Kitabı oku: «War Stories for my Grandchildren», sayfa 7
Fortunately for the human race, our sorrows and our joys follow each other, often in quick succession. Two weeks after the death of my father, while on an expedition into the interior of my district in pursuit of guerrillas, I received intelligence of the birth of our second child, Edith. She was our "war baby," but she proved the harbinger of peace. Blessed with a sweet and even temper from her birth, she has spread peace and sunshine in her path through life.
Although my field of military service was so near to my home, I did not cease to long for the time when I might return to my family. Writing to my wife on a Sabbath day, January 11, I say: —
"Oh, when will this terrible war be over, so that we may spend our Sabbaths together as we have in the past, so peacefully, so pleasantly, so profitably? It has always been one of my greatest privations in the army that I was away from my family and Sabbath Church enjoyments. God in his own good time will give us peace, and return us to our Christian privileges and our home blessings. I can't help but wish I was at home, and wish it every day, and that circumstances were such that I might come with honor. I trust that time may come soon. But I do not want to dishonor all I have done by leaving at present. I want first to see the war looking toward its close."
I wrote the following brief epistle to my wife in a jocose spirit: "For the love I bear you, I herewith enclose to you the fruits of my toil, danger, privations, and glory for the past two months, $381.65, according to the estimate of my services by the paymaster."
I have referred to the embarrassment and trouble which came to me soon after I assumed command at Henderson by the condition of the State elections and the rebel civil officials. Another annual election occurred just before the close of my service in 1863, and I was required by General Boyle to see that his orders were enforced. In addition to the order that no one who was not in all things loyal to the State and Federal Governments should be allowed to be a candidate, a further order was issued which made it the duty of the judges of election to allow no one to vote unless he was known to them to be an undoubtedly loyal citizen or unless he took the "iron-clad" oath of loyalty prescribed by the State law. It was made the duty of the military authorities to see that these orders were enforced. I did not have a sufficient force to station a detachment at every voting-place, but I scattered the military election proclamation broadcast, and had a force at a number of the leading voting-places.
In one of the Congressional districts within my command I had a peculiar condition. The regular or State Union candidate was opposed by a prominent citizen, who had stood by the Federal Government at the beginning of the rebellion, had raised a Federal regiment, and had fought gallantly at Donelson and Shiloh. But after the President's announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation, he resigned from the army and returned to Kentucky to array himself with the peaceful opponents of the Administration. He was permitted to make a canvass of his district without any interference by the military, and at the election none of my command found it necessary to interpose. But the fact was that many who would have supported him at the polls abstained from voting because they were unwilling to take the "iron-clad" oath. Although the State Union candidate received a decided majority of the votes, his seat was contested by his opponent on the ground, among others, of military interference with the election, and my name was freely used in the debates; but the Union candidate was seated by Congress. In the course of the debate, the Union candidate, referring to the attacks upon me, said: "Colonel Foster's services protected all that region of Kentucky, my home, the contestant's home, from rebel and guerrilla outrage and depredation. Without those services the courts could not have been held nor the laws administered in a large district of country. He afterwards led a brigade with brilliant success in East Tennessee. And the contestant will not forget that day on the banks of Green River, when he and I waged a bloodless battle of words about politics in stone's throw of where Foster and his gallant Hoosiers stood in battle order, expecting John Morgan and his avalanche of cavalry."
During my year's service in Kentucky my command was frequently disturbed and put in battle array by reports from time to time that the rebel General Forrest or John Morgan was about to enter my district with a large force of cavalry. These reports were so frequent and unfounded that we became incredulous, but Morgan finally did come into Kentucky with quite a formidable force. General Boyle early notified me of his presence in the State, and that he might seek his way out by crossing Green River and passing through my district into Tennessee; and I was ordered to move my entire command to Green River, remove or destroy all the boats, and give him battle if he came my way.
But Morgan had other schemes on hand. At noon July 9, 1863, General Boyle telegraphed me that Morgan had crossed the Ohio River into Indiana some distance below Louisville with a cavalry force of four thousand men. I was ordered to secure transports and put my command on board to move up the river. At 9 P.M. the same night I received the following from Boyle: "Morgan may deflect west and try Evansville. I think he will move on New Albany. Gather your men, seize boats, and come up river. Send out scouts on Indiana side to learn of enemy's movement. Direct your movements accordingly. Attack and fight Morgan wherever he can be met." About the same time I had telegraphic advices from Governor Morton of Morgan's presence in Indiana, and that he was likely to move toward Evansville.
When I received these orders and the information that Morgan had crossed the Ohio River into Indiana, in accordance with previous instructions I was with my entire command on Green River awaiting an expected attack from Morgan in that locality. I at once crossed Green River on the night of the 10th en route for the Ohio, but did not reach its banks until the night of the 11th, by which time Morgan was well on his way toward the State of Ohio. I was therefore not to share in the pursuit of this noted raider.
I returned with my command to Henderson and redistributed them at various exposed places in my district. But this proved the end of my military operations in Kentucky. General Burnside had been ordered from the East to assume command of the Department of the Ohio, and was preparing the concentration of his forces for a movement for the relief of the loyal people of East Tennessee, and I felt sure my regiment would be included. Hence I was not surprised to receive orders on the 7th of August, 1863, to move the Sixty-fifth Indiana Mounted Infantry to Glasgow, from which place Burnside's movement was to begin.
I was quite satisfied at this change. As early as February I had made a visit to Louisville to ask General Boyle if he could not give me a more active service. The guerrilla warfare which I was carrying on was of a very unsatisfactory and unprofitable kind. My troubles with the disloyal citizens and the civil duties as to officials and the elections were not to my taste. As a soldier I longed to be relieved from these unwelcome duties, and to bear my share in the real military campaigns of the war. During my year's service in the district I had received the warmest exhibitions of friendship from the Union citizens of Henderson and that region. Being stationed so near to my home, my wife often visited me, and these kind-hearted citizens always insisted on making her their guest. I received various testimonials of their esteem, among others a beautiful jeweled sword, sash, and belt. When it became known that my regiment was to be ordered away, an earnest petition was sent to General Boyle asking our retention, signed by all the Union citizens, headed by ex-Governor and ex-Senator Dixon.
Hon. Thomas E. Bramlette, Governor of the State of Kentucky, wrote President Lincoln, asking that I might "be retained in western Kentucky in charge of the defenses of that section. I have recently passed all through western Kentucky and find from personal observation the immense good which the vigilant and successful military guardianship of Colonel Foster has done for that section." General Boyle, in a letter to the Secretary of War, said: "I beg to say that Colonel J. W. Foster is one of the most vigilant, active, and useful officers in the volunteer army. He is a man of the first order of ability, with capacity to fill almost any place in the service, and no man known to me has done better service than Colonel Foster."
In an editorial notice of some length the "Evansville Journal," in noticing the departure of the Sixty-fifth Regiment, said: —
While we are glad the gallant boys of this excellent regiment are about to be afforded an opportunity to engage in more active service, and to see some of the excitement of war on its grander scale, yet we cannot help regretting their departure from our vicinity. For a year past the people along the border have felt that the Sixty-fifth was a wall of safety, a mountain of rocks between them and the guerrillas. Colonel Foster during his administration of affairs in the Green River region, has won not only the admiration of the friends, but also the respect of the enemies, of the Government.
VII
THE EAST TENNESSEE CAMPAIGN
No portion of the people of our country had shown more devotion to the Union or suffered greater hardships on account of their loyalty during the Civil War than the citizens of East Tennessee. Almost the entire population of military age had fled over the mountains into Kentucky and enlisted in the Federal army. And those who remained – the old men, the women and the children – endured many privations and much persecution. It had long been the desire of the Federal Government to occupy East Tennessee with troops and free the loyal people from their oppression, and President Lincoln in 1863 determined that this relief should no longer be delayed.
The army under General Burnside numbered approximately twenty thousand men, a force which it was thought was sufficient for the purpose in view of the fact that General Rosecrans with a much larger army was moving from middle Tennessee toward Chattanooga and northern Georgia. In a letter to my wife from Glasgow, dated the 18th of August, I say: —
"We arrived here yesterday. Found marching orders for this morning to go to Burksville with our brigade. The brigade left this morning, but I got permission to stay over to-day to shoe horses and more fully equip the regiment. The indications are that the cavalry division will go direct to Knoxville, after a few days' delay at Burksville."
From Ray's Cross Roads, I write on the 20th: —
"We reached here yesterday. How many days we will remain I do not know. We are anxious to move forward, wanting to get into East Tennessee as soon as possible. I drilled my regiment to-day, had a good dress parade, and made a very fine appearance. I think there is no regiment in the corps that will make a better show. It attracts very general attention. We are stopped here waiting for the supply trains to come up. If it were not for the stomachs of men and horses an army could accomplish wonders. Kiss little Edith for me and tell Alice her papa thinks of her very often and loves her very much."
A letter the next day from the same place says: —
"We leave at 11 A.M., camp to-night at Marrowbone, to-morrow at Burksville, thence to Albany and Jamestown, Tennessee. I am well and in good spirits. Do not be uneasy if you do not hear from me very soon again, as we shall probably draw in our couriers and close our line of communication to-morrow. The Twenty-third Army Corps has one cavalry division of three brigades, each brigade consisting of four regiments and one battery; also one independent brigade of cavalry. The second brigade is the one in which is our regiment, and is commanded by Brigadier-General Hobson. You see we have a very strong force of cavalry, with which we can overrun the whole of East Tennessee and a good part of North Carolina, if we can ever get through the gaps and over the mountains, and can manage to take along with us our supply of forage and rations.
"General Hobson is absent from the brigade sick. I am the senior colonel of the brigade, and in the absence of the general, I will be entitled to command. Before I arrived, Colonel Graham, Fifth Indiana, was commanding, and as I had even more than I could well attend to, and as General Hobson was expected soon, I did not ask for the command, and will not do so unless I learn that General Hobson will not be able to join us soon. My regiment is the largest (and I think the best) in the brigade, having eight hundred and fifty fighting men with us."
On August 28, I wrote: —
"We have been here in the vicinity of Jamestown for a few days. We are out of forage for our horses, and have to get green corn and what hay, straw, and oats we can find, feeding them also on wheat and rye. We are up on the top of the mountains, and the soil is very poor, the farms small, and there is little forage of any kind; consequently, if we stay here much longer we shall be driven to pretty close straits for our horses and possibly for rations for ourselves. We are already short and very little prospect of any soon, but as long as there is green corn the men will not starve. The route from Glasgow is very hilly and rugged, and we had great difficulty in getting our wagons over it. We are now up on the level of the mountains where it is not so hilly. All the country is very poor, and the only good features about it are that it is healthy, has good water, and a goodly number of Union people. I will take command of the brigade to-day, as General Hobson is still sick at home. When we are so straitened for forage and rations the responsibility is great and the task not a very desirable one."
My next letter dated September 2, gave an account of our occupation of Knoxville, the goal of our long march over the mountains: —
"Yesterday was the proudest day of my life. Sunday last Generals Burnside and Curtis came up and a juncture of the forces was formed at Montgomery. My brigade arrived at that place on Saturday in advance of all other. On Sunday afternoon General Burnside sent for me to report, and I received orders to move my brigade five miles to the front. This seemed to indicate that I would be permitted to keep the advance and we were all well pleased. But about daylight the First Cavalry Brigade marched past us and out to the front on the Kingston road, and we had no orders to move. At sunrise, the Third Cavalry Brigade (General Shackelford) passed by and out to the front toward the reported enemy on the Kingston road. I began to be impatient and somewhat disgusted. I waited for two hours more very anxiously, but no marching orders came.
"At nine o'clock Generals Burnside and Curtis, with their staffs and escorts, came up and I thought then we were to go clear to the rear. But they halted at my headquarters, came in, and after examining the organization of my brigade, General Burnside held a private interview with me, in which he told me he wanted me to take my brigade on the Knoxville road and force Winter's Gap, which would flank the enemy on the right and compel them to fall back, when, if matters went on smoothly, he would give me orders to push right on to Knoxville. Nothing could have suited me better. I would rather then have had those orders than to have received the commission of a general. So at 11 o'clock I formed my brigade, and, leaving every one of our wagons behind, marched to Winter's Gap, arriving there at sundown and occupied it, finding that the enemy had fled in the morning. I reported promptly to General Burnside, and about four o'clock yesterday morning I received orders to push on into Knoxville and occupy the town, attacking any force of rebels which might be there.
"We were in motion within an hour, and all along the road, as everywhere heretofore in our march through East Tennessee, we were received with the warmest expressions and demonstrations of joy. In the morning I expected that I would not be able to take the town without a fight, but as my brigade had been assigned the post of honor, I was satisfied it would do its full duty. A few miles before we reached the town we ascertained that the rebels had all left, the last of them that morning. The Fifth Tennessee Cavalry, which was in the advance, surrounded the town, and about four o'clock yesterday afternoon I rode into town with the staff and escort, and such an ovation as we received was never before during this war given to any army. The demonstration beggars all description. Men, women, and children rushed to the streets, – no camp-meeting shouting ever exceeding the rejoicing of the women. They ran out into the streets shouting, 'Glory! Glory!' 'The Lord be praised!' 'Our Savior's come!' and all such exclamations. The men huzzahed and yelled like madmen, and in their profusion of greetings I was almost pulled from my horse. Flags long concealed were brought from their hiding-places. As soon as I could get to a hotel I was waited upon by the mayor (a true Union man) and a large number of loyal men, prominent citizens, and they received me with heartiest congratulations and welcome. All afternoon and into the night until the provost guard sent all citizens to their homes the streets resounded with yells, and cheers for the 'Union' and 'Lincoln.' A marked feature of the loyalty of this section (so different from western Kentucky) is that the people have no scruples about hurrahing for Lincoln, – they recognize him as the leader and head of the Government.
"It is stated that last night, after the occupation of the town, the intelligence was communicated to the people throughout the country by the firing of guns from place to place and by signal fires on the mountains. And this morning the streets were crowded with people from the country far and near, and such rejoicing I never saw before. How they shouted and stood with uncovered heads beneath the old Stars and Stripes. With what sincere welcome they met the soldiers. The mayor of the city brought forth an immense flag, which he had kept, waiting anxiously for the day when he could unfurl it. This was suspended early this morning over Main (or Gay) Street, and at the sight of it the people as they came in from the country yelled with a perfect frenzy of delight. Early in the day a procession of ladies was formed, and bearing two American flags, they marched down Main Street and under the large flag, in order that they might fulfill a vow they made early in the war that they would in a body march under the first American flag raised in Knoxville. It does soldiers good to fight for such a people. It is a labor of love. Every soldier in my brigade has been paid a hundred times over since we came into East Tennessee for all our hardships, short rations and exposures, by the hearty welcome of the people. We can see upon their faces the recognition of the fact that we have delivered them from a cruel bondage.
"Although the rebels have for five days been removing their property, we came upon the town so suddenly yesterday that we captured a large amount of army property, five locomotives, a number of cars, and saved the mills, foundry, railroad works, hospitals, and other army buildings from burning.
"September 3.
"I went yesterday to visit the prison where the rebels kept the Union men confined. It is a dirty, filthy, jail, hardly fit for the lowest criminals. I saw the room in which Parson Brownlow was confined. On the wall of it in large black letters is written, – 'Death to our persecutors.'
"When we came in on Tuesday the gallows was standing near the railroad, at the edge of the town, where the Union men were dragged from the jail and, contrary to all law and civilized warfare, hung like felons for faithfulness to their Government. You will find something of this in Brownlow's narrative. I rode over to see it as soon as I could on the morning after we arrived, and to place a guard over it, but some enraged soldiers and citizens had gone there before me and cut it down and burnt it. I was sorry, because it was in a prominent place and I wanted it preserved as a monument of the wickedness and cruelty of the persecutors of these people.
"We had this morning a fresh outbreak of patriotism. The news of the Federal occupation of the town had by last night spread into the adjoining counties, and the people flocked in from every direction. A large delegation of men and women of all ages formed in long procession (from Sevier County) and carrying the American flag, paraded through the town and out to camp, and the town again ran wild with patriotic joy. Men who had been hiding among the rocks and caves of the mountains, and who had not seen each other for years or since the rebellion broke out, stood grasping each other's hands beneath the folds of the old flag, while tears streamed down their cheeks. I have read of 'tears of joy,' but never saw so much of it as here.
"But General Burnside and the rest of the army will be in town this evening and I must get ready to receive them, so good-bye for the present."
In my letter of the 7th I gave an account of my first expedition out of Knoxville: —
"A day or two after his arrival General Burnside sent for me to say that he had received information which he thought was reliable to the effect that the rebels had left the railroad up as far as Bristol, on the Virginia line one hundred and thirty miles, in good condition and unguarded; that at Bristol there was a round-house and a great supply of locomotives and cars; and that it was very desirable to get possession of this rolling-stock, if possible. He proposed that I make up a train out of the rolling-stock I had captured on my occupation of Knoxville and go up the railroad as far as I could do so safely, and reach Bristol if possible.
"It was a new business for me to go a-soldiering on a railroad train, but I cheerfully undertook the expedition. I had to secure the engineer and brakemen out of my own command, as there were none others available. Putting three of the companies of the Sixty-fifth dismounted on the train, we started out early in the afternoon, hoping to get over a good part of the road before dark, but within ten miles of Knoxville we encountered a small bridge burnt, but with the tools we had brought with us some of our expert railroad men were able to arrange a temporary crossing for the train. It was nearly dark when we reached Strawberry Plains, only seventeen miles out, and here we stopped the train, as I had learned that the President of the railroad lived here, and he would probably be at home, as he had fled from Knoxville before our arrival. I took a small guard with me to his house, where I found him. I explained that our general had sent me on an expedition up his road toward the Virginia line, and as we had no one on the train who was familiar with the road, I should esteem it a great favor if he would accompany us. Seeing the situation with my armed guard, he accepted the invitation with the best grace possible, but as we moved off the ladies of the household set up a fearful wailing, beseeching me not to take him, as they felt sure he was going to his death, notwithstanding I assured them that no harm should come to him.
"After comfortably seating the President, I took post with the brigade bugler on top of a pile of wood on the locomotive tender, and the train moved off at slow speed in the darkness on the strange road, without a stop until we reached Jonesboro, ninety-eight miles from Knoxville, after midnight. Here our engineer, not being familiar with the switches, ran the fore wheels of his locomotive off the track. While a few of us dismounted to aid in getting on the track again, I discovered that another train was lying on the track with a lot of invalid Confederate soldiers, who told us the train had just arrived that evening from Richmond. About the same time we heard a great commotion in the town, with loud military commands indicating the presence of troops. It was very dark and we were strange to the locality, but I ordered out a platoon of soldiers, who fired a volley or two in the direction of the noise, which was followed by a great clatter of horses' hoofs. The next day, as we came back, the citizens told us that the rebel troopers could be seen in all directions flying away, some bareback, others without firearms or hats. It proved to be a detachment of Confederate cavalry stationed in the town.
"At Jonesboro we learned from the station employees that another train would be due from Richmond about eight o'clock in the morning. Thirteen miles above that place the railroad crossed the Watauga River, where there was a rebel blockhouse or fort protected by artillery, and which we learned was garrisoned. Our only hope of getting to Bristol was to capture the incoming train and rush our own train unawares into the fort and take the garrison by surprise. So after leaving a guard in charge of the train found at Jonesboro, we moved up quietly about day-break to the first station this side of the fort, surrounded the town with orders to allow no one to pass out, and we lay quietly in ambush waiting for the train. Sure enough, it came along on time and we were greatly elated. But just before it got within gunshot of our ambush, it whistled down the brakes, stopped, and instantly ran backwards at full speed and whistling into the fort. Some one had given them a warning signal, and the fort was at once notified of our presence. With that our expedition to Bristol came to an end. General Burnside had been misinformed. The railroad above Knoxville was not only guarded but was in use from Richmond.
"Our return journey was uneventful except that, as we neared Jonesboro, some of the soldiers we had scattered had quite dexterously loosened a rail and slightly displaced one end at a sharp curve in the road on a down grade, which tumbled our locomotive down an embankment and disabled it. Several of the soldiers were bruised and the railroad President got a few slight scratches on his face. Fortunately we had the captured locomotive, and with it we took all the cars back to Knoxville. Our return was on Sunday, and as the news of our passing up in the night had got noised about, the whole country turned out in gala dress and with flags to welcome us."
My next letter is from Greenville, seventy-four miles above Knoxville on the railroad, the home of Andrew Johnson, afterwards President of the United States. It is dated September 12: —
"I have my brigade at this place, as also the One Hundred and Third Ohio Infantry assigned to my command and stationed here as a provost guard. Generals Burnside and Hartsuff (corps commander) have been very pleasant and kind and are disposed to do everything they can for me. They promise to send me on an expedition by way of Bristol into Virginia to destroy the Salt Works, probably the most important movement left in East Tennessee. I am in very good health and spirits."
We were still at Greenville on September 16. My chief trouble seemed to be with the mails. I had not heard from home for nearly a month. I write my wife: —
"It has been so long since I have heard from you. How I would appreciate a letter to-day from my dear wife, telling me about our family affairs, that she was well, that our dear little children were well, giving me some of the sayings and doings of my little Alice, to have some news from Evansville and the families there. If it had not been that I had so very much to do and such great responsibilities resting upon me that kept me actively employed, I should have been lonely, indeed. When I go a-soldiering again I want it along a river or railroad so I can get some communication with the outer world and my wife.
"I am glad to assure you that in this long interval of suspense I have been in good health and I think discharging my duties to the entire satisfaction of my superior officers. I am very well satisfied at being ordered away from Henderson and placed in active service. It has given me a very prominent and choice command, and brought me in close contact with the commanding generals of the army. During the past three weeks I have been in close and intimate relationship with Generals Burnside and Hartsuff, and acting directly under their orders.
"We have been for a week at this place in front of an army of rebels at Jonesboro twenty miles above here, momentarily expecting an attack. I think that within a few days we will make a movement that will completely drive them out of Tennessee. If so you may expect to hear of the Second Brigade dashing away up onto the sacred soil of Virginia. I have a very good brigade of near three thousand effective men. For the present I am holding this position with my brigade and two regiments of infantry till General Burnside comes up with the army which is on the way. Several times a day I am called to the telegraph office for conversations over the wires with General Burnside on the situation at the front and he freely calls for my views as to movements. He is a very kind-hearted and pleasant gentleman, and willing to give every officer his full share of credit. I write thus freely to my wife of these matters because she will be interested to know them and to her it will not appear boasting or self-praise.
"I wish I had time to prepare a letter for the friends at home on the state of affairs in East Tennessee, and give a simple narrative of facts as to what the Union men have suffered. Such cruelty, such oppression, and heartless wrong has no parallel at least on this continent. It may have been equaled by the barbarians of Europe. No wonder that the people receive us with tears and perfect ecstasy of rejoicing and unbounded enthusiasm. The rejoicing and demonstrations I have witnessed will be probably the brightest of my reminiscences of the war. No wonder these people have wept tears of joy at the sight of the old flag, for it has brought to them freedom from a tyrannical oppression. It was the happiest epoch of my life to first carry that flag into Knoxville, and to bear it in the advance along up this valley for more than a hundred miles, and receive the welcome of the loyal people. And I hope in a few days to have the honor to say that we have driven the enemy entirely beyond the borders of the State.
