Kitabı oku: «War Stories for my Grandchildren», sayfa 6
Some days later an undated letter says: —
"I had thought of writing you a good long letter this morning, but all human hopes are vain. This morning we have marching orders for the west, and there is no time for letter-writing. We are not informed as to our destination, but the general impression among the officers is that we are bound for Memphis. Will you come down to see me there, or shall I jump on a boat and come up the Mississippi and Ohio and see you?"
My next letter was written from Grand Junction, a station on the Memphis and Charleston Railroad, midway from Corinth to Memphis. The marching orders mentioned in the preceding letter were for Memphis, but on reaching this station our regiment was diverted from its course, as will be seen from the letter of June 20: —
"We arrived here five days ago, but our brigade was sent on an expedition down to Holly Springs, thirty miles south in Mississippi, to destroy the Mississippi Central Railroad, which took us till last night: the rest of the army remaining here to support us in case of danger. We came back all safe. The march was a very rapid, but pleasant one, through a beautiful country and to one of the prettiest towns in the South. We hope to leave for Memphis to-morrow."
This was the last letter written by me from the Twenty-fifth Indiana. On my arrival at Grand Junction I learned that Alexander McFerson, my wife's brother, was ill at Lagrange, a station on the railroad a short distance from Grand Junction. I at once hastened to his bedside, and found him suffering from a severe attack of typhoid fever, which was prevalent in the camps. Notwithstanding he received the most skillful medical attendance, the virulence of the disease soon placed him beyond human aid, and he died on June 27.
I secured a furlough to take his body home. The regiment continued on its march to Memphis, and I went on my sad journey to Evansville, bringing the body of the young soldier to his bereaved mother and sister. The sequel shows that I never returned to the Twenty-fifth Indiana, with which I had passed through so many dangers and privations, and with whose men I had formed the deep attachment of soldier comradeship.
The following editorial in the "Evansville Journal" of July 2, 1862, reflects the sentiments of all who knew him: —
A telegram last night brought the melancholy news of the death of Lieutenant Alexander McFerson to his friends in this city. He died at Lagrange, Tennessee, on the 27th ult. at the age of seventeen.
When he asked permission to join the army he said that he felt it his duty to go into the service; that neither of his mother's sons were there, and he would never feel satisfied unless he did his share in putting down the rebellion. Less than two months ago he left his friends and home, buoyant in health, and with high hopes of a pleasant and useful career in the grand army of the Mississippi, having been appointed commissary to the Twenty-fifth Indiana Volunteers. But how soon those hopes are blasted, how soon that health is destroyed by a fatal disease. In early youth, he is cut off. Young McFerson was a generous, noble youth, warm-hearted, and highly esteemed by the whole community, who will warmly sympathize with his bereaved friends in this hour of their affliction.
VI
GUERRILLA WARFARE IN KENTUCKY
When I arrived at Evansville in July, 1863, on furlough, I found the border country on both sides of the Ohio River in Indiana and Kentucky in a state of feverish excitement. The counties of western Kentucky were overrun with Confederate soldiers, who had secretly and singly passed through the military lines, and were engaged actively in the work of securing recruits for the rebel army, and, after mounting them on horses taken from loyal citizens, sent them back through the lines to the South. Guerrilla bands were roaming through these counties, terrorizing the Union men, and threatening to cross the Ohio. In fact, about the time of my arrival at home a small guerrilla force had occupied Newburg, a town nine miles above Evansville, and robbed the stores, striking terror into the inhabitants.
As no regular forces were available for defense, Governor Morton had rushed several bodies of Home Guards to Evansville, and was organizing thirty and sixty days' men for service in various parts of Indiana, to serve until the Federal Government was able to protect the disturbed districts by regularly organized and armed troops. General Love, who had charge of these State forces, with his headquarters at Evansville, requested me to take command of these irregular levies, and occupy Henderson, the most important town in that section of Kentucky, ten miles below Evansville on the Ohio River, as a base for operations against these marauding rebels. This I consented to do, as a temporary expedient.
On the 26th of July, a few days after we had occupied Henderson, Governor Morton repeated from Indianapolis a telegram from General J. T. Boyle at Louisville, commanding the United States military forces in Kentucky as follows: "Give the order to Lieutenant-Colonel Foster in my name to command at Henderson." As my furlough from the Twenty-fifth Indiana was about to expire, and neither Governor Morton nor General Boyle would listen to my intimation that I would have to rejoin my regiment, estimating highly the value of my military experience in the absence of other available officers, the Governor secured from General Grant an order detaching me temporarily from the Twenty-fifth Indiana, and authorizing me to continue in the service in Kentucky.
I was clothed by General Boyle with the most drastic authority to put an end to the troubles in western Kentucky. The order above quoted by which I was placed in command at Henderson contained also the following instructions: —
Order the officers in my name to kill every armed rebel offering resistance and all banded as guerrillas. I want none such as prisoners. Order them to disarm every disloyal man.
Only a few days after I was put in command by General Boyle. August 2, he sent the following telegram: —
If officers and men do not obey my orders to shoot down the armed rebels, every bushwhacker, guerrilla, or banded villains, our forces had better be withdrawn from the field. We can only save the State by putting them to the sword. I want none of them as prisoners. Take no oath or bonds. You will shoot down the scoundrels.
These and other orders from him of like character which I quote will indicate the bitter spirit which prevailed at that time in Kentucky between the loyal and disloyal citizens. General Boyle was a native-born citizen of Kentucky.
Immediately after I assumed command at Henderson I set to work to get the irregular and inexperienced forces collected there into such organized shape as would enable me to go out into the country to attack and drive out the rebel bands which were infesting that region. While engaged in that work, I was embarrassed by a civil duty which I had to face. A short time before my arrival an election had been held in Kentucky for city, county, and other officials. General Boyle had issued an order regulating the election to this effect: —
No person hostile in opinion to the Government will be allowed to stand for office in Kentucky. The attempt of such a person to stand for office will be regarded as in itself sufficient evidence of his treasonable intent to warrant his arrest. In seeking office he becomes an active traitor, if he does not become one otherwise, and is liable both in reason and in law to be treated accordingly. All persons of this description in offering themselves as candidates for office will be arrested and sent to these Headquarters.
The election at Henderson had resulted in the choice of a mayor and city council, all of whom were sympathizers with the rebellion. On my arrival the mayor fled from the city. I telegraphed General Boyle: "The mayor of this city has left town without leave. Been absent a week. Strongly suspected of being among the guerrillas. The city council are secessionists in sympathy. Have you any action to direct?" He replied: "When mayor returns arrest him. If you deem proper arrest any of the council, and send all to Camp Morton. The men elected to office in Hopkins County I wish taken and sent in with others. Leniency and conciliation do no good. The scoundrels must be subjugated or killed."
It was soon established that the mayor had fled through the lines and joined the Confederate forces, whereupon I summoned a meeting of the council and requested them to declare the office of mayor vacant, and each of them to take the oath of loyalty exacted of suspected citizens. Rather than take this action all the members of the council resigned. The city marshal likewise refused to take the oath of loyalty, and I declared his office vacant. This left the city without any civil government.
I therefore issued a proclamation as military commander of the post, assuming control of the civil affairs "until the loyal citizens shall have filled the offices with loyal men," and ordering an election to be held on a day designated. Meanwhile a citizen of Henderson was appointed by me provost marshal and furnished with a military guard to enforce order. My action in the matter was approved by my superior commanders. Thenceforth during my command in western Kentucky I had no trouble with the civil authorities of Henderson.
Having gotten my forces in a fair condition for a campaign against the guerrilla bands, I was about to make an expedition into the adjoining counties, when I received a report that the Confederate trooper John Morgan, with a large force, was just across the line in Tennessee and learned that one of his subordinates, Adam Johnson, a noted guerrilla chief, was already in my district. Before moving, I inquired of General Boyle as to Morgan's whereabouts, and he replied: "Morgan is near Gallatin. He cannot venture into your section. No danger from that source. Johnson is a great liar, as all rebels are. You can go where you please. Act on your own discretion. Shoot down the banded scoundrels as guerrillas or as recruits for the rebel army."
I had received reliable information that a considerable band of armed and organized rebels were quartered at Madisonville, the county seat of Hopkins County, about forty miles from Henderson, actively recruiting for their army and levying upon the loyal citizens for horses and supplies. With several companies of infantry and such force of cavalry as I could get (a mere handful), I embarked at night on a steamer, going up the Ohio and Green Rivers to within three miles of Madisonville, where we disembarked early in the morning, and moved toward the town, hoping to surprise the enemy. But we found them posted in a forest, heavily wooded and thick with underbrush, in the suburbs of the town. I ordered forward our skirmishers, who engaged them with a brisk fire, but before our line of battle could reach them they fled precipitately, mounting their horses and scattering in every direction. The result of the skirmish was a few soldiers wounded and a number of the rebels as prisoners.
We went into camp at Madisonville, and scouting parties were sent out in various directions. A few prisoners were brought in, but no banded rebels could be met with, as, being mounted on good horses and aided by resident sympathizers, they were able to get out of the way. During our stay some of our soldiers on picket duty were shot down, murdered in the darkness of the night, by persons claiming to be Southern soldiers, skulking behind rocks and bushes. We were indignant at such warfare, and I issued a proclamation which was scattered throughout the county, denouncing this irregular and barbarous warfare as contrary to the rules of civilized nations, declaring that the firing upon pickets, when no enemy was near, was cold-blooded murder, and giving notice that for every picket thereafter murdered one of the captured guerrillas in our hands would be put to death as a felon. I never had occasion to put this threat into execution, and probably never would have done so, but the proclamation had its desired effect, and the killing of our pickets ceased.
The expedition to Madisonville was heralded by the papers of Indiana as a great victory and magnified into a battle, but to me who had so recently come from Fort Donelson and Shiloh it seemed a mere skirmish of slight proportions. I soon returned to the post at Henderson, leaving a small detachment at Madisonville to protect the loyal citizens from the depredations of the guerrillas.
On my return I found that a reign of terror existed in the adjoining county of Union; that the loyal officers recently elected were not permitted by the secessionists to act; that a returned Union soldier at home on furlough had been ambushed and murdered; and that unarmed steamers on the Ohio had been repeatedly fired on from Uniontown. Reporting these facts to General Boyle, I was authorized to levy on the secession sympathizers of the locality a fund for the support of the family of the murdered soldier. As to Uniontown he telegraphed me: "If the rebels take any town on the river and use it to fire on boats, you will burn or demolish it. It would be well to burn down Uniontown, if it is likely to fall into the hands of the rebels."
I made an expedition into Union County with a view to overawe the rebel sympathizers and place the loyal officers recently elected in the exercise of their duties. But it proved of no avail. The guerrillas easily got out of our way and the rebel residents denied all knowledge of them or of the parties guilty of the soldier's murder. The loyal officials were unwilling to attempt to assume their duties unless I would agree to keep a force of soldiers permanently at the county seat, and this I could not do with my inadequate command.
For the first month or six weeks of my Kentucky service I put forth as much activity as was possible with the forces I had, to destroy or drive out of my district the guerrillas and Confederate recruiting men, and I received the repeated thanks of Governor Morton and my commanding officer, General Boyle, for what I accomplished. But I encountered considerable embarrassment in the exercise of my command. I was still lieutenant-colonel of the Twenty-fifth Indiana, then in General Grant's army on the Lower Mississippi, and the troops sent into my district might be, and at times were, commanded by officers of higher rank than mine, and who according to the Army Regulations would displace me. It was the desire of both Morton and Boyle that I should continue in charge of the district, and they recognized that I deserved promotion.
In a letter, dated September 19, Governor Morton wrote me as follows: —
"I desire to say frankly that it would be very gratifying to me to have you remain in command of the forces at and in the vicinity of Henderson, if in justice to your own feelings and the interest of your own regiment, you could do so. The ability, energy, and sagacity you have thus far displayed is sufficient proof of your fitness for the command. But should you, on any account, feel embarrassed in your personal position, I cannot insist that you shall remain; and, as to this, I beg you will exercise your own discretion.
"It would afford me much pleasure to show my recognition of your gallant, efficient, and faithful services, by promoting you to a colonelcy, and I should have done so before this, giving you one of the new regiments, had not orders from the War Department, a copy of which is herewith enclosed, prevented me from promoting officers connected with 'old regiments' to new commands. I regard you as entirely competent to lead a regiment, and your experience and uniform good conduct in the field, in my judgment, fairly entitle you to promotion. The orders alluded to have embarrassed me very much, but the Secretary of War has announced them as inflexible."
When it became apparent that I would have to rejoin the Twenty-fifth Indiana unless I was promoted, a way was found (how I do not know) whereby I was appointed colonel of the Sixty-fifth Indiana Infantry, a new regiment which had just been organized at Evansville. The Lieutenant-Colonel of the Sixty-fifth was Thomas Johnson, my uncle, who six months before had been forced to resign on account of ill-health. My promotion enabled me to continue in command of the district of western Kentucky continuously until our forces were transferred to another field in the following year.
The action on my part, during my command of the district of western Kentucky, which attracted the most attention and comment, was the enforcement of a money levy made upon the disloyal residents of Hopkins County to reimburse the Union citizens for losses sustained at the hands of the guerrillas. This action on my part was reported in full at the time to General Boyle and to Major-General Wright, commanding the department, and was unreservedly approved by them. General Wright, in endorsing his approval, added: "A few such exhibitions of zeal and energy would go far toward breaking up the lawless bands, which have been so long a terror in that quarter, and restoring peace and quiet in that section of Kentucky." Efforts were made in vain to the military commanders to have this levy revoked. Finally Hon. L. W. Powell, one of the Senators from Kentucky and a citizen of Henderson, after having failed with the War Department, visited President Lincoln in person, presented to him a list of the names of individuals assessed by me and the amount, and asked that in the exercise of his power as Commander-in-Chief of the Army he disapprove of the levy and order the money returned.
The request of Senator Powell, with his list, was sent by President Lincoln through the military channels calling for a report from me. I quote the following from my letter to General Boyle, dated February 16, 1863, in reply: —
"I am in receipt of the letter of President Lincoln, with your endorsement thereon, instructing me to report on the names contained in the paper submitted by Senator Powell.
"You will remember that I made a full report of all my action in these matters at the time, giving in detail the condition of the country, the causes which led to my action, the amount levied, the manner in which it was distributed, and the effect which it has had upon the community. This report has been read by yourself and Major-General Wright, commanding this department, and in all respects fully approved. I desire that this report be sent to the President. It was made upon my honor as an officer, and by it I desire that I may be judged. The money levied had been appropriated and paid out, as stated in my report, to the citizens of Hopkins County, who were the sufferers by the action of these very men and their friends, who ask the President for redress. The money cannot now be refunded by them. I am the only person who should be held responsible, for if any wrong was committed it was through the action taken by me as set forth in my report.
"I know that my action in the matter has had a most salutary effect upon the people, and Hopkins County is now enjoying a degree of peace and security which has not heretofore existed since the commencement of the rebellion. I trust my action may be approved by the President, as it has so flatteringly been done by yourself and Major-General Wright."
As I relied entirely upon my previous report to General Boyle for my vindication, I make some extracts from that document: —
"For more than three months previous to this levy, I had been laboring as earnestly as the force under my command would permit, in efforts to rid this part of Kentucky of the lawless bands of guerrillas. They had succeeded in breaking up the civil organization in all the counties lying between Green and Cumberland Rivers; forcibly preventing the administration of the laws; stopping the mails; robbing peaceable citizens on the public highways, causing loyal men to flee from their families and homes; plundering them of horses, arms, goods, and anything of value that their comfort required, or fancy demanded; interrupting the navigation of the rivers by firing into unarmed steamers; and were engaged in carrying on a warfare, cowardly and cruel, and entirely unwarranted by the rules of civilized nations.
"These bands of guerrillas were mounted on the best horses in the country, stolen from the citizens; they were active and wily, and thoroughly acquainted with the byways and hiding-places; and were supported by vigilant friends on every side. I found it very difficult to drive them out. And one great obstacle to this was the fact that they were supported, encouraged, and harbored by the friends and sympathizers of the rebellion, who were enjoying the possession of their property and their homes under the protection of the Government, while very many loyal citizens were driven from their families, and their homes plundered by these armed robbers. The guerrillas possessed not a single tent, and made no arrangements for a commissariat, yet they never wanted for a friendly roof to shelter them and were bountifully supplied with cooked rations. Wherever they went they were encouraged by hearty welcomes and approving smiles. They never could be surprised in their hiding-places or overtaken in their flight, because some sympathizers, enjoying the immunities of the Government, would go before and warn them of our approach. I had exerted myself to drive out these bands and restore peace to these counties and had only partially succeeded. I had time and again warned the secession sympathizers that if they continued to harbor, feed, and encourage these plunderers and assassins, I would be compelled to hold them responsible; that Union men, on account of their patriotic faithfulness to the Government in this time of public distress, should not be driven from their homes, their property carried away, and their lives endangered, without some compensation for their losses. They were daily making their complaints known to me, some loyal farmers having lost their last horse, not one being left to gather the corn, or till the soil. Others had their stores or houses plundered. The secessionists were living in the peaceful enjoyment of their homes, and the undisturbed possession of their property.
"The county of Hopkins was one of the strongholds of the guerrillas and their friends; they were numerous, active, and bold. After consulting with the most prominent Union men of the county as to the proper course to pursue, I organized the expedition, a partial report of which I gave you, in which I succeeded in scattering, capturing, or driving away all the organized bands in that county. Then in order to give peace in future to the county, I determined to carry out the threat I had so often made to the aiders and harborers of the guerrillas by holding them responsible for the depredations committed by their lawless friends. I accordingly made a money levy upon every prominent harborer or sympathizer of the guerrillas that I could reach, making the assessment against each individual in proportion to his property and support or countenance of the traitors. The amount so levied and collected has reached the sum of thirteen thousand three hundred and thirty-five ($13,335) dollars. This fund I have caused to be paid over to an upright, loyal, and responsible citizen of Henderson, Kentucky. I have appointed a committee consisting of men of acknowledged probity, influence, and responsibility of Hopkins County, who are thoroughly acquainted with the people of the county. I have placed the matter entirely in the hands of citizens, removing it as far as possible from the control of the military. I have made it the duty of this committee to investigate the losses sustained by Union citizens of Hopkins County through the agency of the guerrilla bands, and to compensate them out of this fund in proportion to their necessities and losses."
My report was forwarded through the War Department to President Lincoln and approval of my action was made by the endorsement of the President in his own handwriting. Nothing further was heard through official channels of the levy.
The town of Smithland at the mouth of the Cumberland River was in my district, and as it was an important dépôt for supplies for the forces operating at and through Nashville, I was required to maintain a force there, and I was often called there in discharge of my duties. Under date of November 1, I received a letter from General Boyle enclosing two orders from Major-General Wright, one placing under arrest and ordering a court-martial for the major commanding a detachment of a Wisconsin regiment stationed at Smithland, and the other ordering the detachment to be sent away to another army. It appears that the major enforced very little discipline and that the troops were inflicting all kinds of outrages and terrorism on the residents. I was directed to take with me one or more companies of Indiana troops for a garrison. He added: "I think, if practicable, you had better go down in person to Smithland. The citizens are apprehensive of an outbreak and great wrongs to them, on finding that the Wisconsin troops are ordered off and the major placed under arrest. You will take prompt and decisive steps to prevent anything of the kind, even if you shall be under the necessity of using the musket or bayonet for the purpose. Exercise prudence but firmness."
I encountered no difficulty in executing my orders. The major quietly accepted his arrest, the disorderly troops were sent away, and the garrison of a portion of my Sixty-fifth Regiment gave the citizens assurance of order.
Some time after this visit I was again called down to Smithland, but for a very different reason. The emancipation of the slaves, brought about by President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, was greatly resented by many of the Union men of Kentucky. Upon the publication by President Lincoln of the notice of his intended action on September 22, 1862, quite a number of the officers of Kentucky regiments in the Federal army resigned their commissions and returned home. Others, while remaining loyal to the Government, deeply regretted the President's action, and General Boyle was among them. Large numbers of slaves escaping through the lines from Tennessee sought refuge within our encampments. In November, I received the following letter from General Boyle: "Do not allow negro slaves to come into your lines. All such must be turned out and kept out. Have nothing to do with negroes. Let them go. You will see that your command attend to this matter. I am anxious that Indiana troops especially have nothing to do with slaves."
I sought to have this order observed by my command, distasteful as it was to many, and General Boyle commended me for my action, but called attention to the non-observance of the order, especially at Smithland, and asked me to give it my personal attention. I wrote my wife under date of January 25, 1863: "I shall have to go down to Smithland again to-morrow. Considerable complaint is made about Major Butterfield on the negro question; Governor Robinson of Kentucky complaining to General Boyle and the general referring the matter to me. This eternal negro question is a perfect nightmare to our loyal Kentucky patriots. We have to humor them amazingly. I try to act prudently, but I sometimes get vexed and disgusted."
I have already noticed various occupations in which I have been engaged other than of a strictly military service. While in command of the district of western Kentucky I was ordered to go with a suitable force to the Cumberland River, midway between Smithland and Nashville, where the rebels had obstructed navigation by sinking barges loaded with stone in the channel. With vessels suited for the purpose, I spent two weeks in cleaning the channel for navigation. I sent my wife a Christmas greeting by telegraph from this point, reporting my success, and also that we had captured thirty guerrillas.
During the greater part of my service in Kentucky I had been much hampered by the lack of a sufficient force of cavalry to enable me to pursue and hunt down the guerrillas. After continued efforts in that direction, I received the following Special Order from General Boyle's headquarters. "Colonel John W. Foster is hereby authorized to mount the Sixty-fifth Regiment Indiana Volunteers to be used as mounted infantry. The Quartermaster's and Ordnance Departments will furnish the necessary horses and horse equipments upon Colonel Foster's requisition." After my regiment was mounted and fully equipped, I had little trouble in clearing the country of guerrillas and giving peace to the Union citizens.
I was greatly grieved in January, 1863, to receive a letter from my wife telling me of my father's failing health. He had always been a devoted parent to his children, but he had doubly attached me to him at the opening of the war in patriotically encouraging his boys to enter the army, with the assurance that he would look after and care for their families. He wrote me frequent letters, and no day passed without a visit from him to my house to inquire for the health and needs of my wife and child. I wrote my wife: "Your letter made me sad when I read of father's poor health. I wish I was at home to comfort him somewhat and to aid him in his business. You will do all you can to make his time pleasant. He thinks much of you. Visit him often, and let Alice go over to see him whenever he wants her or she wants to go, and teach her to be affectionate to him. These little acts of kindness will gratify him in his feeble health and declining years."
My father's ill-health continued after the date of this letter, but I was afforded the opportunity of visiting him several times and doing what I could to comfort him in his last days. On April 13, 1863, he passed away. An account of the manner in which he met death is recorded in the "Biography of Matthew Watson Foster," pp. 81-83.
