SANTA ( EX L I B R I S Robert W, Brokaw FOUR YEARS WITH FIVE ARMIES ISAAC GAUSE Serg-eant, Co. E, Second Ohio Volunteer Cavalry FRONT1SP1ECK Four Years with Five Armies Army of the Frontier, Army of the Potomac, Army of the Missouri, Army of the Ohio, Army of the Shenandoah BY ISAAC CAUSE Late of Co. E, Second Ohio Cav. NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON THE NEALE PUBLISHING COMPANY 1908 COPYRIGHT, 1908, BY THE NEALE PUBLISHING COMPANY PREFACE It is not the object of the author in this little book to give a history of his life, or of the company, or of the regiment in which he served. But it is his purpose to relate some of the causes that led him to enlist; and what he observed during four years' service. Being only seventeen years of age at the time of the war, reared in a rural district, with little knowledge of men and their ways, and no knowledge whatever of military organiza- tion; with no ambition but to do his part in coercing the seceded States to return to the Union ; and with nothing to indicate the length of time required to accomplish the task; with no thought of ever being able to write any- thing that would interest people, he now finds himself poorly prepared to do justice to the task. Having seen many claims made for official recognition for deeds done in the ordinary line of duty, it now appears to be his duty to his comrades to rehearse these extraordinary experiences. It was his custom to keep a diary when start- ing on a campaign, but owing to the toilsome march, together with the task of procuring 4 Preface something for his horse and himself to sub- sist on, the diary was either abandoned or lost. So* guided almost entirely by memory, he can write only a short history of the long campaigns, privations, and engagements. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. OBSERVATIONS IN A RURAL DISTRICT . 9 II. CAMP LIFE AT CLEVELAND . . . . 17 III. WINTER QUARTERS AT CAMP DENNISON 31 IV. MY FIRST PICKET DUTY .... 48 V. MY FIRST SKIRMISH 56 VI. THE INDIAN EXPEDITION . . 75 VII. PROVOST DUTY AT FORT SCOTT . . 102 VIII. IN QUARTERS AT CAMP CHASE . .113 IX. IN KENTUCKY 122 X. ON MORGAN'S TRAIL 148 XL THE CAPTURE OF MORGAN . . .160 XII. EVENTS SUCCEEDING A FURLOUGH . .176 XIII. CAMPAIGNING IN EAST TENNESSEE . 183 XIV. MORE TENNESSEE SERVICE . . . .199 XV. THE END OF THE CAMPAIGNS OF '63 .213 XVI. IN THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC . .217 XVII. SERVICE IN VIRGINIA 232 XVIII. ROUGH TIMES IN THE OLD DOMINION 247 XIX. THE FORTUNES AND MISFORTUNES OF WAR 267 XX. THE WILSON RAID 275 XXL GENERAL KAUTZ IN His ELEMENT . 286 XXII. REORGANIZING AND HUSTLING . . 298 6 Contents CHAPTER PAGE XXIII. CAPTURE OF THE EIGHTH SOUTH CARO- LINA INFANTRY 306 XXIV. BATTLE OF CEDAR CREEK .... 330 XXV. CUSTER'S RAID 343 XXVI. WINTER QUARTERS 348 XXVII. JAMES RIVER CANAL RAID . . . .352 XXVIII. THE LAST BATTLES 366 XXIX. MUSTERED OUT ....... 375 XXX. POLITICAL AND MILITARY EFFECT OF MORGAN'S RAID 381 XXXI. THE ARMY HORSE 383 ILLUSTRATIONS ISAAC CAUSE . Frontispiece MEDAL OF HONOR Facing page 9 FRANKLIN ACKLEY 22 CHARLES GRANDISON FAIRCHILD . 54 G. W. BYARD " " 86 A. V. KAUTZ 108 MATHIAS M. SPRINGER ... 140 WILLIAM W. WURTS .... " " 172 E. P. SMITH 204 GEORGE A. WILKINS .... 242 F. F. REXFORD " " 272 WARNER NEWTON ..... " " 302 Four Years with Five Armies I CHAPTER I OBSERVATIONS IN A RURAL DISTRICT WAS born in Trumbull County, Ohio, December 9, 1843, and began going to school when I was five. When in my seventh year I moved with my parents to Mahoning County, and at the age of four- teen I went to live with my uncle Elijah Shinn, on a farm in Goshen Township. About that time my attention was called to the political condition of the country, because of the radical change that had recently taken place in the old parties. The people in that locality were of many religious faiths and political opinions, among whom were many Abolitionists, who refused to vote because there was a clause in the Con- stitution which permitted chattel slavery. When an effort was made to admit the Ter- ritory of Kansas into the Union the contro- versy was so bitter that the Abolitionists showed a disposition to vote provided they could get some concession from the Whigs, then under the able leadership of the Hon. Joshua R. Giddings, who conceived the plan to form a new party that would admit them, IO Four Years 'with Five Armies and also suit the liberal or free-State Demo- crats. In 1860 Abraham Lincoln was nominated Presidential candidate by the new party. The demonstrations in towns and villages fired the children in the rural districts with a spirit of patriotism, a spirit to which I was able to con- tribute by driving to town and purchasing a flag that we were able to raise on a fifty-foot pole in front of the schoolhouse. After the election of Lincoln, secession being threatened, the probability of war in the near futu ( re was much discussed, but there were only a few who thought such a calamity would befall the country. A small per cent, however, thought that a division of States was assured from the fact that the Southern men were accustomed to the use of firearms, and that they were trained to the code and followed the chase. During the winter of 1860 I was much of the time in company with two brothers, who took an interest in the pending question from the fact that their former schoolmates, the Copic brothers, were members of John Brown's company, and were with him on the noted raid on Harper's Ferry, Virginia, when they took possession of the United States Arsenal at that place. One of my com- panions had also been in Kansas during the border troubles, or '56 war. Consequently I listened to many stories of encounters that had taken place between the free-State men of Kansas and the pro-slavery party in Missouri, MKDAI, OF HONOR This medal contains the following words : " The Congress to Corporal Isaac Gause, Co. E, 2d Ohio Cav. Vols.. for Gallantry near Berryville, Va., September 13, 1864." It was given to Corporal Gause on the recommendations of Generals Wilson and Mclntosh. In " Medals of Honor," a publication issued by the War Depart- ment, September 19, 1864, will be found the following in relation to Mr. Gause : " Corporal, Co. E, 2d Ohio Cavalry ; Action, near Berry- ville, Va. ; Date, September 13. 1864. Capture of the colors of the 8th S. C. Infantry while engaged in a reconnoissance along the Berry- ville and Winchester pike." PACING 9 Observations in a Rural District 1 1 the details of which gave me some informa- tion concerning the strategy that profitably can be practiced in the enemy's country. I will relate a story that will serve to show how one may be compelled to pay the penalty of another's crime. This I give as near as possible in my friend's language. He said: " When I made up my mind to come back to Ohio," said he, " I was in Wyandotte, Kan. In order to get to the railroad I must travel thirty miles in Missouri. It was fatal for a free-State or Kansas man to be caught in that part of the country, so I prepared myself ac- cordingly, and if suspected, I would claim to be a pro-slavery man. I had a full beard and long hair, and I put on a white shirt for the first time in a long while, then buckled on a belt with revolver and dirk. I crossed the Missouri in an unfrequented place at night, and hurried along so as to arrive at Weston to take the train at nine o'clock in the morn- ing. About three o'clock, when passing a plantation, a large dog, of which every planter kept one or more, jumped out of the gate and sprang at my throat, but by catching him by the paw and giving it a sudden wrench I pre- vented him from getting hold. To prevent making a noise I drew the knife, and after a desperate struggle I killed him. I imme- diately left the road in order to cover my trail, for if the planter should follow and overtake me I would meet the fate of my victim. When I came to a creek about daylight I washed 12 Four Years with Five Armies the blood off, leaving a stain on one cuff of my shirt. It was about sunrise when I ar- rived at Weston and sat down in the waiting- room. Soon after, on looking out, I saw a party ride toward the depot. It was evident they were in haste, and thinking they were in search of a runaway slave I gave the incident little attention until they dismounted, came on the platform, and began looking about the depot. Finally, one of them walked up, reached out his arm, saying at the same time, * Ain't this our man?' Thinking he wanted to shake hands, I reached out mine, and so uncovered the stained cuff. Before there was time to think, they covered me with two revolvers and dragged me out and ad- justed the rope for my neck. There was no time allowed for explanation, as they were wild with excitement. One of them, however, more cool than the others, insisted that they had the wrong man. But the others said, ' Here is the stain on his cuff, and the rascal has tried to wash it off.' ' No,' he said, i I know the man that killed Bill.' The last re- mark explained matters sufficient for me to catch my breath, inasmuch as I thought they were going to hang me for killing the dog during the night. When an explanation about the stain was given, they apologized for the rough treatment and rode away." The many stories, combined with the in- creasing animosity constantly agitated by the press, convinced me that nothing short of war Observations In a Rural District 13 would settle the political differences between the North and South. At that time it would have been considered presumptuous to inti- mate that I could engage in any way in the struggle, although my mind was made up from the time Brooks of South Carolina struck Sumner of Massachusetts in the United States Senate, that should war be declared I would bear my part in one capacity or an- other. It was my secret, however, until the war was in full progress and the President had made the second call for troops. As no opportunity presented itself for me to enlist in the cavalry, I formed a plan to go away with a neighbor boy and enlist in the infantry. But we were both under the care of guardians, and our plan by some chance became known and was thwarted by them. My uncle, having been raised a Quaker and being of a very mild disposition, had seldom spoken in a positive manner. I had lived with him four years, and that was the first time he had refused to let me have my own way, although the previous requests had not been of an important nature. One evening in August my aunt read an article from the Mahonlng County Register, stating that Professor Hall was recruiting a company in Canfield, to join what was to be known as Wade and Hutchins's cavalry. The names of the enlisted men were attached to the article. There were four with whom I was slightly acquainted, one a former school- 14 Four Years with Five Armies mate, of whom mention will be made in the future. My mind was made up at once. I would go, let come what would. I had al- ways had one or more horses at my command from the time I could mount one from a stump or fence corner, for I was fond of a good horse, and delighted to run races with my associates whenever meeting them, whether going or coming from fairs, camp-meetings, and so on, and I had had many adventures and some narrow escapes. The next Saturday there was another article in the paper that my aunt also read to me. It stated that Captain Hall's company had nearly its complement of men and would depart from Canfield to join their regiment at Camp Wade, Cleveland, Ohio, on the following Tuesday. That was short notice for one who had made no arrange- ments. But, being fully determined, I set about formulating my plans. There were many things to be taken into consideration, many of which had been crudely revolved in my mind, but with no definite conclusion as to the result of any of them. My uncle and aunt were my guardians, and were the same as father and mother to me. I could not have loved them better had they been such in fact. My home was equal to the best of my asso- ciates', and to break my family ties was no small concern to me. Besides, I was bound by a contract between my mother and uncle to remain with them until I was eighteen, and I would not be eighteen till the 9th of the Observations in a Rural District 15 next December. Moreover, by breaking the contract I would forfeit all the financial bene- fit that had accrued to me by the last four years' labor. At the expiration of my time my uncle was to pay me one hundred dollars, give me a horse, saddle and bridle, and a new suit of clothes. As at that time the aggregate of this was equal to two hundred and twenty- five dollars, it was considered a very fair start in life for one at my age. It did not occur to me there would be another chance to go into the cavalry, and therefore I thought to myself, now is the time to go. The worst of all was to leave without the consent of uncle and aunt. Weary with my fonderings, sleep overtook me, and next day went to church. As soon as the service was ended I collected my associates, and we went to the woods for a council. I told them all about the cavalry company, and that we should all go together and enlist, but there was no response from them. After describing the difference between the cavalryman and the infantry, those that must plod through mud and snow, I gave up the task and started home. On the way I met some young men that consented to go with me. The next thing to do was to notify my uncle. After sitting down to dinner I told them what my mind was made up to do. To my surprise and gratification my uncle said, " If he thinks he must go I will take him to Canfield to-morrow and let him enlist." Much gratified to think 1 6 Four Years with Five Armies there was no opposition from this source my arrangements were made accordingly. On Monday morning, when the work had been done as usual, I made preparation to go, but it began to rain and my uncle did not want to take his carriage out. But rain was no ob- stacle in my way, and I walked over to the home of my neighbor, who was presumably to be my future companion, and found him putting the saddle on his horse. When he saw the way I was situated, he hitched the horse to a buggy and drove over to get our other man. He had made no arrangements to go, so we drove to Canfield, put the horse in the stable at the Bostwick House, and here we met those with whom we were acquainted, among them George A. Wilkins. With a cor- dial greeting, he shook hands and asked, "Well, are you going with us?" " I surely am," I replied, " if there is room for one more on the rolls." " Come right in here," he said, and then addressing the sergeant, he con- tinued, " Here is another one to add to the list." " How old are you?" asked the ser- geant. " Eighteen, of course," Wilkins re- plied, and down went my name. CHAPTER II CAMP LIFE AT CLEVELAND WE went to the Meeker House, where the men were selecting the horses they were to ride in the service. Those horses that had been in- spected and accepted by the government in- spector stood in stalls in the long stables, and the many horse-dealers that had horses to sell occupied the open sheds on an adjoining lot, each with a bunch that he was anxious to dis- pose of. After inspecting three or four lots without finding one to suit me, I passed on to another, and there found one. The owner said, " You know a good horse when you see it, but that one does not come up to the stand- ard height; it has been inspected and re- jected on that account. She is the best animal in the stable and can outrun anything in the county, but she is nervous and unreliable in harness. If you can get her accepted, you will be the best mounted man in the com- pany." He put the saddle on the mare and brought her out. She was anxious to go, and every motion was as quick as a cat, and when I lit in the saddle she shot out of the stable like an arrow. After galloping up and down the street and turning short on the slippery plank 17 1 8 Four Years with Five Armies pavement to the delight of the bystanders and to my own satisfaction, I rode to the stable. " Now," he said, " you tell the inspector that if he does not accept this mare you will not go with the company." I carried out his in- structions, and after much quibbling and hesi- tation, and by the earnest request of the by- standers who had witnessed my horsemanship, the animal was accepted and " U. S." branded upon her. After dinner we returned home and made hasty preparation for my departure. The next morning I mounted a horse at daybreak and rode to Damascus, a distance of three miles, my cousin having gone there to stay all night with friends, and driven the horse and carriage that was wanted to take me to Can- field. As soon as we had breakfast we went home and found that my uncle had changed his mind. He wanted to sell a horse and con- cluded to go on horseback. It was fourteen miles to Canfield and the company would leave at ten o'clock, so we hurried away as soon as possible after taking leave of those I might not see soon again. When we had rid- den about three miles we were overtaken by a horse-buyer who wanted artillery horses. I galloped the one I was riding up and down the road to show him off to the best advantage. The trade was soon made by the dealer ad- vancing my uncle five dollars with instruc- tions to deliver the horse at Salem the follow- ing Monday. Camp Life at Cleveland 19 When within a mile of Canfield my uncle said he was tired, as he was not used to riding, and would like to return if I was satisfied to walk. We dismounted, and after an affec- tionate leave-taking, I walked toward town, while he rode in the opposite direction. We were scarcely out of sight of each other when the cannon began to boom the farewell salute to the company as it departed for Youngs- town, where they were to embark by rail. I soon met one of my neighbor boys who had ridden over to see the company start. When I explained to him my dilemma, he rode into town to make some arrangement by which I could get to Youngstown. The streets were deserted and the houses closed, with but a few people to represent the place. Every avail- able horse and harness had been put into use to take the company and its friends to Youngs- town. But it so happened that one doctor had one more buggy than horse, which his wife graciously loaned us. We found an old breast-strap, and by using ropes for traces, were enabled to hitch my friend's horse; but as there were no holdback straps, we had to get out and hold the buggy back going down hill. We arrived at our destination just in time for dinner. The scene was to me a new and novel one. A vast crowd had gathered around the hotel where the dinner had been prepared and placed on a long table for the company. It was so closely packed that it was almost impossible to gain an entrance. 2O Four Years with Five Armies My friend interceded for me, and told them that here was a member of the company who had been left behind and wanted dinner be- fore train-time. That was all that was nec- essary, as everyone was anxious to show gratitude to the soldier. As word passed along, " Here is one, let him in," we finally managed to reach the table. After the dinner was concluded, the people gathered around the empty cars by the already overcrowded platform. These cars were destined to take us away, and it was announced that it was time to board the train. I walked around to the opposite side, where I could gain the step to the car without coming in contact with the crowd, and there, with a hearty handshake, and many thanks for the assistance he had rendered me, I took leave of my friend, to meet him again more than a year afterward on his deathbed. When I entered the car the scene that met my eye was heartrending indeed. There were fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, and wives with tears and sobs, taking, for aught they knew, their last leave of their dear ones who were going to combat in what was destined to be a long and bloody struggle. My atten- tion was called to one group in particular, owing to its peculiar variance from the others. A middle-aged couple, whose attire would indicate that they were poor people, stood at one end of the car, and as the woman handed her husband some small token, she said: Camp Life at Cleveland 21 " Remember me, when this you see, Though many miles apart we be." Then, with a fond embrace, and tears rolling down her face, she boo-hooed, and left the car. When the train pulled out, its occupants consisted of the company, and a few of the most influential men from Canfield and Youngstown who wanted to see their friends safely in camp. Now that we were away from the women, the flask became a frequent visi- tor. I was in a car whose occupants were entire strangers to me, but it was not long until my friends, who had not time to think of me before, came in search of me, and with hard persuasion succeeded in getting me to take the first drink of liquor that ever passed my lips. The most of them became jolly as the train moved along, and it was a great contrast from the hours before. I thought, how easily and soon they forget! We arrived at Cleveland about sundown, and when we were out of the cars the captain ordered us to fall in line. I had never been in line, and had seen but one company of recruits march. We crossed the Cuyahoga River and marched up a long hill. It was awkward work for me, but I managed to step on the heels of the man in front as often as the man behind me trod on mine. We ar- rived at the top of the hill, where we found preparations going on for our reception. By details from companies the eleven tents had been stretched, and there was a colored cook 22 Four Years with Five Armies for each mess. Supper was almost ready. Our tables consisted of forked sticks about four feet long set in the ground for legs, with short poles from fork to fork, on which rested two boards twelve inches wide and about twelve feet long. Each cook had a tent called " the cook-tent " for him to sleep in, and to store away the rations. After supper the as- signment to the different messes began, but most of these had been done by mutual con- sent before leaving Canfield. There were four or five of us, however, that were on the stray list, we either having no acquaintance with the others or not having had time to make arrangements. The different messes went by the name of the town in which the men lived; as, the Salem mess; Canfield mess; Youngstown mess, Girard, Nilestown, Board- man, Jackson. All of my acquaintances were in the Salem mess, and as they had only ten men I was invited to join them. They soon found another young man, Frank Ackley, about my age and size, to be my " bunky," and to complete the required number for the mess. We each then drew a single blanket, and I lay down in a tent for the first time in my life. My bunky, like myself, was igno- rant of camp life, and had come without any bedding, therefore we were not so comfort- ably fixed as some of our comrades who brought quilts and blankets with them. The ground seemed very hard, and we turned over often during that first night. In the morning FRANKLIN ACKLEY Corporal, Co. E. Second Ohio Volunteer Cavalry Camp Life at Cleveland 23 we began to look about to learn something of our surroundings. We learned that our com- pany was the last of twelve to arrive in camp, but that some of them did not have their full quota and therefore could not muster, al- though they occupied their place in camp. Professor Hall had opened the rolls for en- listment on August loth, and recruited the first man for the regiment. We considered him captain and accordingly elected him as such, with Bales Fawcet for first lieutenant, and Peter L. Rush for second lieutenant. There was a great deal of fault found with Captain Hall's conduct and management of the company, but his selection of non-com- missioned officers showed his judgment was good in that respect. It saved a great deal of trouble in the future, with Warner Newton for first sergeant, a man with executive ability to command a brigade; Dan Arnold for quartermaster sergeant, who had some experi- ence in that line, having been with Walker's expedition across the plains some years before. The other non-commissioned officers were the best men in the company, though none had any military knowledge except Corporal William H. Arnold, and he had been in the three months' service and was at the battle of Manassas Junction. Two days after we arrived in camp our horses, which had been brought on foot, were tied to a picket rope on the flats between Camp Wade and the Cuyahoga River, where 24 Four Years with Five Armies they were taken care of by a detail termed " horse guards " until late in the fall. At Camp Wade there was also camped a battery of artillery and a small detachment of Ohio boys enlisted for the noted Jim Lane's com- mand in Kansas. It was in that detachment that the first fatality occurred at Camp Wade. The boys had been furnished with guns and used them when on camp duty. There were two brothers who slept together. One of them, when on camp guard just behind the tent where his brother then lay, saw a cat cross the beat on which he was walking. He at- tempted to kill it, and at the noise of the gun everyone was awakened in the vicinity. His brother cried out, " I am shot!" His com- rade told him to go to sleep, and said, " You have been dreaming of battle, and when you heard that shot it awoke you." At first he thought they were right, and he tried to go to sleep. As he attempted to turn over, how- ever, he put his hand into a pool of blood. He told his companion, a light was brought, and it was found that the ball had passed through his body. He died at seven the next morning. The first week passed away without any unusual event in the Second Ohio; the time of the trooper was fully occupied, and, since I had left home on short notice, I was anxious to return for a visit to assure my friends that I did not regret what I had done. The location of Camp Wade was on Uni- versity Heights, a high plateau situated south Camp Life at Cleveland 2$ of the Cuyahoga River. The Heights con- sisted of several hundred acres of land cov- ered with grass, sloping to the southeast, and bounded on the south by the University. Our camp was located on the north side of the plateau overlooking the city, the suburbs of which extended out to the University on the west side of the plateau. The open ground for a distance of nearly a mile was used for drill and parade ground, and was a popular resort for pleasure seekers. There was a continual stream of visitors, excursions, and picnics from the counties and towns where the companies were recruited. Soon after the uniforms were issued we had a review and a dress parade, and a flag was pre- sented by the ladies of Cleveland to the Sec- ond Cavalry. The ceremony took place in front of the University, where the regiment formed in hollow square. The presentation was made by one of Cleveland's fair daugh- ters. To the presentation address a fitting response was offered. The regiment was pledged not only to defend that banner of silk and gold, but to carry it on wings of vic- tory into the heart of the enemy's country. Then three cheers were given, patriotic songs were sung, the band gave its choicest selection, and the companies were marched to quarters and disbanded. Everything went along lovely until Novem- ber, when the cold north winds swept down across Lake Erie and struck Camp Wade a 26 Four Years with Five Armies broadsider that made the tents totter and the teeth of the trooper chatter. The elevated spot that had been so pleasant during the autumn months had now to be abandoned for a better protected one. By the recent rains the flats had become soft and the horses were standing in mud up to their knees, and many sickened and died. The regiment was ordered to move to the old fair ground, known by the name of " Camp Taylor." With no horse equipments but rope halters we mounted bareback and marched through the streets of Cleveland to the new camp. The horses, glad to be liberated from their muddy prison, pranced and jumped about, and it was impossible to keep them in any- thing like a column. The change in some respects was good for man and beast, or at least it was until the rains set in again, and then it was worse than Camp Wade, for there the horses were kept away from camp, so that we were not constantly kept in mind of their suffering. But in the new camp they were tied in front of the tents, and they tramped and lashed the mud until everything for rods around was covered with it. It was discouraging indeed to the trooper on duty to go on guard and walk back and forth by a string of horses for two hours, then go into the tent and lie down in wet clothes for four hours, alternately during the whole day. To do justice to the regiment, it is necessary Camp Life at Cleveland 27 to give a better explanation of the mount and its treatment. Our horses were the best that could be selected from the stables of northern Ohio. Each man was permitted to choose his own horse, sell it to the Government, and retain it for his mount. This brought out the choice horses from each neighborhood. Many of them were worth more than the established Government price, the difference being at the trooper's expense, and he was willing to sac- rifice the money in order to have his favorite animal. The treatment the horses received was, for some unaccountable reason, without doubt cruel, and for which cruelty those who were responsible have need to be forgiven. A man had to depend on his faithful animal and companion to carry his burden on the long, weary march, and in the brilliant charge they were destined to carry the Second Ohio Cavalry. While we were at Camp Wade the horses were picketed on the flats in open ground with no care but feed and water twice a day. The rations of forage were scant, and were strewn on the ground for the poor ani- mals to scatter and waste, while they would kick and strike and bite at each other, crip- pling, and spreading disease from which many died. After we moved to Camp Tay- lor it was a daily occurrence to see one or more carcasses drawn out of the hospital, where they were under the care of veterinary surgeons, after having been reported unserv- iceable. Fresh horses were daily bought by 28 Four Years with Five Armies the quartermaster to take their place, so that when the order came, about the ist of Decem- ber, for the regiment to report at Camp Den- nison, there were enough horses to give each trooper his mount. During the month of No- vember we had been furnished with a com- plete set of horse equipments. When the weather would admit we went to the commons north of the camp and went through with the mounted drill, and this furnished recreation from the now dreary and loathsome camp. We received our first pay, all in coin, and this was a red letter day indeed. Many had been entirely without money for three months, and could not even write a letter without bor- rowing the material. About December ist an order was received for the regiment to report to Camp Dennison forthwith ; but " forthwith " is about nine days with a raw cavalry regiment that has been accumulating all kinds of articles too nu- merous to mention. Now there were great and new events in store for the Second Ohio Cav- alry, that caused the monotonous and grew- some scenes of Camp Taylor to slip from memory. On the night of the ist of December I was on camp guard, and my beat was between the string of miscellaneous horses and the high fence that closed the fair ground. It was a cold and rainy night, and I was drenched to the skin, my boots were full of water, and my new cavalry overcoat was covered with mud Camp Life at Cleveland 29 splashed there by the horses as they plunged about. The boards that had been thrown down for us to walk on were all afloat. The close proximity of the horses to the fence made this a favorite place for the boys that were in the habit of running the guard to make their exit to the street. For that purpose there had been one board knocked off from the fence, and just as day was breaking a man made his appearance at the opening. Our instructions were to converse with no one while on duty, but as there was no danger of being seen by anyone, I ventured into a conversation with him. He produced a pint flask and offered it to me. I declined, saying, " I do not drink." But he urged me. " You are wet and cold and it will do you good." So I took a pretty good draught. Having informed him that we were ordered away, he appeared much grieved, for he had become much attached to some of the boys that frequented his house. Producing the flask frequently, he took a large drink each time, and it did not appear to have any effect on him. Although drinking but little, I began to feel quite jolly, and before the relief came I had forgotten the misery of the poor animals and was endeavoring to keep them quiet by slapping them with the dummy gun furnished to arm the guard with. Preparation for moving began from the moment the notice was given until the morn- ing of our departure, there being some changes to make, such as shipping surplus 30 Four Years with Five Armies baggage, writing letters, and so on. Notice was served that transportation would be fur- nished for but one man, who would be known as " company cook." In Company E each mess wanted to retain its man to occupy the position, but the seniority rule prevailed, and the old man, Munson, having done the hon- ors for mess No. i, was retained, and was proud of his position. He superintended the packing and caring for the private property of his old mess as long as he remained with the company, not leaving until after the In- dian expedition returned to Fort Scott. CHAPTER III WINTER QUARTERS AT CAMP DENNISON ON the morning of the pth of December, 1861, we left our snow-covered tents, packed our blankets, saddled up, and at ten o'clock took up the line of march for the depot. It was the first time the regiment had been on the move, mounted, equipped, and in uniform. Twelve hundred and forty men with blue overcoats on chafing steeds passed down the snow-covered streets of Cleveland; the band, mounted on gray horses, led the way, playing " The Star Spangled Banner." Then came Colonel Doubleday, as fine a figure as ever sat in a saddle, with his staff officers, in their dress uniforms, and with finely equipped steeds. Following in regular order came the com- panies. When the shades of night came over Cleveland, we were speeding our way south about as fast as steam could carry us. Every- one rejoiced to know that we would escape the severe winter of the North, which had now fairly set in, and as the train glided along through towns, villages, and country, we fell asleep in our seats. About four o'clock the next day we arrived at Camp Dennison, which is situated on the Little Miami River, six- si 32 Four Years with Five Armies teen miles from Cincinnati, and a few miles above the mouth of the river, and is sur- rounded by hills. The camp was situated on a level valley about one and a half miles wide and two miles long. It had been raining, and when we arrived at the depot the valley looked like a lake ; but we plunged through it, and were soon quar- tered in barracks with kitchen and dining- room large enough to seat one-half of the company at one time. And then we were given our first lesson in cooking, being de- tailed in turn to assist the company cook. There were fifteen thousand troops there, drilling and equipping for active service, and among them the Sixth Ohio Cavalry. The companies having been recruited in the same counties from which the Second had come, most every trooper met a relative or school- mate, and the two regiments were sometimes called the half-brothers. It was in these old barracks that I became involved in a controversy with one of my mess-mates. My bunkv and I both having learned to smoke, one cold, rainy day when he was on guard, the stem in my pipe being broken, I took his and sat smoking, when he came in wet and cold. That put him out of humor and he said some bad things about the man who had stolen his pipe. Good- naturedly, I asked him to take back what he had said. But he went further, and without a second thought we got together. I gave him Winter Quarters at Camp Dennison 33 such a thrashing that he called enough, and we got up, shook hands, and never mentioned the affair again. We were quartered in the old barracks but a few days when the carpenters finished large and commodious barracks, with room enough to house one company in each, and they com- pleted comfortable stables for the horses a few days later. The mud had dried up by this time, and we were put through the mounted drill every day. Our company had two men that took " French leave," and it was here the first man of our regiment was killed by gunshot. One day, while drilling, a com- pany was making a left wheel at a gallop, and swung around in front of a battery at the in- stant the gunner received orders to fire. The battery was at target practice, and the gun was loaded with solid shot that carried one of the troopers out of the saddle and killed him instantly. At Camp Dennison our mess lost one mem- ber, which made the third. At an election Bales R. Fawcet was chosen lieutenant. J. C. Sheets was transferred to headquarters, Kin. Miller, trumpeter, exchanged places with C. C. McCane, Miller going to the Sixth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, and McCane coming to the Second Ohio Volunteer Cavalry. Patrols and scouting parties were sent out daily to accustom the officers and men for the duty they were soon to do in the field, and they were taught to pick up the men that ran 34 Four Years with Five Armies the guard and bring them into camp. Up to this time we had no arms of any kind. When the orders came for the Second Ohio to send a scouting party to Warsaw, Kentucky, to dis- perse a band of bushwhackers that were depre- dating in that locality, Captain Welch, who was detailed to command the detachment, had to borrow guns and revolvers from the post ordnance officer. Boxing gloves were pur- chased and sparring indulged in, and we had some sailors who were well up in the art, and we witnessed some very fine trapeze and dumbbell exercises. We were taught, also, the art of evading sentinels, and the advan- tages a mounted man can take over the dis- mounted man, and many other of the arts of war. It was at this camp I saw the first soldier buried with military honors. There was another incident that occurred here that cast a gloom over the whole regi- ment. One morning the musicians had taken their horses from the stable and tied them to a rail fence. The ground was frozen, but the morning was bright and clear, and the horses felt the effects of the warm sun, and in caper- ing about, pulled the fence down. This frightened them, and one of them ran with such force that a heavy rail to which he was tied struck his rider on the head, crushing his skull. He lived but a few hours afterward, never having regained consciousness. It was about the zoth of December the ord- nance officer issued sabers, revolvers, and Winter Quarters at Camp Dennison 35 belts. We had been in service so long without arms that now that we were partially armed, we felt proud that the authorities had recog- nized the fact that we could be trusted with the most harmless instrument in modern war- fare. For my part, I was so proud of my saber that I borrowed a long knife, strung it on my belt also, stalked over to the picture gallery, and had my picture taken, and placed it in the nicest case that could be found and sent it home. The picture is in existence yet, and well preserved, but to an experienced eye it looks like anything but a soldier. On the 24th of December I went to Cin- cinnati to spend Christmas with my uncle, John Woodruff, who was editing a paper and lived with his family on Vine Street. After a merry Christmas and a royal time, I re- turned to camp, and there were all kinds of rumors afloat. We were to be mustered out of service immediately. All sorts of reasons were assigned for this sudden change. Some had it from good authority that there was too much cavalry; that it was a too expensive branch of the service for the little good it did. Many other things were circulated until the 3d of January, 1862, when Colonel Double- day announced that he had orders from the War Department to report with the Second Ohio Cavalry to the commanding officer at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Preparations now began for a more extended journey and adventures than we had in our wildest imagi- 36 Four Years with Five Armies nations anticipated. Old ways had to be de- parted from. The convenience of wagons to carry surplus bedding and baggage must be abandoned, as we were ordered to carry our personal effects on the saddle. There was lit- tle going on in camp but the routine duty and preparing to move until the I5th of January, when, about seven in the morning, we were led into line. After mounting and dismount- ing about seven times, we finally moved out in the direction of Cincinnati, while our horses were loaded down with blankets, quilts, bed- ticks, and the thousand unnecessary articles that had accumulated in camp. Some of these were abandoned on nearly every mile from Camp Dennison to Fort Gibson. However, we arrived in Cincinnati in fairly good shape after a march of sixteen miles. We put in the night loading horses and equipments, and as soon as the train was loaded, it pulled out for St. Louis, Missouri, taking with it a small detail of men to take care of the horses. After the long and weary night's task, we fell into line and marched to a long train of coaches, and followed our horses westward, passing the stock trains one by one. Fatigued by the march of the day and the night's work, we took to our seats in quite a different way from that of our journey to Camp Wade and Camp Dennison, and most of us soon fell asleep. For want of experience there had been but little proper preparation for the long journey before us, although we had been mak- Winter Quarters at Camp Dennison 37 ing ready for several days; yet our prepara- tion had been loss of time, as it did not apply to the required wants of the occasion. The company equipments had been packed and loaded in cars at Camp Dennison, and shipped direct to Fort Leavenworth, and the haver- sacks had been filled with light bread and boiled beef, which had been nearly consumed during the first twenty-four hours. The troopers were mostly young and hardy and soon became hungry. There was a stampede at every station by those who had money, for whatever eatables there were in sight. Ar- rangements had been made by the commissary officers to have meals prepared at two differ- ent places, but that was very tedious for hungry men. The dining-rooms did not af- ford room enough to seat more than two com- panies at a time, and all kinds of trading was resorted to to satisfy the gnawing appetites. There was a great deal of grumbling, but the officers were not blamed for the inconven- ience. Each man took blame to himself for not having provided properly for his own needs, as each man considered he knew just as much as the officer, who, in this case, was often his old schoolmate and neighbor. But with all the privations there were many amusing incidents on the journey. In our company there was a man who had served in the French army, and on such occasions he would always fill up with " Oh, be joyful," and would explain, very emphatically, how 38 Four Years with Five Armies he could pierce his enemy with his saber. With the drawn weapon in hand he would demonstrate how they used it in the French army, and then he would sing the Marseil- laise. He had a grudge against Captain Hall, and kept showing us just how he would thrust him. The performance, in course of time, became uninteresting, and Brandyburg was relieved of his saber, and settled down to a profound sleep. It was a long and tedious journey, for the trains did not glide over the rails as they do nowadays. The track was rough and the ends of the rails were not bound together with iron straps. Every joint was down, and in many places the ties would rise and sink in mud and water as the train passed over them. There was one place where an Illinois regi- ment had been thrown from the track and nearly all killed or injured, while making special time a few days before. On the morning of the I9th we arrived at East St. Louis, then known as " Bloody Island." The Mississippi was frozen over, and teams pulling heavy loads were crossing in the same order that they pass on the road or street, but the mayor of the city notified the Colonel that the ice was in a dangerous condition, and anyone venturing upon it did it at his own risk. The river was gradually swelling from melting snow and the rain that was falling. The owners of the ferryboats were aware of the condition and had steam Winter Quarters at Camp Dennison 39 ready for work as soon as the ice gave way. It was almost impossible to keep the regiment at Bloody Island, for there was no shelter, no cooking outfit, and the ground was covered with ice and slush. The rain poured down at intervals and wet our blankets and clothes, and there was little wood to build fires. Col- onel Doubleday was not the man to sit down and wait for nature to do its work when his men were in such a horrible plight. He ordered lumber to be purchased and laid on the ice to strengthen it until we could cross. The lumber began to arrive that very day, and on the morning of the 2Oth, after stand- ing around all night, a detail was sent to lay stringers across the river with planks on them bridge fashion. We stood and walked about the banks watching the work progress until about four o'clock, when it was complete. While the men were still on the bridge Col- onel Doubleday, with his staff, came out to inspect it. When they were about half-way across, the ice, with a terrific heave, gave way. Huge blocks, between two and three feet thick, and all lengths and widths from ten to one hundred feet, shot up, and then settled or sank down to take their places with the great mass that crashed and ground together as it floated down in the seething water to disap- pear in the Gulf at the mouth of the Missis- sippi. There was now a rush for life; the officers mounted, and the detail dismounted, rushing for shore. The bridge served a good 4O Four Years with Five Armies purpose, for in many places it enabled the men to cross the gaps between the floats. Some of the men farthest from the shore were un- able to escape until after the bridge had en- tirely gone to pieces; some of them, floating down a distance, watched their chances and jumped from one drift to another, until at last all were safe. The shore on both sides of the river was crowded with soldiers and citizens, and the wildest excitement prevailed. Men rushed hither and thither, shouting and screaming all kinds of words of precaution to those in danger; but the roar and creaking of the ice made the din unintelligible, and the men paid no attention to it. Each looked out for himself and secured his own safety, and there was no loss of life or limb. The hos- pital record in the days following told the woeful tale of the devastation of health caused by the working and tramping about and lying around in mud and rain, with little to eat, and many times with nothing. During the day we had been treated to all kinds of stories concerning our future, pur- porting to come from officers who knew all about it. Good barracks, good stables for horses, and, above all things, carbines, awaited us in the beautiful beyond. Fortunately, the break up of ice extended only about a mile, and in an hour we were crossing the river in ferryboats that had steamed across it at the first opportunity. We marched through the streets of St. Louis to Benton Barracks, where Winter Quarters at Camp Dennlson 41 we arrived in the night and in a drenching rain. Instead of being quartered in com- fortable barracks, after an hour or two of parleying around we were compelled to go in the arena of the fair ground, with no wood for fires to dry our clothes, and no shelter or feed for the horses. We were compelled to lie down on the seats of the arena in wet blankets until morning, when we got some wood. We then proceeded to dry our clothes and blankets, and wait for rations and forage that came later in the day. Our privations and our intense hunger convinced every man that he should know how to cook and care for his own rations. It was very apparent that a company mess arrangement could not be ef- fectually used while on the move, and the service of the regiment must necessarily be very much impaired with cook and rations in one place and hungry men in another. All agreed that a mess of four troopers could carry the necessary cooking utensils and rations for that number, but we were not called on to put this new method into use for many months. The Second Illinois and the Second Iowa Cavalry were also camped at Benton Bar- racks. Among them we met many old school- mates and neighbors formerly from Ohio, but now living in Illinois and Iowa. After a de- lay of two days at Benton Barracks, we took up the line of march to St. Charles, a distance of twenty-five miles on the north bank of the Missouri River. The ice was still intact at 42 Four Years with Five Armies this place, and we marched across in column of fours by deploying to widen the space be- tween the sets so as not to have too much weight on the ice at one time. A large part of the regiment took quarters in the female seminary and the remainder in unoccupied houses wherever they were to be found. Company E occupied a warehouse in the center of the city, with a large lot adjoining, with sheds for the horses. At this place ad- ditional arms were issued, one battalion being provided with revolving rifles and the others with what was called the Australian carbine, which was nothing more than a musket sawed off, making a short muzzle-loading gun with the old-fashioned paper cartridge and the regulation army cap. St. Charles was a lively little city at that time, and seemed to be the rendezvous of all kinds of people. Spies for both armies, desperadoes, gamblers, and spec- ulators collected and made headquarters there. It was useless for one to ask another where he was from, or what he was doing, or if he sympathized with the North or the South. If your question was answered at all, it would be with a shot or a look that would tell you at once it was none of your business. Now that we were armed and equipped, we began to think we had been organized for some purpose, and could venture into the enemy's country. After resting at St. Charles two or three days, observing the ways of the people, which were very different from any- Winter Quarters at Camp Dennison 43 thing we had witnessed before, we reloaded our horses and boarded the train for another long journey by rail. It was the custom for the field officers, and such line officers as they saw fit to invite, to occupy the rear coach, which was done on this occasion. About day- light it was noticed that the coach had been detached and left behind. At the first stop- ping-place the train was side-tracked and the engine went back to pick up the lost officers. It found them twenty miles back, in the mid- dle of a large snow-covered prairie, sur- rounded by horsemen at a long range, who had intended an attack, but for some reason had delayed until too late. It was presumed to be some roving band of guerrillas, of which there were many at that time, and one of their spies, who had been in St. Charles, had boarded the train in uniform, and when they had come into the neighborhood of their band, he had pulled the coupling-pin and made his escape while the officers were sleep- ing. Most all of those bands had confed- erates in St. Charles and St. Louis. In fact, Quantrill, a most desperate leader of one of the bands, was at that very moment on our train, enlisted as a member of a company. We will speak of him hereafter. The weather was bitter cold, and it was im- possible to have any comfort in the moving train, as it was tickety-tick and bumpety-bump as the wheels passed from one rail to another. At Hudson, now Macon City, we fed and re- 44 Four Years with Five Armies loaded on the Hannibal & St. Jo road. We found some Missouri troops stationed there, and they extended us a hearty welcome and rendered all assistance they could, and gave us much information of the kind of enemy we had to meet, their methods of warfare, and so on. After a delay of forty hours we again moved westward. After leaving Hudson our journey was marked by ruins of bridges and smoking embers of houses, for the bush- whackers and guerrillas had been busy every- where, waging war and devastating every- thing they came in reach of. Neighbor against neighbor, with knife and gun, they cut and shot each other to pieces. At every bridge or crossing there was a blockhouse occupied by a guard of soldiers to save the bridge from destruction. At the crossing of the Platte River a full regiment was stationed, and a strong stockade and blockhouses had been erected for its defense. A few days previous this bridge, while unguarded, had been partly burned, and a train loaded with soldiers had run into the river, causing great loss of life. Our train arrived at Weston, Missouri, on January 30, where we caught up with our culinary department, and then we were served with the first hot meal for seven days. Weston is at the extreme end of the Hanni- bal & St. Jo R. R., and was, at that time, many miles beyond any other railroad. After tak- ing a little rest, we marched to Platte City, a distance of six or seven miles. There were JV inter Quarters at Camp Denmson 45 still a few patches of snow and the road was covered with ice. Before we reached our destination we were treated to one of those freaks of weather peculiar to that section of the country a heavy thunderstorm, that made day as dark as night. It continued about thirty minutes, and then with a sudden change of the wind it began to snow, and by the time we were all quartered there were three inches of snow on the ground. At Platte City the regiment began to make history. We were ordered by a dispatch from the commanding officer at Leavenworth to quell a factional fight which had resulted in the killing of sev- eral men and the burning of some houses. Platte City was one of the oldest towns in Missouri, and had been for many years a fit- ting-out and resting-place for freighters and emigrants crossing the plains. In the palmy days, with the aid of slave labor and slave trade, the inhabitants had accumulated much wealth. The buildings, both business and residence, were well built and handsome, and the people lived in luxury and ease. After the time of the border troubles of '56 between the free-State and pro-slavery parties, there was a division of sentiment, and after the war of '61 had been declared, factional fights were of common occurrence. They caused a great exodus, and when we took possession of the place there was scarcely a man or a horse to be seen. Large livery barns, of which there were several, were empty, and made com- 46 Four Years with Five Armies modious and comfortable places for our horses. There were plenty of empty houses to quarter two or three regiments, but they were not very suitable for soldiers' quarters. Many rooms had no place for fire, and others had but a small fireplace, not suitable to cook for so many men. A fierce snowstorm raged for twenty-four hours. It was impossible to build a fire and cook outdoors. The men were compelled to gather around the few and small fires we were able to make in the fireplaces. It soon became known that provisions were scarce in the town, and the women remaining at home, whose husbands had gone to the army, were glad of the opportunity to cook, and take the surplus rations. The surplus would maintain them, as it was large in such things as beans, rice, hominy, and bacon, all of which had accumulated, as we had had no chance to cook for several days. This ar- rangement proved very convenient for both soldiers and citizens. We were all pleased with our stay in Platte City. Notwithstanding the severe cold weather, our experience was novel and varied. It was new and interesting to the boys from the rural districts of Ohio, and taught us to be vigilant soldiers. The first real eye-opener was the disappearance, while on the road from Weston to Platte City, of a man who had made his appearance at headquarters in St. Charles and asked to be enlisted in the regiment. He con- clusively proved to Colonel Doubleday that Winter Quarters at Camp Dennison 47 he was well acquainted with the western part of Missouri and eastern Kansas, and had been compelled to leave home on account of his Union principles. The Colonel, thinking he would be of valuable service and wishing to do something to gratify a Union man, enlisted him and assigned him to a company. It has since been learned that the man was no other than the noted Quantrill. The first move on entering the town, the Colonel put guards in all parts and notified all parties that private rights would be protected. A favorable senti- ment was thereby cultivated in a very short time. Many Union flags appeared. Some of the flags were painted in water colors so that they could be washed in case it was necessary. This enlightened us on another point. It proved that people were compelled to guide their actions in accordance with the surround- ing conditions, and it was necessary to have two flags in one family. As this had to be practiced by both parties it was not often that one would publicly make known the actions of the other. If this were done the informer would surely meet a tragic fate. Company D and Company G were sent to guard im- portant and strategic points some distance away. Scouting parties and patrolling guards were constantly patrolling the town and the country to protect the Union people. Pick- ets were stationed on all the roads to prevent the command from being surprised by the marauders. CHAPTER IV MY FIRST PICKET DUTY MY first picket duty was performed here during the first week of our sojourn. Our company was called on every day for a detail to scout or do picket duty. When it came my turn, a full detail, with Corporal Arnold in charge, sad- dled horses, and with instructions from the adjutant, moved out on a public road and re- lieved the guards there. It was a bitter cold day, and during the night the ice would rise up and pop open in the road where it had been tramped down by the horses. The instruc- tions required that one man must be constantly in the saddle and at a short distance in ad- vance of the dismounted men. We relied a great deal on our corporal. He had seen active service in Virginia during the first three months' campaign. Our surroundings were very different here in Missouri. There were no large armies in close proximity, but the country was infested with bands of guer- rillas, whose deeds of daring and miraculous adventure could not be surpassed by the knights or gladiators of old. Those parties were not confined to the army alone; some were secessionists, and others Union, while 48 My First Picket Duty 49 others were, strictly speaking, seeking revenge for actual or supposed wrongs perpetrated on themselves or families, and still others were depredating for the spoils. They were con- stantly making raids, driving off stock, and carrying off provisions of every kind, robbing and burning houses, and it was no uncommon thing for one or two to ride along the road like innocent people, get into conversation with the sentinel, and at the first opportunity get the drop on and capture him. The whole party would then make their appearance from the woods or some place where they had been secreted, and charge into the camp, yelling and shooting, killing men and driving off the stock, and burning nouses. We had been attentive listeners to these stories from the time we crossed the Missis- sippi, and, therefore, knew the necessity of constant alertness. We took turns on mounted guard during the day, and one at a time would go to town for his meals, but at night no one was allowed to dismount but the corporal. The trying ordeal was terrible during the long winter nights, but our safety depended upon our vigilance. After hearing of so many dar- ing adventures and hairbreadth escapes, to verify which there were plenty of facts in evi- dence, we had about come to the conclusion that nothing was impossible, and we deter- mined that no such accident should happen to us from neglect of duty. We can now re- fer with pride to the fact that we were not 50 Four Years 'with Five Armies surprised and that we lost no stock during the campaign in the West. How we kept from freezing is a wonder. We bundled up our feet and patted them on the bottom of the stirrups, and swung our arms, but the suffer- ing was almost unbearable. I was not very anxious to engage in a skir- mish, but sometimes I would try to make my- self believe that I would rather see the enemy charging up the road than to remain there for the remainder of the night. I think the light of day has never been so welcome to me as it was on those clear frosty mornings. The sun rose and shone brightly, and at nine o'clock we were relieved, and went to our quarters with the satisfaction of having been fully in- itiated to picket duty in the enemy's country. As our regiment was destined to be a part of an expedition to move farther to the south and west, and as we were now at the extreme end of the railroad, other kind of transporta- tion for supplies and baggage had to be pro- vided. Mules and wagons were brought over from Fort Leavenworth. D. H. Arnold, quartermaster-sergeant of Company E, was promoted to be regimental trainmaster. He began at once to fit out a regimental train. He was, perhaps, the only man in the com- mand who could throw a lasso on a wild mule, or, as the modern cowboy would say, put " the tug" on a broncho. He proved a valuable man in that capacity, and performed his duty long and well. The fitting out of the train My First Picket Duty 51 interested me very much. I would go to the corral every day to see them handle the wild mules. Arnold offered me a team to drive, but, as it did not compare very favorably with my notion of a cavalryman, I promptly de- clined. The company mess was yet in vogue, and as the cooking-vessels were large and could not be carried by the detachments that went on long trips, many men suffered for want of food. But with all the privations there were many fond ties connected with the sojourn here. Many of the boys kept up a corre- spondence with people there, and some later went back and married young ladies with whom they became acquainted at Platte City. On the 1 8th of February we left Platte City and marched to Fort Leavenworth, where we arrived six weeks from the time the orders were received at Camp Dennison to report forthwith to the commander at that fort. We were quartered in the regulation bar- racks, and the horses were sheltered in good stables. Here we learned something about regular army life, as there were some regular troops doing post duty. Leavenworth was the fitting-out place for all Government expedi- tions for the South and West. Large quanti- ties of clothing, rations, and forage were con- stantly being shipped up the river and stored there until they could be loaded on wagons drawn by six mules, and sent to their destina- tions. These trains were numerous, and usu- 52 Four Years 'with Five Armies ally consisted of sixty wagons, some of which made long journeys to Salt Lake and other points. It was not uncommon for the trains to be gone a year before reporting back for another load. They were frequently at- tacked by Indians, who would drive off or kill some, and, at times, all of their mules. During our stay at Leavenworth we saw an old soldier drummed out of camp. One side of his head was shaved and a big D branded on his skin, denoting that he was a deserter. This brought a new problem before us, and some of us discussed the question whether it was or was not our duty to defend a govern- ment that treated men in that manner. I be- lieve we did not reach any definite conclusion. I know it is not fully settled in my mind yet; but the stirring events allowed no time for much thought and it was soon forgotten. The ordnance officer at the fort had six field-pieces with caissons and harness, but no horses or men to handle them. When the officer in charge saw the fine horses of the Second Ohio, he proposed to Colonel Double- day that he let him have enough to fit him out. The proposition was made to the men, and there was a call for volunteers. Enough men responded at once. To my surprise and regret one of our messmen volunteered, Theodore Campbell. He was one of the most reliable men in the company, of a quiet disposition, and one from whom we had never heard a word of discontent or complaint. He said My First Picket Duty 53 afterward that when he saw that battery stand- ing there the day we came, he thought how he would like to be one of the men to go with it. This appeared strange to me, for money could not have hired me to leave my fleet-footed animal and go with those lumbering wagons with a big log of iron on them. We were not destined to stay at Leaven- worth long. The post quartermaster was fit- ting out a train of more than a hundred wag- ons, the destination of which was Fort Scott, Kansas, and the Second Ohio was to be its escort. When everything was ready the roads were very bad. The frost had come out of the ground, but, as the supplies were needed at Fort Scott, it was necessary to put them on the road. On the i9th of February we moved out. The horses looked well, having had good stables and plenty of feed, and having been well groomed every day, both at Platte City and Fort Leavenworth. We had every rea- son to be proud of our mounts. We were in a country where the people were used to see- ing cavalry, and they all agreed that we were the best-mounted troops they had ever seen. Our route lay along the east line of Kansas. With the bands of bushwhackers and marau- ders infesting the country it was essential to have troops to protect the trains from being plundered. The train moved slowly, and there was plenty of time for scouting parties to patrol the roads. 54 Four Years with Five Armies A few miles from the fort, when we left the pike, the roads were very soft, and the wagons sank to the axles in many places. The train strung out for miles, and did not all meet at the same camp. This necessitated a division of the regiment. One battalion was in ad- vance, one in the center, and one in the rear. The battalion to which Company E belonged happened to be in advance. On the evening of the second day we camped at Wyandotte, twenty-eight miles from Fort Leavenworth, on the west side of the Kaw River, and di- rectly opposite Kansas City, Missouri. The officers and men soon made their appearance on the streets and in the hotels of Kansas City, and at that time there were many refugees there. Some were business men of Inde- pendence and other towns who had been com- pelled to leave their homes because of their Union sentiments. A delegation of them waited on Colonel Doubleday, and explained to him that Quan- trill with a band of about a hundred men was camped a few miles from Independence, twelve miles from Kansas City, and that he was in the habit of riding into town every night and running it to suit his own notions. They had, with the aid of companies of local troops, tried to dislodge him, but in the many engagements he had always come out victo- rious. They said they would go and act as guides and scouts, and fight as well as the troops, if the Colonel would give them the CHARLES GRANDISON FAIRCHI^D Second Ohio Volunteer Cavalry PACING 54 My First Picket Duty 55 opportunity. But he said a move of that kind had to be made with the utmost caution and secrecy. If a hint should be dropped to any- one in sympathy with the South, notice would reach the band before a detail could start. CHAPTER V MY FIRST SKIRMISH AFTER we had answered to our names at retreat the next day, the captain said there was to be a scouting party to make a night raid, and the major wanted ten men from Company E. He wanted to know if that number would step to the front as volunteers. I was standing in the front rank, and I stepped to the front as quick as possible, but was not there any too soon, for twenty were there as soon as I, with more coming. The captain ordered all but ten to break ranks. As no one disputed my right, I was permitted to go as one of the detail. A sergeant was put in command, with instruc- tions to put us in light marching order and re- port to Lieutenant Nettleton. It was neces- sary to have in charge of that detail an officer who had seen some active service, and Lieu- tenant Nettleton was the only one in our bat- talion who had been on a scout of any importance. He had been with Captain Welch on a few days' scout in Kentucky, but as they did not engage the enemy his experi- ence was of little or no value to him on this occasion. It was nine o'clock when we marched down the street of Kansas City, 56 My First Skirmish 57 where we were joined by a party of citizens of Independence. They were well mounted and armed, dressed in hunting-suits, and looked every inch the men they afterward proved themselves to be. They took the ad- vance and did the scouting. The road from Kansas City to Independence is a limestone pike, and the hillsides and shady places were covered with ice. Our horses were sharp- shod, but the ice was thin and gave way in many places. A drizzling rain fell all night, but we ar- rived at our destination about three o'clock in the morning. It was as dark as Egypt. Our guides were well acquainted with their position, and we at once surrounded a livery stable in which it was the custom of Quantrill and his men to stable their horses while they stayed in town; and they usually, it seemed, came there to sleep in the loft. It was the plan of our guides to catch them in that position, as it was a bad night to be out, but to our dis- appointment the stable was vacant. Some of the scouts visited their homes, and returned with the information that Quantrill had not been in that night, but he was expected for breakfast. We sat on our horses in anxious expectation until daylight, which was at a late hour owing to the heavy fog that had set- tled down after the rain. Meantime, Lieu- tenant Nettleton had stationed some of the de- tail in different parts of the town unknown to the rest of us. He then marched the remain- 5 8 Four Years with Five Armies der of the detail out into the country about a half-mile and turned into a meadow. Two large stack-pens were in the center of the meadow, and we were ordered to tie up to the fence, loosen the girths, and feed corn from an adjoining field. After the horses were fed we ate our hardtack and bacon. The Lieu- tenant had ridden away to a farmhouse some distance from the stack-pen to feed his horse and get his breakfast. As we had been in the saddle all night, some of us had stretched our- selves out on the hay to take a nap. I had been lying down but a few moments when the sharp report of a rifle and a revolver told us that Quantrill had come to town for breakfast. We sprang to our horses, put on the bridles, tight- ened the saddles, mounted, and were off for town, pell-mell, every man for himself, try- ing to see who could get there first. I was not the first in the saddle, but I was first to gain the road. As I turned into it I met Shorty Armstrong coming at full speed, shouting at the top of his voice, " Quantrill is in town!" As we passed some residences on the street I saw one of our guides entering his door with his revolver in his right hand and a stream of blood running down the fin- gers of his left hand. "All right, Mr. Quantrill; the Second Ohio will settle with you for that!" The thought had scarcely passed my mind, when I saw Quantrill's men pouring out of a cross- street and down the very one we were entering. My First Skirmish 59 The fog was rising a little, and as the distance was only about three blocks, we could see them very distinctly. They were going as fast as we were, down hill into the creek where the fog still hung on the low ground, and for a minute or two they were lost to view. The street terminated at the creek, and the road turned down and followed the bed about one hundred yards, and then turned at right angles on a little flat at that time covered with water. They were quick to take advantage of this spot, and turned to make a stand. The creek was swollen and deep enough to come half-way up to the horses' sides. I saw this, and was going too fast to dash into it, for that would surely have thrown my mare from her feet. I reined her to the left on a vacant lot that terminated abruptly at the creek about twelve feet above the water and about one hundred yards from the enemy. We began to exchange shots without any further cere- mony, and the rapid firing to my left told the effectual work our scouts were doing, who had taken a short cut and were at the creek below us. I was now surrounded by our detail, and we were all emptying our guns as rapidly as possible, when I saw the men that had come down the hill last were entering the creek. When QuantriU's men turned and began to run, I dashed into the creek, and my animal, true to her instinct as a racer, was bound to do her best to be in the lead. As we came out in shallow water with fearful bounds, she leaped 60 Four Years with Five Armies over the body of one of the enemy that had fallen on his back and was nearly covered with water. It was the first dead Johnny I ever saw. They had made another stand at the foot of the hill, and I heard the words, " Halt, halt, surrender!" I came to a halt, and on looking back I saw our men, some already dismounted, with their guns through the fence, taking prisoners. It was the enemy's intention to win a victory by making a stand in that place. Some had dismounted and crouched behind the fence, but we had made such an effectual dash on them that when their mounted men gave way the riderless horses went with them, and left their riders to their fate. Four or five dead men lay there, to say nothing of the wounded who had made their escape. The result showed the effect of the firing from raw troops. When the prisoners had been gathered to- gether, we began to look around to see where we were, and after pinching ourselves to see if we were alive or dead, we concluded we were somewhere. Just at that moment our noble commander appeared and wanted to know what was the matter with us, but when he saw a half-dozen prisoners and as many dead lying about, he concluded not to lecture us on military discipline. After hearing all the particulars, he ordered a forward move- ment, and taking the advance at a very moder- ate gait we went in the direction the enemy had gone. The men appeared to chafe under My First Skirmish 61 this unnecessary delay. If he had not come we would have started some minutes earlier and at a more rapid gait, and we would doubt- less have engaged and defeated Quantrill. My animal, having had one heat, was eager for another; she was champing the bit, scat- tering froth at every toss of the head, dancing and prancing until the white foam was drop- ping to the ground. All this was so annoying to the Lieutenant that he looked at me with a scowl on his face, and ordered me to keep my horse back where it belonged. After traveling about half a mile we came upon the dead body of one of our boys. He had been shot in the back and pitched forward, the cape of his coat falling over his head. I did not know how he had come there, but some- one suggested that his horse had run away and carried him into the lines of the enemy. Taking this to be true, we dismissed it from our minds. Two men took his body back to town, and the column moved on. I, for one, and I believe also the others, expected to hear the order to gallop, that we might dash into the retreating foe and avenge the death of our fallen companion. But it was apparent that there was no such order ready-made. We traveled on another half- mile, it seemed to me at a snail's pace. At that point there was heavy timber on both sides of the road, with a heavy rail fence on the right side but no fence on the left. A few hundred yards ahead and to the left a point 62 Four Years with Five Armies of the mountain terminated with a steep bluff, known as Bald Knob. The thought must have entered every man's mind at the same time, for it was easy to distinguish many suppressed voices saying, " Look out! they will ambush us here." The next thought was to throw down the fence and go around and attack in the rear, but this was an idle thought. The Lieu- tenant suddenly ordered us to halt. We came to a standstill. An ashy paleness spread over the commander's face as he gazed at the death- dealing hill, and he remarked that the enemy had a good start of us and it was no use to follow them now. It is doubtful if one man agreed with him on that point, as no one be- lieved that Quantrill had taken any start of us with the intention of making an escape. We afterward learned that this was no mere con- jecture, for the enemy had left their horses a half mile beyond the hill, and had made their way back through a cornfield, and were waiting at the hill for a foe that never came. It was, however, a victory for us and the people of that locality. Quantrill disap- peared and never afterward harassed the people of Independence. After returning to town the dead and wounded were to be cared for, and as we had no ambulance, light wagons were procured, and when the preparation was being made details in small squads went back to pick up the camp equipments we had so unceremoniously left at the stack-pen. My First Skirmish 63 About three o'clock we said good-by to Independence, with the loss of one soldier killed and three or four scouts killed and wounded. As we were riding back to Kan- sas City someone told me about the detail being stationed in town to do guard duty; the man we met at the bars and the one killed on the road being a part of that one going to warn us, and the other having been captured and taken away by Quantrill's men. By forced march we arrived in camp about dark. The wagon-train not having all ar- rived, and as it was raining more or less, the command was compelled to remain until the mud had settled. It turned cold, however, and froze hard enough to bear the horses on top of the crust. It was my misfortune to be detailed on picket duty one of the cold nights, and it was not much improvement on the first night of picket duty at Platte City. We con- tinually heard reports of intended night at- tacks, and we were required to remain in the saddle and keep quiet all night. It was not considered necessary to keep pickets out dur- ing the day, as there was no large force near and a small force would not venture to attack so large a force in open day. We were now duly initiated and accepted, and we were considered competent to take part in frontier warfare. We came in daily contact with ways and customs new and odd to us, and with a conglomeration of peo- ple, such as the ex-slave, Indians of vari- 64 Four Years 'with Five Armies ous tribes, Mexicans and other foreigners that hailed from every corner of the globe people who had come to the New World seeking fortune or adventure. We soon became fa- miliar with their ways, and were treated to many exhibitions of skilled horsemanship, marksmanship with gun and revolver, throw- ing the lasso and such things. Among the most noted of these reckless, all-around per- formers was a Texan whose raven black hair covered his shoulders. While riding at full speed he would gracefully drop down, hook the rowel of his spur in the cantle of the sad- dle, and drag his hair on the ground. For hours at a time we sat and watched the per- formances of these men and listened to the stories of the daring deeds accomplished along the Kansas and Missouri line between 1856 and 1862. We also learned the names of many things about the equipment in daily use by the Western people. When the mud had settled we moved out, keeping the route that had been followed by Colonel Denison the year before. It lies on the Missouri side of the line. All that was left to remind one that the country had pre- viously been inhabited were a few fence rails, orchards, and the old-fashioned chimneys that stood to mark the places where the planters' houses had been. When we arrived at the State line we were greeted by the troops stationed there, amongst them the Tenth Kansas Infantry, many of its My First Skirmish 65 members being from Ohio, our old neighbors and schoolmates. Some of them had settled in Kansas, and others had enlisted in Ohio with the express purpose of joining and cam- paigning with the noted Jim Lane in the year 1861. They had been in the West a long distance from home and far from railroads for many months, and were greatly rejoiced at see- ing so many from their old homes. It had been some months since we had been at home, but the news we brought was new to them. The scenes of boyhood days returned fresh to our memory as we sat by the camp fire and talked of home and friends we had not seen for so long, many of whom we were destined never to meet again. It would be impossible to give an adequate idea of the feelings the rehearsal of the tales of the schoolboy days awakened in the bosoms of those strong men who had entered upon a life of the most in- tense hardship, privation, and almost certain death. It is not likely that a similar oppor- tunity will ever be offered to the coming gen- erations. The country is now settled with many improvements, interspersed with cities, towns, and villages, with a network of rail- roads and telegraph lines. At that time west of the Missouri line was a vast plain, the most of which was prairie covered with buffalo, deer, antelope, myriads of small game, and the favorite haunt of the red man. Travel was by the use of private conveyances, and was tedious and uncertain. The distances 66 Four Years with Five Armies from place to place were frequently very long. The teams employed, often oxen, became tired, and had to be rested, or long delays were oc- casioned by swollen streams. The utmost cau- tion and watchfulness were necessary to keep the stock from straying away or being driven off by the Indians or border ruffians who in- fested the country. It is hard to realize the difference between thirty-five years ago and to-day. Where you now count your traveling by hours as you glide over the rails, you then counted it by weeks and often months. Hun- dreds started, never to reach their destination, leaving their bones to decay on the bleaching plains. The only public conveyance used on the military roads between the forts was the lum- bering stage-coach drawn by four or six ani- mals. The stages carried the mail and the Government officers from post to post. As they had to contend with some of the difficul- ties that beset the private conveyances, they were often delayed, sometimes plundered of everything of any value, and left to make their way as best they could. The troops at the State line were compelled to depend upon their own efforts in great measure for their supplies, which were se- cured and brought from Missouri, and these supplies were often confiscated from slave owners and Southern sympathizers, and had to be brought a distance of fifty or sixty miles. Small parties of ten or twelve went on foot, My First Skirmish 67 marching by night, and secreting themselves by day, until they came to the plantation where was an abundance of such things as they wanted. They would then make their presence known to the slaves, and enlist them as confederates. The slaves were always ready and willing accomplices, for it meant freedom for them to gain the Kansas line. Two or three days of preparation were often required. The soldiers were always secreted in some secure place until the time arrived to move. When everything was ready, as soon as it was dark, the men would enter the planter's house, take possession of all the firearms, turn them over to the blacks, and everything on the plantation that was movable was set in mo- tion. The blacks would hitch up the teams, and load the wagons with flour, meat, beans, potatoes in fact, everything that was of any value. By morning they would be many miles on their road. Sometimes the planters would collect a crowd, follow, and attack them in an effort to regain the lost property; but it usually proved a failure, and the attack- ing party suffered heavy loss. The men who went on such expeditions were brave and de- termined, and armed with the Sharp rifle, the best that was in use at that time; while the Missourians were chiefly armed with revol- vers, shotguns, and an occasional Kentucky rifle. It happened now and then that a force superior in number was able to accomplish its object. 68 Four Years with Five Armies I listened to the story of one man who was with a party, and, while on the road with their booty, were surrounded by superior numbers, of which a part was a band of bushwhackers. After a hard-fought battle that lasted several hours, they made their escape under the cover of night by separating to meet at a ford known to all of them on the Osage River. They crawled through the lines, leaving half their number and many of the blacks dead on the field. When they met at the appointed place, fatigued and reduced to the small number of five, they were in a deplorable plight; but as the only object of their expedition was sup- plies, to return to camp empty handed was not to be thought of. They at once set off on a return trip to the settlements, and made an- other effort which proved more successful. We remained at the State line several days to rest the teams, which were very much fa- tigued from dragging the heavily loaded wagons over the heavy roads. This country was destined to make a great record in his- tory. It was here John Brown commenced and fought the border war of 1856, which had then lasted for nearly six years. When the teams had rested we moved to- ward the south until we reached our destina- tion. Our principal labor was camp guard, with a few scouting parties daily sent out for one purpose or another. We finally arrived at Fort Scott, situated on the west side of the Marmiton River. My First Skirmish 69 Camp was pitched on Bourbon Creek, south of the fort. Our horses were in good condi- tion, and everything went pretty well until the rainy season set in during the latter part of March. The supply of grain we had brought with us gave out, and we had to de- pend on foraging in Missouri for a supply. We had to go fifty or sixty miles, and with the heavy roads and swollen streams there was no dependence to be put on the time we would return. The horses were put on short allowance, often not having more than four ears of corn a day. These were given at two feeds, with no fodder of any kind. Stand- ing in the mud, they began to fail in flesh and strength, and were soon reduced to a very bad condition. The company wagons were used to haul the supply of wood from the bottom of the Marmiton River. Each company would send six men to cut and load the wagon with logs and poles fourteen or fifteen feet long. The team would return to camp and come for another load after dinner. This work fell to the men who did not get up in time to answer to their names at roll call, and was a great benefit to the horses, for they got the opportunity to be released from the muddy camp, and could browse the now spreading buds and tender limbs. Wishing to keep my mare in the best possible condition, I would lie in bed every morning in order to be de- tailed with the wood-train. The plan worked all right until it was noticed that three or four 70 Four Years with Five Armies were going every day, and then regular de- tails were made that all might have an equal opportunity. There was some joke about this change of front, as it was usually considered a penalty for being tardy. When working with the wood-train we learned a new trick that was of some benefit and much satisfaction to us, if it was not profitable to the few settlers who had cows that ranged on the river. Having practiced more or less with the lasso, we were able to catch the cows, fill our canteens with milk, and so enjoyed nourishment and luxury com- bined. When the rainy season was over the camp was moved to a flat near the river. The grass sprang up rapidly, and half of the men would go each day and picket the horses, and remain with them all day. An iron spike fourteen inches long with a link on one end to which a rope was attached and tied to the halter, was driven into the ground, and ordinarily was sufficient to hold them. But one day Com- pany E's horses stampeded and broke the ropes or pulled the pins and ran away, and it was some hours before they were rounded up. This was termed picketing the horses. Many pranks and various kinds of sport were in- dulged in. Some of the boys formed ac- quaintance with the settlers, and went to dine with them. One evening when our company came in it was short two men. Instead of picketing their horses they had obtained leave My First Skirmish Ji of the officers in charge to visit some friends living on the Leavenworth road, some dis- tance from the river. We were not held to very strict discipline, so no one thought it strange when the men did not answer to their names at retreat; but as they were not there at tattoo, they were reported absent without leave. Next morning there was an order to send after them, as it was believed by some they had taken that plan to get away, and were now on their way to Ohio with twenty-four hours' start. Lieutenant Rush, Sergeant Harris, Private Nesbit, and myself were de- tailed to go in pursuit. Our horses had picked up a little on the fresh grass, and mine, as usual, was prancing, tossing her head, trying to get some advantage in order to run. Lieutenant Rush, who was fond of racing, owned a good horse and in- dulged in the sport with the other officers every Saturday on a track that had been pre- pared and kept by the regular officers at the post. After we had got out of camp and on the way he said that an officer in the regiment had a horse that had beat his and he wanted to get one that could outrun his contestant's. He asked me if I thought my mare was fast. I assured him that in my judgment she was; that she could beat anything in the command. He said with my consent he would place a wager on her when we returned. I gave my consent, and then the conversation turned to the mission we were on. 72 Four Years 'with Five Armies We laid plans to leave our horses at Leaven- worth and take the cars for Ohio, each going home to search the locality and to have a good time. I did not take any stock in the opinion that the two men had gone, but did not say as much. I joined in with the plan and hoped we would miss them, and, while they would be back in camp, we would make the trip. We were exultingly planning, but we were doomed to disappointment. When we had traveled four miles we met the two men walk- ing quietly and unsuspectingly, leading their horses, talking and laughing about the good time they had had with the young ladies they had been visiting. It was a sore disappoint- ment to us, but had to be endured, and we re- turned to camp with our prisoners. The next Saturday night I had the satisfaction of know- ing that my animal had outrun the fastest horse owned by the officers of the regiment. The weather was now fine, the prairies were covered with green grass and beautiful flowers, which made camp life as pleasant as it is possible to be. Papworthe would blow the horn for reveille, and then treat us to the tune of " Annie Laurie," or some other melody which he could render to the queen's taste. Our revolvers and guns still contained the old loads that had been placed in them some weeks before, and for fear the wet weather had damaged them, there was an order to shoot them out and clean and reload them. Some of the companies went out and fired at targets My First Skirmish 73 set up for the purpose; others stood in line and fired in the air. Our captain ordered us to shoot ours at will. With this opportunity I went to the river bottom in order to see how good a marksman I was. After tacking a piece of white paper on a tree and stepping off fifty paces, I began to fire. After two or three shots, and, as I raised the hammer to take another shot, a man with a book or paper sat down by a tree on the other side of the river, directly in line with my target. I con- cluded to change my position, and as I walked away I accidentally touched the trigger and discharged my revolver. The ball just grazed the heel of my boot. Fortunately no damage was done. It taught me a lesson never again to carry a revolver with the hammer set. After emptying all the chambers I walked along the river, the banks of which are very steep and eighteen or twenty feet high. At length I came to a narrow path that by tramp- ing of stock and rains had cut deep into the loose soil. I saw a man riding down the op- posite bank, and watched him as he sat in the saddle and let his horse drink. As he came by me he said, " Young man, you are standing on a very noted spot. Every man, woman, and child in Bourbon County has seen or heard of that ground." On inquiry as to why it had become so noted he said, " Two brothers died there. Their father, who had lived at Fort Scott, had left them a large amount of property, and they had disagreed about the 74 Four Years with Five Armies division of it, and become mortal enemies. One day one was coming and the other was going across the river. They met in that nar- row path, and, like the brave McPherson and Grant, neither would give the road to the other. They dismounted, drew their knives, went together, and died on the spot." CHAPTER VI THE INDIAN EXPEDITION THE troops then gathering at Fort Scott, preparatory to a movement into the Indian Territory, required the use of every available wagon to transport their supplies, and the cavalry was ordered to Missouri, where forage could be more easily procured. They were separated by battalions, ours going to Lamar. Picket duty had to be resumed at this place, there being numerous bands of bushwhackers in the locality. We were compelled to be vigilant, for reports were brought into camp that they were determined to have the horses from the Second Ohio Cavalry. At this time we did not do that duty in the usual way be- cause of their peculiar method of attack. Al- though there were no pickets in daytime, the night trick meant twelve hours in the saddle for the vidette. It was considered a great protection to re- main in one position and stay quiet all night, and it was the custom to place the vidette on high ground as a proper position for day duty. The first night it was my turn to go out on mounted duty the officer of the guard with corporal went with two of us out on the Car- 75 76 Four Years with Five Armies thage road. After traveling for a mile and a half through woods with underbrush on each side, we came to open prairie on the left of the road. A lone tree stood out on the prairie about two hundred yards from the woods. It was just twilight when the officer and cor- poral left us with every precaution to remain quiet that we might not attract the attention of the bushwhackers. It was believed that they would not attack the camp without first disposing of the picket. The officer and the corporal were no more than out of hearing than we remarked to each other that we did not like our position. It was about the full of the moon and the open ground was almost as light as day, the shade of the tree helping, if anything, to make our presence more con- spicuous to anyone that might happen at the edge of the timber. If we had our choice we would have taken our position in the edge of the brush with the open ground in front of us. This would give us a superior advan- tage over anyone that approached from either direction; but situated as we were we were easy prey if the bushwhackers had happened that way. We had not been there more than an hour when we heard a noise in the brush across the road directly opposite us. In our mind it was the bushwhackers, of course. The noise con- tinued at intervals, and we expected to be picked off from our saddles as soon as they could get a position to make sure of their The Indian Expedition 77 game. We talked it all over in a low voice not much above a whisper. The suspense was terrible to bear. Just imagine sitting and waiting a death sentence. Hours seemed like days. The cold chills crept over us and our hair seemed to rise up every time the brush rattled. When the moon was straight over us two animals not larger than jack rab- bits jumped out of the brush, one apparently chasing the other. Then they ran back again, making, to our relief, the same noise we had been hearing. We continued to hear the racket until morning, but we felt no more uneasiness, and at daylight went to camp. We talked about our peculiar position on the night before, and learned that others had found themselves in the same unpleasant predicament. All agreed that the sentinel should be on the low ground at night. A good chance presented itself in a few days to get a full expression on the subject. The officer of the guard placed a vidette on a hill looking over a ravine, but he moved some hundred yards in advance of where he had been left. The officer returned during the night, and was halted by the sentinel when he arrived at the top of the hill. He rebuked the man for leaving his post without orders, had him take his place at the top of the hill again, returned to the reserve, ordered the corporal to arrest the sentinel, and put another one in his place. The next day the case was investigated by 78 Four Years with Five Armies the major commanding the battalion. The man was released. A general order was is- sued to take more care in the selection of out- posts, and, if there was any advantage in lo- cation, it should be in our favor. After that the vidette usually chose his own position. The duty was heavy while in camp at Lamar. It was an everyday occurrence for foraging and scouting parties to be fired on from am- bush. The next time my name was called for picket duty there was also an extra detail for horse guard. Before breaking ranks the cap- tain told the men on duty that they were expected to use extraordinary precaution. There was a large body of bushwhackers as- sembling on the other side of the river and it was reported that an attack would be made on the camp that or the next night. For that reason the guard had been doubled through- out, and they would be expected to carry their arms at all times. He concluded by saying that they were not apt to attempt to cross the river at the ford, where there was a strong guard, but would try some other place, which would be done in skiffs or on foot-logs, that would necessarily put them into the swamp that lay between the river and camp and af- ford them an excellent opportunity to come into the camp unknown to us, take the horses, and get away before we could do anything to prevent it. After breaking ranks the sergeant told me to make no preparation except to have my The Indian Expedition 79 gun in good order, with plenty of ammuni- tion, as I would stand dismounted at a place he would show me when the proper time came. As soon as it was dark the sergeant took me and we wound our way through the woods for a distance of half a mile. He said, " This is the place." He then gave me instructions to remain there during the night. He continued the instructions by saying if anyone should appear in the swamp I was to fire the alarm and return to camp as quickly as possible, or if there should be firing at any other place that would indicate an attack of any importance. Under no other condition was I to move or make a noise that would assist anyone to locate my position. He said there need be no one to visit me during the night, for no one but the major and himself knew anything about my location. And there he left me in solitude dreary enough; on low ground, in a dense forest, a swamp in front with myriads of croaking frogs, swarms of musquitoes, and thousands of screeching whippoorwills and crickets to make night hideous. It was a calm moon- light night, with not a breath of air to stir the leaves. The long specter-like shadows that reached out across the brush that grew in the swamp only lent a loneliness to the dreary scene. There was a hostile and deter- mined enemy, so far as my information and imagination went, beyond the swamp. Being, as I was, at the logical point of attack, of 80 Four Years with Five Armies course there was little possibility that I would be permitted to remain until morning. I sat by a large tree, wrapped in thought of my dreary surroundings, and reflecting upon the possibility of escape should my conjectures prove to be reality. I pictured the enemy stealthily felling trees across the river and crossing over to the swamp, which they would consider a sure protection and cover for their movement until they were in our camp. Of course I would be sure to thwart them in their adventure, for they would come blundering through the swamp, jumping from tussock to tussock. I would discover them, fire on them, and alarm the camp, which would be in arms ready to receive them. My ruminations even went so far as to plan how cautiously I would approach the camp, calling out who I was to prevent them from firing, as that would di- vulge their presence to the enemy, who would then take the best aim and get a man with every shot. I was getting along nicely, when splash went something in the water some distance from me, and my whole plan went to smither- eens. My flesh began to crawl, my hair rose up, and my mind was so completely muddled that it was impossible to form anything like two links of thought. If I had seen an enemy it is doubtful if I could have moved a muscle until a reaction set in. After a few seconds my thoughts began to return. I thought what a pity to turn a splendid victory into defeat The Indian Expedition 8 1 without a plausible excuse. I still believed the splash was caused by the blundering of some of the advancing bushwhackers, who had now had plenty of time to cross the swamp since the felling of the trees. It kept me in a continual strain until minutes appeared as hours, and hours as days. At last, when morning came, I felt twenty years older, wearily strolled to camp, dropped down on the blankets, and went to sleep without any breakfast, to dream of the spirit of him that had a peculiar ear that induced him to write the lines about the low, sweet voice of the whippoorwill. The regular detail already mentioned in- cluded but a small part of the duty we had to perform. There were horse guards, dis- mounted camp guards, scouting and foraging parties, upon each of which we had to take our regular turn. It was not an uncommon thing to be relieved from guard at nine o'clock, and before night to be called to the saddle to make a forced ride. I remember two dis- tinct times this happened to me while in the camp near Lamar. One of these was the very day after my long night by the swamp. At one o'clock Quartermaster-Sergeant Mason, with a prisoner, rode into camp on a jaded horse, from which the foam was dropping to the ground, and wanted reinforcements with an ambulance to bring in his dead and wounded comrades. A foraging party that had left the camp in 82 Four Years with Five Armies the morning had, been attacked at a creek about twenty miles away. We saddled up, and by dark arrived near the scene, but as we had no one with us who knew the country we were unable to find the unfortunate party until the next morning. This trip was made by trotting, and often galloping our horses. My animal was a very rough trotter, which brought on a pain in my left side that con- tinued to bother me during the rest of the time I served in the army. I was often compelled to hang my side-arms on the saddle instead of wearing them. At another time we were ordered to saddle up at dark. Someone had come to camp for a party to go forty miles to capture the chief of a noted band of guerrillas that was at his home on a visit to his family. The party was led by Captain, afterward Colonel, Brooks, the noted scout and guide. The forty miles was covered and the house surrounded before daybreak, and a charge made. We could hear shots about the house, the result of which we were never able to learn, as we marched away before it was fairly light. At the first plantation we came to we took a rest, and by the next morning reached our camp. The place where we rested was a typical frontier ranch with double log-house, with log stables, and corn-cribs well filled with corn and fodder, to which we helped our- selves. This was the common custom and had become a matter of course with us. The The Indian Expedition 83 owner, if a Union man, could get his pay, and if he was " Secesh " he was not likely to make any complaint. These excursions were of so common occurrence that I seldom re- membered one from another, often not know- ing the name of the officer in command, and much less the man that handled the minor de- tails. The method then in use for this work was a cumbersome one, and it took from one hour to two hours to get ready and move out. When a corporal called for a detail to do duty and did not know his men, he often had much trouble to find them. This caused much annoyance, not only to the corporal but to everyone in the party, for he would go about pulling the blankets from the sleeping men, and often the man he wanted was the last to be found. I have known a corporal to take the names of his relief, and, by misunder- standing, misspell the names, and when he called third relief the men fell in line, and in calling the names as he had written them the men did not know their own names. This method was soon abandoned and a much more convenient one adopted. Instead of an hour and a half being; wasted, the detail would be out of camp and on the march in fifteen min- utes. This was done by the companies taking turn instead of details from different com- panies. While the men saddled up, the cap- tain would get his instructions from head- quarters. Officers and men being acquainted 84 Four Years with Five Armies with each other, the officer would know where to find his men. We returned to Fort Scott to join the ex- pedition, but they were not ready to move, and one battalion of the Second Ohio under Major Seward returned to Missouri, and some time in June the expedition rendez- voused at Fort Scott, consisting of two bri- gades of white troops and 1000 Indians, moved out. Their destination was Fort Gibson, situ- ated on the Arkansas River in the Cherokee nation. The cavalry, going by the route that led through Humboldt, left all settlements, touching two or three abandoned Indian mis- sions and an occasional stock ranch occupied by half-breeds. These ranches were always situated on a river or creek where there were both timber and prairie. One part of the troops on this expedition consisted of 1000 Osage Indians. They were regularly enlisted, armed with the Kentucky rifle, and organized with white officers. They were accompanied by their squaws and pa- pooses, and they had their ponies and all their equipments. They danced the war dance all night at the Verdigris River, the night before the battle of Round Prairie, and also at Flat Rock Creek. The command lay over on the Fourth of July, and the battery in firing a salute threw a few shells over the Indian camp, as a test to see how they would stand the fire of big guns. The result was that they stampeded, The Indian Expedition 85 and some of the runaways did not return for fifteen days. After crossing the Verdigris River we met and engaged Stanwaity at Round Prairie. After a short skirmish he retreated, and the Second Ohio captured their beef herd, with ponies and pack-mules, twelve hundred in number. Lieutenant Rush of Company E was a professional stock man. He was de- tailed to take what men he wanted from our company and deliver the cattle to the beef con- tractor at Fort Scott, Kansas, a distance of sixty miles. We moved at noon, and when the herd strung out on the road the strong cattle as usual took the lead. Lieutenant Rush, being an expert in his business, with plenty of help, divided his men into small squads, each under the command of a sergeant. He cut the herd into small bunches and pushed them along. We had in that way covered a distance of many miles at ten o'clock, when we camped for supper. The cattle were turned on the prairies to graze. Many of the boys from Ohio had no experience with cattle, and the cavalry horse was also awk- ward. The cattle, used to being handled in the Texas style, discovered this very quickly, and when we rounded them on the bed ground, they gave so much trouble that cattle and men got no rest. At this juncture an am- bulance came up, carrying Colonel Double- day on his way home. He had resigned his commission, and was now a citizen. He 86 Four Years with Five Armies brought orders to Lieutenant Rush to push on as fast as possible, for Stanwaity's cavalry were on a scout, and were expecting to over- take and recapture the herd. The cattle were put on the road at once, and at sunrise we camped at Dry Creek, twelve miles from Fort Scott. While making some coffee, the beef contractors, whom Colonel Doubleday had notified of our approach, rode up with a spring wagon. This was a big plum for them, and when they got the news that we were on the road they supplied them- selves with six demijohns of old Bourbon. When they met us it flowed freely. Every- one must drink as often as he wanted. Some men took the first drink they had ever tasted, and became very hilarious. It was decided to drive in without breakfast. The mess kit was tossed into the wagon, and the men met us at Bourbon Creek and took charge of the herd. In order that the reader may form a cor- rect conception of the enthusiasm aroused on that occasion, it is necessary to give a little better description of that drive. I have been engaged in cow hunting on the fron- tiers of Texas, made three trips across the plains, and had some lively drives many years afterward. Some of the movements were accelerated by the sudden appearance of hos- tile Indians in the neighborhood of the herd, but none compared with this one for speed, efficiency, and hilarity. Although we had G. W. BYAKD Second Ohio Volunteer Cavalry FACING 86 The Indian Expedition 87 made more than double the distance of an ordinary day's drive before camping, the news that Stanwaity's cavalry was no doubt then in the saddle and in pursuit prompted us to an extraordinary effort to keep out of their way. Our party was not strong enough to defend the cattle against an attack if one should be made, and the cattle would have to be abandoned in order to protect ourselves. The mess-kit was thrown hastily and recklessly into the wagon, and the cat- tle strung out. All were in good spirits, laughed, sang, and shouted. The last twelve miles was a wild ride. It was most ridicu- lous after taking the drink with the beef contractor. The rapidity of the move and the rough manner of loading the kit into the mess- wagons cannot be compared with anything I have seen or heard of before or since. The cattle appeared to catch the spirit of their drivers. The first squad pushed their bunch on to the road at full run, men shouting, and charging their horses at full speed, and a cloud of dust rose that soon put them out of sight; and so on until the last of the five bunches was on the full run. At Fort Scott the army was being paid off by the paymaster, who had arrived before us. When the troops had all been paid they moved south, and would usually camp as near the water as possible, which was gen- erally in holes of what had been a river or creek, and on the valleys of which the grass 88 Four Years with Five Armies had grown tall and coarse. The horses were taken out to the high ground for grazing, with one-fourth of the men to herd them. One morning they came in with my picket rope, but no mare. After searching the camp without success my horse equipments were put in the mess-wagon, and I walked, and helped the cook to get wood and water. Four days after I went to the creek, at least three-fourths of a mile away, carrying two large camp- kettles. The Second Kansas cavalry horses were passing. I saw my mare so completely jaded that she stumbled as she walked, and the points of her ears were hanging down. I was so excited I dropped the kettles, ran up, and untied her from the other horse that was being led with her. The man leading her said she did not belong to him. I told him he had better not claim her. I forgot every- thing else, and led her to camp without water. When I arrived at the wagon and explained how I had got her, I thought of the camp- kettles, and went back, to find them gone. I had to return to camp for other kettles and to make another trip for the water. This nat- urally delayed dinner, and I was completely exhausted after making so many long trips in the hot sun. I lay down on the hot ground under the wagon. When I looked at my poor animal, in which I had taken so much pride, and saw her standing with her head down, too tired to eat, with the crust of dry sweat and The Indian Expedition 89 dust that showed the hard usage and the little care she had had for the last four days, I would cry and blame myself in turns for not following the company of horses, and finding the man that had ridden her. She must have been on a long trip, for the horses she was with did not look so bad. In the morning I saddled up, but my poor mare was destined to be more of a burden than benefit. We had no grain to feed, and had had none since we left Missouri. All the horses in our regiment began to show it more than the others, from the fact that it was their first year, and they had not become accli- mated to western prairies. From that time on the horses were giving out all the time, and were shot or abandoned. When we arrived at Flat Rock Creek the army went into camp, where it remained for several weeks. After a few days' rest a cav- alry raid in light marching order was moved out to make a feint on Price's left by driving Stanwaity out of Fort Gibson. It was light marching order sure enough, with no grain for the stock and no rations but sugar, coffee, fresh beef with no salt, and half rations of hard tack. My mare had recruited, or at least had rested a little, and I went with them. The column moved out after dark one night, with Colonel Ware, who was then in com- mand of the expedition. I do not know what he had to eat, but I know he had a ten-gallon keg strapped on a mule, and of course that 90 Four Years with Five Armies means he did not lack for drink. And there was plenty of evidence of it before morning, in the bungling moves made on the prairie in the dark, and in the morning we were hardly out of sight of the camp. Late in the afternoon the Second Ohio was thrown out as skirmishers, and, as we ad- vanced, Stanwaity's men fell back with but little resistance. We followed them, keeping the best line we could through the thick un- derbrush that skirts the Arkansas River. When I arrived at the road the left of our line had crossed, but the right had not come to it. I could see a small squad of calvary on the other side of the river. They were firing a few shots that appeared to be intended for somebody farther up the road, as they went far above my head. Just in front of me was a trooper in blue uniform. He rode out and saluted, and said he belonged to the Second Kansas Cavalry, and had been down in Ar- kansas on scout. He rode off in the rear of our skirmish line. We halted there until a regiment of Kan- sas cavalry came down in column, crossed the river, and, to judge from the sound we heard, they had a skirmish, driving Stanwaity out of the post. We then moved back a few miles and halted for a rest, and resumed the march, following the belt of timber that skirts Flat Rock Creek. My mare was now very weak and I had to walk, and later in the night she refused to The Indian Expedition 91 move at all. I was some distance behind the column, but one of the company had stayed with me, and he rode up and reported my condition to the captain, who sent me word to leave her, and carry the saddle, or pay for it from my next pay. It was a bitter pill just at that time, when everyone expected the enemy to overtake or intercept us at any mo- ment. Wakefield, who had come with the message, told me to pull the saddle off quick, and he would help me along. " No," was my emphatic reply. " Go to the company as quickly as you can, and I will get there with- out assistance." By the time the sound of his horse's hoofs had died out, the sound of which was a dull thud on my ear, I had learned something new in the makeup of human nature. It caused a peculiar congested sensation that I cannot describe, how I felt when I was or- dered to carry the saddle or pay for it. When those words fell on my ear, my heart was seared against all fear of danger. I replied to my companion, who cautioned me about fall- ing into the hands of the enemy, that it would not be possible to fall in with a more bitter enemy than the one who had issued that order. I said that I would bring in the saddle or die on the trail. The column had left the timber a short dis- tance from where I left the mare, and it was easy to follow the trail on the soft prairie. My load was heavy, and it had to be let down 92 Four Years with Five Armies very often for rest. My cavalry boots, now well worn out, began to give way so as to let in the dirt. I was obliged to empty them frequently, because it was galling my feet. The more I tried to stop the holes with rags, the larger they stretched. About three o'clock in the morning, com- pletely exhausted, I lay down in my blanket and fell asleep. When I awoke the sun was up, and it was evident that I was within two or three miles of camp, which was to my right. The column had gone farther out on the prairie. There was a round knoll near by. I hid the saddle near it, left the trail, and was in camp as soon as the column. One of the boys volunteered to go for the saddle, for I was worn out and foot sore. I had been without water for several hours, my lips were parched, and my tongue swollen. But although I had firmly resolved to bring the saddle in myself, I finally accepted the offer. After giving him directions how to find it, I lay down to take a rest. From this time on there was a great change going on in the camp. There was a growing discontent throughout. We had no prospect of anything better than flour, and no way to bake it except in frying-pans, without salt or soda. We had fresh beef in abundance, but without seasoning it brought on dysentery to all who ventured to eat it. It had been many months since we had a chance to draw clothing. There was none The Indian Expedition 93 at the front, and our old clothes were fast giving out. Some of the ragged shirts, blouses, and pants were discarded every day. The men on duty with the horses, a duty at which we took turns, who were out on the high open ground, had no shade except what they made by stacking the guns and spreading blankets over them. From this kind of treatment men were dying every day with fevers, dysentery, and other diseases. The best of men became sul- len and disagreeable to one another. The condition was growing worse every day, un- til at retreat we were notified to make ready to march on a forward movement. The dissatisfaction that existed on account of the maladministration of the expedition was soon expressed by the many maledictions pronounced as soon as we broke ranks. The men rushed hither and thither. Some even went to the horse herd, a mile and half away, to express their dissatisfaction to their friends on duty. It was soon learned that the dissatisfaction extended throughout the bri- gade among officers and men alike, and it was very evident that something decisive would be done to prevent a move until the arrival of a train with supplies. Colonel Solomon's regiment, the Ninth Wisconsin, felt the want of rations. They had always had not only the common fare such as we got, but had everything allowed in the line of army rations, including butter, 94 Four Years with Five Armies kraut, pickles, etc., furnished from Wisconsin and paid for by a mess fund. The Colonel felt the sting of seeing his men falling victims to the ravages of disease that was daily carry- ing them off to answer the last roll call. Colonel Solomon was in command of the Sec- ond Brigade, consisting of the Ninth Wiscon- sin Infantry, Rab's Indiana Battery, and Sec- ond Ohio Cavalry. Colonel Ware was in command of the First Brigade, and also the entire expedition, so Colonel Solomon went to him and made a plea for delay until the arrival of supplies; but as there was not a satisfactory response he returned to his tent to study the situation over. After reporting his brigade at tattoo he repeated his entreaties, and asked Colonel Ware what the men were to live on. "Jerked beef, damn you! If you have any more communications, send them to me in writing," was the prompt reply. " Go to your quarters and remain until sent for." He returned as ordered, but on his arrival he called the officer of the guard, gave him orders to have the guard fall in line, march to Colonel Ware's quarters, arrest him and bring him to Colonel Solomon's quarters. By the time they reached Colonel Ware's quarters he had retired for the night. " You are my prisoner! " shouted the officer of the guard, in broken English. The Ninth were all Germans, and used the German lan- guage altogether among themselves. Colonel The Indian Expedition 95 Ware refused to obey, and ordered the guard away, but the officer, in German, ordered his men to take him dead or alive. No sooner said than done. He was dragged out of his tent, and, bayonets behind him, he double- quicked in his bare feet and nightshirt to Col- onel Solomon's quarters. " You are under arrest," was Colonel Solo- mon's order. " Go to your tent and remain there till further orders." Colonel Ware was frightened, but replied that he was the supe- rior officer, and that he refused to take orders from him. Colonel Solomon ordered the officer of the guard to keep Colonel Ware under guard, and if he made any trouble to put him in irons. This order was also put into execution at once. By this time everything in camp was in mo- tion. Some were getting their arms, and some running for the horses. The infantry fell in with fixed bayonets ; the batteries loaded with grape and canister, and muzzles turned to- ward the first brigade. By three o'clock the army was on the move toward Fort Scott, and Colonel Ware was placed in an ambulance with shackles on. The Second Ohio was the last to move, and it was daylight before we strung out. There were many dismounted men, of whom ten or twelve were in our company. As the march progressed the number was augmented every day. Five of us were barefooted, two 96 Four Years with Five Armies of whom had one old boot each. They were Math Park and Bissell. One wore the boots one day and the other the next. On the third their feet were so swollen that neither of them could get the boots on. The wagon-train, that was six miles long when we left Fort Scott, had dwindled down to consist of the regimental headquarters and company wagons, with the exception of three or four sections of twelve wagons each. Our company outfits were bulky and encumbered the movements very much. The arms, bed- ding, and horse equipments of the sick and dismounted had to be loaded. The wagons were full up to the bows, with many things hanging on the outside. The ground was as loose as an ash pile, and there had been no rain for two months. The clouds of dust would rise up from under the feet of the thousands of animals so that the air was often stifling and blinding. In some places the grass had been burned, and in crossing these places, although the barefooted men followed the wagon track as closely as possible, the splinters would stick in their feet like so many needles. The ashes of the burned grass, mixed with alkali, caused our feet to swell and crack open until they bled profusely. As I hung to the feed box of a government wagon, I thought every step must be my last. The water had dried up so that we had to change the route, which necessitated our go- The Indian Expedition 97 ing many miles farther. Much of the way there was no road, and a new one had to be broken. The distance between the water holes was great. In one instance it was forty miles, which required about forty-eight hours' time, including stops, to feed and rest. When we arrived at the water, Indians, Mexicans, negroes, whites, with mules and horses, plunged into it, stirring the green scum which was two or three inches thick on top of what little water there was, with the sedi- ment from the bottom. All was soon a thin mortar. Both animals and men were so dis- tracted for the want of something to slake their thirst that they crowded in so thick that many could not get their heads down, and others that had shoved their heads under were brac- ing forward for fear they would be crowded out. They quaffed the mud down as if it was good. I noticed one man slip his feet down between a horse and the bank. With his left shoulder against the horse's leg he pushed it forward, and with his right hand he dipped a cupful from where the horse's foot had been, and without changing his position, except to throw his head back, he drank as if it had been of the finest nectar. A second one fol- lowed the first, and a third cupful he brought away with him. When we arrived at Baxter Springs, Kan- sas, there was an abundance of good water, and the command halted for rest and to 98 Four Years 'with Five Armies await a train of supplies that was expected at any time. One section of an empty train was dis- patched and the drivers of another section went on a vacation. They were allowed leave to go with the empty train, leaving the mules and wagons with the trainmaster and two men to herd. The next day a courier arrived and reported there was no train on the road. Camp was at once notified to get ready to move. The train that had no drivers was as- signed to the Second Ohio, and we had to furnish them with drivers, I being detailed for one. We went to the train and the mules were soon brought in. The trainmaster told us to tie up the mules and then come down to the end of the train. We did as we were directed and collected around him. We then marched behind the train, and he assigned us to our teams. I was by the side of his mule, and was expecting to be the next man assigned, but it was not so. He would order one man to take one team, another man to take another team, and so on until there were only two men left. He hesi- tated for some reason and then said to me, " I will give you this team." His words and ac- tions were emphasized in a way that led us to think there was something special about that team and that I had been selected for some other particular reason. We did not understand it, but asked no questions. He told us to harness and hitch up, and as The Indian Expedition 99 he rode away the next man to me said, " Cause, that team must be a darling." I remarked that I thought as much. Our supposition was that it was a bad team, that he had mistaken me for a good driver. When we had hitched the mules he sent some men to take a few boxes of cartridges that were in my wagon to make out a load in the wagon of one of the old drivers. He then said to me that I had the best team in the train when I got to know them, but they were tricky, and that I being a stranger might have some trouble with them. He said their driver was fond of them and very proud of the way they could handle a load, and he dreaded having to entrust them to others. I was sitting in the front of the wagon, and wondering how I should make out mule " skinning," as it was termed there. I had never driven more than two horses at a time, and had not used a jerk line. But I would rather have undertaken anything than to walk to Fort Scott barefooted. There was a funeral squad burying a sol- dier a few yards in front of the train, and, as they were about to fire the volley to denote the last of the ceremony, the trainmaster told us to look out for our teams, as they would be apt to start when they heard the report. I jumped on the wagon tongue and into the sad- dle, but none too soon. When the volley was fired all the mules started. I was the only driver in the saddle. I jerked viciously at the line, which served to guide them far enough ioo Four Years