Greusel requested me to preach. All necessary preparations were carefully made, when at three o'clock Thursday morning we were called up to join an expedition consisting of the 2nd and 15th Missouri, 44th, 88th and 36th Illinois, with two sections of Barnett's battery. We penetrated six miles into the Confederate lines, driving in the cavalry pickets, who fired their pieces, mounted their mustangs and fled at double quick. After waiting until Col. Schafer could cross over to the next pike, we returned to camp, arriving about three o'clock, and somehow a good supply of rations, not included in the army list, found their way back with us. One incident of our trip is thus described by Dr. Young: "Soon after starting the second instalment of Rebel pickets, we were joined by a smart, sprightly negro, aged about "twenty-five years, who knew the roads, and volunteered to show us the way across the creek, as the Rebels had burned the bridge and the stream was not fordable at that point. It so 'happened that our orders ended right at his master's plantation, "We halted there about two hours.

6.

6.

66

All the whites and blacks

"had fled when we came in sight. Some of our boys suggested "to him that he had better return with us, so he gathered up his "clothes and blankets and made ready to accompany us.

"Our troops now started back. My position, in consequence "of having looked after the comfort of a couple of large turkeys on the plantation, was in the rear of our retreating army. "The negro had accumulated his duds and started with us, when, "looking around, there came his wife and two children. He saw "them and halted. I stopped my horse to see the result, for I "was interested. I desired to see which the black man loved the "most-the prospect of gaining his liberty, or his wife and babies.

(.

She came up to him, and he said to her, 'Mary, I's gwine for to leab you! She looked thunderstruck, and inquired where

ARRIVAL OF THE PAYMASTER.

311

"he was going. He said he was going with the Northern army "and be free. She replied, 'You shan't!' He asked me if she "could go. I said yes. He informed her, but she instantly "replied, 'De Lord! I can't go and leab massa and dese chil"lens. The man looked troubled. The children came up to "him and called him father. I did not say a word, but sat on "my horse watching events. Our brigade moved forward, and I "followed. I looked behind me; the negro was coming, and a "short distance behind him, in the road, stood his wife and child

66

ren, watching the husband and father deserting them. He "looked behind him frequently, and I could see his broad black "chest heave, and hear him sigh. I pitied him, and thought he "felt and acted as I did when I left my home, wife and baby, and "followed. In a word, he acted like a man—a human being. I "hated to see the fellow leave his wife and children. But she "declared she would not leave the children. I thought, what "will she do when the auctioneer comes?"

The following week had two special incidents, which attracted much attention the coming of the paymaster on the 3rd of Dec., which had put the boys in excellent humor, and the eclipse of the moon on the night of the 15th, which was very fine. Our meetings continued, and additional evening meetings were held for the study of the Bible, so that I had some kind of service almost every night.

On the 9th we had orders to be ready to march at a moment's notice, without teams, and after dinner firing was heard and the long roll sounded. The troops went out about half a mile and were drawn up in line of battle, waiting for an attack, but nothing came of it and at night we returned to camp. Next day we moved back toward Nashville and went into camp in a beautiful grove on Mill Creek, 'remaining here at "Camp Sheridan " until

we marched out to Stone River, Friday, the 26th

The boys have always been fond of talking of the camp on Mill Creek; it was the last encampment in which many of us were together. Here the daily drills, the picket and forage duties continued, mingled with rides and trips to Nashville. Our brigade, under command of Col. Sherman, of the 88th Regiment, made a short foraging detour into the disputed territory. They were gone three days, and then returned with two hundred and forty-seven wagon-loads of forage and produce, besides numerous horses, mules, hogs, sheep and milch cows-all secured from undoubted secessionists. Somewhere about this time a slaughtered hog was found hung very near my tent, one Sunday morning, waiting, no doubt, to be cut up. The owners got up a little pleasant fun on the parson for such a sight, but the hospital tent was too near to turn any one off the true to a false sbent.

Friday, Dec. 12, Brig. Gen. Sill being appointed to the command of the brigade, Col. Greusel returned to the command of the regiment and met a hearty welcome. As in a few days after this the condition of the regiment was entirely changed by the battle, this is the best place to insert a brief summary of facts about it collected and printed at this time. "We left camp Hammond, Aurora, Kane County, Illinois, on Tuesday afternoon, "Sept. 24, 1861, with 1,183 men. The regiment has been in "the service fifteen months; marched 2,800 miles-five hundred "and twenty miles by steamboat, ten hundred and nineteen by "railroad and twelve hundred and sixty-one on foot. We have "done military duty in five Southern states-Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky and Tennessee, besides traveling extensively in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio- We have been in four severe battles-Pea Ridge, March 6th, 7th and 8th; Company "A Cavalry at Iuka, Corinth, Sept., and the regiment at Chap

A RESUME OF THE REGIMENT.

313

"lin Hill, near Perryville, Kentucky, Oct. 8th, 1862. We have "had twenty-eight men and two commissioned officers killed in "battle and died of their wounds. Twenty-two men have died "in our regimental hospital, under care of our own surgeons and "nurses; sixteen have died in general and post hospitals; "three have died at home, while absent from the regiment on furlough, making the total deaths in the regiment from all “causes, since it left Aurora, sixty-nine. Twenty-three commis"sioned officers have resigned or been dismissed from the ser"vice. One commissioned officer has died from disease, and two "from wounds received in battle. Thirty-eight privates have "been discharged from service by our regimental surgeons on "account of disability. Forty-three have been discharged by "general orders and post surgeons while absent from the regi"ment. Twenty-three were mustered out of service as a Band. "Nine have been discharged on account of promotion to offices "in other regiments. Thirty-one have deserted, and ought to be "shot. Twenty-three new recruits have joined since the organ"ization of the regiment-leaving 967 men now belonging to "the regiment and doing duty. Our division is composed of "twelve regiments-four old ones and eight new ones, yet our regiment draws rations for more men than any other regiment "in the division. We have one man sick in the regimental hos"pital to-day. The following figures show this morning's brigade "report of sick in general hospital. The brigade is composed of "four regiments, and the following are their figures: 36th Illi"nois has thirty-six men in general hospital, most of whom are the "wounded of the Perryville fight. The 88th Illinois has one "hundred and thirty-four men in general hospital; the 24th "Wisconsin has one hundred and thirty-five men in general hos"pital, and 21st Michigan one hundred and twenty men in same."

While camped at Mill Creek, south of Nashville, Peter Pelican was detailed as orderly for Col. Greusel. His special duty was that of mail carrier to and from Nashville. Peter was constitutionally thirsty, and the poor water of the South not always agreeable, so on his frequent visits to Nashville he generally partook more or less of the ardent. One time, while in a state of semi-unconsciousness, his horse was stolen, with saddle, bridle and equipments. It was said Peter's reputation for veracity was not of a high order, and on his return to camp he stated, in his half French manner, that while in the post office waiting for his mail-sober, of course- -some one had stolen his horse. Col. Greusel furnished him a pass, and ordered him to hunt the horse and not come back without him. Peter left on foot, and nothing was seen or heard of him for some time. At length Major Miller found him in Nashville, keeping a grog shop, and caused his arrest and trial for desertion. The case was apparently a clear one, and Peter was asked what he had to offer in defence. Judge of the consternation of Col. Greusel and the officers present, when he pulled out of his pocket the Colonel's pass, and stated that he had not yet been able to find the horse and hence had not returned. Peter was cleared, of course.

It was at this camp the troops were furnished with the "shelter tent," which became a treasure to the men when they understood its value, but at first its appearance was almost a signal for rebellion. The journals express the prevailing feeling perfectly: "In the afternoon the new 'shelter tents' came, and caused con"siderable excitement. The boys all declare they wont take "them, and I am sure I don't blame them in the least-they are "an imposition." Another says: "An attempt was made to-day "to furnish the brigade with the 'shelter tent,' a miserable. "coarse muslin thing, to be occupied by two men, and carried