LOUISVILLE, THE REBEL OBJECTIVE POINT. Bourbon bottles tucked beneath their waistbands. 235 Their com missary was garnished with lager beer kegs, champagne baskets, hams, crackers, sardines and oysters, while as many women as men were in camp, looking after the morals and ministering to the comfort of their "brave soldier boys." The veterans were in hopes Kirby Smith would make an attack, just to give these counter hoppers" a chance to enjoy a mixture of gunpowder and lead with their other luxuries, and afford an opportunity to display their valor. Just imagine a charge upon a fortification with a musket in their hands, a baby on one arm and a wife clinging to the other! When they were gone the thirsty "Pea Ridge boys" occupied their quarters, and had a good time smelling empty bottles and beer kegs. While at this camp, William W. Kerns, of Company G, was accidently shot. A stack of guns falling over, one of them exploded; the ball penetrating his side, shattered a rib and disabled him for six months. This was the only casualty to the 36th during the campaign. For six days the troops lay in the trenches on the banks of the Licking, in constant expectation of an attack. But the movement of the main Confederate force, under Bragg, toward Louisville, the sudden departure of Kirby Smith from before Covington, and his forced march and junction with Bragg at Frankfort, threw off the mask which had so long enveloped their plans, and left no room for doubt that Louisville was the real objective point of the campaign. The excitement which a few days before had prevailed in Cincinnati, was now transferred to Louisville, and frantic calls for veteran troops were made upon the Department commanders. Gen. Nelson, who, after the defeat at Richmond, had fallen back, was assigned to the command of the city, and proceeded to arm the citizens, to fortify and place the city in a complete state of defence. Cincinnati being no longer menaced, Col. Greusel was ordered to proceed to Louisville with his command. The greater portion of the troops embarked upon transports and proceeded down the Ohio river, requiring nineteen steamers to transport the command, which had now assumed the proportion of a division. While the boats were passing the city the people crowded the wharves and waved a heartfelt adieu. The 36th proceeded by rail via Indianapolis and Seymour, of pleasant memory, reaching Jeffersonville at noon on the 19th. Such was the press of business incident to the confusion growing out of the panic that the ferries and ordinary methods for crossing the river were crowded with fugitives from the panic-stricken city, and were inadequate for the purposes of transportation. Other troops had the precedence, and the 36th waited at Jeffersonville until evening before being ferried over; then marching five miles they went into camp in a cemetery in the south-eastern suburbs of the city. The exciting and somewhat exaggerated reports which were being circulated of Bragg's near approach, and the overwhelming numbers of his forces, filled Louisville with alarm. Merchants hastily removed the contents of their stores across the river, and household goods, in many instances, were carried a hundred miles into the interior of Indiana. Women, children and non-combatants generally were sent away, that in case of a bombardment there might be no helpless and frenzied objects of compassion to cumber the movement of troops and retard the defence. Col. Greusel, as at Cincinnati, was put in charge of the defences, and under his spuervision earth-works were constructed, extending around the city from the Marine hospital to the banks of the Ohio. The able-bodied citizens were pressed into service against their inclination, and set to work in the trenches, digging, sweat ALARM AND TERROR OF THE CITIZENS. 237 ing and swearing, while the veterans, with arms in hand, stood by to see that each did his duty without shirking. Each hour but intensified the terror of the people, and every preparation was made for the reception of the doughty knights under Smith and Bragg, when on the 25th of September Gen. Buell entered Louisville instead of Bragg, he having come out. ahead in the race across Kentucky. Even then, from a general lack of confidence in Buell's generalship, the apprehension of the people was not entirely allayed. On his arrival he found an order from the War Department' suspending him, and placing Gen. Thomas in command, which the latter absolutely refused to assume, and by his persistent efforts succeeded in having the order recalled and Gen. Buell retained. After the junction of Buell's and Nelson's forces, the army numbered nearly a hundred thousand men, a majority of whom were old soldiers, whose valor had been tested-a number sufficient, if skillfully handled, to have annihilated Bragg and swept his vagabond hordes from existence. Buell's army was worn down with hard marching, and poorly clothed. The enemy was likewise suffering from similar causes, and no good reason existed why the forces then assembled at Louisville should have been detained there a whole week, during which the country was ravaged and property destroyed to the value of many million dollars. On the 29th, Gen. Nelson was shot by Gen. Jeff. C. Davis and killed. This affair resulted from the insolence of the former which Gen. Davis would not endure. Nelson had long been connected with the regular service, and though a man of courage and a strict disciplinarian, was rough and overbearing in his demeanor to inferiors. To retort was sure to be followed by insult and often with blows. This was rather more than many of the impetuous and hot-blooded officers would patiently endure. Nelson had assigned Davis to an unimportant command over raw and insubordinate home-guards, who were constantly vibrating between their homes and commands, and it was extremely difficult for an officer to tell at a given time the exact number he could depend upon in case of an emergency. At this time Nelson met Davis in the hall of one of the principal hotels of Louisville, and in an imperious manner asked the number in his command. Davis could give only the approximate number, at which Gen. Nelson flew into a passion and struck Gen. Davis in the face. The latter borrowed a pistol from a bystander and shot the former while passing up the hotel stairs. Gen. Nelson's insolence not only impaired his usefulness as an officer, but alienated the affections of the men who served under him. The people, particularly negroes, with whom he came in contact, were treated by him more like serfs than free men. At the funeral, when the coffin was brought out and the remains exhibited to the assembled thousands, a passing cloud obscured the rays of the sun, when the poor negroes who were present, with one voice exclaimed, "De Lord am done gone and hid His face from one dat kicks de cullered folks and break dar bones.' Gen. Gilbert succeeded Nelson in the command of the Third Corps, in which was the 36th, being part of the 37th Brigade in Sheridan's Division. The Brigade was composed of the 36th, 44th, 88th Illinois, the 24th Wisconsin and the 21st Michigan Regiments of Infantry, with Hiscock's Missouri and Barrett's 2nd Illinois Batteries, under the command of Col. Greusel. CHAPTER XVIII. ADVANCE INTO KENTUCKY. N THE 1st of October, after the Rebel cavalry wagon-trains over twenty-two miles in length, and moved exceedingly slow, averaging about ten miles a day. Gen. Gilbert's crops occupied the Bardstown pike, passing through a country far different in appearance from the rough chert hills of Missouri or the marshy lagoons of Mississippi, a region that had felt but little of the rude effects of war, and smiling in autumnal beauty. Here and there elegant country seats adorned the wayside, and at the gates of many stood the occupants, tendering cups of water to the men, while from window or piazza ladies waved their handkerchiefs-woman's banner in grief or joy-in token of patriotic sympathy. The pike was one crowded mass of infantry, cavalry, artillery and wagon trains, moving in double lines and rumbling over the solid but dusty 'road. Fields, farmyards and woods were full of soldiers, and when the marching |