Читать книгу A History of the Trials and Hardships of the Twenty-Fourth Indiana Volunteer Infantry - Richard J. Fulfer - Страница 12

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We boarded a train and went to Tipton, which was twenty miles distant. Here, on the 19th, we drew uniforms.

On the morning of the 21st we received marching orders, struck tents, packed our knapsacks and marched in the direction of Springfield, which is south of this place. At the end of a fifteen-mile march we halted and went into camp. On the morning of the 2d we continued our march. At 4 o’clock we came to a halt and went into camp in a little black-oak grove. Our feet were blistered from marching over the rough mountain roads, and many of the boys fell out of the ranks and straggled in late at night.

On the morning of the 24th we took up our line of march. After a hard day of travel we came to the little town of Warsaw. We crossed the Osage river and went into camp.

While here General Fremont received the news from one of his spies that General Price’s army was at Springfield. We were called into line early the next morning. We moved out seven miles and the order was then countermanded. Therefore we went into camp in a field which was covered with burrs. For this reason we named this place Camp Burr.

Our boys were about played out on account of heavy marching, and so each of our companies bought an ox team to haul our baggage. Our quartermaster sent our train back to Tipton after supplies of ammunition and rations. This was supposed to be our base of supplies.

On the evening of November 1st, 1861, we received orders to leave our tents, and in light marching order move out and march in the direction of Springfield. At 8 p. m. we moved out eight miles through the dark night and came to our main army to consolidate our regiment with our division, brigades, etc., which were commanded by Generals Pope, Hunter, and Jeff C. Davis.

The next morning we marched through a little town by the name of Black Oak Point, and after a hard day’s march we went into camp in a meadow. We were all very tired and foot-sore.

On the morning of the 3d we marched through the little town of Buffalo, crossed Greasy Creek, and went into camp.

We were all worn out with the day’s journey. Most of us had eaten a cold lunch and had lain down for a little rest. A few of the boys were cooking beef and trying to prepare some food for the morrow when the bugle sounded the assembly to fall in line and march. We slung knapsacks, fell in line, and marched off in double quick time. Some of the boys were swearing because they had to throw their beef, which had just started to boil, out of the kettles.

We felt sure that we would have a chance to take old General Price in that night. Everyone was worn out and angry, and their fighting blood was at its highest pitch. We marched all night, and early in the morning we waded Pometytor creek. We then halted for a short rest. We had nothing for breakfast except a few pieces of hard tack to munch on.

This was the 4th day of November. After a short rest we fell in line, marched off as fast as our swollen feet would allow us to. At 4 o’clock we reached Springfield. After a forced march of fifty miles, without sleep and with very little to eat, we were in splendid fighting order—mad and worn out.

But our chance for a battle had slipped.

As old Price’s army had skipped, all mounted on gray horses, General Fremont with his one hundred bodyguards, started in pursuit. They ran into Price’s rear guard. I heard some shots fired, and it was reported that a few shots were exchanged with the rear guard of General Price’s retreating army.

Here we forced a junction with General Lane’s army, which swelled the number of our forces to about 35,000. General Lane had several Indians under his command—some 1,200 Cherokees. It was reported that he sent them after the rebel forces which were retreating towards Cassville, which is in Barry county. I never heard of those Indians afterwards. They must have been disbanded.

We went into camp that night about a mile from town. On the morning of the 5th of November, Colonel Hovey took command of a brigade.

On the night of the 6th, cheering was heard throughout our army, as some grapevine or false dispatches had reached our officers of a great victory gained in the east. The thunder of drums and voices were heard for miles.

General Fremont received instructions not to follow Price farther into the mountains, or he would be caught in a trap. On the morning of the 9th we received orders to march back to Tipton.

On the 13th our regiment and the Forty-second Illinois marched on a race to Camp Burr. We beat them by five hours. On the morning of the 14th we made double quick time back to Osage Bridge, in order that we might get there before General Sturges’ brigade arrived there. We crossed the river and went into camp. We stayed two days waiting for our supply train.

We went to Tipton on the 20th of November. This completed the Springfield march.

While on this expedition General Fremont issued a proclamation to free all the slaves who made their way into our lines. Soon they were flocking in by the score. For assuming this authority General Fremont was superceded by General Pope. His name was never mentioned again in the history of our late civil war, as he was placed on the retired list of our good old generals who had served their time faithfully in our past wars.