U. S. service 
 for three years. Some of my home friends thought it was 
 not my duty, under the circumstances, to enlist, as my 
 presence and aid were so necessary to you. You may be 
 sure it was as hard for me to leave you to go into an en- 
 emy's land, not knowing if I ever should see you again, as 
 it was for you to make up your minds to give me up. I 
 am now bound bv the laws of our country, and mv con- 
 
 d * 7 J 
 
 science tells me I have done right to fight her would-be 
 destroyers. I am not we are not fighting for ourselves 
 alone, nor for the present generation, but for the future gen- 
 erations in all coming time; not for the North or the union 
 of states alone, but for the whole world, as the world will 
 be affected by the result of this struggle for national exist- 
 ence. I think the end will justify the sacrifice of bloodshed 
 and treasure, and meet the expectations of the most ardent 
 lovers of free government. I am satisfied that should I 
 not lend a helping hand in this cause, I should ever after 
 feel wrong, and you, dear kindred, ought to be willing to
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 113 
 
 make some sacrifice. Death is not such a terrible monster 
 when looked upon rightly, for if we determine to do all 
 we can to ameliorate the condition of man, to do our whole 
 duty as it is made known to us, and go, regardless of con- 
 sequences, wherever it may lead us, I believe we can ap- 
 proach the so-called " king of terrors " without a shudder. 
 The present state of our country demands that all personal 
 and selfish considerations should be laid aside, and that we 
 look to the interests of the many. Should it be my fate 
 to fall upon the battle field, you should feel that you had 
 done something towards sustaining the right, and be con- 
 soled by the thought that death is only a temporary sepa- 
 ration, and that finally, we shall meet where cruel war has 
 no power to divide families and friends. Remember we 
 shall, sooner or later, according to the natural course of 
 events, be separated and if by doing what we regard to be 
 our duty the parting comes sooner, we should say, Amen. 
 But it is not certain that I shall be killed, nor is it certain 
 that I should live had I stayed at home. I shall be very 
 careful not to throw away my life, taking the chances of 
 war as duty dictates, and as good care of my health as 
 circumstances will permit. Be of good cheer. 
 
 Affectionately yours.
 
 114 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 JOSHUA PECKHAM. 
 Co. F, 3c Wis. V. I. 
 
 TO HIS WIFE. 
 
 CLAYTON, Oct. 28, 1864. 
 
 Perry and I have had a long talk on everything, includ- 
 ing politics, the state of the country, Abe, Me., and the 
 copperheads. He says the army he is with will vote eight 
 out of ten for Abe. To ray great surprise I found him 
 stout for Lincoln and down on copperheads. I am writ- 
 ing to you on my knapsack by the light of a camp fire. 
 The soldiers are singing "Just Before the Battle, Mother." 
 The tune is a mournful one, and just suits our feelings. 
 It is 'splendid ! 
 
 DALTON, GA., Nov. 23, 1864. 
 
 The soldiers have this town nearly torn down, and the 
 work goes bravely on. We want boards to fix up our 
 tents, so we go to any house that has no family in it, pry 
 the boards off, the floor up, cut the joists and studdings 
 out, the posts off and down it comes, pull it to pieces, and 
 carry it off like so many ants. Don't understand me that 
 we tear a house down and all to pieces first, then carry it 
 off, that is not the way. One gets a board and starts, an- 
 other gets a piece and starts. If the rebels ever get back 
 here they will think the Yankees are akin to his satanic 
 majesty, the devil.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 115 
 
 IN CAMP NEAR THE KAILROAD \ 
 NORTH OF DECATUR, Jan. 10, 1865. J 
 
 I will give you one day's experience. Night before 
 last we got into camp just after dark, got our supper, put 
 up tents, had fires going. Soon came the order to put the 
 fires out, pack tents, and fall in (to "fall in" is to get 
 on our traps and guns and get up in line ready to go), but 
 were not ordered off". Then one at a time we crept off in 
 squads and laid down. Soon we were ordered up again, 
 and soon laid down again, six or eight times before three 
 o'clock, then we got started. Being very dark and muddy, 
 made it hard walking. We kept on until daylight, then 
 stopped and got our " eat," then started, went two or three 
 miles, stopped, then it began to rain, and kept on raining till 
 dark. We went, stopped, started, sat down, went, stopped, 
 and started, etc., but still it rained. We got into camp, 
 drew rations, ate our " eat," stood by the fire, finally laid 
 down in the mud. How would you like to be a soldier? 
 
 NASHVILLE, Dec. 9, 1864. 
 
 I am cold, sick, and hungry. I don't know but what 
 I am homesick. One thing sure, I am sick of this kind 
 of a home. When you are in the house by the stove, 
 warm and comfortable, and the north wind blows cold, 
 think of us camped outdoors on the ground between two 
 sheets, shivering before a bit of fire in front of our tents, 
 that warms us a little and smokes us a good deal more.
 
 116 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 You can't know what a poor, miserable, hard time soldiers 
 have in cold weather. Just fancy that you see six or 
 eight men there in our door yard all day long, humping 
 up, shivering, crowding around a fire made with a few 
 sticks of wood on the ground, then sleeping in a tent made 
 of cotton sheets, with hard-tack, meat, and coffee to live 
 on. In fact, I never thought of any hardships of soldier 
 life but the fighting. 
 
 NEAR WASHINGTON, May 30, 1865. 
 This is a fine morning. I cannot tell when we shall start 
 for home. The time will come, if not before the first of 
 October. I will tell you something now that I have al- 
 ways kept from you, knowing that it would make you feel 
 bad, and if I had told you at the time you would have 
 despaired. It is this: When I sat down to the table the 
 last morning something said to me: "This is the last time 
 you will eat at home." It started the tears, it made such 
 an impression on me, but I feel confident now that I will 
 be at home once more.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 117 
 
 JOHN A. HALLETT, 
 79TH IND. V. I. 
 
 IN CAMP, GA., April 12, 1864. 
 
 DEAR BROTHER They wrote me from home that you 
 had enlisted. I am very sorry that you did not take my 
 advice and stay at home with mother, for, as I have often 
 told you, they want men in the army, not boys. But as 
 you are already in 'tis too late to take my advice. Let 
 me give you a little warning now in time. You will 
 see in the army things and actions that you never knew 
 of before all kinds of vices that you never heard of for 
 the army is made up of all kinds of people, and I am 
 sorry to say that some of the good forget who they are 
 when they get among the bad. But though you see vices 
 going on all around you you need not indulge in them. I 
 have now been in the army eighteen months, and I have 
 never once used profane language, played a game of cards, 
 or tasted any kind of intoxicating liquors, yet all these 
 have been in daily use among my associates.
 
 118 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 H C. STIEGELMAN, 
 BIDDEL'S RIFLE REGT. 
 
 CAMP MASON AND DIXON'S LINE, 1 
 July 1, 1861. j 
 
 DEAR BROTHER We have hard fare at present. Yes- 
 terday several accompanied marches, not " right, left," but 
 " no bread, no bread." We have to live on rice, beans, and 
 some few bad potatoes. This country is a poor one. Baker 
 walked six miles yesterday to buy bread of farmers but did 
 not get any. Col. Wallace, of the Indiana zouaves, was 
 in camp yesterday with twenty of his men; they had a 
 skirmish last week ; thirteen of them drove back fifty-five 
 of the enemy, killed eighteen, and got a lot of horses, etc^ 
 One zouave was killed and one wounded. 
 
 CAMP CAYAGUA, NEAR HYATTSTOWN, MD., 1 
 
 Aug. 25, 1861. J 
 
 Our column is moving towards the capital. Last Thurs- 
 day the 19th N. Y. Rgt. stacked their arms and refused 
 to do any more duty. They say their time is out (three 
 months), but their Col., Clark, says they must serve two 
 years. They raised a row. Our regiment was ordered to 
 load and disperse them. When we got there they took their 
 arms again, excepting 200, which we arrested and brought 
 into our camp where they are at present with a strong guard 
 around them. They will soon be taken to Washington, 
 and our cojnpany is, I believe, to go with them, as we were 
 the first on the ground to arrest them.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 119 
 
 As we camealong the last day's march, three of our men got 
 poisoned by going into houses for something to eat. They all 
 got well, but some of the 5th Conn, troops died ; they came in 
 our rear the same day. There are plenty of secesh in this 
 country. On Friday four very well dressed ladies came 
 from the village to see us on dress parade; one of them 
 asked one of our sergeants if we were practicing the Bull's 
 Run retreat. He did not have the chance to give her the 
 answer she deserved as the column was moving away. 
 
 RAPPAHANNOCK STATION, VA., Aug. 13, '63. 
 
 If I were in your place I would stay out of the army. 
 If you had a few such trips as we had to Gettysburg and 
 to this place, you would be glad to stay out of it. I thought 
 I saw hard trips before, but they were nothing to the last 
 one; thirty-six days without stopping more than a half 
 day in one place except at battle, and made from 10 to 25 
 miles a day. 
 
 This morning we had a heavy gust of wind at daylight. 
 We put up a shade and bower the whole length of the com- 
 pany. The rain made the ground soft, and down come the 
 whole business, mashing all our tents. Besides getting hit 
 and scratched by rails and cedar limbs, we got wet clear 
 through, as did all of our belongings. Such is the luck and 
 life of a soldier. 
 
 SAME CAMP, Aug. 16, 1863. 
 
 The New York Herald correspondents write how we are 
 treated, etc. That the drafted men are made to strip and
 
 120 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 drill for hours in the sun, naked, and drill in the rain. 
 Now this is all a d n lie, and just got up to poison the 
 minds of the ignorant at home and in New York where 
 the draft is not all over yet. I think Seymour and a lot 
 of them ought to be hung or done something with. The 
 time has come when tampering with the government should 
 be dispensed with ; we have too much of it in the North. 
 Southern soldiers, our prisoner?, make fun of us for allow- 
 ing such conduct, and say that they would net let men live 
 iu the South that opposed them as our men do our cause. 
 All this is true, and we feel ashamed of the way things are 
 let run in the North. If the people there felt as the sol- 
 diers do there would be short work made. 
 
 BRISTOE STATION, VA., Mar. 7, 1864. 
 
 The great raid last week by Gens. Custer and Kilpatrick 
 did not meet our anticipations. We have orders to be 
 ready to move again, but this is customary on such occasions. 
 
 The veteran fever has subsided and all have gone on fur- 
 lough; the last left Sunday. I am afraid that the grade 
 of lieutenant general will fix matters so thatMeade will be 
 superseded by Halleck. Gen. Meade is the only man for 
 the army, though Gen. Grant may make great changes in 
 the whole army. I think congress had better attend to 
 more important business than conferring grade on officers. 
 As Grant is not yet through with the job, he might turn 
 out like the great soap bubble, McClellan, did. .
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 121 
 
 
 
 J. H. DAWSON, 
 Co. H, 40TH IND. V. I. 
 
 CAMP MATTISON, PADUCAH, KY., \ 
 May 2, 1863. J 
 
 DEAR BROTHER, AND ALL THE REST I have had com- 
 mand of the company for the last six weeks and it keeps me 
 me dodging all the while. Times about camp have been 
 rather exciting for a day or two; there has been some talk 
 of the butternuts attacking us. If they do, " woe be unto 
 them." 
 
 The 30th of April was fast day, and the provost marshal 
 closed all the stores, shops, and groceries on that day. It 
 made the secesh awful mad. That evening about dark, 
 the rebs commenced sending up rockets and blue lights, a 
 signal for something. We doubled the guard and put out 
 a heavy scout, but it is all quiet now. The double guard 
 and patrol are still out. 
 
 Yesterday two gunboats came down from the Tennessee. 
 One was loaded with Union families running away from 
 the rebels, and the other was loaded with genuine but- 
 ternuts, right out of old Bragg's army. They will do to 
 worship, for I do not believe there is anything in heaven, 
 on earth, or in the "sulphur regions" that is like them, 
 great long-legged, slab-sided, long-haired, long-nosed, white- 
 eyed, lantern-jawed devils, with their butternut clothes on, 
 they look as though clean clothing and a good washing 
 would kill them.
 
 122 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 LOWRY O. WESTCOTT. 
 Co. H. 22o Wis. V. I. 
 
 TO HIS PARENTS. 
 
 LEXINGTON, KY., Oct. 30, 1862. 
 
 There is no rebel array in this part of the state. The rebel 
 General Morgan was here a few weeks ago, but he left with 
 all his men; took a good supply of provisions and got out 
 of the state with but little trouble, Buell being somewhat 
 a rebel and in command ; he has since been superseded by 
 Rosecrans. 
 
 Some negroes came to our ranks and Col. Utley would 
 not give them up to their masters, although he was ordered 
 by General Gilmore to do so. Our Colonel's refusal made 
 the General mad, and he said he had as soon have the devil 
 in his brigade as the 22d Wis., so we have been transported 
 to another brigade and are not sorry. 
 
 CAMP, NEAR FRANKLIN, 
 March 8, 1863. 
 
 Franklin is seventeen miles from Nashville ; we arrived 
 here the 2d of this month, and early the morning of the 
 4th we crossed Stone river, which runs through this place, 
 and marched out on the Lebanon pike, when we came in 
 contact with a small rebel force. Our men were immedi- 
 ately drawn up in line of battle, our battery put in play. 
 The rebels fired two or three shells pretty close to our battery,
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 12,7 
 
 but did no harm. One of our guns disabled one of theirs;, 
 another ball killed one of their horses. The rebels were 
 soon under full retreat. We advanced, and found we had 
 killed fourteen of their men, while they had killed none 
 for us. We camped near where they had their battery. 
 Our forces were composed of the 33d and 85th Ind., 19th 
 Mich., and 22d Wis., our battery of six guns, 500 cavalry. 
 On the morning of the 5th we were re-inforced by one 
 regiment of infantry, and forward marched, our regiment 
 in advance. We had not gone more than four miles when 
 our skirmishers began to fire. We kept on until the rebels 
 threw a large shell into our cavalry, which made them re- 
 treat in confusion until they reached .our regiment. Soon 
 there came a ball over our heads, hitting the fence and 
 throwing the rails in every direction. We formed a line 
 of battle across the field, and advanced on the enemy; our 
 battery was placed on a high hill, and did good execution, 
 but the rebels placed a battery so they could rake the whole 
 of our lines, and in a short time they had guns pointing on 
 .us from four different directions. The ammunition for 
 our battery now gave out, then musketry commenced. The 
 rebels came in by hundreds. We stood our grounds for 
 awhile, but they outflanked us, and our retreat was almost 
 cut off. Our regiment was ordered to retreat, to give the 
 battery chance to fall back to town. Our Lieut. Col. took 
 one hundred and three men and came back to town with 
 the battery, while the rest of us stayed and held our
 
 124 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 ground until the enemy was so thick that we saw fighting 
 any longer was of no use. The rebs had outflanked us, 
 had their lines clear around us, excepting about forty rods 
 between two hills. The Col. told us we had fought well, 
 and he thought we would be taken prisoners, but those 
 who wished to make a trial to escape could do so. Fifty 
 of us started, leaving our colonel and comrades on the 
 field. We traveled some fifteen miles over rough roads, 
 and at eight o'clock at night we reached Franklin, sound 
 and well. Two of our little party gave out, and we left 
 them a couple of miles from town. I saw some of our 
 boys fall on the field, but do not know how many were 
 killed. Two companies of our regiment were left to guard 
 a bridge between here and Nashville, and were not in the 
 fight. Our regiment lost, killed, wounded, and prisoners, 
 two hundred. Joseph Wright, my messmate, was taken 
 prisoner. 
 
 STONE RIVER BRIDGE, TESTN., Dec. 27, '63. 
 Deserters are coming in from Bragg's army every day. 
 They say the rebs are about played out; one of them, a 
 rebel deserter, was looking at one of our guns a short time 
 since, and said to the gunner, "You will not need that 
 gun." The gunner asked, "Why not?" "Why," said 
 he, ' you Yanks are getting the rebs in so small a spot, 
 that if you shoot that gun at them the ball will go across 
 their narrow tract of land and kill your own men on the
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 125 
 
 other side." This is pretty near the truth. We have 
 a large army in every state; the rebels are hemmed in on 
 every side, and I think they will be glad to say enough^ 
 before long. Still, the guerillas are doing some very cruel 
 work yet. Two boys of our regiment were detailed to go- 
 in the 9th Ohio Battery; they were thirty miles from here, 
 at Tulahoma. One day last week they were out on a for- 
 age expedition with a lieutenant and two other privates. 
 All five were taken by a band of guerillas and marched 
 some thirty miles to a large river; then their hands were 
 tied behind them and they were thrown from a high bridge 
 into the water. The two from our regiment and the lieu- 
 tenant were drowned, the other two swam ashore and went 
 back to Tullahoma. One of the men was from our com- 
 pany, and had a wife and family in Wisconsin. His name 
 was Drout. 
 
 NASHVILLE, TENN., HOSPITAL No. 1, \ 
 June 22, 1864. f 
 
 The boys of our regiment were in the best of spirits when 
 I last saw them, although they had just buried some of their 
 best comrades. I think we have a noble army in front r 
 one that can be depended on, that will shrink from nothing. 
 I believe the men are more determined on success than 
 they ever were before. While our army is in the highest 
 of glee, the rebel army seems to be very desponding. I 
 have talked with a great many rebs. that were prisoners.
 
 126 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 and I have asked them if they expected to whip us. Every 
 one would say, " No, we don't expect to whip you." When 
 I would ask, "What induces you to fight, then?" some 
 would reply, " We are obliged to fight." Others would 
 say, " We are in hopes we can hold out until you are tired 
 of war, and let us have our southern territory to ourselves." 
 I talked with a rebel sergeant, who said the Union officers 
 showed no generalship when we drove them out of Buz- 
 zard's Roost, Dalton, and Resaca. I asked why they did 
 not; I thought they showed enough to drive you. "Well," 
 he replied, "they did not drive us by coming up in our 
 front; but they outflanked us and came in our rear, they 
 came in on all sides, and we were obliged to retreat." I 
 said, "I think our officers showed good generalship in 
 driving you out of your stronghold by flanking, and not 
 by losing lives," but the reb. couldn't see it that way. 
 
 NASHVILLE, Dec. 25, 1864. 
 
 Since I wrote to you last there has been a great change 
 in the army of Tennessee. Then the rebel army was within 
 two miles of this city, on the south side, strongly en- 
 trenched. Where is it now ? In the southern part of the 
 state, going south as fast as possible. On the 17th and 
 18th of this mouth a hard battle was fought in sight of the 
 hospital, and our boys drove the rebs. at every point. That 
 large army commanded by Hood has lost 20,000 men and 
 75 cannon within the last three weeks, and now what is
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 127 
 
 left of them are leaving the state as fast as possible, per- 
 fectly satisfied that the Yanks, have given them a sound 
 whipping, and they have found by experience that they 
 cannot take Nashville. Now I have no doubt that Hood 
 " has got Thomas just where he wants him." This is what 
 the Southern papers will say, at least. 
 
 I am at work in the low diet kitchen, but am feeding 
 rebs. instead of Union soldiers. All of our boys that were 
 in this building have been moved into another hospital, 
 and wounded rebels have taken their place. I am going to 
 try and feed them as well as they fed me when I was in 
 their hands a prisoner. Think I can do it right up to the 
 scratch. We have two generals, five colonels, and quite a 
 number of subordinate officers in this building. 
 
 IN CAMP NEAR SE'DALIA, Mo., \ 
 Sept. 11, 1862. / 
 
 FATHER PEARSON Our regiment, or what is left of it, 
 with the exception of one company stationed at Leaven- 
 worth, has been here since Aug. 24. This is the starting 
 point for all the troops destined for the south-west. We are 
 here partly to recruit and to obtain a fresh supply of horses, 
 our regiment having been badly cut up. When we left Boon- 
 ville in the spring it was the largest in the state, numbering 
 1,200, but from the hard service we have seen we have be- 
 come sadly reduced, both in men and horses. Two com- 
 panies were lost entirely at the surrender of Independence,
 
 128 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 and some companies have been reduced to less than 40 men. 
 From all indications I think we are to join the main army 
 of Missouri that is concentrating at Springfield. 
 
 Quantrill is reported in the vicinity of Warrensburg, 40 
 miles distant, with a force of 1,000 men. A detachment 
 from this post was sent out yesterday, all the men and 
 serviceable horses that could be spared from our regiment 
 going. 
 
 If all the accounts we receive of the battles fought dur- 
 ing this war is as incorrect as those given of Lone Jack, 
 there is no more faith to be placed in newspaper reports. 
 It seems to be an easy matter for some officers to make an 
 exaggerated report of how they or some particular friend 
 distinguished themselves in battle, when, if the facts were 
 known, they were safely out of harm's way, perhaps not 
 seen by their men during the whole fight. I could mention 
 instances of this kind that occurred at Lone Jack. This 
 much I will say, there has been no harder fighting in this 
 state, and none that has resulted in so great a loss in killed 
 and wounded in comparison to the number engaged. There 
 was very bad generalship displayed from the first. Our 
 men were led into a pen like so many sheep to the slaughter, 
 a hedge on one side and cornfield on the other, and being 
 attacked on three sides at the same time and by such a 
 superior force, it is a wonder that any escaped. During 
 half the engagement there was not an officer to be seen ex- 
 cept one or two lieutenants. The men were mostly led OQ
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 129 
 
 by non-commissioned officers, and many squads were seen 
 fighting without any commander whatever. Getting out 
 of ammunition, we were obliged to retreat leaving our dead 
 and wounded on the field, but the fire of the enemy had 
 been silenced for half an hour. 
 
 Affairs are looking rather gloomy at present, and judg- 
 ing from the past we may hope for no success until there 
 shall be less jealousy and strife among our commanding 
 officers. I sometimes think we have not yet found the man 
 for the times to take command of our army, and I am anx- 
 iously looking forward when there shall arise from obscurity 
 a Bonaparte or a Cromwell that will command our forces 
 and lead them on to victory. 
 
 Yours truly, 
 
 GEOEGE P. BROWN, 
 1st Sergt. Co. F, 7th Mo. Cav. 
 
 VICKSBURG, Miss., July 31, 1863. 
 MY DEAR MADAM My friend Arba, your dearly 
 loved husband, has fought his last fight, and sleeps his last 
 sleep. I came up from Natchez yesterday to look to the 
 comfort of our sick men at this place, and inform some of 
 them that I had at last got furloughs for them ; but Arba 
 had just received from higher authority a more perpetual 
 furlough than man can give, and has, I trust, gone where 
 trouble never enters. He died about four o'clock on the 
 morning of July 28th. His remains were carefully in- 
 10
 
 130 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 terred by his brother soldiers, under the kind supervision 
 of Sergt. Dwight Gookins, of Co. G, who was with him 
 much during his illness. He was one of our very best sol- 
 diers, ever cheerfully and promptly performing his duties. 
 No complaints ever came from Arba Lankton. We all 
 loved him, and it is a great satisfaction to us, as it will be 
 to you, that his soul was supported by strong Christian 
 faith and fortitude. During his illness he often spoke in 
 endearing terms of his wife and children. All things pass 
 away, and in a few days you and I will follow. So cheer 
 up, my dear woman, remembering that your husband is in 
 heaven, that there is a God there who cares for the widow 
 and fatherless. Let Him ever find us in a spirit of sub- 
 mission, that His will, not ours, be done ; that when He 
 calls we may be ready to enter the Kingdom. 
 
 T. "W. HUMPHREY, 
 Col. 95th III. V. I. 
 
 SAVANNAH, GA., Dec. 25, 1864. 
 
 I wish you a " Merry Christmas " this morning, and hope 
 you will enjoy yourself better than I am likely to do. I 
 have just come in off the picket line, and am not in the 
 best humor, and thought I would sit down and write my- 
 self good natured. You will see by my heading that the 
 great city of Savannah is ours. Yes, on the 21st we 
 marched in, the rebels having got across the river in the 
 night and left, leaving in our hands everything they had
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 131 
 
 here. We have made the biggest capture of the war ; got 
 227 pieces of heavy and light artillery, most of it very 
 heavy; one million bales of cotton, worth at least five mil- 
 lion dollars; a large amount of military stores, forty lo- 
 comotives, and more than 100 cars, all in good running 
 order; and the prettiest city I most ever saw, beautifully 
 laid out, with fine residences, public squares, monuments, 
 and fountains, and we also got five steamboats. The 
 rebels blew up their " Sam Savannah;" all they got away 
 with was their hides, and they had to hustle them or they 
 would have been full of holes. 
 
 I have been all over the city, and its defenses are the 
 most formidable, all around the place. I also went to Fort 
 Jackson, four miles below. There was a strong work de- 
 fending the river; they are all ours now, and we are 
 encamped near the city, enjoying ourselves and speculating 
 on the next campaign. We were reviewed by Gen. Sher- 
 man yesterday, and the citizens were astonished to see so 
 many Yankees marching through the streets of Savannah. 
 The boys are all well and as happy as clams. This is a 
 fine climate; everything is green yet; all kinds of garden 
 stuff, fish, and oysters plenty at ten cents per quart. I 
 would like to drop in and see you to-day, and help eat a 
 good Christmas dinner instead of the poor one we will 
 have. I don't think our mess has been as hard up for 
 grub any time on this campaign as it is to-day. John, our 
 cook, says dinner is ready, so good-bye. Write oftener, as
 
 132 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 you are my one thought, the only person I care to hear 
 from. 
 
 A. N. WATSON, 
 To his wife. 62d Itt. Vol. 
 
 AN EXTRACT FROM "LETTERS FROM THE 
 ARMY." 
 
 (By permission of the author, B. F. Stevenson, M.D., Surgeon to the 
 22d Ky. Infl.) 
 
 STEAMBOAT PIKETON, \ 
 BIG SANDY RIVER, Feb. 3, '62. j 
 
 Cols. Garfield and Lindsey are on board. The former 
 is the ranking officer and commander of all the forces in 
 this region. He is a plain, unpretending looking man, 
 but, I take it, a very determined one. He is young for 
 his responsible position, being only thirty-two years old. 
 I received to-day the Cincinnati Gazette of the 30th inst., 
 containing a silly article on Garfield. I read it to those 
 around me, and one of them, a member of his regiment, 
 told him of it, when he called on me and asked to see the 
 paper. He took it quietly, but I thought him some an- 
 noyed. I was glad of the opportunity to make his acquaint- 
 ance. A little incident that occurred at Cattlesburg during 
 the recent rise of the Ohio river is characteristic of the man. 
 He reached the town just as the wharf was being sub- 
 merged, and was met by the clerk of the brigade commis- 
 sary with the information that a large amount of govern-
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 133 
 
 ment stores was in danger of being swept off by the flood. 
 Without sending others, he led the way, and toiled till 
 midnight, knee-deep in mud and water, to save them, and 
 he did save them. The clerk, a nice, dapper young man, 
 son of the commissary who was responsible for the stores, 
 stepped around in embroidered slippers in his father's office, 
 and neglected everything. * * * I must not close 
 without saying a word of Col. Lindsey. He is quite young ; 
 I think not over twenty-five years old. He is a graduate 
 of the Kentucky Military School, a good tactician, and cer- 
 tainly the most modest and unassuming man of his age 
 that I have known. 
 
 CAMP JERSEY BOYS, Nov. 21, 1861. 
 
 Being old friends I imagine you would like to hear from 
 one Snover, and at the same time I assure you that I would 
 like to hear from the old home place. Give my love to 
 Doyle; ask him if he remembers the time we went fishing 
 and our sleigh ride with oxen. How often our thoughts 
 wander back to the scenes of our childhood and its many 
 happy transactions. 
 
 How is election going this season? John, try to do the 
 big thing for the Union. What a change from last year 
 at this time ! All was peace and quiet then, now all is 
 war and fright. Many a brave soldier was a happy man 
 then, and many a one is now mouldering in the dust.
 
 134 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 Many families have been widowed and orphaned. When 
 will this war end and peace be proclaimed? 
 
 I am a soldier in old Virginia, working for Uncle Sam. 
 He is a pretty good man to work for; he gives us pretty 
 good grub and clothes, and comes down with the ready 
 cash every two months. I put my name on his books the 
 25th of last May to fight for my country and the flag I love 
 how much I can't say. We must uphold that flag, you 
 know, John. 
 
 We had a grand review yesterday by President Lincoln 
 and General McClellan and staff at Bailey's cross-roads. 
 There were over 10,000 troops on the ground said to be 
 one of the biggest reviews on record. We are camped at 
 the present on what is called Shooter's Hill. Have a nice 
 encampment, and a splendid view of the Potomac river 
 and the beautiful village, Alexandria, where the first officer 
 was killed Ellsworth. He was a bold man, and his name 
 will long be remembered. Alexandria is full of secession- 
 ists yet. It was one of the most flourishing towns on the 
 Potomac till this war broke out. 
 
 Your friend, 
 
 EDWIN H. SNOVER, 
 Co. B, %d Regt. N. J. Vols.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 135 
 
 TO WEALTHY LIBBY, FROM HER SONS GEO. 
 AND WILLIAM. 
 
 ROLLA, Mo., Oct. 29, 1862. 
 
 DEAR MOTHER I was taken by the bushwhackers on 
 the 8th of Oct. They robbed me of everything I had. I 
 got away from them into the woods and made my way back 
 to Rolla, where I am at present. I had to walk 60 miles 
 through the timber. The rebels said they would kill me, 
 so I thought it would be the best for me to get away if I 
 could. 
 
 We have seen a rough time here in Missouri, for our 
 men have taken Little Rock and driven all the rebels into 
 this state. 
 
 GEORGE. 
 
 NASHVILLE, TENN., Dec. 7, 1864. 
 
 There is some hard fighting going on down, here now. 
 Our army is in Nashville and old Hood is trying to take 
 the place; he has been shelling us for two days but can't 
 do any damage. Hard fighting to-day on the south side 
 of the city. I can hear the roar of artillery and see the 
 smoke. After this fight is over I will write again. 
 
 WILLIAM.
 
 136 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 NASHVILLE, TENN., Dec. 25, '64. 
 
 Well, mother, 1 suspect you feel pretty uneasy about me 
 since our big fight. As good luck happened, I did not 
 have to go into the battle but was where I could see it. 
 I tell you what, the earth quaked around here. Hood 
 thought he was going to take Nashville very easily; he 
 soon got his fill, for he was whipped worse than he ever 
 was before. He is in full retreat back South and our 
 army is following him closely. He will have to "hustle 
 his boots " to get across the Tennessee river or he will lose 
 more of his men. 
 
 I would like to be at home to spend Christmas with you ; 
 think I could eat some good things very well, but will have 
 to stay one more Christmas in Dixie and the next will be 
 at home. WILT JAM LIBBY. 
 
 CAMP HOUSTON, Jan. 8, 1864. 
 
 I went to Holla on Christmas, got half way back on 
 New Year's day. It commenced snowing the day before 
 New Year, and I never came so near freezing to death in 
 my life. Twenty-five of us were guarding the train and 
 only five of us got back without having our fingers or feet 
 frozen. About half of the teamsters were frozen; some of 
 them had to have their feet amputated. If it keeps as cold 
 long it will freeze the bushwhackers all to death, which will 
 be a good thing for us, as it will save powder, horse-flesh, 
 human flesh, etc. GEORGE.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 137 
 
 CAMP HOUSTON, Mo., Feb. 1, 1864. 
 MY DEAR MOTHER You said that Nels wanted to go 
 to the army. He had better be what he is, a brakeman 
 on the train, than a soldier in the army. If I were out of 
 it I know what kind of " breaking " I would do I would 
 break towards home on double-quick time. I could cry 
 many a time if it would do me any good. I know it won't, 
 so I try always to keep the best side up if I can. 
 
 GEORGE. 
 
 SPRINGFIELD, Mo., Nov. 1, 1864. 
 It is just one month to-day since we started for the 
 battlefield. We have had seven battles, and have won a 
 glorious victory. Have captured all of Price's army ; took 
 13 cannon, 7 generals, and more prisoners than we know 
 what to do with. We heard cannonading all last night, 
 and Price is reported captured. We have orders to go to 
 Arkansas. We are camped in the woods; raining very 
 hard, and I am as wet as a drowned rat. 
 
 GEORGE LIBBY. 
 Of the Mo. State Militia.
 
 138 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 A. E. GOLDSBURG, 
 Co. E., 127TH ILL. V. I. 
 
 IN CAMP NEAR MEMPHIS, TENN., Dec. 15, 1862. 
 DEAR FRIEND LOUISA We arrived here the 13th, after 
 a long march of 175 miles, and I, for one, was glad to get 
 to a resting place. Part of the time we had to live on one 
 hard cracker a day five of them weigh a pound. I en- 
 joyed the trip though, and would rather march all the time 
 than stay in camp; that is, if Uncle, Sam would find plenty 
 of grub for us. We were once within six miles of Gen. 
 Price's army and the 5th 111. Light Artillery attacked them. 
 There would, most likely, have been a hard fight if Grant 
 had not moved towards them from the rear. We laid on 
 our arms all one night and day; could hear the booming 
 of cannon, but Price was most too sharp to be surrounded, so 
 ran, thanks to our lucky stars. That is his best way of 
 fighting. The next day we came up where they had been 
 intrenched two miles south of the Tallahatchie, opposite 
 the town of Wyatt. "When they retreated, they burned 
 the bridges we had to build one. Our division marched to 
 this place to take the river for Vicksburg. 
 
 CHICK AS AW LANDING, May 25, 1863. 
 Vicksburg is not taken yet, though it has been so re- 
 ported. Our regiment had been doing pioneer work for 
 some time, and we thought we should get rid of the fight
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 139* 
 
 that was coming off, but were doomed to disappointment.. 
 The brigade came along, and we were ordered to fall in on 
 a two hours' notice. We saw no enemy until within three 
 miles of Vicksburg; found them well entrenched. Gen. 
 Grant ordered us to march into the city without firing a 
 gun. 
 
 At 2 P.M. our division was ordered to make a charge, 
 and precisely at the time we moved up in solid column. 
 Their fortifications are built on a chain or range of the 
 highest hills, 2f miles in the rear of Vicksburg. One-half- 
 mile apart are the forts with breastworks between. In 
 front are logs and brush almost impassable. When we 
 came over the rise of ground in front, they poured an aw- 
 ful fire of grape, canister, and musketry into us that no- 
 thing could stand. Not a man reached the works. 
 
 The battle raged till night, when we fell back with a. 
 heavy loss, our regiment losing 47. This was on the 19th. 
 On the 21st there was a call for 1,500 volunteers from our 
 division to storm the works, and to be supported by Gen. 
 Tuttle's division. Our camp had to give one man for the 
 charge; no one would offer to go, so they proposed to draw 
 lots. I thought I would have to go in an after charge so 
 I offered my service. 1,500 of us started right in the face 
 of death. There was a cleared spot where there had once 
 been a road, we took that. They poured grape and canis- 
 ter right into us. When we reached the fort only 40 of 
 our men were left. It was impossible to take the fort;:
 
 140 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 they stood six men deep behind it with fixed bayonets 
 ready for us; we had to fall back and lay in the ditch and 
 
 . 
 
 behind logs until dark. Gen. Blair said every man that 
 did not fall should have a furlough of 60 days after Vicks- 
 burg is taken, so you may look for me home the 4th of 
 July. 
 
 SAVANNAH, GA., Jan. 25, 1865. 
 
 We came in on the 1 9th, and expected to cross the Sa- 
 vannah river, but owing to bad weather and some levees 
 that were cut by the rebels so the country was overflowed, 
 we were obliged to camp till some other road was opened. 
 We are just outside the city. I think it is the prettiest 
 place we have been in ; business is quite brisk among the citi- 
 zens; many of the merchants are filling up their stores 
 with goods from the North, and all are glad the Yankees 
 have come. 
 
 I am getting like the rest of the boys, would rather be 
 on the move. Major Gillette is chief of Gen. Logan's 
 staff, and is the biggest man in the business at present. 
 From here we shall push north, the way many a soldier's 
 heart is turning.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 141 
 
 CYRUS L, BUFFINGTON. 
 
 LITTLE PINEY RIVER BRIDGE, 1 
 April 20, 1865. f 
 
 BELOVED BROTHER After a long, long time I have 
 found out your address, and I embrace the first opportunity 
 of writing to you. 
 
 Had you asked me if I should have liked to have been 
 with you on your march through that darkest of all seces- 
 sion states South Carolina I could very soon have an- 
 swered you with an emphatic yes, for I have a deep grudge 
 against that particular state, more than any other. My 
 suiferings in the prison pens there, being chased by blood- 
 hounds like a runaway negro, and seeing my comrades 
 shot down in cold blood for no offence whatever, are things 
 not calculated to soften my feelings towards it. I have 
 trod the streets of Columbia when it was in its pride, and 
 when the Johnnies were plenty there. I would rejoice to 
 see it now as it is a heap of ashes. 
 
 I was captured, as you have heard, no doubt, at the bat- 
 tle of Chicamauga, and was taken* by way of Atlanta and 
 Augusta, Ga., Columbia, S. C., Raleigh, N. C., "on to 
 Richmond," Va. We were kept here on very slim rations 
 of the very poorest kind for more than two months, dur- 
 ing which time we were never allowed outside of the to- 
 bacco house where we were confined not even permitted 
 to put our heads out of the windows excepting the squads
 
 142 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 that went to draw our grub. From Richmond we were 
 sent to Danville, and our condition was made worse in- 
 stead of better. After staying at Danville two months I 
 concluded to leave them, made my escape, and succeeded 
 in making my way north as far as the foot of the Alle- 
 ghany mountains, where I was recaptured, taken to the 
 neare-t railroad station for the purpose of being sent back 
 to Richmond. Was put on the cars with a guard and sent 
 to Liberty, where I stopped one day and night. Then I 
 was sent to Lynchburg, where I fell in with six of our 
 own men, who had been recaptured, like myself. Here 
 we were crowded into the guard-house with a lot of their 
 own deserters and kept for three days, when they took the 
 whole of us, with an equal number of guards and a sergeant 
 in charge, and put us aboard the cars bound for Richmond. 
 We started near dusk, and after it was sufficiently dark I 
 watched for my chance and jumped the cars, without so 
 much as bidding Mr. Johnnies good-bye. I was doomed 
 to be disappointed again, for I was captured by some 
 Georgia soldiers in what is called Richerson's Gap, in the 
 Blue Ridge mountains'. This time I was taken to Rich- 
 mond, but as the rebels about this time were sending the 
 prisoners down into Georgia I only had to stay there a 
 couple of days this time. I escaped again in North Caro- 
 lina, was at Smithfield, twenty- five miles down the Neuse 
 river, not very far from where you are now. Was at 
 Haleigh, escaped twice, was once tracked by blood-hounds,
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 143 
 
 and once betrayed by negroes. I was in the stockade 
 at Florence, was finally exchanged, after being inside 
 the rebel lines fourteen months and a half, was put on 
 board one of our steamships at Charleston and sent to An- 
 napolis, Md., where, as soon as I was able, a thirty days' 
 furlough was given me, and I went home. When my 
 furlough expired I went to Columbus, O., and received 
 my discharge, bounty, and wages all correct. I went home 
 again, but could not content myself there, so in just two 
 weeks after being discharged I reinlisted in the 189th O. 
 V. I. Our regiment is scattered along the. Charleston and 
 Memphis railroad guarding bridges. Our company is 
 twenty-miles west of Huntersville. 
 
 My respects to the boys. 
 
 P. S. I say, revenge for the death of our beloved 
 president
 
 144 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 HARRY BURNS. 
 Co. K, 14TH PA. CAV. 
 
 TO HIS PARENTS. 
 
 WINCHESTER, VA., Dec. 2, 1864. 
 DEAR FATHER I take this opportunity of letting you 
 know where I have landed. Last Saturday we left camp, 
 rode half the night and stopped at Charleston, Va. Sun- 
 day we rode on to Berry ville, had a skirmish with Mosby's 
 men and went on to Winchester, camped on Monday five 
 miles from there. Tuesday went to Royal on a scout, 
 came back the next day. We had just got into camp and 
 taken off our saddles when the bugle called : " Boots and 
 saddles/' or " saddle up." We went on a scout that night 
 and scoured the country for Mosby, but no Mosby to be 
 found. Rode all the next day, and just got into camp 
 this evening. I am dreadful sleepy. 
 
 WINCHESTER, Dec. 14, 1864. 
 
 Just got in this evening. Everything quiet in this army, 
 only Mosby captures the pickets once in awnile. We are 
 on duty every day now cavalry gets no rest at all. Our 
 brigade consists of four regiments 22d Md. cavalry, 14th 
 Pa., 8th O., and 21st N. Y. We expect pay next week.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 145 
 
 You will have to excuse me for not writing more, as I 
 have to go on a scout this morning. Please send me a 
 quarter to buy stamps. 
 
 PEMBERTON PRISON, NEAR LIBBY, \ 
 RICHMOND, VA., Dec. 23, '64. / 
 
 DEAR FATHER I was captured on the 17th of this 
 month. I have hardly any clothes, and am awful hard 
 up. Please send me the confederate money I sent you 
 not greenbacks. 
 
 11
 
 146 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 ALFRED W. MURRAY, 
 OED. SERGT. Co. H, 14TH PA. CAV. 
 
 CAMP AVERIL, 1 
 
 NEAR WINCHESTER, VA., Feb. 6, 1865. j 
 
 MR. JOHN BURNS I am in receipt of yours of the 1st 
 of February, desiring information of your son. He was 
 taken prisoner by a squad of some 400 men belonging to 
 rebel Gen. Lomax and Col. Mosby's command, on the 17th 
 day of December. A scout of 100 men was sent out from 
 the regiment and were ambushed by the enemy, when only 
 a few miles from camp. A sharp engagement ensued, re- 
 sulting in our defeat, with casualties as follows: Seven- 
 teen killed, a number wounded, and fifty taken prisoners. 
 Your son Harry was seen after crossing the Shenandoah 
 river by men belonging to his company, who were wounded, 
 paroled, and sent back to our lines. The 2d lieutenant of 
 company H was also a prisoner, with several privates, so 
 Harry was not the only sufferer in the sad disaster. I am 
 very sorry to have to give you this sad information, but 
 duty compels me to. I sympathize with you in your 
 grief, and am glad it is no worse, as was the case with 
 some of his comrades. They are exchanging prisoners 
 very rapidly, and I hope to see Harry again soon. He 
 was a good soldier and always did his duty, and is greatly 
 missed among his companions.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 147 
 
 Mr. Burns, who was then fifteen years of age, says of 
 the capture : " I was barefooted, and we traveled three 
 days and nights cold nights without a bite to eat, as a 
 preparation for the starvation we were to get in Richmond." 
 
 I. I. S. 
 
 FOUNTAIN HEAD, TENN., Jan. 29, '63. 
 DEAR FRIEND LEW I now set down to let you know 
 what I am a doing. I hav wrote you three letters, but the 
 railroad has been broke, and I guess you never got them. 
 If you had you wood rote to me. It is quite cold this 
 morning; your father is well, and he is in charge of three 
 companys Co. H, G, F, at the water tank at Buck lodge. 
 Bob is cooking for Col. Case and himself; the negroes has 
 all gone from head- quarters. Lew, I wood like to see you 
 very mutch; i suppos that you have heard that John has 
 gone home, and i am glad of it, for he is a bad boy; he 
 stole about $51 worth of checks from the sutler, and one 
 of them bugles that the officers has on thair caps. I think 
 that is getting along pretty fast, don't you, in the show? 
 I expect Byron Smith will be here before long. We hav 
 not had a battle yet, not eny sines of one. Now we are 
 bringing in prisoners every day ; we hav captured 3 rebel 
 officers since we have been here 1 Capt., 2 Lieut., and 
 they hav been sent to Alton, Illinois, to be cept in prison
 
 148 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 untill the war is closed. Captain Baird and Mason went 
 out, and they was a going along, and they looked a little 
 ways ahead of them and they saw 2 rebel cavalry. Cap- 
 tain Baird told them to halt, but they would not, and he 
 told the men to fire, and they fired, and they run about 
 half a mile and they stoped, and they brought them into 
 camp. I cannot find a great deal to write this time; I 
 must go to my dinner. Write as soon as you can. 
 From your Friend. 
 
 You must not fall in love with all the girls; leave some 
 for me. 
 
 [This letter written by a 12 year old boy staying with 
 the 129th 111. Vol.]
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 149 
 
 WILLIAM GRIMES. 
 Co. K, 4TH ILL. CAV. 
 
 TO HIS FRIENDS AT HOME. 
 
 CAMP CAIRO, Jan. 9, 1862. 
 
 There are only three companies here now ; the rest left this 
 morning to go down the river; they are expecting a heavy 
 battle at Columbus in a short time. 30,000 troops came 
 down the Ohio this morning; eight companies left our 
 regiment to go with them, and a lot of infantry from Bird's 
 Point. The boys made so much noise we could hear them 
 for two or three miles ; they felt so nice to think they were 
 going to get into a fight. As I could not go, I let one of 
 them take my rifle. Some of the gunboats went down the 
 river yesterday, and one of them came back with the top 
 of it torn to pieces. They had a little skirmish; eighteen 
 of the men from Bird's Point were wounded. 
 
 May 26, 1862. 
 
 Last night I was on picket, and we were shot at twice. 
 The rebels are so close to our lines that we can see them. 
 They holler at us and want to know how strongly we are 
 fortified. One of the infantry, a little ways from where I 
 stood, was shot in the leg. We leave our horses and take 
 it Indian fashion behind trees. Are now within three and 
 a half miles of Corinth ; heavy breastworks are thrown up,
 
 150 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 and a lot of siege guns, that take twelve yoke of oxen to 
 draw one of them, are stationed here. 
 
 Col. Dickey says he is going to see if he can't take the 
 4th Cav. back to Illinois to let them recruit, after the battle 
 is over at Corinth. Gen. Sherman says the cavalry can go 
 to hell or anywhere else after the battle is fought. 
 
 HOLLY SPEINGS, Miss., Dec. 30, '62. 
 We have been riding every day since we left Trenton ; 
 followed the rebel cavalry four days, but could get no fight 
 out of them. Thev have been all along the railroad, and 
 attacked nearly every station. About 2,500 of them made 
 an attack on Middleburg, near Bolivar, Tenn. ; 13 of them 
 were killed. Only 150 of the 12th Mich, were there. 
 The rebels thought there was more of them. They took 
 Trenton shortly after we left, and four of our men there. 
 Perhaps you would like to know what I had for a Christ- 
 mas dinner ; it was a piece of meat roasted over a rebel 
 fire, and I was glad to get that.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 151 
 
 GEORGE F. DASHILL, 
 Co. K. 4TH ILL. CAV. 
 
 COLLIERVILLE, TENJST., Jan. 24, 1863. 
 
 MB. GILES GRIMES It is a painful task I undertake 
 this evening, that of writing to inform you of the death of 
 your son William. Yesterday, he in company with one 
 other member of our company procured a pass through 
 our lines to purchase vegetables. When about six miles 
 from camp they were unexpectedly met and attacked by a 
 force of rebel cavalry. Chester S. Acker, the man with 
 him, was instantly killed. William was wounded and lived 
 till six o'clock this morning. He was taken to a house 
 close by and kindly treated, and had a doctor as soon as 
 possible, and all done that could be under the circumstances. 
 We got word of the sad affair last night, went out with a 
 force and brought the bodies in this morning. We will 
 bury them to-morrow as decently as our situation will per- 
 mit. In William we lose a brave and faithful soldier, a 
 pleasant and agreeable comrade. One whom the company 
 will miss, and deeply regret his sad fate. The last words 
 he spoke were, "Tell the boys when they come that all has 
 been done for me that could be, by honest, Christian peo- 
 ple." 
 
 Yours Respct.
 
 152 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 COLLIERVILLE, March 1, 1863. 
 
 MR. G. GRIMES I was glad to hear of your arrival 
 at home with no accident on the way to detain you. We 
 were pleased to hear of the large attendance at William's 
 funeral. It was the last sad rites paid to a patriotic and 
 brave soldier, one who left all the endearments of what 
 constitutes a home, in the very bloom of youth, to give him- 
 self a sacrifice to maintain the constitution. He has fallen 
 as but sand on the sea shore, thousands of his comrades 
 have gone before and many more will soon follow. 
 
 I dare not say this is the work of God, but it sometimes 
 occurs to me that it is a judgment sent upon us for our evil 
 deeds in the past. It seems hard that we should have to 
 suffer the hardships and privations that we are subjected 
 to, the killed on the battlefield, the wounded that suffer so 
 much, some of them crippled for life, and the thousands 
 that wear away by disease. I say it seems hard for a peo- 
 ple to suffer all this and more too, unless there is some 
 great good to be brought about in the end. 
 
 I see the conscription act has passed both houses of con- 
 gress. I think now we may look for stirring times in the 
 Northern States. I am well satisfied with the specifica- 
 tions of the bill ; we want more men in the field and must 
 have them soon or all is lost. The rebels have more men 
 in service to-day than we have. It takes so much of our 
 force to guard the rivers and railroad, and the thousand 
 other places, that we cannot have a sufficient number to
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 153 
 
 work against them successfully in the field. The forces 
 left to guard the roads have been too small, but perhaps 
 all that could be spared, consequently so many disasters 
 happen on the railroads behind our armies. We want our 
 old regiments filled up with good men from the North and 
 West, and then when the army moves the earth will trem- 
 ble with the tread of brave soldiers who are determined 
 this wicked rebellion shall end. Some of us have been in 
 what seems to us to be a very long time, but we are willing 
 to stay to the end if we can get help, if not all is lost and we 
 are a fallen nation. No doubt there are thousands of young 
 and able-bodied men scattered through the North-west who 
 are unwilling to enlist. They can take up a paper, read 
 an account of a battle or a long, hard march, and when 
 they are through lay it down and say, " Go ahead, you 
 can't get me into the scrape." Such a man has neither 
 heart, common sense, nor conscience, he is not fit to breathe 
 the air of our glorious state of Illinois, and I know several 
 of this very kind. I would rather be out of the world than 
 out of the army at this time. Some plead as the excuse 
 that somebody must stay at home and work. They are 
 cowards and afraid to go. There would be enough left at 
 home, unfit for military duty, to do all the work.
 
 154 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 SI. KLEGG TO HIS GURL." 
 
 (From National Tribune, by permission.) 
 DEER ANNIE I now take my pen in hand to let yon 
 no that I am well, except the doggoned blisters on my feet, 
 and I hope these few lines may find you enjoying the same 
 blessins. Bein a soljur aint quite what they crack it up 
 to be when theyr gittin a feller to enlist. Its mity ruff and 
 youd better believe it. you ought to be glad that your a 
 gurl and don't have to go. I wisht I was a girl some- 
 times. I havent killed enny rebbells yit. Me and all the 
 rest of the boys want to have a fite, but it looks like Gin- 
 eral Buil was afeard, and we don't git no chance, i axed 
 the Ordly couldent he git me a furlow. The Ordly just 
 laft and says to me, "Si." says he, "yer don't know as 
 much as a mule." I made Shorty see stars tother night, 
 cos he was a talkin bout you. The captn made me walk 
 up and down for a hour with a big rail on my sholder. 
 You tel Squar Joneses boy that he haint got sand enuff 
 to jine the army, and if he don't keep away from you 
 lie bust his eer when I git home, if I ever do. Whattle 
 you do if I shouldnt never see you agin ? But you know 
 this glorus Govyment must be pertected and the bully 
 stars and strips must flote and your Si. is goin to help 
 
 do it. 
 
 My pen is poor, my ink is pale, 
 My luv for you shal never fale. 
 
 Yours affeckshnitly.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 155 
 
 DEER ANNIE I once more take my pen in hand to tell 
 you theres grate news. Im an ossifer. We had a awful 
 fite yisterday, I don't no how many rebels I kild, but I 
 guess thare was enuff to start a good sised graveyard. I 
 tuk a prizner too and the Kurnal says to me, bully for you 
 mister Klegg, or some thing to that effeck. This morning 
 they made me a Corporil and red it out before the hull reji- 
 meut. I gess youd been proud if you could have seen me. 
 To-night the boys is hollerin hurra w for Corporil Klegg 
 all over the camp, i aint as big as the Gineral and some 
 of the other ossifers, but thers no tellin how hi He git in 
 three years. 
 
 Round is the ring that haint no end, 
 
 So is my love to you my frend. 
 
 Yours same as before. 
 
 Jan. the 4th, 1860. 
 
 DEER ANNIE I spose youre saw in the papers bout 
 the awful fite we had. Yude better blieve we lictem, too. 
 Of course taint fer me to brag bout myself, an I aint 
 going to, but ile jest say that me an Shorty was thare all 
 the time, an we dident get behind no trees nuther. I tell 
 ye it was hottern a camp meetin. Wun bullet scraped the 
 hair offn my head ; an nuther nocked the but of my gun 
 into slivers ; an nuther cut the strap of Shorty's haver- 
 sack thats the bag he carries his grub in but we got out 
 all rite. I had a idee yude be kinder glad to no i dident
 
 156 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 run and hide in a mewl wagin when the bullits began ter 
 zip. I want yer to think as mutch of me as ye kin, an I 
 
 ., no a gurl likes a feller wat tries ter be brave an do his duty 
 bettern she does wun wats a coward, If enny of cum- 
 pany Q as was woonded gits home on furlow, I aint 
 afeerd ter have ye ask them how Si Klegg stood the rack it. 
 Shorty an me capchered a rebble flag an the man wat was 
 carryin it. It was mighty billyus, an i dident bleeve ide 
 ever see yer agin. Maybe i wunt, cause i spose weve got 
 ter go threw sum more fites, but ittle make me feel awful 
 bad if i dont, fer ive thot a heap of ye durin these days. 
 I hoap ye think bout me as offen as i do bout you. But 
 say, Annie, i dont want ter fite haf as bad as i did afore 
 taint funny a bit. But the 200th is a bully regiment, an 
 
 * ime goin to stick by her threw thick an thin, jist the saims 
 ime goin ter stick by you. Thares lots of things ide like 
 to write, but i cant now, as i haint enny more paper, an i 
 got this offen a package of catridges. 
 
 if yn luv me as i lav yu 
 
 kno nife can cut ower luv intu. 
 
 Yourn frever. 
 
 KY., Nov., 1800 and 62. 
 
 DEER ANNIE We was pade off to-day. I dident git 
 very much, only a little morin leven dollars. They give 
 me jest the saims what privits gits, and ime a corporil. I 
 think its almity mean dont yew ? And the sutler the
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 157 
 
 boys calls him Skinner, cause he takes the hide rite off 
 he got puty ni haff my money. He sed I ode it to him for 
 checks. Checks is what the boys gits from the sutler wen 
 they haint got enny money to buy pikles an sardeens an 
 things. I gess the sutler puts down too dollers on hi& 
 book every time a man byes a dollers worth of checks; 
 then it doant take morn 5 minits to spend the checks. 
 Yew hav to pay 10 sents for a peece of cheese that aint 
 enny biggern a postige stamp. Thats the kind of a man 
 the sutler is. Shorty sez he gives the kurnel lots of stuff,, 
 but we cant all be kurnels, for thar woodent be ennyboddy 
 to lik the rebels. Now, Annie, this is the furst money I 
 ever urned fer myself, and I jest wanted to cend part of it 
 fer yew to git sumthing thattle always make you think of 
 Si. You may as well have it, cause if ye dont ime afeered 
 the sutler will git it. Take this $5.00 dollars and bye a 
 wring to put on your finger. Yew no which finger to put 
 it on. If ennyboddy asks ye hoo give ye that wring, and 
 what yere warin it for, jist tell em nun of thare bisness. 
 We has sum awful hard times, but ime goin to stick by 
 the star strangle banger as long as thares a rag of her left. 
 
 The rose is red, the vilets blew, 
 Sugar is sweet and bully for yew. 
 
 Always yourn.
 
 158 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 MONTGOMERY WISEMAN, 
 4TH KY. V. I. 
 
 TO HIS LITTLE SISTER ANNIE. 
 
 WINCHESTER, TENN., Aug. 7, 1862. 
 
 I would love to be at home going to school with you, 
 but that is impossible. I want you to learn as fast as you 
 an, and write all about it to me. 
 
 We are living fine down here in Dixie now. The rebels 
 have been shooting our men and robbing our trains, and 
 we have been turned loose on them, and take whatever we 
 need. We have quit drawing rations, and gone to for- 
 aging. 
 
 Gen. McCook, who commanded the 9th Ohio at Mill 
 Spring, was killed by the guerillas yesterday. He was 
 bringing his brigade from Tuscumbia to this place, and 
 Avas taken sick, and was behind the train in an ambulance, 
 when he was taken out and murdered. His brigade has 
 lurned on the country, burning everything before them. 
 They hung three guerillas to one tree. The 10th Ky. is 
 guarding Winchester to keep them from burning the town. 
 
 LA VERNE, TENN., March 13, '63. 
 I would love to have you here, for you would see things 
 that you could not forget as long as you lived. We are 
 encamped by the side of a big fort, on a hill that can be
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 159 
 
 seen five miles off, and through openings in the cedars we 
 can see miles below us. In the valley is a few scattered 
 houses, all that is left of a town that last spring was as 
 large as Richmond, Ky., and the chimneys are standing 
 like dead timber in an old clearing. The whole country 
 has been fought over, and cannon shot and bomb shells 
 are scattered all through the woods. The cars are passing 
 and repassing all times of the day, going on to Murfrees- 
 boro. 
 
 I would not advise you to read novels, as they fill up 
 the mind with useless lumber, and take away all relish for 
 solid reading. I want you to read history, biography, 
 travels, and religious books, something to inform the mind 
 and improve the manners. I have a copy of Shakespeare 
 that I read considerably. 
 
 TRINNE, TENN., June 8, '63. 
 
 We left Laverne on the 3d and came here; it is a nice 
 place and a pretty camp. We have a review most every 
 day, first by Gen. Granger, then by Gen. Brannon. There 
 has been a big battle fought at Franklin, ten miles from 
 here; part of the troops at this point was sent there and 
 took part in the fight. We have the 1st and 4th East 
 Tenn. Cavalry here with us. The 1st is commanded by 
 Col. Brownlow, a son of Parson Brownlow. The rebels 
 dread them more than any troops in the field. In battle 
 they charge with drawn sabers on the first rebels they meet.
 
 160 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 It is the talk that we will be mounted and brigaded with 
 them and sent to East Tenn. Our troops took 100 pris- 
 oners yesterday. They were Kentucky rebels under Breck- 
 enridge; they said they were tired of war, and gave them- 
 selves up voluntarily, and that they would take the non- 
 combatant parole and go home. 
 
 NEW OBLEANS, Mar. 5, 1863. 
 
 Miss ALICE FARMER It is with the gratest pleasure 
 that I take the present oportoonity of writing these few 
 tines to you, hoping you haven't foregoten your friends in 
 the St. James Hospital that you ust to fetch things to 
 when you came hear thay is one in hear that woold like to 
 see you in peticlar. I shall not menchen his name just now 
 I think you can gess ho it is without telling, as fore my 
 part you have don me a doodeal of good with what you 
 have fetched in hear. I don't no as I ever wood got well 
 if you hadeut brought us something to eat. I don't think 
 the steward is as smart as he thinks he is, I have seen a 
 great many smarter men than he is get their heads broke, 
 and i fore one woold like to do it. We have got one fel- 
 ler says if ever he gets him away from this hospital he will 
 make him think he wished he never saw him I havent any 
 more at present fore it is a geting late, so I will close my 
 letter with good-by ontill you get so you can come again 
 with your basket. 175 N. Y.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 161 
 
 LETTEES FROM HOME. 
 
 TO JOSEPH M. STETSON, 
 57TH ILL., Co. K, VOL. I. 
 
 NEPONSET, ILL., Nov. 13, 1864. 
 
 My DEAR BROTHER JOE. Last night brought us your 
 letter of the 30th with the sad news we have been dread- 
 ing the past week, yet hoping that through some' means 
 you might not be included with the host that was to go 
 with Sherman. How little we at home know of soldier 
 life and soldier duties. Tuesday, election day, Jim, John, 
 little Joe, and I went out into the street to watch the train 
 go by, hoping "our Joe" had got a furlough and would 
 be one to come home to vote. You know of course that 
 we were disappointed, and that no soldier's cap of " our 
 Joe" responded to the waving of our handerchiefs, for the 
 cap that we were looking for and its owner were then a 
 week's march on their way with Sherman. But I'll war- 
 rant you thought of home that day almost as often as we 
 thought of you. " Now, if Joe were only here." Oh, yes, 
 if Joe were only here, and it seems a shame on the people 
 of our state that Illinois and Indiana, who have always 
 been the first to fill their quota, should be the only ones 
 who do not give their noble men who are battling for them 
 their right to vote. But it will be different now, thank 
 12
 
 162 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 Providence, those left at home are not all copperheads as 
 shown by the returns, 111., 30,000 for Lincoln; Bureau 
 Co., 1,500. Doing pretty well is it not, taking into con- 
 sideration how many there are in the field who had no say j 
 in the matter, and from all accounts Father Abraham is 
 elected for another four years. I am sure that every loyal 
 man and woman hopes he may not have as hard a time as 
 he has had in the past four years. The "Cops" polled 50 
 votes in this town, they have worked hard for them. I 
 will give you the approximate election returns as given in 
 the Tribune. 111., about 30,000; Minn., 6,000 ; Ind., 35,- 
 000; Wis., 8,000; Mich., 10,000; Maryland, 5,000; 
 Penn., 35,000; Maine, 18 to 25,000; Cal., 25,000; Ne- 
 vada, 2,000 ; Oregon, 2,000, for the Union. New Jersey, 
 7,500; Del., 450 for McClellan. Missouri went Union 
 in spite of Price. New York has given a very small ma- 
 jority for Lincoln. Of course some of these I have given 
 you are not very accurate, but as I took them from the 
 
 papers from time to time. 
 
 Your loving sister, 
 
 EMMA STETSON. 
 
 P. S. The storm interfered with the workings of the 
 telegraph since election, so that returns have come in slowly 
 until to-night. The " little Me " men have claimed New 
 York by a small majority, but give up now. The city 
 went 30,000 for McClellan. Boston 5,053, and Chicago 
 1,813 for Lincoln. Detroit went Me, Kalamazoo 1,000
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 163 
 
 for Lincoln and the Union. Hurrah for Lincoln, the 
 Union, the flag, and for our brave boys in blue. May God 
 bless and prosper them and their gallant comrades. 
 
 Mar. 12, 1865. 
 
 It seems an age since we heard from you, Jan. 7th. I 
 hope and pray that you may keep well. This last march 
 I am afraid will be worse than the long one through Geor- 
 gia. If our newspaper correspondents could only keep 
 track of you, I think we all would feel better. I made the 
 acquaintance of your old comrade Samuel Hazelton. We 
 went to Buda to get a flag for some tableaux which we got 
 up at Neponset for the benefit of our. Soldier's Aid Society, 
 last Thursday night. The hall was full, and had the 
 weather been pleasant it would have been more than full. 
 We cleared $25.50. Had a mush and milk supper at Mrs. 
 Nick Buswell's for the same purpose, charged 25 cents ad- 
 mittance, took in $51.25. Another tableau entertain- 
 ment brought $20. So you see with our meetings every 
 Thursday afternoon to sew, we have done something in the 
 past three months and are doing something still for our suf- 
 fering soldiers. But Sherman, on his long marches through 
 , the interior, gets little aid from our Sanitary. It has been 
 raining, hailing, and snowing all day, alternately, and is 
 now raining and freezing as it falls, till the hedges and 
 evergreens are breaking with ice and creaking dismally m 
 the wind. Oh, what a night to be a soldier in ! Thank
 
 164 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 God our brave boys are not breasting such weather as this. 
 How many times have we been thankful that Sherman was 
 not marching through a northern climate. May God be 
 with our soldiers, watch over them and guard them as they 
 go on reaping glory that will never fade on the pages of 
 history, enduring what we little dream of, can never realize, 
 all for our sake and the sake of the dear old flag. May 
 Heaven protect them and bring them back among us to 
 enjoy the peace that they by their noble self-sacrifice have 
 won. The day seems as though it could not be far distant. 
 
 March 19, 1865. 
 
 When that great package of letters reaches Sherman's 
 army Jpe will expect to find a few of his " weeklies " 
 among them, and Emma don't want him to be disappointed. 
 She don't think of anything that will interest him, only 
 she has firm faith that he likes to get letters or he must be 
 very much changed from the dear brother who used to 
 help me ransack old chests for letters that neither of us 
 knew anything about, only they were something we had 
 never read, and I don't believe but there is some of the 
 old in you yet Would'nt it be grand if the western boys 
 had to march up to take Richmond ? Just think, if Gen. 
 Sherman's army, who took Donelson, Shiloh, Corinth, Chat- 
 tanooga, Atlanta, and then marched across and took Sa- 
 vanah and Charleston, should keep marching on, like John 
 Brown's soul, until it reached and captured Richmond.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 165 
 
 Oh, what a record the western boys have kept with saber 
 and bayonet, ever marching on from one field of heroic 
 valor to another, sometimes filling up in a week blanks of 
 years. It don't seem possible that they could endure what 
 they have, yes, and what they are enduring even now on 
 this march that is taking them away from all connection 
 with the loyal world, through the interior of secession. 'May 
 they be blessed as they deserve, for man will never be able 
 to express his gratitude for what these same dear boys in 
 blue have done for their country and their homes. 
 
 May 10, 1865. 
 
 Do you know that I came pretty near having you home 
 to dinner with us to-day? Well, I did. I got the boys 
 out of the granary, and ma up from the cellar to see 
 Joe, but poor I was sadly disappointed, for he went straight 
 past; and by the time he got near the house I did not care 
 to own him as ours. The Tribune says, the boys of the 
 15th army corps are making long strides homewards. 155 
 miles in five and a half days. Wonder if "our Joe" was 
 one of them, and if he had saved his mule so he wouldn't 
 have to march all that long way? "The advance expects 
 to be in Richmond this week." That sounds more like 
 coming home than anything I've heard yet. There is great 
 discussion as to whether the "veterans" are to be mus- 
 tered out now or not, but I think the veterans of Sherman's 
 army are to be. I saw an order that at Nashville they are
 
 166 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 not to be, but they have not done the work there that the 
 boys have who marched through the confederacy and 
 couldn't find it. Time, I suppose, will be the only way 
 to settle these things, as there is no relying on newspaper 
 reporters. 
 
 Sam Dorr is home on a furlough. Capt. Russell was in 
 here yesterday. He looks a little more like a human be- 
 ing than he did when he first got back from the rebel pris- 
 ons. To-night's paper says: "Jeff. Davis is completely 
 surrounded by our forces, and cannot escape," and that 
 you "are in Richmond." 
 
 You boys seem determined to see all there was of the 
 
 so-called C. S. A. 
 
 EMMA.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 167 
 
 JANE STETSON. 
 
 March 6, 1865. 
 
 Father often says, " I would like to know where Joseph 
 is to-night." Sherman's army seems "Onward." Last 
 night's paper says he has made junction with Schofield's 
 forces at Goldsborough, and also reported him moving to- 
 wards Ealeigh. We have had stirring times here in regard 
 to the "call for 300,000 more," but our county will bfc full 
 without a draft. There was quite an excitement three 
 weeks ago among the younger boys to enlist, and a great 
 number enlisted. Jesse and John had the fever among the 
 rest, but we felt that they were not called as yet; and it 
 was their duty to remain and let those go that were putting 
 up the younger boys to go. After quite a trial on both 
 sides, they have yielded to their parents' wishes. In the 
 first place the county (Bureau) went in for a bounty to pay 
 substitutes, and keep the men at home, for men were needed 
 to do the work on the farms. Several men went to Cairo, 
 and others sent by them and bought up for the towns. 
 Your father sent for two, and paid them $800 a piece for 
 two or three years. One was a "veteran;" both over 
 thirty years of age; they enlisted in the naval service. C. 
 grows worse and worse; he does not come here often, and 
 never stays as formerly; your father thinks as little of 
 him as you do. Poor man, he has ruined himself. " Taste 
 not, touch not, handle not." I often think of you boys in 
 the army in respect to this one thing. What a school of 
 sin for young boys it must be. Your mother.
 
 168 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 ESTER MARIA POND. 
 
 SPRINGFIELD, Wis., July 23, 1863. 
 
 BROTHER LEVI You know not how anxiously and 
 impatiently we await the coming of your letters. 
 
 We are glad to hear that your wound is doing so well, 
 but fear your health is giving away under the pressure of 
 so many hardships. You know, dear brother, I would 
 not ask you to do anything wanting in honor, anything 
 that would cast a shade on your noble, manly character, 
 even though it cost both our lives to refuse; yet I do wish 
 you to give up your hard soldier life before your whole 
 strength, and life, too, is worn out, when, if you would 
 leave there and rest until your health was fully restored, 
 you might be saved to your country and friends. Previous 
 to getting your letter a week ago, I had intended to go to 
 you, if you were likely to be alive until I could reach you. 
 and shall still calculate to do so if I find you need me. 
 
 It certainly would be a great consolation to have you 
 with us for a while, and know that you were well and able 
 to endure the hardships that await you, notwithstanding 
 the severity of another parting. 
 
 Your loving sister. 
 
 Levi E. Pond, Capt. Co. R, 7th Wis. Vol I.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 169 
 
 CHLOE G. B. 
 
 KOSHKONONG, Wis., May 1, 1864. 
 
 FRIEND WILLIAM I hope you will not think me bold 
 in writing to you first. I am not going to school this sum- 
 mer they make me play Bridget in the kitchen. I have 
 been to meeting almost every evening for the past four 
 weeks. All the girls in the neighborhood have religion, 
 excepting Sarah, Anna, and myself. They think we are 
 hard cases. 
 
 Do you get homesick down there? The boys you have 
 written to say you are not. Wish I could step into your 
 tent a few minutes, and see how you get along. It would 
 seem good to see your face once more. 
 
 I am very much obliged for those verses and mottoes. 
 Hope you will not get lonesome down in Dixie. Keep up 
 your courage and be .a good boy.
 
 170 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 A EEBEL LOVE LETTER. 
 
 INTERCEPTED BY THE LOYALISTS ON THEIR MARCH TO 
 
 THE SEA. 
 
 DARE SOLOMING i rite to you to datting Uncle jake 
 says theres a right smart un you boys that I know yod 
 Not forgit your Liza Jane, good By. God Bles you sol. 
 We had a dance to widow johusings the other night, my 
 old Bow Bill harning Wanted me to dance With him but 
 i Inclined. When you Left sol i promised not To dance 
 with Ary a young man or set upon his knee until you got 
 back or killed. sol The yanks are Cutting up mightily. 
 I hard that you was killed on the picket Lyne but my 
 Heart don't feel it and sol it Feels mightily for you 
 sometimes. I kiss your picture before the ,yanks To make 
 them mad. Thars a curley headed Yank with blue eyes 
 thats a saying hele kiss me if i keep A doing of it. i 
 wouldent care if He did But for your sake dare sol. Get 
 a furlow And come to me. Cross over the river At cap- 
 ertons ferry near steriugson And 111 give the curly headed 
 yank a kiss to Let ye over. good by sol i must go. 
 Mother says the yanks are A hunting down the chickens 
 And goin to the smoke house the home gards on tother 
 side of The tennesee And sum of the confederate cavalry 
 stole all the chickens from the Union folks Thar, cusing 
 Jane had A offer to marry a Yank last week and lord shele
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 171 
 
 do it. Thers hapes un Our girls a marry on em. i wont 
 never clu it, no Never if i can du better, i bait them wurz 
 than i love u. o dare sol come To see me just wonst. if 
 u knew How i suffer for you And A little snuff yud come, 
 the weather is rite Bad and so is my cold dare sol. Sol i 
 love u as i Never loved no wone. right to me sol At cap- 
 ertons ferry. Yur Ever loving and afeckshunate Liza 
 Jane.
 
 172 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 LIBBY'S BRIGHT SIDE. 
 
 BY FBANK E. MOEAK, LATE CAPTAIN IN THE SEVENTY-THIED 
 
 N. Y. VOLTJNTEEES. 
 
 [Published here by Permission of the Author."] 
 THE ARRIVAL AT LIBBY. 
 
 It was my fortune, or rather my misfortune, to fall 
 wounded into the hands of the confederates in the battle 
 of Gettysburg and to remain a prisoner for the twenty 
 months that followed. The first half of the time was 
 spent in Libby Prison, and the remainder of the time in 
 Macon, Ga., and Columbia and Charleston, S. C. Hav- 
 ing been captured in the second day's fight I witnessed the 
 final struggle of the third day from behind the confederate 
 line, and was directly in the rear of Pickett's division 
 when its magnificent but vain charge was made to break 
 the left centre. The column of prisoners accompanied the 
 retreat of the confederate army, crossing the swollen Po- 
 tomac at Williamsport in a torrent of rain. Our route 
 toward Richmond was through the beautiful but then de- 
 vastated valley of the Shenandoah, our journey on foot be- 
 ing not much less than two hundred miles. The column 
 having taken cars at Stanton arrived in Richmond on 
 July 18, 1863, and was at once conducted under guard 
 toward the north-eastern border of the city, followed by a 
 boisterous mob of men, women, and children. We halted
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 17& 
 
 at last in front of an antiquated brick building, over the 
 office door of which there creaked upon its rusty hinges a 
 small, weather-beaten sign of oblong shape, bearing on 
 either side in faded letters the inscription : "Libby & Sons, 
 Ship Chandlers and Grocers," while from the barred win- 
 dows above there peered down upon us in silence a group 
 of pale faces, and the captives then, for the first time, real- 
 ized that they stood on the threshold of the famed Libby 
 Prison. 
 
 Libby was a Northern man, and I believe a native of 
 Maine, who, prior to the war, owned and occupied the 
 premises, never dreaming in those peaceful, prosy days of 
 business, that the modest sign, scarcely larger than a wash- 
 board, would through the strange fortunes of a future war 
 be the means of linking his name forever with one of the 
 most noted of military prisons, and assuredly one of the 
 most interesting landmarks of the rebellion. The build- 
 ing had a frontage from east to west of a hundred and 
 forty-five feet, and a depth from north to south of one 
 hundred and five feet. It stood isolated from other build- 
 ings, with streets passing its front, rear, and west ends, 
 and with a vacant space on the east about sixty feet in 
 width. A line of sentinels guarded the prison from every 
 side. The portion of the building devoted to the use of 
 the prisoners consisted of nine rooms, each a hundred and 
 two feet in length by forty-five in breadth. The ceiling, 
 was about eight feet high, except in the upper rooms
 
 174 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 which were higher, better lighted, and better ventilated, 
 owing to the pitch of the roof. Rickety, unban nistered 
 stairs led from the lower to the upper rooms, and all 
 the rooms of the upper floors were connected by doors, 
 leaving free access from one to the other. With the 
 exception of a few rude bunks and tables in the upper 
 and lower west rooms, which were respectively termed 
 " Streight's room" and "Milroy's room," and four long 
 tables in the lower middle or " Kitehen room ; " there was 
 no furniture in the prison, its rooms presenting the ordi- 
 nary appearance of warehouse lofts. The north windows 
 -commanded a partial view of the hilly portion of the city, 
 which in 1862 was in sight of McClellan's outposts. From 
 the east the prisoners could look off toward the Rocketts 
 and City Point. The south windows looked out upon the 
 canal and the James river, with Manchester opposite, and 
 a portion of Belle Isle, while from the windows of the 
 upper west room could be seen Castle Thunder, Jefferson 
 Davis' mansion, and the Confederate capitol. From the 
 staff above the roof there floated to the breeze the ensign of 
 the Confederacy. Such, in all essential points, were the 
 external and internal features of Libby Prison when the 
 column of prisoners from Gettysburg entered its doors in 
 July, 1863. 
 
 Of its occupants it can be said that Libby Prison was a 
 vast museum of human character, whom the chances of war 
 had brought into close communion ; men of every type
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 175 
 
 and temperament, where military rank was wholly ignored, 
 and where all shared in a common lot. At the time par- 
 ticularly referred to, and which covers probably the most 
 interesting portions of history, that is, the year embraced 
 between the early spring of 1863 and May, 1864, there were 
 confined there about twelve hundred Union commissioned 
 officers of all ranks and all branches of the army and navy, 
 representing every loyal state. They were not men who 
 would have sought each other's society of their own accord 
 from any natural or social affinity, but who, united upon 
 the common bond of patriotism, had been involuntarily 
 forced together by the fortunes of war, which, like politics, 
 often "makes strange bed-fellows." There were men of 
 all sizes and all nationalities ; youth and age were side by 
 side, and titled men of Europe who had enlisted in our 
 cause might be found among the captives. There were about 
 thirty doctors, as many ministers, a score of journalists 
 and lawyers, a few actors, and a proportionate representa- 
 tion from all the popular trades and professions that 
 could engage men in civil life. Among them were ex- 
 tensive travelers and brilliant scholars, who had seen 
 the world and could entertain audiences for hours with 
 narratives of their journey ings abroad; indeed, among the 
 genuine attractions of the prison was the profitable pleasure 
 always to be derived by intimate association with a conven- 
 tion of men of bright and cultured minds, who had in their 
 love of country often led their squadrons on the rough
 
 176 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 edge of battle, and who in their history and in themselves 
 presented the best types of modern chivalry. It was, in- 
 deed, a remarkable convention, and the circumstances are 
 not likely to arise that will re-assemble its counterpart 
 again in this generation. 
 
 Take it all in all, Libby Prison, from the strange and 
 vast mixture of its inmates, as well as from all its peculiar 
 surroundings, was doubtless the best school for the study 
 of human nature that has ever been seen in this country. 
 It will not seem strange, therefore, that men of such varied 
 talents, tastes, and dispositions, shipwrecked by fortune in 
 this peculiar manner, should begin to devise ways and 
 means to turn the tedious hours of prison life to some ac- 
 count. To this end meetings and consultations were held 
 and various plans were set on foot for the amusement and 
 instruction of the prisoners. A minstrel troupe was or- 
 ganized, and it could boast of talent that would compare 
 favorably with some of the professional companies of to- 
 day. By a generous contribution of money a number of 
 musical instruments were purchased, forming a very re- 
 spectable orchestra, and soon the refreshing and welcome 
 sound of music enlivened the place, and often when the 
 weary-souled prisoner had lain down for the night there 
 would steal over the dark and dismal place the familiar 
 strains of " Home, Sweet Home," and if there ever was a 
 time and place when the old melody touched the teuderest 
 chords of the soldier's heart it was on Christmas eve behind
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 177 
 
 the barred windows of Libby Prison. Groups of men 
 could be seen in all parts of the rooms seated on the floor 
 playing chess, checkers cards, or such other games as en- 
 gaged their fancy. Many busied themselves with their 
 pen-knives making bone rings and ornaments of various 
 designs, many of them being carved with exquisite skill, 
 that entitled them to rank as positive works of art, and 
 these are now cherished treasures in many Northern homes. 
 In the upper east room might have been seen General 
 (then Colonel) di Cesnola, of the Fourth New York cav- 
 alry, instructing a class of officers in the school of the 
 battalion. Colonel di Cesnola was a brave and able offi- 
 cer, as well as a learned and courteous gentleman, whose 
 acquirement of the famous treasures of art at Cyprus, 
 known as the " Cesnola collection/' has given him since 
 the war such deserved eminence in the world of art. In 
 the upper east room also, might have been seen Colonel 
 Cavuda, of the One Hundred and Fourteenth Pennsylva- 
 nia, busy writing his book, afterwards published and wide- 
 ly read, entitled " Libby Life." Poor fellow! the dream 
 of his life was to free his native island from Spanish rule, 
 and returning from the war he took part in the patriots' 
 revolt in Cuba, fell into the hands of the Spaniards and 
 was mercilessly put to death with a score of his ill-fated 
 comrades. Many of the prisoners will recall his beauti- 
 fully descriptive lecture on Cuba, with the history, resour- 
 ces, and scenery of which he was wonderfully familiar. 
 10
 
 178 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 At every hour of the day learned linguists taught at' 
 tentive classes in French, German, Spanish, and all popu- 
 lar languages. Phonography was also taught, as well as 
 grammar, arithmetic, and other branches of study. The 
 owner of a book in Libby was the object of immeasurable 
 envy, and I remember on one occasion upon seeing an of- 
 ficer with Hugo's "Les Miserables," I sought out the 
 owner, who put my name down on his list of applicants 
 to borrow it, and my turn to read it came six months after- 
 wards. Dancing was among the accomplishments taught 
 to large classes, and it was truly refreshing to see grave 
 colonels tripping the " light fantastic." Under the minis- 
 ters' charge daily and nightly prayer meetings were held, 
 and as there was generally a " ball " going on at the same 
 time it was not infrequent to see a lively " break-down " 
 at one end of the room and a prayer meeting at the other, 
 and to hear the loud turn of the banjo mingling with the 
 solemn melody of the doxology. The doctors endeavored 
 to enlighten audiences by occasional lectures on "gun-shot 
 wounds," "amputation," "the effect of starvation on the 
 human system," and other cheerful topics. 
 
 General Neil Dow, of Maine liquor-law fame, in several 
 eloquent discourses warned his fellow prisoners against 
 the blighting evils of intemperance, and it is hut just to 
 the general's eloquence and to my comrades to record that 
 during the remainder of their stay at the confederate capi- 
 tal no cases of intoxication occurred among them. While
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 179 
 
 the general was a prisoner his cotton mill at Portland was 
 burned, and one of the Richmond papers copying the 
 news from the Northern journals substituted for the word 
 " mills " the word " distillery " a cruel joke upon the ear- 
 nest general. A debating society was formed, and all man- 
 ner of subjects were discussed, bringing to light a goodly 
 number of really eloquent speakers, who have since 
 achieved fortune and distinction throughout the country. 
 A form of amusement at night when the lights were out 
 was what was termed the " catechism," which consisted of 
 loud questions and answers, mimicries, and cries, which, 
 when combined and in full blast, made a pandemonium, 
 compared with which a mad house or a boiler foundry 
 would have been a peaceful refuge, and such cries as 
 "Tead, of Reading!" "Pack up!""^ho broke the big 
 rope?" "Who stole Mosby's hash?" and " "Who shaved 
 the nigger of the truck ? " all as unintelligible as Choctaw 
 to the uninitiated were pointed and plain enough to those 
 who used them, alluding as they did to events and per- 
 sons of the prison. All enjoyed them, except the victims 
 at whom they were aimed. 
 
 In each of the large rooms at night the prisoners 
 covered the floor completely, lying in straight rows like 
 prostrate lines of battle. It was, of course, inevitable that 
 among such a large number of sleepers there should ap- 
 pear the usual affliction of loud snorers, whose involuntary 
 discord at times drew a terrific broadside of boots, tin
 
 180 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 cans, and other convenient missiles, which invariably 
 struck the wrong man with the most deadly precision. 
 Among oar number was one particular officer whose un- 
 fortunate habit of grinding his teeth secured him a larger 
 share of room at night than was commonly allowed to a 
 single prisoner, and inspired his comrades with the unani- 
 mous hope that a special exchange might restore him to 
 his family, for certainly he was a man who would be 
 missed from wherever he had lived certainly wherever he 
 had lodged. On one memorable night, when this gentle- 
 man was entertaining us with his customary tooth solo, one 
 of our comrades, who had been kept awake for the previ- 
 ous three nights, after vainly and repeatedly shouting to 
 the nocturnal minstrel to " Shut up, for God's sake," arose 
 in his wrath, and picking his steps in the dark among his 
 prostrate comrades, arrived at last near a form which he 
 felt certain was that of the disturber of his peace, and 
 with one mighty effort he bestowed a kick in the ribs of 
 the victim that was distinctly heard in every part of the 
 room and hurriedly retreated to his place. Then arose the 
 kicked officer, who was not the grinder, and amid the si- 
 lence of the night made an eloquent address to his invisi- 
 ble assailant, employing terms and vigorous adjectives that 
 I certainly do not remember to have seen in the New Tes- 
 tament, and vehemently declaring in his brilliant perora- 
 tion that he'd " be blank blanked if it was not outrage 
 enough to be compelled to spend wakeful nights beside a
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 181 
 
 man who made his life a burden to him and his nights 
 hideous with tooth serenades, but it was a little too much 
 to be kicked for him," and resumed his hard bed amid 
 thunderous applause, during which the grinder was awak- 
 ened, and was for the first time made aware of the cause 
 of the enthusiasm. 
 
 The inherent spirit of Yankee enterprise under difficul- 
 ties was well illustrated by the publication of a newspaper 
 in the prison by the energetic chaplain of a New York 
 regiment. It was entitled the Libby Prison Chronicle. 
 True there were no printing facilities at hand, but un- 
 daunted by this difficulty the editor obtained and distrib- 
 uted quantities of- manuscript paper among the prisoners 
 who were recognized leaders in their several professions, 
 and in fact wherever it was likely to do the most good, 
 so that there was soon organized an extensive corps of able 
 correspondents, local reporters, poets, punsters, and witty 
 paragraphers that gave the Chronicle a pronounced suc- 
 cess. Articles were contributed on all conceivable sub- 
 jects of interest. Pursuant to previous announcement the 
 " editor," on a stated day of each week, would take up his 
 position in the centre of the upper east room, and sur- 
 rounded by his audience, seated in every available space, 
 would read in their proper order the articles contributed 
 during the week. The discussions through the columns of 
 the Chronicle by the ministers, doctors, lawyers, and pro- 
 fessional men of the subjects treated upon were striking,
 
 182 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 able, and spirited, and bore the unmistakable imprint of 
 cultured and brilliant minds. Naturally the subject of 
 war, ancient and modern, was discussed exhaustively, par- 
 ticularly our own war, and the chain of political events 
 and disturbing questions that gave rise to the revolt of 
 the Southern states. Considering the absence of books of 
 reference the writers showed marvelous familiarity with 
 the subjects with which they dealt. The presence of such 
 a great number of men of wide experience and travel at 
 home and in foreign lands made their narratives deeply 
 interesting. Their sketches of personal adventure by 
 flood and field, if preserved, as it is hoped they have been, 
 may yet enrich the literature of the wap. 
 
 " The Libby Prison Minstrels " were deservedly a popu- 
 lar band, whose weekly performances were largely attended 
 and warmly applauded. The troupe was organized under 
 and governed by strictly professional rules. Being directed 
 by a zealous and competent stage manager, whose word 
 was law, no mere superiority of military rank was permit- 
 ted to secure professional preferment in the troupe. Noth- 
 ing, indeed, but the positive possession and display of 
 musical or dramatic acquirements could command promi- 
 nence, and as a natural though droll consequence, it was 
 common to see a second lieutenant carrying off the honors 
 of a play as the " leading man," and the colonel of his 
 regiment carrying off the chairs as a " supe." Indeed, I 
 knew a gallant major and most estimable gentleman who
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 183 
 
 in the first season of his engagement did not deem it be- 
 neath his dignity night after night to personate the hind 
 leg of a stage elephant. This elephant, by the way, de- 
 serves especial mention, not only because of the peculiar 
 difficulties which attended his construction, but because 
 both intellectually and physically he differed in a marked 
 manner from all elephants we had previously seen. The 
 animal was composed of four United States officers, which 
 certainly gave him unusual rank. One leg was the major's 
 before mentioned, the second a naval officer, the third a 
 captain of cavalry, and the last leg was, by a happy 
 thought of the astute manager, "taken off" by an army 
 surgeon. A quantity of straw formed the body, tusks and 
 trunk being improvised from the somewhat meagre re- 
 sources of our " property room." The whole was covered 
 ingeniously by five army blankets. Indeed, the elephant, 
 considering the difficulties surmounted in its creation, was, 
 as seen by the light of the "foot-lights," consisting of 
 four candles set in bottles and empty condensed milk cans, 
 pronounced by the critics of the Libby Prison Chronicle 
 "a masterpiece of stage mechanism." 
 
 The stage was erected at the northern end of the kitchen, 
 and was formed by joining the four long tables. The 
 curtain was made by a number of army blankets sewed 
 together, and was in two parts, parting in the centre, and 
 being suspended by small rings to a horizontal wire over 
 the heads of the orchestra. It could be drawn together
 
 184 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 and apart at the manager's signal bell. Ample space was 
 provided for the "dressing" and "green" rooms, and al- 
 though the scenery was not gorgeous nor extensive, it was 
 sufficient for the dramas produced during the season. The 
 audience was expected to bring their own seats, there being 
 "standing room only," as conspicuously announced on a 
 placard posted in front by the management. 
 
 One of the best performances ever given was on Christ- 
 mas eve, 1863. That night the room was crowded with 
 men, who way down in their hearts felt a homesickness 
 that needed some mental physic such as we proposed to 
 give. Our poor fellows thought of their wives and chil- 
 dren, if not, indeed, of sweethearts in the North, and per- 
 haps our play did them good. Programmes, neatly printed 
 in the prison, were freely circulated, but I have searched 
 high and low and the only one of them left, as I take it, 
 is that from which the following fac simile is made. This 
 one remaining relic of that memorable night I obtained 
 from a comrade at the Prison Survivor's meeting at De- 
 troit. The appended programme was followed literally, 
 and the performances caused unbounded enthusiasm:
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 185 
 
 THE LIBBY PRISON MINSTRELS. 
 
 MANAGER Lt. G. W. CHANDLER 
 
 TREASURER Capt. N. W. SAWYER 
 
 COSTUMER Lt. L. P. JONES 
 
 SCENIC ARTIST..! Lt. PRENTRESS 
 
 CAPTAIN OF THE SUPES Lt. BRISTOW 
 
 THURSDAY EVE., DEC. 24, 1863. 
 
 PROGRAMME. 
 
 PAET FIBST. 
 
 OVERTURE " Norma " TROUPE 
 
 OPENING CHORUS" Ernani " TROUPE 
 
 SONG Who will Care for Mother Now Capt. SCHELL 
 
 SONG Grafted in the Army Lieut. KENDALL 
 
 SONG When the Bloom is on the Rye Adjt. LOMBARD 
 
 SONG Barn-yard Imitations Capt. MASS 
 
 SONG Do They Think of Me at Home Adjt. JONES 
 
 CHORUS Phanton TROUPE 
 
 PAKT SECOND. 
 
 DUET Violin and Flute Serenade from " Lucia " 
 
 Lieuts. CHANDLER AND ROCKWELL 
 
 SONG AND DANCE "Root Hog or Die" Capt. MASS 
 
 BANJO SOLO Lieut. THOMAS 
 
 DUET Dying Girl's Last Request 
 
 Adjts. LOMBARD AND JONES 
 
 MAGIC VIOLIN Capt. MASS, CHANDLER, AND KENDALL 
 
 SONG My Father's Custom Lieut. McCAULLEY 
 
 CLOG DANCE Lieut. RYAN 
 
 RIVAL LOVERS. 
 
 JOE SKIMMERHORN Capt. MASS 
 
 GEORGE IVERSON... ...Lieut. RANDOLPH
 
 186 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 PABT THIBD. 
 
 COUNTRYMAN IN A PHOTOGRAPH GALLERY. 
 
 PROPRIETOR- Capt. MASS 
 
 BOY Lt. RANDOLPH 
 
 COUNTRYMAN Maj. NEIPER 
 
 MASQUERADE BALL. 
 
 MANAGER Adjt. JONES 
 
 DOOR-KEEPER Capt. MASS 
 
 MUSICIAN Lt. CHANDLER 
 
 MEMBER OF THE PRESS Lt. RYAN 
 
 MOSE Lt. WELSH 
 
 BLACK SWAN Lt. MORAN 
 
 BROADWAY SWELL Lt. BENNET 
 
 RICHARD III Capt. McWILLIAMS 
 
 TO CONCLUDE WITH A 
 
 GRAND WALK-AROUND. 
 t& Performance to commence at 6 o'clock. 
 
 ADMISSION FEEE CHILDREN IN ARMS NOT ADMITTED. 
 
 ADJT. R. C. KNAGGS, 
 
 Business Agent. 
 
 As might be expected the handling of the scenery was 
 attended with considerable difficulty, and the patience of 
 the manager was often sorely tried in his efforts to impress 
 upon the scene-shifters the impropriety of pushing out a 
 bridge to connect with the half of a drawing-room. Nor 
 did the shifters, as the manager repeatedly explained to 
 them, seem to realize the importance, while performing
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 187 
 
 their duties, of keeping out of the sight of the audience. 
 Indeed the pathos of a play was at times seriously marred 
 by the audience distinctly seeing a pair of cavalry boota 
 coolly walk off with a forest. 
 
 It happened one evening, when it was determined to 
 compliment the efficient management with a rousing bene- 
 fit, that the two officers whose duty it was to personate the 
 hind legs of the elephant were unable to appear on account 
 of sudden illness, and their places had to be filled at the 
 last minute by two other officers, who volunteered for the 
 emergency. This was an acknowledged kindness on the 
 part of the volunteers, but their acceptance of the parta 
 without sufficient rehearsal proved exceedingly embarrass- 
 ing to the management, and positively disastrous to the 
 elephant himself, or to speak more accurately, themselves. 
 At the appointed time, however, the elephant appeared, 
 his entree being greeted with the usual round of applause- 
 In spite of the lack of preparation the wonderful tricks of 
 the animal were very creditably performed and enthusias- 
 tically recognized by the crowded house. The anxious 
 manager in the wings was happy as he gave the signal for 
 exit. Most unfortunately at this vital moment certain 
 strange convulsive actions of the animal revealed the pain- 
 ful fact that a very positive difference of opinion existed 
 between the fore and hind legs as at which side of the 
 stage the exit should be made. In vain the perspiring 
 manager hissed from the wings, "To the right, gentlemen^
 
 188 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 for God's sake to the right!" A murmur of excitement 
 ran through the audience, the convulsions of the animal 
 grew more and more violent, and excited people in the 
 auditorium shouted loudly: 
 
 " The elephant's got a fit ! " 
 
 " The monster is poisoned ! " 
 
 " Play the hose on him ! " 
 
 " Down in front ! " 
 
 " Police ! 
 
 A perfect babel ensued, in the midst of which the seams 
 of the blankets at last gave way, and the shrieking audi- 
 ence witnessed the extraordinary spectacle of an elephant 
 walking off in four different directions, each leg fiercely 
 gesticulating at the other and exchanging epithets certainly 
 more pungent than parliamentary. The despairing man- 
 ager had no alternative but to ring down the curtain, but 
 in his excitement he pulled the wrong rope, the sky fell 
 down on the heads of the orchestra, and the show ended 
 for that evening. The manager being a strict stage dis- 
 ciplinarian at once called a meeting of the several sections 
 of the elephant, the result of which was that three of the 
 legs resigned, and the remaining leg (the major) was re- 
 duced to a " supe." 
 
 It would fill an interesting volume to sketch in the 
 briefest manner the lives and experience of the men who 
 have been captives within the walls of Libby or to trace 
 their career since. Many of the gallant fellows have since
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 189 
 
 fallen upon the battle-field, and a sad number have died 
 from the effects of their long incarceration. Some have 
 been lost at sea, and others are in foreign lands. Some 
 have since become the governors of states and held seats in 
 the cabinet. Their voices have been heard in congress, at 
 the bar, and in the pulpit, and their names will be a proud 
 heritage to their children aud their country.
 
 190 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 
 
 TO CAROLINA, 
 
 FROM ONE OF HER SISTERS. 
 
 Sister Carry, my dear, 
 
 I am sorry to hear 
 That you are intending to leave us, 
 
 They say it's a fact 
 
 Your trunk is all packed 
 And you hope by such conduct to grieve na. 
 
 You have always been naughty 
 
 And willful and haughty, 
 Like a spoiled minx, as you are, 
 
 So vain of your beauty, 
 
 Forgetful of duty 
 You owe to indulgent papa. 
 
 I am sure you can't say 
 You've not had your way 
 
 In- each of her family broils, 
 
 While I vow and declare 
 You've had your full share 
 
 In each of the national spoils. 
 
 Just wait for a season 
 
 And listen to reason, 
 Nor believe what your false lovers say; 
 
 For their prayers and their sighs 
 
 And their flattering lies 
 Will bring you to ruin some day.
 
 FOOTFALLS OF LOYALTY. 191 
 
 Though they've promised so fair, 
 
 Gay deceivers they are, 
 From the one whom last evening you kissed; 
 
 To Hammond and Ehett 
 
 And chivalrous Kiett, 
 Orr, Memminger, Pickens, and Gist. 
 
 Some day, all forlorn, 
 
 Bedraggled and torn, 
 Like the Prodigal Son in his need, 
 
 You will knock at the door, 
 
 And come home here once more, 
 Nor venture again to secede. 
 
 Now, be warned of your fate 
 
 Before it's too late, 
 Like a dear little innocent lamb; 
 
 Come out of your pet, 
 
 And do not forget 
 All the kindness of good Uncle Sam. 
 
 The palmetto tree 
 
 No shelter will be 
 When the dark clouds of anarchy tower; 
 
 You will long for the rest 
 
 Of your own eagle's nest 
 And the strong arm of Federal power. 
 
 Then, dear little sis, 
 
 Now, give me a kiss 
 To make up these family jars, 
 
 Secession shall never 
 
 Our Union dissever; 
 Hurrah for the Stripes and the Stars. 
 
 December 1, 1861.
 
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